Spinshot Player is the most requested tennis ball machine by TennisProGuru.com readers. It holds the number one position in our tennis ball machines ranking for the past 12 months. Why? What do our readers like about it? We will try to give you a detailed answer below.
Pros:
+ Preprogrammed 12 drills of 6 shots
+ Ability to adjust preset programs or program new drills
+ Possibility to adjust or set 5 different parameters
+ App for phone remote control for free
+ Apple Watch connectivity and compatibility
+ Stable metal construction but still easy to maneuver
Cons:
– Speed control in steps not in exact numbers
– Ball capacity (120 balls)
– 8 to 15 hours recharging interval
CHECK PRICE OF SPINSHOT PLAYER ON AMAZON HERE or read the full review below.
Content:
Technical Specifications
Features
Available Drills
Remote Control
Battery life & Recharging
Construction
Pricing & Our Verdict
or check our guide to all important features and parameters the best tennis ball machines should have.
Technical Specifications:
Ball Feed Speed: 30 kmph to 110 kmph [18 to 68 mph]
Ball Feed Interval: 2 seconds to 10 seconds
Ball Capacity: 120 balls
Programmable Drills: 12 Drills of 6 shots
Phone Compatibility: Android or iPhone, connection via Wi-Fi, Apple Watch supported
Battery life: 2 – 3 hours (depending on the chosen drill, higher speed and faster feed rate need more power and dry batter sooner)
Battery charging: 8 to 15 hours for a fully charged battery
Weight: 19 kg [42 lbs]for the AC model, 21 kg [46 lbs] for the battery model
Dimensions: Height: 50 cm [21 in] Length: 50 cm [21 in] Width: 35 cm [14 in]
Case Construction: Powder-coated metal
Features
Spinshot Player control panel
There are five different features you can utilize with the Spinshot Player Tennis Ball machine. You can change the horizontal angle of shots, the speed of shots, spin of balls, feed interval and shots height. That is pretty all you need during practice.
The horizontal angle of shots offers the full width of a court. The maximum speed is 110 km per hour that beats even more expensive models. 9 different spin rates for topspins and backspins are really a wide range. Feed interval and height range satisfy even the most demanding players.
The ball capacity of the Spinshot Player is set at 120 balls. It slightly lags behind top-end models that can take 150 balls to the feeder.
Available Drills
There are 12 pre-programmable drills available in the Spinshot Player tennis ball machine. You can adjust every drill or reprogram them totally.
One drill consists of six ball shots. Every shot in a drill can be programmed differently. You can choose if you want to play the same shot again and again or you prefer the variability of a standard tennis game. In that case, you can program every shot differently and enjoy for example a sequence of two forehands followed with two backhands, one volley, and one smash.
What exactly you can program:
- Horizontal angle of shots (20 different angles)
- Ball Speed (20 different speeds from 30 to 110 kmph, one step is 4 kmph)
- Ball Spin (18 different spin rates (9 topspin rates, 9 backspin rates) + 1 flat shot)
- Ball Feed Interval (from 2 seconds to 10 seconds)
- Shots Height (50 different heights)
There is also a possibility to enjoy a “random” program with a random horizontal and vertical angle, random speed and feed interval 6 seconds.
What I see as a little downside is the inability to exactly set the speed of the shots. You have to count which number means what speed. The upgrade to exact speed rates in the phone app would be very beneficial.
Spinshot Player can be equipped with “High-Spin”. These models use high-power motors so the speed of the ball does not decrease when a player sets a high spin drill. This model is approximately $100 more expensive than the normal model.
Remote control
Spinshot Player has its own app which mirrors the control panel from the physical machine. The connection between the app and the ball machine is set up via WiFi. The use of a phone application is very intuitive and similar to the control panel at the ball machine. Some people complain about the user experience of Drill Maker (iPhone app for Spinshot Player). In my opinion, you should not forget that people in Spinshot are good at making ball machines, they are not software app engineers. The phone remote control is just an additional sweetener to ease the use and the Spinshot Player phone app is still one of the better ones.
What I rate very positively is the use of the Apple Watch. The use of a phone can sometimes be annoying as you need to keep it in the pocket during play. Therefore the possibility of Apple watch control is another advantage of this tennis ball machine.
Spinshot recently added the possibility of buying a special watch-remote control. It comes at an extra fee but is well worth it.
Check other reviews of the Spinshot Player tennis ball machine on Amazon here.
Battery life & recharging
The battery life claimed by the manufacturer is 2 to 3 hours depending on drills performed. More speed and shorter feed intervals result in lower battery life, which is fully understandable.
Two hours seems like a short time, but frankly, how long is your usual practice session? Mine is 2 hours maximum, breaks for drinks and rest included. The fully charged battery will satisfy even the player with the most stamina.
The good thing is to recharge the battery immediately after you finish your practice. The recharging takes 8 to 15 hours which is a bit long and it needs a full night for Spinshot Player to be ready again. That is one of the negatives, this otherwise good tennis ball machine has.
Construction
Spinshot Player uses a metal construction which is a big difference. Other tennis ball machines use usually a plastic cage. At first sight, using a heavy metal box can seem like a disadvantage. However, the weight is still around 20 kilograms, the dimensions are pretty handy (50 cm x 50 cm x 35 cm) and with wheels, Spinshot is easy to manoeuvre. Even juniors do not have a problem manipulating the Spinshot Player ball machine. And you still can transport Spinshot Player inside of your car in the back seat if necessary.
The metal construction can even turn into an advantage. It tolerates worse treatment, its solid cage is much more stable on the court and can withstand the hits by a ball.
Looking for a cheaper tennis ball machine? Check our review of Lobster Sports Elite Liberty – the no.1 in under $1000 category
Spinshot Player Pricing & Our Verdict
Spinshot Player is not the cheapest tennis ball machine on the market. However, with its price tag, it still belongs to cheaper ones.
It is also important to clarify one common confusion about battery availability and costs. The version with the battery is free of additional costs. The battery is included in your order but is sent separately. The power module for the A/C supply is available for an additional fee. The remote control app for your phone is for free too (and that is not a standard in tennis ball machines business).
We can say that in terms of provided features to price, Spinshot Player definitely is the best choice available. And that makes the Spinshot Player the top choice of our readers.
CHECK THE PRICE OF SPINSHOT PLAYER ON AMAZON HERE
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