Lobster Tennis Ball Machine Reviews

Why Buy a Tennis Ball Machine?

If you are looking to improve your game as an individual, a tennis ball machine is a great tool to achieve this.

Effectively, a tennis ball machine will feed you balls repeatedly, allowing you to work on your technique, footwork and consistency.

Although tennis ball machines tend to be quite expensive to buy, they can actually save you money in the long run.

Using a ball machine allows you to practice on your own for hours on end, meaning you won’t necessarily need to pay for as many individual coaching sessions or arrange hitting sessions with other players.

If you are simply looking to improve your consistency by practicing the same sort of shots, then one of the lower end, less expensive tennis ball machines would suffice for your needs.

In this case, you would also be well served using pressureless tennis balls, as they will maintain their bounce and playability for far longer than pressurized tennis balls.

Investing in a high quality tennis ball machine with multiple functions is an even better way to improve your tennis game.

These machines will have different modes that can offer pre-programmed drills, custom drills, random ball distribution and even replicate common patterns of play!

If you are a coach or owner of a tennis club, purchasing a tennis ball machine is also a great way to save money, run your business more efficiently and maximize your court utilization.

Using a tennis ball machine to consistently feed balls to players means coaches can be freed up to take a closer look at technique.

It also means there is less of a need for assistant coaches or helpers.

Ball machines can also feed to multiple courts at once, meaning you can spread lessons on to more than one court whilst still keeping your players hitting!

Lobster Tennis Ball Machines

Lobster was founded in 1970 by former banker Harry Giuditta, who had a vision of creating high quality, reliable tennis ball machines.

So, he bought ‘Green Brook Developing Company’, recalled all of their existing machines and repaired each one individually, then sent them back to customers, free of charge! (Lobster Sports – About Lobster).

Lobster is founded on the principles of providing outstanding customer service, innovative design and very high quality products.

This is what sets Lobster apart from other tennis ball machine manufacturers.

Their machines are renowned for being the highest quality, most reliable and best designed machines on the market.

Lobster have created a brand that tennis players and coaches can trust, meaning they are the yardstick that all other ball machine brands are measured against.

With that being said, let’s explore Lobster’s product line and just how good their machines really are!

Lobster Battery Tennis Ball Machines

Battery powered tennis ball machines are great portable tools for tennis players and coaches.

Battery life is always a consideration when you’re looking to buy one of these, so factor in how long you will likely be spending on court at a time and whether the machine in question will accommodate this.

Whilst their drill functionality may differ, all of the Lobster Elite Grand ball machines have the following specifications:

• Ball Speed: 25-80mph
• Ball Capacity: 150
• Spin: Topspin/Backspin
• Battery Life: 4-8 Hours
• Weight: 44lbs/ 20kgs
• Feed Rate: 2-9 Seconds
• Feed Direction: Narrow, Medium, Wide

Lobster Elite Grand Five LE

The Lobster Elite Grand Five LE sits at the top of Lobster’s battery powered tennis ball machine range.

This advanced ball machine allows for 12 customizable drills to be programmed into the system, with 6 different shot types fed to up to 18 locations.

The Grand Five LE is the most diverse, multifaceted tennis ball machine on the market and builds on the success of the popular Grand Five machine.

If you are looking for the best portable, battery powered tennis ball machine, look no further than the Lobster Elite Grand Five LE.

Lobster Elite Grand Five

One of the most successful models in the Lobster range, the Elite Grand Five was the first Lobster machine of its type to offer customizable drills in a battery powered tennis ball machine.

This machine offers up to 6 customizable drills, along with 12 pre-loaded drills. You can practice against a wide range of player types, from grinders, to moonballers to lefties!

Lobster Elite Grand Four

The entry level machine of the Lobster Elite range, the Grand four represents the best value for money if you are looking for a portable, robust and reliable tennis ball machine!

The Grand four offers 6 pre-loaded drills, fully random oscillation and a simple, easy to use control pad layout.

If you are looking for a basic, easy to use tennis ball machine that doesn’t compromise on quality, the Lobster Elite Grand Four is a great place to start!

Lobster Electric Tennis Ball Machines

Electric tennis ball machines operate using a/c power, meaning they can be plugged into a mains socket and provide unlimited feeding!

These machines are ideal for indoor tennis centres, or for outdoor use when near a suitable power source.

Whilst electric machines are less portable than battery powered machines, they can be used for far longer and tend to be equipped with larger ball capacities.

So, if portability isn’t an issue for you and you’re looking for a high performing, permanent fixture on court, the Lobster range of electric ball machines are right for you!

Whilst the Lobster Phenom tennis ball machines differ in terms of drills settings, they all come with the following specifications:

• Court Time: Unlimited
• Ball Capacity: 250
• Weight: 99 lbs/ 45kgs
• Ball Speed: 35-80mph
• Feed Direction: Narrow, Medium, Wide

Lobster Phenom Two

The Lobster Phenom Two is the top of the range electric model, boasting superior customization and a massive 250 ball capacity!

This redesigned machine is fantastic for long training sessions that require a more robust, higher capacity tool that can keep going for hours and hours!

The Phenom Two offers 12 customizable drills to be programmed into the system, with 6 different shot types fed to up to 18 locations.

There is also random horizontal and random vertical oscillation available, meaning you can be fed deep, medium and short balls at different angles.

You can even set the machine up to feed balls with completely random speed, spin, direction and feed rate.

The Lobster Phenom Two really is one of the most versatile tennis ball machines on the market!

Lobster Phenom

One of the original Lobster trailblazers, the Phenom is a simplified version of the top of the range Phenom Two.

It offers much of the same functionality as the Phenom Two, minus the custom drills.

This machine comes with 6 pre-programmed drills that you can switch between, making this a no nonsense tennis ball machine.

If you are looking for a reliable, user friendly and simplified electric tennis ball machine, look no further than the original Lobster Phenom!

Lobster Pickleball Tennis Ball Machine

Pickleball has become more and more popular in recent times. More similar to paddle tennis, Pickleball is played on a badminton size court, with a smaller and lower tennis net.

Players use a paddle that is larger than a table tennis bat, to hit a wiffle ball over the net to win points.

Pickleball can be played as either a singles or doubles game, and is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.

It is renowned for being easy to pick up and easy on the body, which is a key reason why it is so popular with adults!

Lobster have tapped into the pickleball market and recently developed 2 new pickleball feeding machines.

So you can rapidly improve your pickleball, as well as your tennis game thanks to Lobster!

All Lobster Pickleball machines come with the following specifications:

• Ball Speed: 10-60mph
• Feed Rate: 2-12 Seconds
• Ball Capacity: 135
• Spin: Topspin/Backspin

The Pickle by Lobster

The Pickle by Lobster is their first attempt at a pickleball machine, and it is a good one!

This battery powered machine can keep feeding you balls for 2-4 hours and can oscillate randomly in different directions from side to side.

This is a great training tool to improve your consistency and means you don’t need to wait for an opponent or training partner to get on court!

The Pickle Two by Lobster

This second iteration of the Pickle by Lobster builds on the original’s success, adding more features and functionality to this popular machine.

The Pickle Two offers 2-line oscillation options, meaning it can feed alternatively to your forehand and backhand sides. This is great for both singles and doubles drills.

The Pickle Two has multiple power options.

You can purchase the Pickle two with an internal battery, with up to 8 hours of battery life, or an external battery that can be charged on its own whilst leaving your machine in a safe place.

There is also an AC option, which has no battery but can plug in to the mains, and finally an AC/DC version that comes with either battery and mains electricity.

This second iteration of the Pickle by Lobster builds on the original’s success, adding more features and functionality to this popular machine.

The Pickle Two offers 2-line oscillation options, meaning it can feed alternatively to your forehand and backhand sides. This is great for both singles and doubles drills.

The Pickle Two has multiple power options.

You can purchase the Pickle two with an internal battery, with up to 8 hours of battery life, or an external battery that can be charged on its own whilst leaving your machine in a safe place.

There is also an AC option, which has no battery but can plug in to the mains, and finally an AC/DC version that comes with either battery and mains electricity.

So, no matter your budget or power supply availability, the Pickle Two by Lobster can cater for your needs!

Takeaways: Lobster Tennis Ball Machine Reviews

Lobster are one of the most innovative, reputable and well known brands in tennis.

It is therefore no surprise that they offer unparalleled customer service, high quality products and have been market leaders in the tennis ball machine space for some time now.

They are great at filling gaps in the market, catering to customers’ needs and over delivering on quality time after time.

Lobster are founded on the principles of integrity, great customer service, high quality and reliability.

Whilst they are not the cheapest ball machines on the market, you certainly get more than what you pay for with Lobster.

Their ball machines and equipment are second to none when it comes to functionality, and they are well worth the investment compared to some of the less expensive machines out there.

Lobster offers a wide range of products, all of which cater for the different needs of tennis players, coaches and clubs.

So, if you are a keen player that wants to improve your game, a coach looking for an innovative feeding solution, or a tennis club owner looking to make the best use of your courts and maximize profits, then Lobster will offer a high quality solution.

Ultimately, if you are looking for a proper ball machine that will deliver consistent, high quality results, then Lobster is the brand for you!