We all know that training is the secret to getting better at anything, pickleball included. And as much as we’d love to play and train for hours on end, we reckon that’s close to improbable—unless we own a court and have playing partners available 24/7.
This leads us to the 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit, manufactured by Furlihong, a name we believe resonates in the sports world because of the company’s reputation for making training accessories like launch machines, training balls, and practice nets. Put simply, Furlihong makes training partners for tennis players, baseball players, and yes, picklers—only these partners are machines instead of humans.
So, let’s go back to the 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit, which costs about USD $200 at Amazon. As of this writing, a good number of picklers have bought it, which means we can learn a lot about this kit from their reviews. And, from the looks of it, the 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit, as its name suggests, is particularly crafted for those taking their first swing (pun intended) at pickleball.
Quite a few seem to be highly satisfied with the kit, with most praising its recycling net feature.
“I recently purchased the Pickleball Machine with Recycling Net, Oscillation, Adjustable Launch Angle, and Adjustable Launch Interval and I couldn’t be happier! This machine has exceeded my expectations and has greatly improved my pickleball game,” one review noted. “The recycling net feature is a game changer as it allows for continuous play without having to retrieve the ball each time. The oscillation feature adds an extra level of challenge and helps me practice my shots in different areas of the court. The adjustable launch angle and interval allow for customisation to my specific needs and level of play.”
Another reviewer was just as pleased, in part because the kit is helping out his family in practising pickleball. The reviewer acknowledged that while the kit was a ‘fun pickleball machine,’ it’s really geared toward beginners, hinting that more experienced players might find it lacking in challenge. Nevertheless, this reviewer mentioned that his kids “had a blast getting their shots in,” although he himself was able to practice his “dinking and topspin.” This reviewer also raved about how the kit is “easy to assemble,” its varied levels and bounce, and Furlihong’s “awesome customer support” that “responded promptly on issues.”
What really caught our eye, however, was a comprehensive review that actually listed the kit’s pros and cons, which we will list here verbatim:
Pros:
- A net to catch the ball and feed it back into the machine.
- Ball machine that continuously shoots balls out at consistent depth/height for drills.
- All-in-one package with net, machine, power supply, and generic paddle.
- Affordable price under USD $200 shipped to your door.
Cons:
- As many have noted, the “chute” design is terribly inconsistent. The net catches and funnels the ball into the chute consistently, but the tolerances are very bad, so the balls get stuck in the chute half the time. The only workaround I can think of is cutting the whole chute out and making a bigger hole for the ball to drop down properly into the ball machine’s feeder.
- The machine is incredibly light, cheap, and mostly plastic. This means that the abrupt “POP” of the ball release can make the entire machine slightly hop each time. The problem with this is that the direction of the ball release eventually changes while also ruining the alignment between the net chute and the ball catcher. So now you have 2 compounding issues: The chute is inconsistent, and the ball feeder frequently moves out of alignment, so ball feeding issues are CONSTANT.
Then again, not everyone is happy. One reviewer even said she plans to get a refund (we aren’t too sure if she got it).
“Couldn’t wait for this to arrive! I put it together today and was so excited that I was going to call a friend to meet me at the courts . . . Good thing I DID NOT!!! I tested it out at all the different settings and to tell you the absolute truth, a 2-month-old baby could toss something with more force, height, and distance than this!” she said. “I am now preparing to pack it up and send it back for a refund.”
Another reviewer made it abundantly clear that the 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit is “not a training machine, just a feeder.” She pointed out that as a “high-intermediate” pickler, she just had to return the kit and “invest in a REAL Pickleball machine for training and improving.” She then reiterated that the kit is just “a feeder for beginners,” and that “you’ll quickly need something better.”
All things considered, this particular review may have said it best as far as what to really expect with the 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit: “[You] get what you pay for with this pickleball set,” she proclaimed. “It works well, but this is just for novice players.”
So, what we think these reviews are really telling us is this: Temper your expectations. The 680PBH Pickleball Starter Kit is exactly that, a kit for starters. And when we say “starters” we mean absolute beginners—those taking up pickleball for the first time. If you are anything past that, it’s probably best that you look at other kits.
