According to physicians, tennis is one of those sports that’ll add years to your life. It promotes bone health, muscle strength, brainpower, and lowers the risks of heart disease. Also, it’s great for stress and fun to play.
It’s an engaging, social sport, encouraging interaction and communication since you need an opponent to play and practice. However, due to busy life schedules, finding a practice partner can be difficult sometimes. That’s why most courts have a tennis ball machine. Tennis ball machines are helpful if you wish to improve your overall game, your reflexes, and hone your skills further.
However, finding a good tennis ball machine can be as tricky as finding the right practice partner. A good tennis ball machine should have useful features, capable of giving you the best playing experience, without the presence of a real player.
To improve your game and become the best you can be, you have to play against the best. And the Lobster Elite Grand IV is one of the best tennis ball machines on the market. Lobster Sports builds high-quality tennis ball machines, and Elite Grand IV is not an exception. So, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, you can significantly improve different areas of your game by practicing with the Elite Grand IV.
- ADJUSTABLE BALL SPEED & SPIN CONTROL: Fine-tune your practice sessions with adjustable ball speeds ranging from 35 to 80 MPH. Simulate gentle volleys to high-speed ground strokes while adding heavy topspin or backspin for competitive game situations.
- TRIPLE OSCILLATION, 2-LINE, RANDOM PLAY: Simulate true match play by combining both vertical and horizontal oscillation functions to throw tennis balls throughout the entire court at random while changing ball speed and spin. Perfect the winning forehand, volley, backhand, or dropshot! The added 2-Line feature delivers the ball to two alternating pre-set spots (narrow, medium, wide) on the court, perfect for focused drills. Practice solo or bring a friend to maximize team gameplay!
- ELECTRONIC ELEVATION CONTROL: Deliver low, medium, or high soaring lobs up to 60-degrees. Perfect your overhead smash high-arc baseline returns, or pin-point net play with a flip of a switch
- EXTENDED LONG BATTERY LIFE: The battery-operated Elite Grand Four tennis machine has a rechargeable battery that offers 4 to 6 hours of gameplay and includes a Lobster Sports standard battery charger.
- SIX PRE-LOADED DRILLS: 6 pre-loaded drills (Power Baseliner, All-Courter, Grinder, Moonballer, Slicer, Lefty) that simulate the main styles of tennis players played in the modern era. Play a match against your favorite tennis pro!
Features and specifications:
The Elite Grand IV tennis ball machine belongs to the upper line of Lobster Sports models. It’s one of the best battery-powered tennis ball machines, offering a ton of interesting features and capabilities.
The machine is made of durable red plastic, as all the models in the Elite line of products. It sports large, 8-inches wheels for easier transport over different terrain, like grass, concrete, and gravel. The 3-foot long handle makes it easy to push and pull the machine around.
For transporting Lobster made a foldable handle. Of course, first, you’ll have to invert the ball hopper, which is used to cover the machine during transport. There are molded handles on the underside of the device to ease lifting.
The device weighs 44 pounds, and with its unique transport-friendly design, it’s not likely to cause you any trouble loading it into the car. This portable, yet durable construction is guaranteed to last long, and it’s backed up by a 2-year warranty.
Despite its portability and durability, the Elite Grand IV is best known for its wide range of features. The minimum shooting speed is 35MPH and goes up to the maximum 80MPH. Though 35MPH is a speed best suitable for beginner players, higher speeds provide an additional challenge for more experienced players. The translucent ball hopper can hold up to 150 balls and allows you to see how many shots you have left. This enables you to plan your practice sessions accordingly.
Of course, setting the feed interval has an impact on the quality of your training session, and it ranges from 2 to 9 seconds. These are approximate values, so some variations are to be expected.
The electronic elevation, ranging from 0° to 50° and three levels of backspin and topspin are regular features you’ll find on most tennis ball machines. Being one of the best tennis machines on the market, the Elite Grand IV offers much more than that.
The horizontal and vertical oscillation features can be combined and mixed at preset parameters. An advance 2-line oscillation function features three settings: narrow, medium, and wide. It’s a great feature for improving your backhands and forehands while improving your footwork at the same time. You can also set the depth of the shots to short, mid, or deep.
Lobster Elite Grand IV also sports a fully automated random oscillation. With this option turned on, the machine launches the balls mixing up speed, trajectory, spins, and oscillation. It makes you feel like your playing against a real opponent.
Also, the Elite Grand IV comes with six preloaded six-shot drills. These drills offer a different combination of ball shots, mimicking the usual tennis match, and offering game-style experience. Of course, you can set the feed interval per your preference. The six preloaded drills include Grinder, Power Baseliner, All-Courter, Moon baller, Slicer, and Lefty drills.
The Grinder drill will test you, both mentally and physically, while the Power Baseliner concentrates on explosiveness, turning you into a more dominant player. The All-Courter focuses on game tactics, utilizing both the back of the court, as well as the front. Moon baller, Slicer, and Lefty drills let you master different shots, taking your tennis skills to the next level. However, none of these drills are customizable, except for the feed interval.
All the features can be accessed by using the touch-sensitive control panel on the back of the machine. The remote control like on the other Lobster machines, is an optional purchase. However, for Elite Grand IV, you get a 20-functions remote control.Unfortunately, there’s no 2-button remote control, which would be a cheaper and more convenient option.
Elite Grand IV is battery powered, and you can expect 4-8 hours of court time, with only 3-9 hours spent on a charger for a fully charged battery.
The good:
- Six preloaded drills
- Full random oscillation
- Both battery and AC operated
The Bad:
- Might be too heavy for some
Final verdict:
The Lobster Elite Grand IV is best suitable for beginners, but also works well for intermediate and advanced tennis players. Despite the higher price tag, it offers excellent performance and tons of features, settings, and user-friendly operation.
It’s an entry ticket to a professional tennis practice, with features and preloaded drills that’ll satisfy even the most demanding players. Advanced players will appreciate the depth with settings, which provide a game-like experience.
However, there are certain downsides. The remote control is available as an optional purchase and offers 20 functions since there is no 2-button remote control option available. Also, weighing 44 pounds, the machine is easy to transport and store, but some people might find it cumbersome, especially when loading it into the car.
Still, the Lobster Sports Elite Grand IV is one of the better tennis ball machines on the market. It has everything a player needs to improve and enjoy his game.
- ADJUSTABLE BALL SPEED & SPIN CONTROL: Fine-tune your practice sessions with adjustable ball speeds ranging from 35 to 80 MPH. Simulate gentle volleys to high-speed ground strokes while adding heavy topspin or backspin for competitive game situations.
- TRIPLE OSCILLATION, 2-LINE, RANDOM PLAY: Simulate true match play by combining both vertical and horizontal oscillation functions to throw tennis balls throughout the entire court at random while changing ball speed and spin. Perfect the winning forehand, volley, backhand, or dropshot! The added 2-Line feature delivers the ball to two alternating pre-set spots (narrow, medium, wide) on the court, perfect for focused drills. Practice solo or bring a friend to maximize team gameplay!
- ELECTRONIC ELEVATION CONTROL: Deliver low, medium, or high soaring lobs up to 60-degrees. Perfect your overhead smash high-arc baseline returns, or pin-point net play with a flip of a switch
- EXTENDED LONG BATTERY LIFE: The battery-operated Elite Grand Four tennis machine has a rechargeable battery that offers 4 to 6 hours of gameplay and includes a Lobster Sports standard battery charger.
- SIX PRE-LOADED DRILLS: 6 pre-loaded drills (Power Baseliner, All-Courter, Grinder, Moonballer, Slicer, Lefty) that simulate the main styles of tennis players played in the modern era. Play a match against your favorite tennis pro!
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