Tennis Ball Machine Speed: Guide & Comparisons

When looking for a new tennis ball machine, one of the most important aspects is the speed. If the tennis ball machine lacks speed, it isn’t fit for advanced and pro players because they need to train as realistically as possible. In this article, I have compared tennis ball machines in terms of speed, feed rate, capacity, oscillation, and weight. But what is the average speed of a tennis ball machine?

I compared 23 tennis ball machines from 5 different brands and learned that the speed varies between 10-94mph (16-152kph), and the average speed of a tennis ball machine is 12-80mph (26-126kph).

As a general rule, a tennis ball machine fit for advanced players should go at least at the speed of 65mph (104kph), and as we have learned, the average speed of a tennis ball machine goes above that. Therefore most tennis ball machines are fit for advanced players, on average, that is.

Below I have compared different tennis ball machines from Siboasi, Lobster, Tennis Tutor, Spinshot-Player, and Wilson. There you can see the features of an individual machine and the average numbers of feed race, capacity, weight, and speed. Take a look!

Tennis Ball Machine	Brand	Speed	Feed Rate	Capacity	Oscillation	Weight
W3	Siboasi	20-140kph	1.8-6s	160 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	23kg
W5	Siboasi	20-140kph	1.8-6s	160 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	23kg
W7	Siboasi	20-140kph	1.8-6s	160 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	23kg
S2015	Siboasi	20-140kph	1.8-8s	150 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	21kg
S3015	Siboasi	20-140kph	1.8-8s	150 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	22kg
S4015	Siboasi	20-140kph	1-8s	160 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	29kg
Elite Liberty	Lobster	32-128kph	2-10s	150 balls	Random Horizontal	16kg
Elite One	Lobster	16-128kph	2-10s	150 balls	Random Horizontal	19kg
Elite Two	Lobster	16-128kph	2-10s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	20kg
Elite Three	Lobster	16-128kph	2-10s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	20kg
Elite Grand Four	Lobster	48-128kph	2-12s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	20kg
Elite Grand Five	Lobster	48-128kph	2-12s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	20kg
Elite Grand Five LE	Lobster	48-128kph	2-12s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	20kg
Lobster Phenom	Lobster	56-128kph	2-9s	250 balls	Fully random horizontal & vertical	45kg
Lobster Phenom Two	Lobster	56-128kph	2-9s	250 balls	Fully random horizontal & vertical	45kg
Tennis Cube	Tennis Tutor	16-80kph	2-10s	70 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	11kg
Tennis Tutor Ball Machine	Tennis Tutor	16-136kph	1.5-12s	150 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertical	–
Tennis Tutor Plus	Tennis Tutor	16-136kph	1.5-12s	150 balls	Random Horizontal	21KG
Tennis Tutor ProLite	Tennis Tutor	16-96kph	1.5-10s	125 balls	Random Horizontal	10kg
Tennis Tutor Shotmaker	Tennis Tutor	16-152kph	1.5-6s	300 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	41kg
Tennis Tutor Tower	Tennis Tutor	136kph	1.5-10	225 balls	Random Horizontal & Vertica	30kg
Spinshot-Player Tennis Ball Machine	Spinshot-Player	30-110kph	2-10s	120 balls	Vertical & Horizontal	18kg
Wilson Portable Tennis Machine	Wilson	120kph	1.5-10s	110 balls	Random Horizontal	17kg
–	–	Average speed: 26-128kph (12-80mph)	Average feed rate: 1.8-9.4s	Average capacity: 162 balls		Average weight: 23.3kg (51.4lb)

This is fascinating data because I tried to find such comparisons elsewhere and really couldn’t. Below you can find all the tennis ball feature averages once again.

• Average ball speed: 12-80mph (26-128kph)
• Average feed rate: 1.8-9.4s
• Average tennis ball capacity: 162 balls
• Average tennis ball weight: 51.4lb (23.3kg)

Are tennis ball machines worth it?

Generally, tennis ball machines are worth the price if you don’t always have a partner to play with; you want to add more drills and target various strikes in your training sessions or help in your tennis lessons. If you don’t have the money or don’t have the means to transport one, it might not be worth it.

Anyways, it’s a big decision to make. If you want more information about the subject in addition to a comprehensive buying guide, then you should read my article about are tennis ball machines worth it for you.

Are lobster ball machines good?

Lobster tennis ball machines are great because they offer many features that compete well with other brands, such as fast ball speed, consistent feed rate, large ball capacity, and versatile oscillation. All these features are packed in a lightweight body at a really fair price.

I also love the design of lobster tennis ball machines. They are well built with large wheels, good balance, and a big handle to drag it effortlessly with you.

How long does the power last on a tennis ball machine?

If your tennis ball machine is A/C powered, then the power will last indefinitely because it needs to be connected to an external power source. However, battery-powered tennis ball machines last 2 to 8 hours on average, depending on the battery size of that particular machine.

Is a tennis ball machine good for kids?

Generally, traditional tennis ball machines aren’t good for kids because they are too hard to operate without the help of an adult. Also, the power and distances are far too great for children. However, tennis ball machines such as Sports Tutor Twist are great for kids due to easy and simple usage.

My favorite ball machine: Spinshot-player is a great tennis ball machine for nearly every use. It is a battery-used machine with both vertical and horizontal oscillations, which makes the drill options limitless. Another thing that I like about it is that it’s effortless to transport with big wheels and a handle. It’s also phone app-controlled and has a 120-ball capacity, so you don’t need to run between the court and the machine at all times.