I have loved ping pong since I was a teenager. However, I had not lived in a place in 30 years that I could set up a table.I am now in my 40's and we purchased a used ping pong table (a nice Stiga one) for Christmas. My wife and son were very excited about the table, but their interest was not as fervent as mine.
As I struggled to encourage them to play, I remembered seeing robots on Amazon.com when I was considering purchasing a table. I thought the idea was ridiculous initially, but as my opportunities to play began to become fewer and fewer, I decided to purchase the Robopong 2050.
I can say that for the price it is all that I need to enjoy the game I fell in love with many years ago. I have been bitten by the ping pong bug.
If you are in a situation such as me, I encourage you to purchase a robot and take the plunge. Buy the robopong 2050 or even a higher end model (which can cost well over $1000). It is so much fun to hit hundreds of balls without stopping or without begging someone to play a game with you.
Here are some notes about the robot (2050 model) -
The unit is extremely easy to set up and take down. It takes a matter of seconds SERIOUSLY. You just place the unit on the end of the table, plug it in, and start playing. It took me longer to type this than it does to move the unit on and off the table. It is also pretty light in weight, but is very well made just a good quality product.
It has 2 modes of "play" programmed or manual. With programmed, you can either select 1 of 32 pre-programmed routines or hook the interface to your computer and create your own. This functionality is really neat and fun.
With manual you can set the following parameters:
Head angle this is always manual and will not change during a routine. You set this at your own preference and chosen speed. If you have a low speed and head angle you can simulate a serve for example.
Ball speed this is set from 1 to 30. At 30, you can hardly see the ball. I am able to block them as a return, but it is truly fast.
Random ball speed this setting will change the speed of the ball randomly as you play, which means the ball will not only be moving at different speeds, but it will hit at different spots on the table because the head angle is a manual adjustment performed prior to starting a routine
Oscillation this can be set to cover the entire width of the table. Combined with ball speed, the entire table can be covered.
Random Oscillation this means that the head will fire balls randomly across the width of the table. It is purely random and when combined with random ball speed it really increases difficulty.
Wait time and random wait time these can be changed in increments from about 3/10 of a second to over 3. I personally never go over 2 seconds so I don't remember how high it will go. The random wait adds another layer of difficulty when combined with oscillation and speed.
Time for routine this will set how long you want to run a routine.
Number of balls this will determine how many balls are thrown. At first I set the robot for about 100 balls at a go, now I am at up to 500. The time and number of balls are related to each other AND the wait time function.
The unit can also create wicked spins but NOT a no spin ball (the equivalent of a knuckle ball in baseball). Unfortunately, the spin is a set before you start a routine function and it doesn't change during play.
This and the lack of head angle adjustment during a routine are the only down sides of the unit for me. I really wish that it could change spin during the routines. Robots that have this functionality cost over $1000 (I don't know of a cheaper one that does this). And if I could have purchased one of them on a payment plan I would.
The net system is great and performs well.
DO NOT get a robot without a net return system. You will be hating life, because in an average routine of 10 minutes the robot will throw about 500 balls depending on the settings.
I have NEVER had a jam and have been using the robot every day for 1 month and I would say an average of 3000 throws per day about an 1 to 1.5 hours/day (not an exaggeration that is how cool this thing is).
I have the unit loaded with about 100 to 120 balls that is about all it will hold. On a tough 10 minute routine (about 500 throws) if I am really going for it by attempting tough shots, I will hit about 100 balls outside the net area. However, I could easily keep all the balls in the play/retrieval area if I tried.
That is the thing with a robot. When I use it, I get this gut wrenching, leg wobbling workout. But when my wife does (no offense honey) she just stands there and dinks it back without getting much out of it.
It is a robot, it helps you train, but even with all the randomization features, it is nothing like playing with a real person.
Also, when I have played on the robot a lot and then try to play with a person of low ability, it is almost impossible. What happens is that you really push yourself to higher speeds and difficulties with the robot and it seems like you are playing in ultra jello slow motion with the human player. The first time I played my wife after about a week on the robot, I missed about 15 shots in a row. It was hilarious.
Don't be fooled that you could just hang out at home and use the robot to prepare for a match. No robot is capable of producing the infinite randomness that a human being can.
As God said in His Word We are wonderfully and fearfully made.
Now go get a robot!!!
The 2050 is the latest table tennis trainer from Newgy. The major upgrade from previous models is in the electronics. The side-way motion is now controlled by a micro-processor which is programmable by the user. Specifically, one can easily configures the 2050 to alternate between a far backhand and a far forehand. This used to require a lot of trial and error in the 2040.
The pitch of the ejection head, which controls how high the balls travel, is still adjusted by hand, however, meaning that, after changing the speed from the control pad, it is often necessary to walk to the main body and re-adjust the pitch angle. The speed itself is also not variable within an exercise routine. So, having the 2050 alternate between a long and a short shot remains impossible.
The electronic system is serviceable but unimpressive technologically. The interface with PC is through the obsolete serial port. The wire connecting the control pad with the main body is still the old PS2 keyboard cable, but the pin assignment is not only proprietary but also incompatible with the 2040. I have learned to treat this cable as the first place to look at during trouble-shooting. A loose connection can lead to various kinds of misbehavior from unintended reboots to failure to load the balls (because the loader motor rotates in the wrong direction).
Overall, the system has been reliable so far during these first two months of my ownership. No components have malfunctioned. The tray and net combination that serves as the ball-capture system is the best in the industry. The wide range of speed and side-way angles provides good training in both reflex and form. This is a great tool for anyone who seriously wants to improve his/her game.I would just add to M.Wang's excellent review (and why I only give it 4 stars) that I've had many jams due to (I think):
1. Ball quality I partly blame the cheap slipery balls that come with table. And so, I spent $15 on 72 much better balls GOGO' 3-Star 40mm Table Tennis Balls (Price for 12 Tubes, 72 balls), Ping Pong Balls. Plus, I also blame dusty balls so, balls need regular cleaning. But, I've had far fewer problems with new three-star balls.
2. Balls repelling each other due to static build up. And so, I setup a humidifier (Newgy recommends a rubber liner for $25 and setting up a grounding strap). Also, the additional balls puts extra pressure on the balls to move. Thus, I've had much less problems with this. Keeping the floor clean, of course, should also reduce static as well as dust build up.
3. Most common, however, is simply a loose cable. If the machine refuses to push balls up the tube, don't try to dislodge or fix anything. Just unplug and reinsert the control cable. Can't find this hint in the manual anywhere (I can only find a mention of a possible defective cable) don't know why. Reseating the cable usually fixes any problem.
I've also had other odd problems (like the ball feeder running backwards, easily fixed) but me and my son have greatly enjoyed the machine.
Read Best Reviews of Robo-Pong 2050 Here
We bought the Robo Pong 2050 on 3-19-2011 and have been practicing 2 or 3 times a week. My game has definitely improved. I have been playing since I was 9 years old. I am now 46 and enjoying the game more than ever. Our 8 year old twins practice with it. I also use the machine to teach other kids and their parents how to play and improve their game. The only thing that went wrong was the top bracket cracked today that secures the top of the machine to the table. I e-mailed Newgy about it today and waiting on their response to repair it. This machine is worth the 700.00 we paid for it. Highly recommended. You can play whenever you want for as long as you want. Set the timer to 2 seconds, then 1.5 seconds, then 1.0 second. Your reflexes will improve and your game will improve.i was a pretty good table tennis player when i was young and now i am 36 with 2 kids and i have hardly any time to exercise. this since thanksgiving 2011 is easily the most used exercise equipment in my house. fun and everybody is impressed.it is part of my plan to keep my kids from being screen addicted. engages the whole body. i recommend my ping pong buddy to go with it.Save 24% Off
