Hoping to improve your performance as a table tennis player? You might want to improve your training set up with a table tennis robot. Now, before you raise a brow and say that buying a robot might seem like going overboard, there are some real, practical benefits to gain out of its use.
Robots can offer a number of different functions that make them much more efficient training companions than your average playback table, or even your coach. So if you’ve got the extra budget to spare, consider investing in one the best table tennis robots to help you step up your game.
Now, before you wing it and choose one based on what might be a limited knowledge on ping pong robots, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you find one that will really give you the best value for your money.
Different Types of Table Tennis Robots
There are a variety of table tennis robots on the market, and each one offers unique performance capabilities that may or may not be essential or necessary for your specific goals for training.
Basic or Beginner Robots
The robots that fall within the basic category of table tennis robots feature the least capabilities compared to all others. These robots come with a compartment that can fit a specific number of ping pong balls which it uses as its supply during play. Once all the balls have been used, it’s the player’s task to refill the machine so that it can continue to operate.
Basic robots are best for players who want to improve endurance and speed, as well as those who want to expand their knowledge on the different types of strokes. They’re the most affordable, and feature just the bare minimum in terms of capabilities.
Typical price range: $500 or less.
Advanced Robots
If you have a little extra to spare, or if you’re looking for something that provides a better training experience, an advanced robot might be better suited to your needs. These machines have more features than their basic counterparts, and can be hooked up to your computer where you can program your robot so you can try customized drills.
These robots also feature a collection net which automatically collects all the balls that have been hit back towards the robot, saving you the time and effort you would spend picking everything back and reloading your machine.
Typical price range: $501 to $899 USD.
Professional Robots
For those who really want to go all out on their robot purchase, a professional robot is as high-end as it can get. Designed to challenge the skills of professional players, these top-of-the-line robots feature the most advanced capabilities. These include producing balls with all the different spin directions so you can learn how to counter them in play.
Another thing that puts it a cut above other robots is the fact that it can produce spin-free balls. These “float” shots occur quite commonly in an actual game, but lower end robots struggle to produce shots without spin.
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that professional-grade robots tend to be beefier in terms of their construction. Some of them have more than one shooting barrel, while others feature mechanisms that allow them to move and shift the direction of the ball to challenge pros during training.
Typical price range: $900 USD and over.
What Should You Look For
It can be tough to decide on a table tennis robot, especially if you have more considerations than just your budget. Wondering how to make the right choice? Consider these major factors.
Shot Variety
What types of shots can your ping pong robot generate? This basically relates to the spin direction of the balls it dispenses. Topspin, backspin, and sidespin are the three major spin directions a ball can take, but there are combinations. For instance, a topspin shot can also have a little sidespin. This can also happen with a backspin shot. On top of that, there are some shots with no spin at all, otherwise called floating shots.
A robot that can produce all the different types of spin will make it easier for you to practice your strokes, allowing you to discover which type of stroke works best to neutralize or respond to the different types of shots.
Basic robots usually only produce top and back spin. Advanced robots can sometimes produce top or back spin shots with a sidespin quality to them. Professional robots are typically capable of producing all the different types of shots, so they are the most challenging to train with.
Barrel Count
The ‘barrel’ refers to the snout of the robot from where it shoots balls. The more barrels it has, the faster it can shoot out the next ball for you to receive. While that might not seem like such a major benefit, it pays to consider the fact that training your reflexes is an important facet of tournament preparation. The faster you can register an incoming shot, the more efficient you’ll be able to respond.
Machines with multiple barrels can also shoot two different types of shots alternately. This is an essential part of learning combination strokes, allowing you to learn how to switch from stroke to stroke with minimal time for adjustment in between – a typical occurrence when competing with a high-speed offense player.
Warranty
A robot isn’t a simple machine – even if it’s just programmed to shoot out balls. In any case, it’s ideal to take a look at the fine print and make sure the manufacturer behind your chosen model offers substantial coverage in case of damage.
A reasonable warranty will protect you from having to spend for repairs or replacement parts which are often difficult to source on your own because ping pong robots are highly specialized machines.
The 5 Best Table Tennis Robots
1. Y&T Table Tennis Training Robot S27
We’re not the type to make sweeping statements, but based on our extensive research, we’ve found that the Y&T Table Tennis Training Robot S27 might just be the smartest ping pong robot around. This high-end table tennis machine might just be what you need to rank you right next to the professionals.
The robot features a sturdy aluminum-alloy body, with reinforced plastic fittings for excellent resistance to wear and tear. With two barrels, the machine can shoot different shot varieties at high speed to challenge your pace and endurance. The robot also comes with an elaborate control panel that you can use to set drills and programs to give you a customized experience.
Highly versatile and intuitive, the Y&T Table Tennis Robot can make you feel like you’re playing with an Olympic pro. Of course, it does come at the cost of a very pretty penny, but if you’re willing to spend that much, you’re definitely going to get every dollar’s worth.
2. Butterfly Amicus Table Tennis Robot
The Amicus Table Tennis Robot from Butterfly comes in at second on our list of the best ping pong robots for several good reasons.
Firstly, the design can register a whopping 99 different drill programs, allowing you the freedom to come up with a world’s worth of practice sequences that you can save and choose from for easy use. On top of that, the machine also boasts 20 preset programs from none other than Richard Prause – a renowned German Butterfly coach.
Finally, we also want to mention the machine’s cycle function. This useful feature allows users to incorporate interval training into their table tennis routine, so it can give you quite the work out as well to help improve stamina and speed as you go through your drills.
3. HP-07 Ping Pong Robot
If you just want something that shoots balls at you for basic practice, the HP-07 Ping Pong Robot is our top choice for beginner machines. This easy, simple, and straightforward robot features the bare essentials, letting you learn new strokes minus the complicated set-up and programming.
The design can shoot all the different spin varieties, and can be set at different trajectories. It’s important to note though that because these settings depend on the manual adjustment of the barrel, the machine can only release the same shot variety until you manually adjust the configuration.
Despite that, this machine has become pretty popular in the market. Lots of HP-07 Table Tennis Robot Reviews speak very highly of the design, and we’ve come to find that many of these positive claims really are true.
4. iPong V300 Table Tennis Training Robot
The design for the iPong Table Tennis Robot is pretty simple and obvious, but it really works like a charm. For that reason, this incredibly affordable table tennis robot has won our choice as the fourth best table tennis robot on the market.
The design features a reinforced plastic body shaped like an hourglass. The top is where the machine is fed the balls, and a small opening along its side is where it shoots from. Some of the settings you can adjust include speed, spin, and strength. To change the trajectory of the ball, the machine comes with a special stand that tilts the machine at different directions and angles.
What we love most about the iPong Table Tennis Robot is that it’s simple, fairly easy to use, and it just gets the job done. So for a very low price, you can get something that works almost as well as a few advanced robots.
5. Newgy Robo-Pong 1040+ Table Tennis Robot
In the arena of advanced level robots, we’ve chosen the Newgy Robo-Pong 1040+ Table Tennis Robot as the ultimate machine. This mid-level robot boasts a large ball capacity of 200 balls, analog controls that adjust the variety of the machine’s shots, as well as a simple overall design that makes it easy to set up and get started.
The design features a large catch basket that efficiently collects balls to reduce the time you spend picking them up off the floor. The machine is also particularly durable, well equipped to face the onslaught of daily use, so you don’t really need to worry about damages or repairs.
In Summary
A table tennis robot can be the perfect companion to help you prepare for the pros. If you’re not really trying to rise up the ranks though, these machines can give you a pretty challenging cardio work out that’s guaranteed to get you sweating!
Lots of different machines have been dubbed the best table tennis robots, but we’re not the kind to be easily swayed. We’ve done the research and weighed all the options and the results are clear – the Y&T Table Tennis Training Robot S27 wins our solid recommendation. This premium robot comes at a pretty steep cost, but given all the impressive features and superior performance it provides, it’s definitely an investment worth making.