Best Tennis Ball Hopper | 2022 Guide and Reviews
A tennis ball hopper is an essential tennis training aid. Tennis ball hoppers make training sessions as convenient as possible, keeping a large quantity of tennis balls close by for easy retrieval. Tennis ball hoppers are useful for both beginners and experienced tennis players, allowing you to practice for long periods of time, without having to worry about spending precious training time heading out onto the court or training ground to retrieve balls manually. Need some elp finding a suitable ball hopper for your tennis training sessions? Our buying guide lays out all the things you need to be bearing in mind when selecting a suitable ball hopper.
Frame Varieties
The majority of tennis ball hoppers are made from hard-wearing materials steel, although more expensive models are constructed from things like graphite. A tennis ball hopper is made up of several individual components. A heavy-duty basket is the most visible element of any ball hopper. This cage-style frame is designed to house your stock of tennis balls as you practice. Another important element of any good tennis ball hopper is the handle. More basic hoppers will include a single handlebar, although more premium options will incorporate multiple handles that can be folded together to allow for easy carrying of the basket itself.
Tennis ball hopper frames also utilize legs as part of their overall design. These legs are crucial as they allow the basket itself to be elevated, allowing for easy access to and retrieval of tennis balls during coaching sessions and drills. A sturdy lid is another essential part of any ball hopper. Lids ensure that balls are kept securely within the basket cage during training. However, it is worth bearing in mind that not all hoppers will incorporate a lid as part of their design.
If you are prepared to spend a premium on a tennis ball hopper, you should think about purchasing one that includes wheels. Tennis ball hoppers with wheels are very user-friendly and portable, allowing you to move them around the court with ease. If you intend to take your hopper home with you, wheels will make your life much easier.
Carrying Weight
The overall weight of your tennis ball hopper will depend on the size and composition of the frame. The most compact ball hoppers around weigh approximately 1 kilogram. However, bulkier models with additional features and larger capacities can weigh as much as 4.5 kilograms. Most people will have little trouble carting around a bulkier hopper, but younger players and those with limited mobility may struggle with a heavier frame made from steel. If you think you will have trouble handling a heavier hopper, look for a lightweight option or a frame that includes wheels as a standard feature.
Essential Features
A stand is an essential feature of any good tennis ball hopper. A hopper needs to include a stand if coaches intend to feed tennis balls to those they are training. Although you will find hoppers on the market that do not include a stand, they are not really fit for purpose. A hopper that does not include stand is really only good for carting balls across the court to feed into more substantial hoppers or ball machines.
Although it is not a standard feature of every hopper, a lid is always a good thing to have. Lids are very convenient if you need to carry your hopper across longer distances, or if you intend to take your hopper home with you at the end of a training session. A sturdy lid will ensure a full basket of balls remains firmly in place in transit. A lid is also handy to have when you are practising on the court. After all, accidents sometimes happen. If someone happens to collide with a full hopper, a lid prevents your tennis balls from spilling out across the court.
Tennis Ball Hopper Capacity
This is something to think about when selecting the right hopper for your requirements. The most basic hoppers out there will provide capacity for around 50 individual tennis balls. This should be more than sufficient for basic training. If you are looking to train for longer, you may want to go for a larger capacity. Standard hoppers provide capacity for around 80 balls, while larger options will allow you to store around 150 balls.
If you plan to train at a tennis center or club, you do not need to go overboard when it comes to capacity as you will have ready access to full baskets of balls at all times. However, if you are a tennis coach who needs to travel with their hopper, a more substantial capacity will definitely come in handy.
Budget
Basic tennis ball hopper models are relatively affordable. Even the simplest hopper models on the market will include all the key features required for practical ball feeding. However, the less you spend, the less durable your ball hopper will usually be. If you can afford to spend a little more on your purchase, go for hard-wearing steel hoppers that will maintain their shape and reliability for as long as possible. Graphite ball hoppers are considerably more expensive, but combine the benefits of being both lightweight and incredibly robust. Premium ball hopper varieties will also include user-friendly features like lockable legs and multiple handlebars. The best tennis ball hoppers will also include secure lids, preventing balls from spilling out on the court or when in transit. Another premium feature that usually commands a higher asking price are wheels. If you can afford to invest a little more in a ball hopper, a wheeled model will definitely prove its worth in the long run.
In Summary
No matter how much you can afford to spend a ball hopper, there are a few key things you should be keeping at the forefront of your mind. Look for ball hoppers that are easy to set up, requiring minimal effort when it comes to initial installation and erecting on the court itself. Portability is also something to seriously consider when shopping for hoppers, with the best designed models allowing you to travel across the court and training venues with ease, even if you are carrying a full load of balls. Perhaps the most important factor to consider is size and capacity. Provided a hopper is portable enough, you should always opt for as large a capacity as possible to provide you with the best in convenience when training or coaching.
Wilson Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper
WIson are a giant in the tennis industry and you are almost guaranteed quality on all of their products and it is safe to say that the Wilson Tennis Ball Pick up Hopper you are not going to be disappointed.
There are two different sizes of tennis ball basket available, a basket which can hold up to 75 balls and one which can hold up to 90 balls so you have flexibility. Both products do not require a spill lid so they are super easy to use.
The basket is also made from a, special steel-plated construction which is super durable so you are definitely getting your bucks worth with this hopper.
The construct also makes great use of space to help with portability. The handles fold down and convert to form legs which you can lock into place for more convenient use.
The Wilson Tennis Ball Pick up Hopper is a solid and popular ball Hopper which will do a good job.
Tourna Ballport Tennis Ball Hopper
The Tourna Ballport Tennis Ball Hopper is a light-weight functional tennis ball Hopper which is great at its job.
The Hopper can hold up to a respectable 80 balls at maximum capacity, giving you plenty of balls to feed or practise with. The structure also has an awesome design to pick up tennis balls with ease. The specially designed, patented bars at the bottom mean that it is super easy to pick up tennis balls into the basket even when it begins filling up to maximum capacity.
The hopper by itself weighs only 4 lbs and this is incredibly light in comparison to hoppers of similar carrying capacity making it super portable and easy to carry on and off court. Despite this, the hopper is made from heavy duty polypropylene making it durable and sturdy. There are no metal wires that can rust or bend out of shape nor is there any annoying paint that can peel off.
You can lock the handles in both an up and down position and the legs can be held in place with a special mount so that they will remain in place. This bag is super efficient and sturdy to use!
A solid tennis ball hopper that is really sturdy and is very well designed for the most efficiency possible.
Tourna Mini BALLPORT Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper
The Tourna mini Ballport tennis ball pick up hopper is a smaller version of the regular Tourna Ballport tennis ball hopper with all of the same perks, just in a smaller package.
The Hopper can hold up to a respectable 36 tennis balls at maximum capacity meaning you can use it for drills and practise with ease. It is also more compact and lightweight than the regular tennis ball hopper and it’s very portable and easy to transport.
The specially designed and patented bars at the bottom of the basket make it very easy to pick up and hold balls with ease.
The basket is made from heavy duty polypropylene which is lightweight and durable. It is also super convenient that there are no wires that can bend out of shape and rust or paint to chip off from the hopper.
The handles of the ball hopper can lock in both the up and down position so you can easily carry it both on and off the court and prop up the basket to waist height so it is easy and convenient to feed balls.
The Tourna Mini Ballport tennis ball hopper is a great light-weight compact hopper that is really easy to carry around and use.
Gamma Sports Tennis Ballhoppers
Gamma produces a great range of quality tennis ball hoppers with models ranging from holding 50, 75, 90, 110 and 140 tennis balls. There is a tennis ball hopper suited for everyone.
The hoppers are designed with specially designed handles which make the basket very portable and easy to carry and place as and where you want. The handles can also be flipped to stand the basket to a convenient height so you can effortlessly pick the tennis balls out.
The Smart Lid can be attached to the basket making sure no balls can escape meaning you will not spend any time chasing loose tennis balls that might fall out, stress free!
The hopper itself is made from a tough carbon steel wire and Gama adds a specially designed weather-resistant coating to it to make it more durable and long-lasting so you know you are getting your money’s worth.
A great, premium-quality tennis ball hopper that will definitely do a good job.
HOPARAZZI Elite 65 Tennis Ball Basket
The Hoprazzi Elite tennis ball hopper is a quality product with some cool features.
This particular model of hopper can hold up to a respectable 65 tennis balls at maximum capacity meaning there will be plenty of balls available for practicing shots and performing drills. There is also an inbuilt lid which can snap shut to close off the basket holding all the balls making sure none escape for ease of storage.
The hopper is available in a huge variety of 17 different colors! There is a style and color available for everyone.
There are also no tools required for assembling this particular hopper making it super convenient and easy to set up and use.
The hopper even comes with built in wheels at the base so you can wheel it around the tennis court as you collect the balls and place the hopper in position to start feeding, a really simple but great touch.
You can convert the adjustable handle into legs which you can lock into place and adjust the height for a more convenient height to feed balls from.
This is a solid hopper which comes with the great bonus of wheels and you can pick from 17 color designs for your own personal preference.
HOPARAZZI Pro Elite 125 Tennis Ball Basket
The Hoparazzi Pro Elite tennis ball hopper is a more heavy duty version of the regular Elite tennis ball hopper with all of the same perks.
This particular model of hopper can hold up to a solid 125 tennis balls at maximum capacity providing more than enough tennis balls available for drills and practice shots in one go. Lie the Pro model there is an inbuilt lid to help prevent balls escaping as you carry the hopper to and from court,
This particular model of hopper comes in 8 different vibrant colours helping provide plenty of choice for you to choose from.
The hopper comes with built in wheels which is definitely a bonus for a hopper of this size holding so many balls and there is an adjustable handle which doubles up as sturdy legs that lock in place when flipped, presenting the balls at a convenient height when you feed them.
There are no tools required for assembly which is great as it is super convenient and easy to use.
All-in-all this is a great, more heavy duty tennis ball hopper that comes in plenty of colors.
Vermont Tennis Ball Hopper Basket [72 Ball Capacity] – Steel Frame & Lockable Lid
The Vermount Tennis Ball Hopper Basket is a sturdy tennis ball hopper that will do a great job on the tennis court.
This tennis ball hopper has a capacity of 72 regular size tennis balls which is a respectable amount for anyone looking to perform drills and practise exercises with.
The hopper itself is built to be durable. The frame is made from sturdy heavy-duty steel which is coated with a special powder to make it waterproof and rust-resistant. This hopper will definitely last you a long time and give you your money’s worth.
You can convert the ball hopper into a standing basket with ease simply by folding the legs in reverse helping you collect and feed tennis balls with ease.
The lid of this particular ball hopper is extra secure and it is specially designed to be able to be padlocked shut which is definitely a great added bonus.
A reliable tennis ball hopper which will get the job done!
