This review is from my point of view as an elite athlete.
Practicality Factor: This is by far the most unpractical machine ever. It takes too long to set up to get the exact shot you want. By the time you make the rows and place them in the tube, find a chair to climb up on to place the tube on the machine (if the machine is up high to simulate a drop/smash/clear), find an extension cord, find an outlet, find the right speed to shoot the bird, find the right delay/timing, find the right spot on the court, adjust the height so the bird flies exactly where it needs to go.... it's been 10 minutes!!
Price Factor: This machine KILLS feather birds! It destroys them. If you were to fill the tube up with new feather birds... be prepared to empty your wallets. It destroys the cork and chews up feathers. Also this machine costs $5,900 CAD! RIDICULOUS!
Fun Factor: The only thing fun about this machine is when you place the machine at the net, and have it shooting at max speed at the fastest timing and you try and defend every shot. Is this a good drill to do..? ummm.. no, not really... wall hitting beats this drill ANYDAY. Wall hitting would also only require 1 bird, not 50-60. Also picking up 1 bird and then hitting it back at the wall is a lot faster than picking up the birds u hit all over the place on the other side, picking up the birds u missed which are behind you, picking up all the birds that the machine shot into the net, making rows, taking the empty tube off, putting the birds into the machine, putting the tube back into the machine, and starting all over again.
Accuracy Factor: This machine is a piece of crap. It's not accurate like they say. It shoots high, it shoots low, it also flutters the bird making u lunge forward getting the bird, and by that time you hit the bird, it shoots the next one at your face. Very frustrating so I guess minus points on Fun Factor.
Another thing, the selling point of this machine is that you can practice by yourself. Why is that so many of the videos on youtube, there's people standing around watching or coaching? A lot of people do not realize the importance of FEEDING. Feeding is not only extremely beneficial to the feeder, but the worker gets to see the bird being hit by a racket each time. We absorb so much information with our eyes, why waste all that time watching a bird being shot out from a machine?
Also, it's really not that hard to find somebody to practice with. Having 1 person feed and 1 person work is much more fun. You get to interact with another human being and you can also get proper feedback. Having 2 people pick up birds and making rows is also much faster. You also go green by not wasting as many birds and electricity.
So out of 5 stars, I give this Black Knight Trainer 0.25/5.. Yes, you get a QUARTER of a star out of 5!! Why? Because Black Knight actually made something that can shoot a bird. Other than that, sorry.. it's garbage.
Rating: 0.25/5
Feathers under the machine
Check out the feathers. These birds were new. Used for 3 months with the machine but only used the machine 2-3 times a week.
I've seen new birds being fed everyday last at least 2 to 3 times longer and still have it's integrity.
thanks very much for the review. it was very enlightment. would not buy one even if it was onetenth of the price considering the long term costs of the birds.
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