You don’t always have the opportunity to practice your tennis skills with another player, and in those situations, you’re going to need a good substitute. Tennis machines do the trick, but the key is to find one that works well with your playing style and is effective at dispensing tennis balls.
The Tennis Tutor ProLite is a great tennis ball machine that is designed to work best for beginner and intermediate players. It’s a great option for anyone looking for an affordable machine that can store plenty of balls.
Read on for our full Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine review.
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Tennis Tutor ProLite Tennis Ball Machine
With a name like Tennis Tutor, it only makes sense that this brand would produce high-quality tennis ball machines that are effective at helping you practice tennis when there’s nobody around to do it with you. This tennis ball machine is great for longer sessions on the court and produces great topspin and oscillation on the balls.
What’s more, it has a remarkably low weight, which makes it super easy to move around, and it also comes with a fantastic ball capacity that allows you to store dozens of balls in the feeding chamber at a time. The remote control option means you can control the machine from your side of the court, which saves you a lot of time and effort during your practice sessions.
The ball feeding chamber, however, is made up of four plastic panels that are not connected to each other. This means that there’s a little bit of room for your tennis balls to fall out before they get a chance to be fed into the machine, but if you’re cognizant of not overfilling the machine, this really won’t be a problem for you.
Overall, the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine is a fantastic option for any tennis player who wants to be able to practice whenever they desire.
Who is This Product For?
Like we mentioned earlier, the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine is best suited for beginner and intermediate players. That’s not to say that more advanced players would not be able to get some good use out of it, but we definitely believe that it would be better used in the hands of players who are just getting the hang of tennis or who are looking to improve their skills.
The low price tag of the machine also makes it great for any player that is working on a tighter budget – it is affordable enough that really anyone would be able to afford it, and we’re confident that it won’t break the bank. In comparison to many other similar tennis ball machines, the ProLite is a steal that we definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on.
It’s also a great option for anyone that doesn’t have a lot of space in their car, thanks to its compact and lightweight nature. It’s super easy to move around, so you won’t have a problem taking it to and from the court.
Specifications
- 10mph – 60mph ball speed
- 1.5 seconds – 10 seconds ball feed interval
- 125-ball capacity
- 3-hour battery life
- 18-hour charge time
- 13kg weight
The Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine is the third model for beginner and intermediate players from the Sports Tutor company. If you are familiar with the Tennis Cube tennis ball machine, then you’ll already be acquainted with some of the features that this machine provides. We’re sure that you’ll be happy to know that the ProLite comes with a few extra tricks up its sleeve.
It’s a little bit larger than the Tennis Tutor Cube, and the increase in its dimensions and weight also means that it has a longer battery life. What’s more, these upgrades allow it to provide a greater ball toss velocity, which is part of what makes it so effective for training intermediate players. One of the best ways to up your tennis game is to practice with faster-moving balls.
One thing to note is that if you want preprogrammed or customized drills, you are going to have to opt for one of the more expensive models from Sports Tutor, which is definitely not ideal. You’re only going to get the random oscillation and topspin level from the ProLite models – though this is generally more than enough for the average tennis player.
The Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine comes with a 5-second startup delay like pretty much any other tennis ball machine on the market. What’s more, this model comes with the option to purchase a remote control that is operated with your foot. The options on this control allow you to stop and start the delivery of the ball, though the remote itself is going to cost you a few extra dollars. Again, not ideal.
The court time of both of these models is significantly higher than that of the Cube model. The ProLite offers an impressive 3 hours of court time, which is more than enough for your extended training sessions and is also the standard court time for the majority of tennis ball machines in this price range. The battery can be recharged fully overnight, and the charger even comes with a handy overcharge protection to ensure that the machine’s inner workings are always protected.
While the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine is certainly one of the easier tennis ball machines to get the hang of and use, you are going to need to do some experimenting in order to find a ball speed that is appropriate for you, as well as ball feed and elevation. This won’t take very long, and soon you’ll be swinging at tennis balls left and right – literally.
Like we mentioned before, the feeding chamber consists of four plastic doors, which are more than durable in themselves, but their hinges are not very strong. If you aren’t careful, you might end up breaking one of the doors off, so we strongly suggest that you exercise caution when moving the tennis ball machine around. If you do manage to break off one of the doors, it’s nothing a little super glue can’t fix.
Because this isn’t exactly a top of the line tennis ball machine, you are going to have to deal with the occasional jamming, especially if you are overfilling the machine. This is easy to fix, however, and all you need to do is turn everything off and empty all of the balls out to get rid of the jam. You can also clear whatever is causing the jam through the front of the machine, though this is not really recommended.
- FEATURES - Speeds from 10-60 MPH. Ball Feed Rate adjustable from every 1-1/2 to 10 seconds. Shoots groundstrokes to lobs. Only 12 inches high and weighs less than 30 pounds. Start-up time delay. 125 ball capacity. Easy-to-Use knob controls. (See Control Panel picture)
For a machine of its small stature, the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine can churn out a pretty strong ball, which is excellent for players who are looking to improve their game and feel what it might be like to go up against more advanced opponents. The machine is also relatively quiet, and all of its adjustments make for some good practice options. If you are simply looking for consistent repetitions or you want to run around the court to train your endurance, this machine will do what you need.
One of the more significant downsides to the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine has to do with the time between when you turn the machine on and when the machine starts shooting out balls, which is not very long at all. Unless you are very quick on your feet, a mere 5 seconds is not going to be enough for the average player to get from one side of the court to the other. This means you might end up wasting one or two balls during the time that it takes you to get to your side of the court.
We really would have liked to see an option to adjust this delay. The only other option that is available is the remote control device we mentioned earlier. However, it’s quite a hefty investment and isn’t viable for anyone who is working on a tight budget.
On a more positive note, the oscillator function that this tennis ball machine provides makes it great for practicing your lateral movements – something that is vitally important to any tennis player worth their salt. When it comes to playing competitive tennis, you have to be able to traverse the court laterally in an efficient way. After all, the entire goal of the game is to get your opponent to miss the ball, and often the easiest way to do that is to hit the ball to the opposite side of the court that they’re on so that they don’t have time to hit it back.
The adjustable shoot speed is what makes this machine great for players of beginner to intermediate levels. If you are a beginner, you can set the machine to release the balls at a lower velocity so that you can work on your hand-eye coordination rather than hitting the ball at top speeds. And if you are a more intermediate player, you can set the machine to send the balls out quicker, putting your skills to the test and enhancing your ability to strike fast-moving balls.
If you don’t have a friend or acquaintance to practice your tennis game with often, then we strongly suggest you get your hands on the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine. This is a great option for practicing by yourself when there’s nobody else to practice with, and we can say with full confidence that it beats hitting your tennis balls against a wall or paying for tennis lessons. It is recommended that you use this machine in combination with pressureless tennis balls for the best results.
Its ball speed is electronically variable, from a gentle toss that is perfect for teaching kids how to play tennis to hard-hitting groundstrokes that will challenge even the best amateur players in the world. The wide range of speeds that are available makes this tennis ball machine a fantastic choice for families that have tennis players of different skill levels. What’s more, the ball feed rate is variable as well.
You can manually adjust the trajectory of the balls from groundstrokes to towering lobs, which adds yet another axis of versatility that you don’t really see in tennis ball machines in this price range. And, when you are ready to do some hitting on the run, you just need to flip the oscillator switch. The Tennis Tutor ProLite will deliver shots randomly across the court, keeping you on your toes and providing you with comprehensive training.
There is also an External Battery Pack that plugs into the charging jack to provide extra playing time up to four additional hours. You’ll find a rugged carrying case that features a strap, as well as its own battery charger. However, you are going to have to pay an additional fee for these extra features, but we feel that the price is definitely justified.
Pros
- Very long court time
- Topspin feature
- Oscillation feature
- Great ball capacity
- Very low weight
- Easy to transport
- Compact form factor
- Remote control option
- Great for beginners & intermediate players
Cons
- Doors can be flimsy
- First ball delay can cause wasted shots
- Feeding chamber may become jammed
- FEATURES - Speeds from 10-60 MPH. Ball Feed Rate adjustable from every 1-1/2 to 10 seconds. Shoots groundstrokes to lobs. Only 12 inches high and weighs less than 30 pounds. Start-up time delay. 125 ball capacity. Easy-to-Use knob controls. (See Control Panel picture)
- RANDOM OSCILLATOR - delivers shots randomly across the court for hitting on the run
- RECHARGEABLE BATTERY – Built-in battery provides up to three hours of playing time per charge. Includes Smart Battery Charger that fully charges the battery overnight and shuts off automatically to prevent overcharging.
- OPTION (not included): Wireless Remote Control - Starts and stops ball delivery, and controls oscillator. SEE CHART BELOW FOR MORE MODELS.
- THREE YEAR WARRANTY - longest for any tennis machine. MADE IN U.S.A. Manufactured and sold by Sports Tutor, #1 tennis machine manufacturer in the U.S. and Worldwide for over 30 yea
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a fantastic quality tennis ball machine at an affordable price, we strongly suggest that you pick up the Tennis Tutor ProLite tennis ball machine. It comes packed with a range of features that make it suitable for beginners to intermediate players and is easily one of the best tennis ball machines on the market right now.
