Let’s be honest, one of the most irritating things about tennis practice is when the tennis balls run out and you have to waste time collecting them one by one. This not only disturbs the momentum of a player but can prove to be frustrating altogether. In this article, we’ll be discovering the fastest way to collect tennis balls through the use of modern tools and strategies.
Before moving on to other aspects, the first question to address is the price. How much would it cost to purchase a ball collector? The answer to that is not as simple as it sounds. Ball collectors come in different shapes, sizes, and functionalities. As a result, the price may greatly vary in a general sense. The average price of a ball collector is about $348. As expensive as it sounds, there’s not much to worry about because the price range greatly varies. A simple ball collector can cost around $37 and can reach up to $950 depending on your own choice and requirements.
| Ball Collector Type | Average Price ($) | Average Price Range ($) |
| Tennibot | 950 | 950 |
| Ball Mower | 400 | 350-450 |
| K-Max | 85 | 70-100 |
| Tennis Hopper | 37 | 34-40 |
Tennis is an intense sport that requires practice on a routine basis. If players are to do well during a match, they need to put in an adequate amount of effort and time into sharpening their skills. That being said, practice sessions don’t always turn out to be the most pleasant. Accordingly so, a considerable amount of time is wasted as players end up searching for tennis balls that are scattered around the tennis court.
Typically, this used to a major issue for many until the introduction of tennis ball collectors. These are cleverly designed devices that work both manually and automatically. In this article, we’ll be discussing the various types of tools that are available in the market and how their functionality makes it easier to collect tennis balls.
For other types of courts and equipment, checkout What is the Best Tennis Racquet for Clay Courts? How to Choose and Buy one On a Budget?
Tennis Ball Collectors: What Are They?
Tennis ball collectors come in different shapes and sizes. Their functionality depends upon the type as well as the money you intend to pour in. Different collectors have different features but the one element common between them is that they all reduce the time spent on collecting tennis balls.
1. Ball Mower
Tennis ball mowers are arguably the best tennis ball collectors mainly because of how quickly they are able to collect the scattered tennis balls. They tend to clean up tennis courts by collecting the balls as you drag the ball mower onto the surrounding surface.
As the name describes, ball mowers are somewhat similar to lawnmowers in terms of shape and size. Ball mowers have a trolley-like structure. The design mainly consists of two ball carrier trays; one on the bottom and one on the top. It is also equipped with curved shafts next to the wheels that help to gather up the scattered tennis balls. The wheels on the bottom make the ball mower easy to maneuver without having to exert any extra physical force.
The tennis ball collecting process is quick in the sense that you simply have to move the ball mower over the scattered balls. Consequently, the shafts will collect the balls and place them on the lower tray. Once it is filled up, you can replace it with the upper tray and resume your practice!
One of the key features of ball mowers is that they can essentially collect up to 80 balls at a time! Meaning, if you position yourself next to the ball mower, you’ll have the opportunity to make use of all the tennis balls instead of stuffing a few of them in your pockets.
2. Tennis Hopper
A tennis hopper is a creative device that takes the shape of a regular container. The surface of the container is usually made out of stretchable metal wires. The container is also connected to a couple of handles that can either be used to carry it or place it on the ground by changing its position downwards.
Tennis hoppers are mainly popular for their ability to collect balls quickly and efficiently. The player only needs to press down the basket onto the balls. The wires attached to the bottom will stretch just enough for the balls to pop inside the basket. Players neither have to bend down nor use their hands to pick up the balls from the ground. Once they’re done, they can switch positions of the handles and resume their practice.
While tennis hoppers are renowned for their effectiveness, they are often criticized for their quality. The main problem with such types of tennis ball collectors is their lack of durability.
Tennis hoppers are efficient but need to be fixed or replaced after a while because the wires tend to become worn out. In some cases, the wires attached to the basket are so stiff that they break off completely if pressure is applied.
3. K-Max by Kollectaball
The K-Max ball collector is a recent innovation developed by Kollectaball. Despite being a newly launched product, the K-Max has taken the tennis market by storm because of its ease of use.
The K-Max has a broom-like handle connected to a round cage. The wires surrounding the cage can be expanded, thereby allowing tennis balls to easily be inserted into it.
For the K-Max to work its magic, you only have to drag it along the ground, over the tennis balls. With a capacity to store 60 tennis balls, the K-Max can seemingly help to reduce the time spent on manual labor.
The only problem with K-Max is that it needs to be assembled at the beginning. Although simple in its design, the process of putting together different parts can still be difficult and time-consuming for many.
4. Tennibot
Tenibot is a professional tool that runs on artificial intelligence. The tool is more of a robot that instinctively moves around the court, collecting tennis balls accordingly. Tennibot specializes in its ability to work without any form of human intervention.
The mechanisms involved in Tennibot are quite complex. It is physically shaped like a Ball Mower but without the handles. There’s a camera attached to the front which works as a sensor, preventing any unwanted damages caused by bumping into objects.
Additionally, the artificial intelligence software integrated within the Tennibot helps to operate it independently. You also have the option to control it manually through an app that can be installed on your phone.
Tennibot represents the ideal version of a tennis ball collected. As a result of this idealistic perception, the only major setback associated with this product is the price. The state-of-the-art features that have been instilled in Tennibot involve significantly add to the overall cost of production, making it unaffordable for those who are on a budget.
Collecting Tennis Balls Quickly: What’s The Cost?
At this point, you must be asking yourself, “how much would it cost to own a tennis ball collector? Is it even worth it?”. To be completely fair with you, the price of ball collectors can greatly vary depending upon the product and its functionality. For example, the price of a ball mower is approximately $350 and can even go up to $450 depending upon the size of the trays.
Similarly, the cost of a Tennibot is also predicted to be sky-high. As of current, there is only one version of Tennibot developed so far. Plus, since it has yet to be launched publicly, there’s not much that can be said about its quality.
Regardless, the managerial staff of the company has set up a price to begin the pre-ordering procedure. According to Tennibot’s official website, the autonomous ball collector is set to cost around $950.
Now, the prices may seem exaggerated and out of reach for many but there’s still no need to panic! We’re going to end this section on a positive note by discussing the prices of a Tennis hopper and K-Max.
Lucky for us, both of these ingenious products are affordable for those who are on a budget. Since there are various models of a ball hopper available, the prices may slightly vary from $34 to $40. This, in itself, is quite economical considering the fact that we’ll be able to save precious hours on the court.
Similarly, Kollectaball offers its K-Max model for $70. It’s important to know that there are several variants available by other companies. However, the most reliable amongst them is seemingly Kollectaball which has a reputation of providing quality products to its customers.
Why Should I Even Get a Tennis Ball Collector?
For starters, you must realize that tennis is an executive sport. You’re already paying a hefty amount of money on racquets, tennis balls, and most importantly, the time spent on a tennis court. Time is money after all, and we, at Tennis Budgeting, try to help our audience by cutting back on extra cost without having to compromise on the game itself.
Tennis Ball Collector is a long-term investment that will help you save time and money. Supposedly, about 20% of your practice sessions are wasted on trying to look for tennis balls in different corners of the tennis court. Additionally, since your hands can only carry about four to five tennis balls at most, you’re also forced to move back and forth across the court.
All of this wasted time, for which you’re paying, can be saved by using a tennis ball collector. By having to reduce your trips around the court, you’ll be able to spend more time focusing on the game and practicing for relatively long periods of time. In other words, you’ll be able to utilize your time spent on the court instead of needlessly engaging in activities that are plain unproductive.
Conclusion & Tips
Pro Tip: It’s The Little Things in Life That Make Us Stand Out From the Competition
Realistically speaking, tennis ball collection is one of the most important, yet, underrated aspects of tennis practice. Many professionals fail to realize how overlooking this small detail leads to a huge chunk of time being wasted. For this reason, we always intend to capitalize on our research by providing tips that can cut back overhead costs.
Tennis ball collectors may seem like a big step at first. However, they can drastically increase the number of useful hours you put in at practice. As a matter of fact, most of them are multipurpose devices that serve as both collectors and storage baskets.
There’s a good chance that such devices may not be trending in your local courts but that’s the exciting part! You have the opportunity to become trendsetters by fully optimizing your gameplay. At certain times of the day, you can even choose to lend your tennis ball collector for an hourly price which will eventually pay off your initial cost too!
So, if you’re serious enough to take on tennis as something more than a hobby, then there’s no time to wait. It’s time to pick up your racquet and head on to the court!
If you’re interested in learning more tips on playing tennis, feel free to look at how you can use tennis sensor weights to your advantage and avoid suffering from Tennis Elbow.