Franklin Sports Automatic Pickleball Launcher Machine

Read the reviews and ordered after returning one that had no instructions or videos. When I received it-took it outside and it worked as advertised. Took it to a gym 2 x. Second time, it stopped working- thought the d rechargeable batteries had lost charge. Plugged into electrical outlet and wouldn’t work. Brought back home and read all the troubleshooting instructions. Thought I had it figured out. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take to the gym again (too crowded). When weather warmed up outside and I had a chance-took outside. Figured out the rollers weren’t turning enough to throw the balls. Called Franklin Sports and talked to Kevin in customer service. He said to email a screenshot of the machine with the order number from Amazon and they would replace it., after I told him what had happened, including date of order and delivery. When I screenshot the order saw that my time to return had run out a few days before my call to Kevin. Franklin Sports replaced the unit. Gave 5 stars because I liked the machine (we have a larger and heavier machine) when I am by myself it is easy to carry, load and unload. Great Customer Service!!! Today you do not always have that, especially if the time to return has expired—most would not have considered weather a problem—expiration ended their responsibility.

I use it mainly for practicing service returns and drop shots. I have seen a few reviews that complain it only launches high, weak shots, which is true IF you put the unit on the ground. However, if you look underneath there is a nut embedded in the base that allows you to mount the unit on a tripod. When mounted on the tripod you can place the unit near the net and get some decent velocity shots to practice with. If you are already a 4.0+ looking to improve this unit will probably not help you much, but if you are a beginner to intermediate player it can be a useful tool for improving your game.

First - customer support is excellent. The first one delivered had an issue, Franklin support manager “Dave H.” Immediately responded and had a new unit shipped to me. Will continue to shop from Franklin! The unit itself - very easy to setup, was able to fit it into a sports bag for transport. Started with an unused racquetball court and started playing with settings, could emulate just about any ball served or hit to me - high or low, fast or slow. Great for practicing returns and different shots. The value (price vs function) cannot be beat.

It is ok for a launcher but I had to modify to add remote control on feature. Otherwise there is a on toggle button and then you have to get to in position within nine seconds.

The only positive thing I can say about this is it went together pretty easily, and it’s lightweight. However, it is light weight at the expense of being a flimsy POS. You can’t pick it up by the spiral sections as they will come apart. They do not lock in place, they are a press-fit to lose to maintain structural integrity. Will not launch the last two balls, it requires more weight, that is more balls in the spiral loader to push the balls into contact with the launch wheels. So, only 13 out of 15 possible balls loaded will launch. More importantly, I think it is a wimpy performer. Set up where a server would be, it makes it to just a foot or so beyond the non-volley line on the opposite side of the net therefore, it cannot simulate a serve to the middle North, to the far end of the receiving court. My measurement was maximum of 29 feet with 15 tries, most a foot shorter. This is having experimented with the adjustments to get the longest launch, by having it set at a 45° launch angle. Curiously, after a brief explanation on how to assemble the unit, the instructions give you some of the rudiments of how to play pickle ball, yet there is, I kid you not, absolutely nothing about how to actually use this device! I called Franklin customer service; the representative had no clue about its specs as far as potential distance, if you could set it up to put a spin on the server, and why it won’t deliver/serve the last two balls of the 15 it holds. So amazing, and disappointing! So she took my email, at my insistence, and said she would send back info from a tech.

On the 1st day of use it seemed like a great ball machine for the price. It shot balls out at a good pace, although much too high to simulate actual play. So, I built a nice stand to raise it up and tilt it slightly forward. On the 2nd day of use, about 1/2 way through the practice session the left drive wheel started vibrating and power was significantly reduced. Now it is simply a toy for practicing dinks. Well, save your money, a wall and some concrete works much better for practicing dinks. I disassembled the machine and discovered that it is impossible to DIY replacing a motor or drive wheel. Franklin does not sell replacement parts. If you $ to spare and just want a new toy for a day, it is easy to use and fun. If you want to practice, get partner, find a wall or spend big bucks on the other ball machines.

This launcher is perfect for solo practice sessions. It consistently shoots balls at a steady pace, making it easy to work on timing, volleys, and overall technique. Setup was quick and simple, and it’s lightweight enough to move around the court. A great tool for improving skills without needing a partner!

I had to return the first unit bc it did not function properly. I've used the second one about 10 times and it works fine 95 percent of the time. It's a good value for the money if you're willing to clear misfeed balls, adjust the balls so they enter the eject chamber. The two speeds and 3 angle settings are useful. It holds 17 balls but only 15 will come out during a cycle. Depending on the type and age of the balls loaded it will give you different trajectories - which is actually ok if you're trying to practice shots. It's very lightweight, easy to set up and the plug in option is useful if there is power at the court. I would buy it again - just realize that this the low end of the product range available so you have to put up with a bit of management

It Goes well.

Unfortunately this product is not worth the purchase.