Review 001 of the Hydrogen Sports Proton Ball Machine

[@DVReviews2024]

I've used the machine for about 18,000 balls now. In that time, I've had one bad jam that required opening up the machine, one repair done by Hydrogen sports under warranty and lost 2 of the feet used to support the front of the machine. It can fall off when moving because of the nature of the design. I've designed and 3D printed replacement feet so I don't have to keep buying them from the manufacturer.

[@DVReviews2024]

Reliability update: I've had the Proton for just over 6 months now. I had one pretty serious ball jam that I managed to fix on my workbench about 3 months ago. Then a few days back, the front foot wouldn't elevate on start up. I've tried different things to fix it but without success. I've contact Hydrogen Sports to get it fixed. Let's see how this goes.

[@DVReviews2024]

I shipped it out to Hydrogen Sports and it came back repaired in about two weeks. Everything works fine now.

[@DVReviews2024]

I just tested the range of two newer Apple Watches; the Series 7 that was launched in 2021 and the Ultra 2 Launched about 8 months ago. Both watches connected and worked fine not just anywhere within the court but also outside the fence. I went about 20 feet beyond the fence line - diagonally across from the ball machine that was placed on the baseline on the opposite court and the connection was solid. I could start and stop the machine with no problems. I'm now wondering if the older watch I tested with originally was faulty in some way.

[@jonmccauley6490]

You can literally see the footpeg move backwards and to the side each time the ball is ejected, confirming the drift that others have mentioned.

[@DVReviews2024]

I'll be experimenting with a larger 3D printed foot to see if it makes a difference.

[@filippolattanzi]

Thanks for your review

[@samar_khan_94]

Do we have an app for Android users?

[@DVReviews2024]

It's in the Google Play store

[@samar_khan_94]

@@DVReviews2024 thank you. Can you please comment on the durability of the machine? Since when have you been using it/tentatively how many balls fired so far? I'm planning to buy a ball machine, and this seems to be the only machine which has custom drills capability at this price point (spinshot player cost upwards of $2200). Is my understanding correct?

[@DVReviews2024]

@@samar_khan_94 I've put in excess of 14,000 balls thru the machine in the 7+ months that I've had it. I've had two problems so far. The first was a messy ball jam that required disassembling part of the carousel to fix. The second was more serious - the machine stopped elevating. I had to send it back to Hydrogen Sports for it to be fixed. So, the reliability hasn't been great.

[@db021181]

Thank you for your review. May I ask why you're giving the machine 3 stars out of 5? is there another machine you'd recommend around the same price point?

[@DVReviews2024]

There are two main reasons for the rating. The first is the left-right drift of the machine. In a typical session, I run about 7 or 8 baskets of balls through the machine. In that time, I have to adjust it at least 3 times to keep it aimed correctly. I just want to focus on tennis and not have to keep adjusting the machine. Calibration can sometimes help a little but that is yet another thing to do and it doesn't totally solve the problem. The second is the lack of a high ball capability so I can practice overhead smashes.

[@Wj3399]

Doesn’t the lob riser raise the machine up more? Also, How does the machine calibrate , is the drift happening from the back wheel slipping?

[@DVReviews2024]

@@Wj3399 The lob riser does allow it to launch balls at a higher angle but not high enough to do a proper lob. There is a calibration process run from the phone app that allows you to launch one ball at a time at a specific part of the court. You then dial in the machine by using the appropriate arrow keys. For left to right drift, you just specify how far the machine drifts left/right over time and the machine attempts to compensate for it. It's an open loop design - so the drift is to be expected. It's probably from a combination of the small, rear driven wheel slipping or just the (lack of) repeatability of movement inherent in the design.

[@filippolattanzi]

Do you have some advices to fix some of the mentioned issues, please? I need to buy the Apple Watch. Which one is the good one to work with? Are the Generation 9 watch good for the use of the ball machine? Thanks

[@DVReviews2024]

The older watch I had worked reasonably well so long as I used it no further than the service line on the opposite side of the court. I should be able to get my hands on an Ultra in about 3 weeks from now. I'll test it and let you know if it works better.

[@henryhamster01]

great review ... thx. like to see how you would compare it to spinfire, spinshot or ...

[@DVReviews2024]

I had evaluated the Spinfire Pro 2 and a couple of others before I bought the Proton so I can give you a paper comparison of the key features. The SpinFire wins on its ability to do a better lob, a remote control, close loop design so that there is no drift in alignment and larger ball hopper. However, it does cost quite a bit more - $700 more and is bigger and heavier. I would be very interested in testing one if I can get my hands on one for a month or so.

[@Wj3399]

Is this machine good in regards to return of ball when you hit it to make it realistic like hitting with a person?

[@DVReviews2024]

In general, the answer is yes. The machine certainly has the capability to do so. It can be programmed to deliver the ball in different parts of the court with different speeds/spin. You do need to take the time to set it up appropriately. It took me a while to get it tweaked so that I could get comfortable doing drills.