“There is no glory in practice, but without practice, there is no glory.” So true! Practice isn’t always fun, but it’s a necessity if you want to become a better pickleball player.
Practice can take on many forms such as trying different drills or playing rec games. However, one of the most important things to add to your practice routine is repetition. It’s important to develop muscle memory, so when you’re on the court in the heat of the game, hitting the perfect shot will become automatic.
In order to have repetition, you either need either a practice partner or a coach. However, if you don’t have either of those options, you should try a pickleball machine.
What is a Pickleball Machine?
Similar to a tennis ball machine, a pickleball ball machine feeds you balls. It can feed you balls at different intervals, at different angles, and with different spins.
A ball machine doesn’t miss, never gets tired, is always available, and doesn’t make fun of you!
Many of the pickleball machine companies also sell ball machines for other sports, such as tennis and baseball so they know what makes for a good ball machine.
A couple of the more well-known brands of ball machines are the Sports Tutor and Lobster. However, there are also a few more ball machines to choose from such as Simon, Spinshot, Playmate, and Heater Sports. For this article, we will compare the different Tutor and Lobster ball machines.
Things to Consider When Purchasing a Pickleball Ball Machine
When deciding to purchase a pickleball ball machine, you should consider some of the following characteristics as each ball machine will differ slightly:
- Unit Size – Do you want a large-sized machine, or a smaller one?
- Weight and maneuverability – How heavy the machine is can determine how easy it will be to maneuver
- Ball Capacity – The number of pickleballs the machine can hold
- Ball Speed – How fast do you want the balls thrown at you?
- Interval Adjustments – This is the amount of time in between balls being fed to you
- Start-up Delay – After you set up your machine, will you have time to move to the other side of the court before pickleballs are pitched?
- Shots – Is the ball machine capable of throwing volleys, dinks, lobs, etc?
- Spin Effect – Does the machine provide a topspin or a backspin?
- Oscillation – Is the machine able to oscillate from side to side between pitches?
- Elevation Degree – Can you manually adjust the machine elevation, or is it electronic?
- Battery Life – If the machine comes with a battery, how long will it stay charged?
- AC/DC Power – Does the machine come with the ability to plug it into an outlet?
- Remote Control – Does the machine come with a remote control, or is it an upgrade?
- Wheels – Does the machine have wheels, so it can easily be moved across a court?
- Warranty – Does the pickleball machine come with a multi-year warranty?
- Price – How much does the ball machine cost?
Determining the best ball machine will be based on your personal preference. We will list the characteristics of the different ball machines in the article below, but before we get too far, here’s our list of the best pickleball machines that we recommend:
- Pickleball Tutor Plus
- Pickleball Tutor Spin
- Pickleball Tutor Mini
- Pickleball Tutor Multi-Twist
- The Pickle by Lobster
- The Lobster Pickle Two
If you want to know the pros and cons of each ball machine along with our top pick, please read on.
>>READ NEXT: Pickleball Equipment Needed to Play the Game<<
Best Pickleball Machines
The following are the pickleball machine brands that we recommend.
Tutor Pickleball Machine
Sports Tutor offers a few different types of pickleball machines. Each of the machines can be used with either indoor or outdoor pickleballs. These ball machines are made in the U.S.A.
Pickleball Tutor Plus
Weight: Battery-powered: 34 lbs, AC powered: 27 lbs
Ball Capacity: 110 balls
Ball Speed: 65 MPH
Interval Adjustments: From one per second to every 10 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Any shot, including serves, dinks, lobs, drives, groundstrokes
Spin Effect: Offers topspin and backspin from a single dial control
Oscillation: Random oscillation is included. 2-line oscillation can be upgraded
Elevation: Manual elevation. Electronic elevation can be upgraded
Battery Life: Rechargeable battery, allows 4 hours of playtime per charge. Has a smart battery charger
AC/DC Power: AC power available instead of battery-powered for an additional charge
Remote Control: Wireless 2-function remote is available for an added charge
Wheels: Built-in towing 3″ wheels and attached handle
Warranty: 3 years on the machine. 1 year on the battery
Price: $$$
Pros: It gives you practice for all of the shots including spins while randomly oscillating if you like
Cons: It has a smaller ball capacity
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Pickleball Tutor Spin
Size: 12″ x 19.5″ x 18″
Weight: Battery-powered: 30 lbs, AC powered: 23 lbs
Ball Capacity: 120 balls 125
Ball Speed: 60 MPH
Interval Adjustments: From one per second to every 10 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Any shot, including serves, dinks, lobs, drives, groundstrokes
Spin Effect: Offers adjustable sidespin
Oscillation: Random oscillation is included. 2-line oscillation can be upgraded
Elevation: Manual elevation. Electronic elevation can be upgraded
Battery Life: Rechargeable battery, allows 3 hours of playtime per charge. Has a smart battery charger
AC/DC Power: AC power available instead of battery-powered for an additional charge
Remote Control: Wireless 2-function remote is available for an added charge
Wheels: Built-in caster wheels and fold-out towing handle
Warranty: 3 years on the machine. 1 year on the battery
Price: $$$
Pros: It holds more balls than the Tutor Plus. It provides an adjustable sidespin
Cons: Ball speed is slower than the Tutor Plus
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Pickleball Tutor Mini
Size: 15″ x 12″ x 13″
Weight: 24 lbs
Ball Capacity: 60
Ball Speed: 50 MPH
Interval adjustments: From two seconds to 10 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Any shot, including serves, dinks, lobs, drives, groundstrokes
Spin Effect: No
Oscillation: Optional upgrade for random oscillation
Elevation; Manual elevation control
Battery Life: Rechargeable battery; allows 3 hours of playtime per charge. Has a smart battery charger
AC/DC power: Not available
Remote Control: Not available
Wheels: No, but built-in carrying handle
Warranty: 3 years. 1 year on the battery
Price: $$
Pros: Size and maneuverability
Cons: Doesn’t hold many balls. Doesn’t provide oscillation without an added cost
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Pickleball Tutor Multi-Twist
Overview: This pickleball machine is great for beginners or children
Size: 26″ x 16″ x 26″
Weight: 11 lbs
Ball capacity: 28 balls
Ball Speed: 15 MPH
Interval adjustments: Every 5 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Dinks, drives, groundstrokes
Spin effect: No
Oscillation: No
Elevation: No
Battery life: Operates up to 10 hours on 6 ‘D’ batteries
AC/DC power: AC power available
Remote Control: Not available
Wheels: No
Warranty: 3 years
Price: $
Pros: An inexpensive ball machine if you don’t need all of the premium features. Can also be used for tennis balls
Cons: Ball speed is slow
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Lobster Ball Machines
Lobster has been making ball machines for tennis for many years. More recently, they began offering ball machines for pickleball. They offer a couple of great options when it comes to pickleball ball machines. Both of the pickleball machines can be used with either indoor or outdoor pickleballs. Both machines are made in the USA.
The Pickle by Lobster [Our Top Pick]
Size: 15.5″ x 29″ x 21″
Weight: 35 lbs
Ball capacity: 135 balls
Ball Speed: 60 MPH
Interval Adjustments: From 2 – 12 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Any shot, including serves, dinks, lobs, drives, groundstrokes
Spin effect: Offers heavy topspin and backspin
Oscillation: Random horizontal oscillation
Elevation: Manual elevation. 0 – 50 degrees
Battery life: Rechargeable battery, allows 2 – 4 hours of playtime per charge. Standard charger included. Can be upgraded to a premium charger
AC/DC power: Not available
Remote Control: An Elite remote can be purchased
Wheels: Has large 8″ wheels and foldable towing handle
Warranty: 2 years
Price: $$
Pros: Easy to transport. Able to practice all shots including spins
Cons: It is easy to move this ball machine around, but if you move it with the hopper full of balls, they will spill out.
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The Pickle Two
Overview: This pickleball machine is the same size as the Pickle by Lobster, but it is an upgraded version that offers more bells and whistles
Size: 15.5″ x 29″ x 21″
Weight: 42 lbs, or all-electric model is 34 lbs
Ball capacity: 135 balls
Ball Speed: 60 MPH
Interval Adjustments: From 2 – 12 seconds
Start-up Time Delay: Yes
Shots: Any shot, including serves, dinks, lobs, drives, groundstrokes
Spin effect: Offers heavy topspin and backspin
Oscillation: Random horizontal, 2-line oscillation
Elevation: Electronic elevation. 0 – 50 degrees
Battery life: Internal and external battery available, internal battery allows 6 – 8 hours of playtime per charge. Standard charger included. Can be upgraded to a premium charger
AC/DC power: AC/DC power available and AC + internal battery is available
Remote Control: Various Elite remotes can be purchased; including an Elite for Apple
Wheels: Has large 8″ wheels and foldable towing handle
Warranty: 2 years
Price: $$$
Pros: It is nice to have different power options for this model. It offers electronic elevation and 2-line oscillation. Also, offers a remote through your Apple device.
Cons: Like the Pickle by Lobster, the Pickle Two is easy to move, but if you move it with the hopper full of balls, they will spill out.
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These are some of the things you should consider when shopping for a pickleball machine. Be sure to decide what’s important to you and what isn’t a must-have before you begin to shop.
The bottom line is you can’t go wrong with any of these pickleball machines.
Is a Pickleball Machine Worth it?
If you want to improve your game, a pickleball machine is a great investment. Practicing repetitive shots can take your game to the next level. However, it’s also important to meet with a coach from time to time. For as great as a pickleball machine is, it can’t tell you if your technique is off. It’s one thing to practice repetitive shots, but it’s another thing to practice the shots incorrectly.
See you on the courts practicing with your pickleball machine!
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