says
rejoicing in rbpon 🆚 robipon
says
rejoicing in rbpon 🆚 robipon
Member
silly thread title (question) but we could share photos / ideas of our products, devices, gadgets, methods which we use . some are more efficient and likable than others . cost might not even be a factor . in clubs, i've seen (but not tested) various commercial products to pick up and collect balls from the gym floor, and also 1-by-1 pick up DIY devices . if a bucket of balls are spread all over the place, e.g. from multiball training, then yes we would want a helping 'hand', easy to handle/maneuver, light-weight to operate, functional and kinda fun/enjoyable .
i own the Tibhar-traded product amazon-titled as "Tibhar Table Tennis Ball Collector, Ball Reading Net with Telescopic Handle, Collecting Device for TT Balls, Weight 360 g, Max. Length 180 cm, Capacity for Approx. 300 Balls"
my unit weighs 347g, and this total weight is suprisingly low for the largeness of the product. it is definitely functional and suitable for dealing with hundreds of balls in an enclosed not too large area, in a hurry. collecting 90% of the hundreds of balls as fast as possible? then this is it! ignoring that the black plastic collar could break or crack eventually, i suspect that the floor-riding net rim gets dismantled/undone after a while. cleverly, the two black bow segments actually ride with pressure on the floor, not the net rim itself. what i like: the capacity of the catch net is massive, totally suitable for club use. what i doht like: the tool feels head-heavy (because it is). not at first ... but after scooping up a bunch of balls, the net becomes increasingly "heavier" (the moment you feel in your wrist!), that's when you realize it's time to unload the net. also, this product isn't compact or very maneuverable (agile), hence really not suitable for smaller ponging enclosures, behind benches, under the table, at corners (rincón), etc. i wouldn't recommend it for home-use (garage, basement, loft, living room, yard).
A more likable alternative is the 206g butterfly catch net which one can find all over amazon and alix, search term <telescopic net>. My unit is well-built, except for the blue connector piece (plastic!):
The circular ring has got an aluminum profile, which makes the ring robust and somewhat resistant against bending:
Aluminum still is a soft metal, so in a vise one can compress the ring thickness to a flat flip:
Here a profile view of the lip. In the vise i could easily bend the lip to constitute a mini ramp:
This DIY ball collector works now beautifully for picking up / gathering isolated balls or small groups of balls (tens not hundreds!) from all over the place (rincones), including gym settings with large floors, wood benches, barriers (surrounds). The total weight is very okay (good for wrist muscle training
) and the item does not feel head-heavy (because it is not!). The capacity is limited but unloading is a breeze (With the Tibar, unloading is a pita ), so no big deal, if you need to scoop up say 50-100 balls from an entire gym hall, i.e. carrying the tool all across court.
The absolute key aspect of a pick-up tool is, imho, its weight. For long-term enjoyment and likability (such that "i doht mind doing the pick-up job, it's kinda phun!"), the tool has to be as light-weight AND as maneuverable as possible. Then you will never mind using it / collecting balls, no matter how wide spread the balls lie! Butterfly catch nets (look out for constructions made out of bamboo from a local 1$-shop) are a phuntastique starting point, alix has cute telescopic nets starting from 1US$ but i caht vouch for them (some are titled "300g" ouch!).
Feel free to share how you guys do the picking up between multiball sessions or at the end of a training session, which your preferred tools are, etc.
i own the Tibhar-traded product amazon-titled as "Tibhar Table Tennis Ball Collector, Ball Reading Net with Telescopic Handle, Collecting Device for TT Balls, Weight 360 g, Max. Length 180 cm, Capacity for Approx. 300 Balls"
my unit weighs 347g, and this total weight is suprisingly low for the largeness of the product. it is definitely functional and suitable for dealing with hundreds of balls in an enclosed not too large area, in a hurry. collecting 90% of the hundreds of balls as fast as possible? then this is it! ignoring that the black plastic collar could break or crack eventually, i suspect that the floor-riding net rim gets dismantled/undone after a while. cleverly, the two black bow segments actually ride with pressure on the floor, not the net rim itself. what i like: the capacity of the catch net is massive, totally suitable for club use. what i doht like: the tool feels head-heavy (because it is). not at first ... but after scooping up a bunch of balls, the net becomes increasingly "heavier" (the moment you feel in your wrist!), that's when you realize it's time to unload the net. also, this product isn't compact or very maneuverable (agile), hence really not suitable for smaller ponging enclosures, behind benches, under the table, at corners (rincón), etc. i wouldn't recommend it for home-use (garage, basement, loft, living room, yard).
A more likable alternative is the 206g butterfly catch net which one can find all over amazon and alix, search term <telescopic net>. My unit is well-built, except for the blue connector piece (plastic!):
The circular ring has got an aluminum profile, which makes the ring robust and somewhat resistant against bending:
Aluminum still is a soft metal, so in a vise one can compress the ring thickness to a flat flip:
Here a profile view of the lip. In the vise i could easily bend the lip to constitute a mini ramp:
This DIY ball collector works now beautifully for picking up / gathering isolated balls or small groups of balls (tens not hundreds!) from all over the place (rincones), including gym settings with large floors, wood benches, barriers (surrounds). The total weight is very okay (good for wrist muscle training
) and the item does not feel head-heavy (because it is not!). The capacity is limited but unloading is a breeze (With the Tibar, unloading is a pita ), so no big deal, if you need to scoop up say 50-100 balls from an entire gym hall, i.e. carrying the tool all across court.The absolute key aspect of a pick-up tool is, imho, its weight. For long-term enjoyment and likability (such that "i doht mind doing the pick-up job, it's kinda phun!"), the tool has to be as light-weight AND as maneuverable as possible. Then you will never mind using it / collecting balls, no matter how wide spread the balls lie! Butterfly catch nets (look out for constructions made out of bamboo from a local 1$-shop) are a phuntastique starting point, alix has cute telescopic nets starting from 1US$ but i caht vouch for them (some are titled "300g" ouch!).
Feel free to share how you guys do the picking up between multiball sessions or at the end of a training session, which your preferred tools are, etc.
