The Liberty and Elite 1 are the two entry level models in the Lobster range of tennis ball machines (excluding the Freedom not sold in Australia). Both are equipped with almost identical features such as a 150-ball capacity hopper, internal battery, horizontal oscillation and topspin and backspin.
The two machines are differentiated by a smaller capacity battery and manual height control of 50° in the Liberty (using a knob), giving it playtime of two to four hours and a top speed of 110kph compared to the Elite 1’s four to eight hours playtime, a top sped of 130kph and electronic height control of up to 60°.
Therefore, you are left with the decision of whether those slight improvements found in the Elite 1 are worth the extra $600. More advanced players would probably need those features (especially the extra speed), but for beginners or children, the Liberty should be all that you need.
Lobster Elite Liberty
$2,599.00
Buy now
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Lobster Elite 1
$2,899.00
Unavailable
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| Top Speed Top speed possible when there is no spin. | 110 km/h | 130 km/h |
| Slowest Speed Slowest speed possible. | 16 km/h | 32 km/h |
| Interval The min and max time possible between balls being fired. | 2-10 seconds | 2-10 seconds |
| Spin Whether the machine is capable of producing topspin and slice. | ||
| Elevation Ability to raise and lower the vertical angle of the delivery. | ||
| Elevation Degree The vertical angle of the delivery. | 50° | 60° |
| Horizontal Oscillation Ability to fire balls randomly anywhere within the horizontal span of the court (no variation in depth). | ||
| Vertical Oscillation Ability to offer random variation in depth to allow for practicing of short and deep balls. | ||
| Electric Option Can the machine be run directly from an AC power point, rather than via a battery? Running off AC can eliminate the headaches associated with batteries, charging them and replacing them when necessary. | ||
| Battery Can the machine be run off a battery? | ||
| Battery Life The min and max play time possible when using the battery. | 2-4 hours | 4-8 hours |
| Battery size | 8.5 A/h | 18 A/h |
| Charge Time Amount of time required to charge a flat battery using the standard charger. | 9 hours | 18 hours |
| Fast Charger Can a fast charger be purchased to reduce the charging time? | Optional | |
| Ball Capacity The total number of balls that can fit into the hopper. As a general rule, we feel 150 is the minimum we would recommend. | 150 | 150 |
| Portable Has wheels and a handle to allow easy movement to and from the tennis courts (from the back of a car). | ||
| Weight The weight of the machine without tennis balls installed. Note, the Spinfire Pro 2 can be purchased with an external battery, so 18 kg represents the weight of the machine only without a battery inside. | 16 kg | 18 kg (24 kg internal battery) |
| Remote Does the machine offer a remote control to allow easy settings adjustments from the other end of the court? Note, all remotes are different, including the number of buttons and functions each can supply, so look for a photo of the remote you are considering to understand its features. Also, Tennis Tutor in Australia does not offer a remote control, but this may be possible to purchase in other parts of the world. | Optional | |
| 2 Line Drill This is a drill which shoots one ball to the forehand, followed by a ball to the backhand, and it repeats endlessly. It will keep you running from side to side until you can take it no longer. Some machines offer this in just WIDE and NARROW, while others offer WIDE, MEDIUM and NARROW for a bit more flexibility. It's also a great drill to use when two players are practising together with a ball machine, as it will alternate firing a ball between each player. | ||
| Optional Spare Battery A spare battery is great for coaches or those heavy users who don't always have time to charge their battery between sessions, or may want even more play time than the standard minimum that each machine can provide. | ||
| Heavy Duty Battery | ||
| Optional Storage Cover These are great for protecting your machine from dust and debris, but we do not recommend you leave them out on court. | ||
| Warranty This is the standard manufacturer's warranty. Some machines do have the option to upgrade their warranty to up to 5 years for an additional fee. | 3 Years | 3 Years |
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| Price | $2,599.00 Buy now | $2,899.00 Unavailable |