Soccer ball machines can be used to make soccer practice a lot more exciting and improve your technique on the training pitch or in your back yard.
These soccer ball launchers are the ultimate soccer gadget but also a serious piece of kit that will help you train by playing the role of a team mate kicking the ball towards you so you can learn to control the ball arriving at different speeds, from different heights and with adjustable ball spin to help improve all your soccer skills.
I’m going to show which products I think are the best soccer ball launching machines and give you some advice about how best to use them to improve your soccer training and most importantly have a lot of fun!!
Soccer Ball Machine Comparison Table
The 3 best soccer ball machines for sale online
1. Pro Trainer Soccer Tutor
Click the image to view the Pro Trainer soccer tutor on Amazon
I have chosen to recommend the Pro trainer soccer tutor because it comes with a ball feed section that can hold and deliver up to 5 soccer balls in intervals of between 2 1/2 and 5 seconds or manually using a remote control you press with your foot. I didn’t find any other soccer machine that could hold, feed and launch so many footballs in a row from the ball feed. Usually you need to manually place one ball on the machine at a time which means running back and forth or relying on your coach or team mate to feed the balls into the machine for you.
Adjustable Ball launch angle & power
Change the angle of the launch up to a near vertical position (ideal if you are training in a small area) by adjusting the screw in the centre of the frame and tightening it back in place when the two spinning wheels are tilted at the angle you want the soccer ball delivered at. Changing the angle will deliver the ball to you at a different height. A higher delivery is great if you want to practice heading, volleying, controlling the ball on your chest or practising the perfect touch to trap the ball using your foot and improve your touch.
I like to take the machine out close to the corner flag and aim towards the edge of the 6 yard area to practice close range volleys and trying to find the perfect angle to head the ball so it slides into the top or bottom corner of the net at the back post making it difficult for the goalie to save.
Goalkeepers will gain the most from the pro trainer soccer tutor by adjusting the machine using the dial to increase the speed and direction the soccer ball is launched. Replicating free kicks is a lot of fun if you love to dive because you can face the machine to the corners just inside the post and crank up the speed to replicate a powerful strike to really test your skills.
2. Globus Eurogoal 1500
Click the image above to view the Globus Eurogoal on Amazon
The Globus Eurogoal 1500 can shoot a soccer ball at speeds of up to 140 kph. I was really impressed with how easy the control panel is to use on this machine. Footballers or their coaches can quickly adjust the height, whether the ball will spin to the left or right and the ball speed by pressing the clearly labelled buttons on the solid metal control panel.
The ball is launched along a small ramp that tilts to adjust the way the ball spins which can replicate the real life spin created when you strike a football. Globus promote the use of their soccer ball launching machine for being able to produce high arching shots that shoot out and loop and curve like they would if you kick or throw the ball yourself.
If you love to play around with trying to recreate a ball swinging in or out from the edge of the box or attempt to save a swerving and bending free kick the Eurogoal is a good choice. The three wheel design make moving this machine into different positions very easy and stability is solid.
3. Jugs Soccer Machine
Click the image to view the current price on Amazon
Jugs have built a reputation in the United States and around the world over many years for creating some of the most reputable and widely used sports ball launching, pitching, throwing and shooting machines in the world. The company started selling baseball pitching machines and american football throwing machines and have expanded to include the larger Jugs soccer ball machine.
If you are a goalkeeping coach this machine is lightweight enough for you to quickly change the direction and shoot a ball towards the goal in different directions to challenge the goalie by letting them practice jumping and diving to catch the ball.
With the Jugs soccer machine you can adjust the spin, speed and distance the ball travels accurately up to a distance of around 70 yards. Accuracy isn’t always 100% accurate because the spin will vary a little and wind will affect the direction the ball flies, but the way the ball bends is similar to when a soccer player kicks it and produces spin with their foot depending on how they strike the ball.
A soccer ball machine is for footballers wanting to take their soccer practice more seriously
Whether you train alone or with teammates in your back yard or on the pitch you now have a new team mate who’s got some skills. After playing have a rest as a team on a portable bench.
These machines don’t look quite as human as your average soccer player but deliver the ball more consistently than perhaps even Messi or Ronaldo could!
A soccer ball machine can deliver the perfect corner, whether you want to practice heading from the middle of the box or tapping in at the front post, high or low it’s possible to adjust most machines to change the trajectory, speed and sometimes even the direction that the soccer ball spins in the air.
If you don’t have someone to train with who can assist you by crossing the ball in from the corner, passing the perfect delivery so you can practice your finishing or offer a long range high speed delivery you want to practice saving or controlling than a soccer ball launching machine is a fun and useful investment.
Adjust delivery of the ball so that the speed, spin, height and distance are all controlled so you can train consistently exactly with the exact soccer skills you need to improve on.
Goalkeepers can benefit from being able to save a wide range of different shots, replicating the kind of shots they will face during a game. You don’t need to rely on someone else shooting and can instead be sure that every shot will be precise and test your jumping and diving skills you really want to improve on. You can replicate a free kick scenario, corner, penalty kick or any other situation you might face during 90 minutes between the goal posts.
Soccer skills you can train with a soccer ball machine (Soccer machine drills list )
A soccer machine can be used for practising lots of different soccer skills and fun drills because of the possibility to adjust the speed and height. Here are a few different skills and drills I’ve seen soccer players use a soccer ball trainer machine to practice with in training.
Passing
Practice with a slower speed and low angle if you want to replicate the ball rolling like it would when your team mate is passing it to you. Control the ball on your foot and you can even place a small net or goalposts beside the machine and aim to pass the ball back towards there or have a teammate nearby and using one touch pass the ball to them, or stop the ball first and then pass it.
Volleying
I love to volley the football even though it doesn’t always come off as nicely as expected it always feels good to strike the ball in the air rather than rolling along the ground. Some of the most spectacular goals in soccer have been volleys. Using a soccer ball machine you can simulate a ball being crossed to the edge of the box and practice long distance volleys or set it up behind you and practice running onto a long ball and trying to volley the ball as it comes over your head from behind.
Goalkeeping practice
If you want to practice drills that help your goal keeper improve their shot saving a soccer machine is useful. One drill I’ve seen goalies practice in my Sunday league team is standing with their hand against one post and the person launching the ball adjusts the spin so the ball bends away from them towards the other corner of the net. This helps the keep react quickly to reach the far side of the net.
It is also possible to replicate penalty kick drills, catching the ball when curving in from a corner or dealing with a free kick swerving at high speed around a wall made up of players or dummies.
Frequently asked questions
When is it best to use a soccer ball passing machine?
These machines aren’t cheap but if you are buying one for your team to train with or you are serious about improving your own football skills it is a good investment. If you have access to a back yard or field with plenty of space then you can use a soccer machine to train by yourself.
Final thoughts – Is a soccer ball shooting machine worth buying for your soccer team
A soccer ball kicking machine is a great tool for improving your soccer skills. Most people buying a soccer machine are coaches who are looking to find new ways to improve their teams performance and add some variety into their training sessions.
If you have players on your team that are highly skilled and can consistently strike and launch the football to other team mates at different speeds, heights and using varying levels of spin then you are a very lucky coach. If you want to free up players from launching the ball so other players can practise drills and get the whole team working together, these machines are brilliant.
The 3 machines I mentioned above are all high quality tools that are battery powered and offer a range of functions including being able to control spin, speed, height and range. Which machine is best for you depends on your budget and whether you need the large ball feed on the soccer tutor, power of the euro goal or simplicity of the jugs machine.
