Players
Should you buy your own padel ball machine? Read this first
Lots of players think a ball machine of their own is the best way to train. For most, there are cheaper and easier ways.
Contents
More and more clubs have a ball machine
A growing number of padel clubs have a ball machine you can use when you book a court. Some charge nothing extra for the machine, so you only pay for the court.
If there's a club like that near you, it almost always works out cheaper than buying a machine for £1,000–£2,200. And you don't have to carry it, charge it or look after it.
In the UK, you can train with a Padelmaster at clubs such as Padium in London, Powerleague Romford, Stoke Park and Weybridge Padel Club.
Subscriptions: the cheapest way to train often
Ball machine subscriptions with court time included are starting to appear. In Sweden, Padelmaster offers one for around £55 a month: you train as much as you like at set times (which vary from club to club), without buying a machine or paying for the court. It isn't available in the UK yet, but it's coming to more countries.
If an hour on court with a ball machine costs £30, a subscription like that pays off from just two sessions a month. And for the price of a £1,900 machine, you could have the subscription for almost three years, court time included.
- Court hire that costs less than the subscription
- Court hire that costs more than the subscription
Example using the figures in the text: £30 for an hour on court with a ball machine, per session, compared with a subscription that includes the court.
Want to know when Padelmaster's subscription reaches a club near you?
Compare the options
| Option | What it costs | Suits you if you |
|---|---|---|
| Buy your own machine | £1,000–£2,200, plus court hire every time | Have your own court or free access to one |
| Use the club's machine | Court hire, sometimes nothing extra for the machine | Train now and then, and have a club with a machine nearby |
| Subscription | Around £55 a month, court included (in Sweden so far) | Want to train regularly, several times a month |
When it makes sense to buy your own
If you have a court of your own at home, or free access to one, buying can be the right call. You don't pay for the court, and the machine is always there when you want to train.
Before you buy, think about:
Made for padel: is it built for padel, or is it a tennis ball machine with a padel mode?
The app: can you build your own training programmes, and can it handle padel shots like lobs and balls off the glass? The gap between shots in a sequence needs to be short enough for match-like drills, such as a volley followed by a bandeja.
Weight and transport: will you carry it to the car, or will it stay in one place?
Servicing: what happens if the machine breaks, and how long does it take?