OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Good morning everybody,

I don't have a training partner, so a robot is my only option. I can't consider any four figure (price) robots. My goal is to first work on mastering the basics and then work my way up to simulating match play scenarios as best a bot in this price range can.

The brand that seems to come up is newgy robo pong. I am considering the 1050 or the 2050.

The 1050 is too tall to sit on the table and would have to be positioned behind the table to lower the ball feed. The pro is I can position it in the corner to simulate down the line and cross court. The con is if the bot is off the table, I don't know how I would use a catch net which is important.

The 2050 is already positioned at the right height and a catch net comes with it. The con is it can only be positioned in the middle of the table. The recycling of balls is not a major factor for me.

Is the ease of the catch net of the 2050 and recycling of balls worth the extra $300, and is it really a big deal that it can only be in the middle of the table?

Are there any other alternatives I need to be considering?

Thanks for all the advice everybody,
Badman

The big downside of the Newgy robots is they can't do no-spin balls. I'd look for a dual wheel model.

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My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

You most certainly want a catch net/ball recirculation system! Without it you'll forever be picking up balls and your actual time hitting balls will be in brief 2-minute stints. Two-wheeled robots are certainly better, as single-wheeled robots like Newgy can't send loops or dead balls. But every two-wheeled robot I'm aware of costs over $1000.. unless you purchase a robot second hand, which isn't an entirely bad idea (but keep service/warranty issues in mind, particularly for Chinese made robots).

I'm on my third robot so if you have any specific questions, just ask!

The 1050 is definitely not the robot to get if you want something that grows with you to advanced levels. However, the Newgy has very high resale value on used market, so I still see it as a great value for people trying to perfect their topspin and chopping game. You can always upgrade later to something with no-spin later.

BTW, it only takes 3 secs to refill the 1050 bucket if your robot is on table. The catch net has funnel, so refill is basically pour bucket 'o balls into robot. But if you place robot inside the net like me, refills will take longer since you'll be scooping up balls from inside net.

Actually, I'd be very interested in hearing other's opinions on what robot out there with no-spin would be the logical upgrade from a 1050/2050. Robots like the SuperMaster with dual wheels sound interesting, but the controller is inferior, with no drill mode. Thx!

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YinHe V-15, Haifu BW2 39, CJ8000 J-sponge 36-38

BTW, the 1050/2050 at higher speeds has unnatural arc and way too heavy spin. This is where the shortcomings of a single-wheel design rears its ugly head. You get what you pay for.

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YinHe V-15, Haifu BW2 39, CJ8000 J-sponge 36-38

It's probably worth mentioning that not all 2-wheeled designs give you all you want either. It's well worth reading some of the reviews before you buy. I've got a 2-wheeled V989d, and the 2 wheels seem to be controlled via an analogue control. Every time I used i had so much trouble finding the right settings of the spin and speed I want. I had trouble getting no-spin balls out of it, and mostly used features that virtually all robots provide.

It's probably worthwhile to either get some practice with a robot at a club or friend's, just to work out what you really need. There is no point getting a robot that does it it all at a premium price, and you don't use the extra features.

Take into account reliabilty and support as well, as they all have lots of moving parts, which can break down (as well as the non-moving parts ).

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I agree. I was playing with an AMDT TW2700-06 prior to buying my 1050. The AMDT (Oukei) is a very heavy duty robot with dual wheels. But I had the same problem as haggsiv trying to set up no-spin balls with analog dial controls. Very fickle. So I had to think about what I use my robot for, and it's mostly for footwork drills and practicing against specific shots. The 1050 does that beautifully. It is not a replacement for human partner since it cannot switch between top/under spin between shots.

One of the most refreshing things about the 1050/2050 is the straightforward digital controller interface. Super easy and LCD display has all major languages built-in, including Chinese, French, Spanish, etc. I actually can't think of any robot maker up to 3k with better programmable controller. Many of the pre-programmed drills have randomized shots, so in a sequence of 1L, 1R, 1?, 1L, 1R, 1?, ... you might be hitting 1L, 1R, 1R, 1L, 1R, 1L. Get it? Very realistic random drill. Sure beats L/R oscillation robots.

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YinHe V-15, Haifu BW2 39, CJ8000 J-sponge 36-38