Get The Net Return Pro 9.
| The Net Return Mini | The Net Return Pro 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $549Lower price | $995 |
| Type | Hitting Net | Hitting Net |
| Room needed | 7 ft wide, 7 ft ceiling, 14 ft deepLower ceiling | 10 ft wide, 9 ft ceiling, 14 ft deep |
| Footprint (W × H × D) | 5 ft × 6 ft × 3 ft 6 in | 9 ft × 8 ft × 3 ft 6 in |
| Hitting surface | Not published | Not published |
| Impact screen | None (hitting net) | None (hitting net) |
| Ceiling needed | 7 ft | 9 ft |
| Max ball speed | 225 mph | 225 mph |
| Ball return | Yes | Yes |
| Side barriers included | No | No |
| Stored size | Not published | Not published |
| Setup time | 5 min | 5 min |
| Weight | 24 lbsLighter | 33 lbs |
| Material | UV-treated netting; aircraft-grade aluminum frame | UV-treated netting; aircraft-grade aluminum frame |
| In the box | Net, Frame with color-coded connectors | Net, Frame with color-coded connectors |
| Warranty | 3-year warranty; FAQ: '3 years or 250,000 shots (whichever comes first)' for Home and Pro Series | 3-year warranty; FAQ: '3 years or 250,000 shots (whichever comes first)' |
Get The Net Return Pro 9.
Get The Net Return Pro 9. At $446 more at list, you get a net that's 9 ft wide and 8 ft tall versus 5 ft wide and 6 ft tall — and that difference matters a lot when you're hitting anything left or right of dead center. The Mini makes sense in one specific situation: a space that can't meet the Pro 9's room requirement, which asks for 10 ft of width and a 9 ft ceiling.
Same frame material, same UV-treated netting, same ball-return system, same 225 mph ball-speed rating, same 14 ft of depth required, same 5-minute no-tools assembly, and the same 3-year warranty (capped at 250,000 shots). Both ship as net-plus-frame only; side barriers are a separate purchase for either.
The Mini frames out at 5 ft wide by 6 ft tall. The Pro 9 is 9 ft wide by 8 ft tall. Both are 3 ft 6 in deep. The Pro 9 is wider and taller; depth is identical.
The room requirements are where it gets practical. The Net Return says the Mini needs 7 ft of width and a 7 ft ceiling — the tightest numbers of any of their nets. The Pro 9 needs 10 ft of width and a 9 ft ceiling. That's a 3-ft difference in required width and a 2-ft difference in required ceiling. Both require 14 ft of depth. These figures are marked as approximate on The Net Return's site, which is worth keeping in mind when you're measuring.
A 9 ft ceiling sounds like plenty until you measure to the garage-door track. If you've got a standard 8 ft ceiling, the Pro 9 is off the table and the Mini is the one that fits.
This is the real argument for or against each. A 5 ft wide net gives you very little margin. Push a drive or yank an iron and it's going around the frame, not into the netting. The Pro 9's 9 ft width is substantially more forgiving — four feet more of horizontal catching surface. If you're working on swing path or just don't hit it on the screws every time (and none of us do), that matters.
The Mini lists at $549. The Pro 9 lists at $995 — a $446 gap at list. The Mini is also 9 lbs lighter at 24 lbs versus the Pro 9's published 33 lbs, though The Net Return's own shipping data puts the Pro 9 at 40 lbs. That discrepancy is on their site; I can't resolve it.
Both are base configurations: net and frame only. Side barriers run an additional $149 for the Mini; The Net Return sells them separately for the Pro 9 as well, though it doesn't publish a price for those.
The 3-year / 250,000-shot cap applies to both, though The Net Return's FAQ notes this language specifically for the Home and Pro Series. Whether the Mini falls under that designation is worth checking directly with them before buying.
Get The Net Return Mini if:
Get The Net Return Pro 9 if:
The size gap between these two is large enough that this usually isn't a close call — it comes down to what your room allows. If you've got the ceiling and the width, The Net Return Pro 9 is the better net for full-swing practice. It's wider, taller, and more forgiving of the shots that don't go where you planned. The Mini earns its place in genuinely tight spaces, but don't choose it because it's cheaper when the real constraint is the room.
Get The Net Return Pro 9.