Is the Dr. Dish Home worth it?

Weigh the Dr. Dish Home list price, sale price and membership before you buy, and see what the machine does without a membership.

Dr. Dish Home is $3,495 list (the store currently displays $2,995 on sale). The Dr. Dish Home works without a membership but only gets 7 drills; custom drills and the full Player App need a membership from $39/mo. Get the Dr. Dish Home if your player will train nearly year round and you plan to keep the membership on; if not, compare it with the Dr. Dish models that skip the membership and with a manual rebounder before you spend that much.

The Dr. Dish Home is designed specifically for home users. Think of the Dr. Dish Home as a training plan you pay for over time, not as a single purchase.

What does the Dr. Dish Home cost to own?

Add the Dr. Dish Home membership for the whole stretch you expect your player to train to the machine price. Check the Dr. Dish Home price at checkout on the day you order, since the sale price on the Dr. Dish Home changes. Ask the Dr. Dish store for the delivery quote for your address, and add the Dr. Dish Home delivery charge to your total before you compare anything else.

Your membership becomes active and your billing cycle starts when you first use your Dr. Dish Home. Keep that in mind if the machine arrives in the middle of winter or right before a family trip. Wait to set it up until your player is ready to use it.

The Dr. Dish Home Player App Membership can be easily paused or canceled within the online Member Portal throughout the year when you're not getting frequent use out of the machine. Use the Member Portal to pause the Dr. Dish Home membership during long breaks, and switch the Dr. Dish Home membership back on when training picks up again. Set a calendar reminder for the Dr. Dish Home membership so a quiet stretch does not turn into a Dr. Dish Home bill you forgot about.

Read Dr. Dish vs The Gun for the full cost math across plans and against The Gun.

What can the Dr. Dish Home do without a membership?

You can still use a selection of Sample Drills provided by Dr. Dish, but you won't be able to program the machine yourself. These Sample Drills, made by Dr. Dish, have preset parameters and are not customizable.

Think about what your player needs from a session. Think about the spots on the floor, the pace and the shots that show up in games, and ask whether a fixed sample drill can match them.

Try the sample drills right after setup and watch how your player responds. If your player gets bored with them quickly, plan on keeping the Dr. Dish Home membership. If your player only wants catch and shoot reps from a few spots, ask whether the sample drills already do the job.

How does the app control the machine?

The Dr. Dish Home Machine is controlled by the Dr. Dish Player App. You'll need this app and a profile in the app on your smartphone or tablet to operate the machine.

Keep a phone or tablet with a full battery near the court at every session. Think about a phone mount so your player is not holding a phone between shots. If your player is young, decide now who holds the phone during practice.

Who is the Dr. Dish Home a good fit for?

Dr. Dish Home is versatile and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and can fit through any standard doorway. It must be stored safely from any wet weather conditions that will cause damage to the electrical components.

Ask yourself a few honest questions before you order:

Will your player train with it in every season, not just in the summer?
Do you have a dry garage, shed or basement where it can live between sessions?
Is the court close to that storage spot, with a smooth path between them?
Will someone in the house manage the membership on purpose?
Does your player want structured drills, or just a way to stop chasing rebounds?

Count your yes answers. If you said yes to nearly all of them, keep the Dr. Dish Home on your list. If you said no to several, look at the other options below first.

When should you pick a different machine or a rebounder?

The Dr. Dish Home3 does not require a membership, all features are immediately and permanently available to all users. Compare the Dr. Dish Home membership over the years you expect to train with the higher price of the Dr. Dish model that skips the membership, and pick the machine that comes out lower over that stretch.

If your player mostly needs the ball back and not a pass to a new spot, look at a manual rebounder or a ball return first. If your player wants a coach in the phone more than a machine on the court, look at training apps first and add equipment later.

No brand pays for rank. Use the rankings below to compare options.

How should you decide?

Use this checklist with your player before you order:

Write down how often your player will really train, and be honest about it.
Add up the Dr. Dish Home price, the Dr. Dish Home membership for the time you expect to use it, and Dr. Dish Home delivery.
Measure the storage spot and the path to the court.
Decide in advance when you will pause the membership.
Compare the Dr. Dish Home total with a rebounder before you commit.

Take a close look at the Dr. Dish Home if the totals still make sense after all of that. If they do not, start with something smaller and come back to it when your player is ready for more reps.

FAQ

Does the Dr. Dish Home work without a membership?

Can you pause or cancel the Dr. Dish Home membership?

The Dr. Dish Home Player App Membership can be easily paused or canceled within the online Member Portal throughout the year when you're not getting frequent use out of the machine.

Can the Dr. Dish Home stay outside?

It must be stored safely from any wet weather conditions that will cause damage to the electrical components. Bring it inside after every session.

How long does Dr. Dish Home shipping take?

Shipping timelines may vary, but they'll be communicated on the product page and in your confirmation email. See every home machine side by side in the shooting machine rankings before you order.