Sun City Texas Pickleball Club Ball Machine Policy

Sun City Texas Pickleball Club

Pickleball Throwing Machines


The following outlines policy and procedure for using both Club-owned and personal ball machines on the Sun City pickleball courts. Questions regarding ball machine reservations, training, operation, and maintenance should be directed to the Club Ball Machine Coordinators.  

 

img

Primary Coordinator - Brian Loynachen: [email protected] / 630-862-7152

 

img 

Assistant Coordinator - Mike Murphy: [email protected] / 253-677-6425


Personal Ball Machines


Personal ball machines can be used with a CMARS reservation on North Point Courts 25 and 26 and on any of the OPEN PLAY courts at all three Club locations. Courts other than 25 and 26 cannot be reserved for personal ball machine use.


Before using a ball machine on a court equipped with netting, set up the netting to prevent errant balls from entering the adjacent court. Return the netting to its original storage configuration when the session is complete. If no netting is available, take every precaution to prevent balls from impacting players on the next court.


  • Reserving Courts 25 or 26 for Personal Ball Machine Use:


  • Log into CMARS, and under “Reservations,” select “Reserve Court with Ball Machine.


  • Select the date and time for your reservation.


  • When the reservation window appears:

  • Under Reservation Type, select “Ball Machine (1 hour and 30 minutes).

  • Under Available Courts, select Court 25 or 26

  • Click on Save


  • Personal Ball Machine Use on OPEN PLAY courts:

  • If a court is OPEN (i.e., is not reserved or is empty) at any time and no paddles are in the rack waiting, you may use a personal ball machine on that court.

  • If using an empty court, be prepared to relinquish it when other players arrive, put their paddles in the rack or are waiting. 



Club Ball Machines

 

The club has 2 battery operated ball machines (aka Lobster Pickle 1 and 2) available for member use at the North Point location. They are stored in the tall, 2-door plastic containers located against the wall across from Court #22. Note: Club-owned ball machines can only be used on North Point Courts 25 and 26 and must be on a CMARS reservation.

 

img 

The Lobster weighs 42 pounds. It has an external battery that enables 6 - 8 hours of continuous operation on a single charge. It can throw balls up to 60 mph, has electronic elevation, oscillates side to side and offers both top and backspin capabilities. It features an inverting hopper, folding handle and 8-inch wheels to help maneuver it from storage to court. Note: the external battery is a separate attachment that must be handled with care. 

 

Mandatory Class 

 

Before reserving the club’s ball machines, you must complete a short class on their operation and maintenance. Reservations for an upcoming class can be made in CMARS. Note: if you have not completed the requisite training, any reservation you make to use the club’s machines will be subject to cancellation.


To reserve a court and club ball machine in CMARS:

  1. Log into CMARS and under “Reservations” select “Reserve Court with Ball Machines. 
  2. Select the date and time for your reservation. 
  3. When the reservation window appears:
    - Under Reservation Type, select “Ball Machine (1 hour & 30 Minutes)
    - Under Reserve Court with Ball Machine field, select “Ball Machine 1 – Simon” or
    “Ball Machine 2 – Lobster Pickle 2”
    - Under Available Courts, select Court 25 or 26
    - Depending on which ball machine you reserve, select “Ball Machine #1
    Storage Combination” or “Ball Machine #2 Storage Combination
    (Be sure to remember the combination.)
    - Click on Save
  • When you get to the courts, use the combination provided with your reservation in CMARS to open the appropriate storage cabinet. After removing the machine from storage, please relock the cabinet before heading over to your reserved court. Try to ensure the numbers on the combination are facing upward, so the person with the next reservation doesn’t have to read them upside down. 

  • There are 75 Franklin X-40 balls stored with each of the two club owned ball machines. Please take every precaution to make sure they are returned to storage with the ball machine after use. For your convenience, a ball retriever is also stored in the cabinet.

  • Before turning on the ball machine, set up the netting secured to the fence to prevent errant balls from entering the adjacent court. Return the netting to its original storage configuration when the session is complete.

Before returning the ball machine to storage:

  • Remove the balls from the machine and return them to the mesh basket in the storage container. 
  • Make sure the ball retriever is placed back in the cabinet.
  • Connect the machine to the Smart Battery Charger and check to ensure that power to the charger is turned on. 
  • Secure the combination lock (with the numbers facing up) and spin the tumbler before departing the storage shed. 
  • Report any noted deficiencies in the machine’s operation to the Ball Machine Coordinator.

There are 3 key reference materials available on the Club’s website.
(Click the link to download.)

  • Pickleball Tudor User Manual contains details on the proper operation, maintenance, and storage of the ball machines. 
  • Pickleball Tudor Drill Manual contains the machine settings, description and diagrams for drills than can be executed with the ball machines.
  • Pickle Two User Manual contains information on the control panel, machine set up, battery charging procedures, and machine operation. 

Members are encouraged to bring a copy of their confirmation email from CMARS with them to the court. It's helpful to have if others are not aware that the court has been appropriately reserved for ball machine use.