Table Tennis Robot

A TT robot is simply a machine that can automatically fire table tennis balls from one end of a table tennis table to the other end in a controlled manner.

You can buy table tennis robots from this supplier

The majority of TT robots consist of three main elements ...

• a mechanism to load and fire table tennis balls
• a control box to program the firing of the balls and
• nets to catch the returning balls

As these robots are powered by electricity, an electric supply will also be required close to where they are being used.

The firing mechanism is attached or placed at one end of a table tennis table pointing towards the opposite end of the table.

The best robots will have nets that you attach to the sides and end of the table to catch the balls which are hit back.

Some robots can also feed these returned balls back into the firing mechanism so that you don't run out of balls too quickly.

The control box is also attached to the table. This device enables you to program the firing mechanism to impart different speeds and spins onto the balls as they are fired.

If you want the robot to "serve" to you, the firing mechanism needs to be angled downwards ...

side view

And if you want the robot to "play" to you, the firing mechanism is angled upwards ...

side view

By using the control box, you can program the robot to deliver shots which have either topspin, backspin, left side spin, right side spin or even combination spins.

So you'll easily be able to practice against an "opponent" who can play many different shots - push, chop, serve, counter-hit, lob, fast loop etc.

The good news about robots is that they don't take up much room - in fact it's much less than if you were playing against a real person.

Because the robot is usually fixed to one end of the table, or sits on top of it, you can push that end of the table right up against a wall.

Of course you'll still need enough space at your end to be able to play your own shots, but the total space will be much less than if you were playing against a real person.

There are many reasons why you would want a table tennis robot.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons ...

1. Play without needing an opponent
   If you don't have a real person to play against, it's a great substitute ... and much better than using a "return board".
   
   
2. Practice and "groove" your strokes
   Once you've learnt the basic strokes you'll need to practice them to get better. Robots are ideal for this because they "feed" (deliver) you the same shot over and over again so that you can "groove" (replicate) your strokes.
   
   
3. Improve your footwork
   The robot can be programmed to fire the balls to specific locations, so they're ideal for practicing your footwork.
   
   
4. Improve a weak stroke
   If, for example, you're an offensive, attacking style player, but you're weak against low backspin/chopped returns, you can set the robot to deliver a ball with backspin and improve your stroke against that type of shot.
   
   
5. As a coaching aid
   A table tennis coach can set up the robot to "feed" (deliver) a particular shot, leaving the coach to concentrate on the stroke being played by the pupil and not having to both feed the ball and coach at the same time.
   
   
6. Make table tennis fun
   A robot can be great fun if you have a group of people, especially kids. They'll love it. Make up your own games and competitions ... beat the robot or beat your mates.
   
   
7. Exercise and/or improve your fitness level
   A robot can be programmed to fire balls to specific locations all over the table, over and over again, at a speed and frequency of your choice. This will give you a great workout.
   
   

You can buy table tennis robots from this supplier

Table tennis robots are great for practicing a specific stroke or routine because they can "feed" you the same shot with the same spin, over and over again.

Therefore it'll allow you to "groove" your strokes quickly and efficiently.

But it's also important to remember that a robot is not a coach.

So you must get your strokes right first, or you'll be practicing and re-enforcing bad habits ... and that can be very difficult to un-learn.

So if you're using a robot with the intention of practicing your strokes, make sure you've been taught the correct stroke before you start.

However, if you're just wanting to improve your fitness, reflexes, coordination, footwork etc, then use a robot and just have fun!

If you want to buy a robot, check out my table tennis store.