Design

The design of the Feed Buddy is that of a simple one. Balls are fed into automatic feeder, which are released every five seconds to the batsman. A ball feeder sits at the top of the machine, allowing ten balls to be stacked – allowing plenty of opportunities to practice shots before the need to re-stack.

Feed Buddy have developed their own balls which can be purchased with the machine. These are light plastic balls, similar to those used in other bowling machines. If you have plenty of tennis balls at home, you will be pleased to know that these can also be used.

A sleek, compact design has resulted in a surprisingly light product, making it easy for both adults and children to position it in the desired location. The small stature, ensures that it can be stored away easily. Where space is extremely limited, the ball feeder can be removed completely within a few seconds.

Whilst the machine itself looks fairly low key, a distinct red and black colour way has been used which is particularly a hit with children. Stamped with the funky logo to finish, the overall theme of the Feed Buddy screams exactly what it is – FUN

Set Up

Other bowling machines can be tricky and take a little bit of time to set-up. The Feed Buddy is the exception to this rule and takes just 30 seconds to fully construct. All you will need to do, is slot the ball feeder into the base. After construction, stack the balls and place it around four metres from the stumps and you are ready to go. We think it can be set-up easily by adults and children alike, meaning parents can leave their children to independently set this up correctly.

Delivery

Perhaps the most important feature to consider is the delivery. Yes it is automatic, however can it really replicate throw downs of teams mates, friends and parents? In our humble opinion, the answer is yes and no.

It all comes down to the sort of delivery you want to replicate. The Feed Buddy has four different settings, in which a ball can be delivered. The settings are as follows:

Setting 1 – Generates a good length ball, fantastic for practicing off the front-foot.

Setting 2 – Delivers a fuller ball, great to perfect the defensive block.

Setting 3 – Pitches half-volleys so the batsman can drive.

Setting 4 – Throws-down a full toss to practice hooks and pulls.

To give you an idea, all of these settings replicate that of an underarm throw which a parent would typically throw to their children. The ball travels 3-4 metres every time. The speed of each delivery is relatively slow, giving the batsman plenty of time to figure out which shot is best to play. This also makes it suitable for safe play in the garden, park or beach. The five second delay between each delivery, allows enough time for the batsman to reset. 

Charge

It’s powered by (4x) D batteries. Without the need of a charger, gives the flexibility of a user to pretty much practice with the Feed Buddy anywhere – the garden, the park, the beach you name it. 

Just remember to flick the off switch when it comes to collecting and re-stacking the balls. You do not want to waste precious battery-life. If the batteries eventually run-out, replacements are cheap, meaning the cost to keep it running is low. 

Final Verdict

It’s fair to say the Feed Buddy is a fantastic bit of kit that we think every cricketer (young or old) should own. Whether you are learning the game and you utilise it to perfect your shots, or you just want a tool to play recreationally every now and again – either way, we guarantee you or your children will have fun with this machine. It is well made, the deliveries are consistent and it is functional when it comes to storage. We can’t really find any faults either – what are you waiting for? Get your hands on it before they fall out of stock!