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I was thinking about buying a robot for a while since I have tried a few in the clubs and my friends' place. Finally I got a Nova S Pro early this year and here is my experience so far.
What a robot is not for:
It is not a replacement for practice with a real person or a couch. It is a supplement to those.
There are lots of things missing when playing with a robot - for example opportunity to read the opponents shot and body language, unexpected variation. Not to mention the joy of winning or the fun of the game.
But it is a good tool for practice to improve or fix problems.
My main problem was consistency in three ways. First it is hard to find a suitable time to practice with friends. Second, unless you have a couch, normal games are not great for practicing one shot constantly. Third, it is hard to notice what I am doing wrong for specific shots and practice the remedy consistently.
I saw the potential for robots to help me with that. That way I can practice whenever I have some free time even if they are just for 15 to 30 mins. I have the table set up and there is minimal set up time. I can focus on one problem and work on improving my game. Also, I feel trying new things is easy since I am not worried about missing the shot at all. When playing with friends if I keep missing a shot it will not be very fun for them.
Why I chose Pong bot Nova S pro:
I have tried a few robots. While deciding I considered the features to fit my need; ease of use including set up, operation, portability, and storage space; and cost. There are a few that seem old when it comes to technology and design. Pong Bot seems to be an engineering focused company and modern design. The robot, app, and even the web site is clean and professionally designed. I was sold when I saw they built an M-one robot. They have a few other models for table tennis and some for tennis.
I felt the Nova S pro is a good balance of the things important to me.
What I like about Nova S Pro so far:
Here are a few highlights from my experience.
1. I use it more than I expected or hoped. It is very easy to set up and needs little space. It is a just-place-on-the-table model and does not use any clamps or other things. I keep it on the table between practice.
2. The app has lots of built in drills but I like how easy it is to have custom drills.
3. It covers a wide range of possible shots. Not everything you can encounter in a real match but good enough for practicing most common ones. You need to calibrate and the diagram of the shot is not always exact.
4. The ball delivery is good. I have not had any real problem so far. But do not expect extreme spin or real fast balls.
It is helping me practice more, improve my normal game, and surprisingly helped me identify more than a few things I was doing wrong (I record the session at times for review).
If you are interested you can check out detailed features on the Png Bot website.
The takeaway:
Nova S Pro (or other robots) are good tools for practice and build feel for the shots and muscle memory. But the effectiveness depends on how we use it. They won't improve one's game if we do not practice the right way. It can reinforce bad habits. They are not a replacement for real games.
Hope this is helpful for those who are considering robots for practice.
What a robot is not for:
It is not a replacement for practice with a real person or a couch. It is a supplement to those.
There are lots of things missing when playing with a robot - for example opportunity to read the opponents shot and body language, unexpected variation. Not to mention the joy of winning or the fun of the game.
But it is a good tool for practice to improve or fix problems.
My main problem was consistency in three ways. First it is hard to find a suitable time to practice with friends. Second, unless you have a couch, normal games are not great for practicing one shot constantly. Third, it is hard to notice what I am doing wrong for specific shots and practice the remedy consistently.
I saw the potential for robots to help me with that. That way I can practice whenever I have some free time even if they are just for 15 to 30 mins. I have the table set up and there is minimal set up time. I can focus on one problem and work on improving my game. Also, I feel trying new things is easy since I am not worried about missing the shot at all. When playing with friends if I keep missing a shot it will not be very fun for them.
Why I chose Pong bot Nova S pro:
I have tried a few robots. While deciding I considered the features to fit my need; ease of use including set up, operation, portability, and storage space; and cost. There are a few that seem old when it comes to technology and design. Pong Bot seems to be an engineering focused company and modern design. The robot, app, and even the web site is clean and professionally designed. I was sold when I saw they built an M-one robot. They have a few other models for table tennis and some for tennis.
I felt the Nova S pro is a good balance of the things important to me.
What I like about Nova S Pro so far:
Here are a few highlights from my experience.
1. I use it more than I expected or hoped. It is very easy to set up and needs little space. It is a just-place-on-the-table model and does not use any clamps or other things. I keep it on the table between practice.
2. The app has lots of built in drills but I like how easy it is to have custom drills.
3. It covers a wide range of possible shots. Not everything you can encounter in a real match but good enough for practicing most common ones. You need to calibrate and the diagram of the shot is not always exact.
4. The ball delivery is good. I have not had any real problem so far. But do not expect extreme spin or real fast balls.
It is helping me practice more, improve my normal game, and surprisingly helped me identify more than a few things I was doing wrong (I record the session at times for review).
If you are interested you can check out detailed features on the Png Bot website.
The takeaway:
Nova S Pro (or other robots) are good tools for practice and build feel for the shots and muscle memory. But the effectiveness depends on how we use it. They won't improve one's game if we do not practice the right way. It can reinforce bad habits. They are not a replacement for real games.
Hope this is helpful for those who are considering robots for practice.
