Benefits of a Tennis Ball Machine

Who benefits most from getting a tennis ball machine?

I get this question a lot, in various forms, but basically who gets the most out of a ball machine?  The easy answer is everyone, and that is true, but there are a few groups that benefit more than others.

Beginners – The USTA did a study and it said that out of an hour beginners are only actually playing tennis for 6 minutes.  For the rest of the time they are picking up balls, getting ready, everything but hitting balls.  That is why a ball machine is great for beginners, they can be hitting the ball constantly and improving much quicker than those not using a ball machine.  This helps gain confidence and leads to more success and continuing the sport, beginners often most enjoy the ball machine as well as it gives them consistent opportunity but no criticism in a time when they don’t have a lot of confidence in their strokes.

Juniors – I lumped all beginners, kids and adults together, but juniors that are just starting out in their tournament careers can really benefit from utilizing a ball machine.  In tight matches, juniors are most likely to have breakdowns in their stroke production, so with hours fine tuning their strokes on a ball machine this is less likely to happen.  Using a ball machine is also a cost effective way to continue their development instead of relying on just private and group lessons.  Parents of top juniors spend roughly $30,000 per year (citation below) on their childs tennis development and a top of the line ball machine like the Precision Tennis System from Matchmate cost about $4000 and can replace a lot of the private and group lessons.

Former College or High School tennis players – Many players quit playing tennis after college or high school due to various reasons such as burnout, focusing on career, or starting a family.  You can always get back into tennis but it can be very frustrating to be so much worse that you used to be.  This is where a ball machine comes in, you can hone your strokes and get your consistency back without having to be embarrassed about missing that shot you never miss (you know the one I am talking about).   Hitting with a ball machine won’t get your mental edge back for the tiebreaker you need to win against your friends but it will give you the confidence to go out a play at a high level like you are used to.

Tennis Clubs – All tennis clubs should have a ball machine since all clubs should have at least some of the players I have outlined above.  It can be a great way to offer value to your members to have a ball machine.  Even having a usage program, like a ball machine pass or charge per use, can be a great value, the member can spend $150 for the season to use the ball machine and not have to incur the whole cost of owning the machine.  This way the club wins with recouping its investment and members can get the benefits of a ball machine without having the large initial outlay.

The short answer of “who benefits from using a ball machine?” is still anyone who wants to get better at tennis or get a good work out, the groups I outlined are some that benefit the most.  Not only would they get better at tennis quicker than their peers but they would also save money using a ball machine instead of having regular private lessons.  Checkout what ball machine would be fit your needs at Matchmatetennis.com.

 

 

$30,000 per year from (http://time.com/money/2951543/cost-to-raise-tennis-champion-wimbledon/)