Browsing: Table Tennis

October 30, 2025 | Neil Hurford

A new version of the popular TT Leagues App has been published. It extends the capabilities of the app, which now acts as an Information Hub with access to multiple sites.

There has been an app for mobile devices for TT Leagues since the platform launch six years ago. The app has focussed on displaying fixtures and results and has provided an excellent platform for entering the match scores either during the match or shortly afterwards.

Increasingly, users of TT Leagues access the platform via mobile devices, and we have realised that we need to extend the functionality of the app to reflect how most users now access TT Leagues.

The new app enables a much wider range of information to be accessed – in particular news articles and pages in the ‘Information’ section of the website. The big advantage of the app is that it provides ready access to multiple TT Leagues sites. So if you play in multiple leagues, you can use the app to provide rapid access to all the leagues that you play in.

Specific features of the new app:

• A fixtures and results carousel to provide information about forthcoming fixtures and recent results for all the leagues you play in
• Setting ‘favourites’ so that you can rapidly access the information you need about the leagues you play in covering divisional tables, fixtures and results, news articles and all the pages in the information section.
• Use ‘My Matches’ to view your recent results and forthcoming fixtures across all the Leagues you play in.
• ‘My Leagues’ enables you to see the divisional tables, fixtures, results and player averages for the Leagues you play in.
• ‘News’ enables you to catch up with the latest news items from Table Tennis England
• ‘My Local News’ enables you to access the news feed for each of the Leagues you play in

And of course, you can continue to enter results of the matches you play in – subject to appropriate permissions being given by your League Administrator. The match card for results entry is accessed via ‘My Matches’.

Depending on your device and the settings selected, the app may be automatically updated, or you may be actively prompted to upgrade to the latest version. Alternatively, simply go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and search for TT Leagues. You will then be able to download the app (new users) or upgrade to the latest version (existing users).

There is a Video Tutorial that explains how to download the app and install it on your mobile device. The tutorial also demonstrates the functionality that is available within the new app. The Video Tutorial is available on the TT Leagues page on the Table Tennis England website. The tutorial you need is VT28 – TT Leagues App – Information Hub.

Alternatively, watch it here:

The new app represents a significant step forward for TT Leagues. It sits alongside the other significant developments that have taken place since it was launched, including the extension into a wider range of competitions (British Clubs Leagues, County Championships), the development of online entry systems and the provision of formats for knockout and handicap competitions.

The new app will be subject to further development with the addition of further features. This reflects that the app will be the method of choice for accessing TT Leagues for most users.

The use of TT Leagues by local leagues continues to be strong. There are now more than 150 local leagues using TT Leagues to manage their league competitions. This follows significant growth in the number of users over the summer. As TT Leagues is also used for British Clubs Leagues and for the County Championships, it has become a key digital asset for Table Tennis England. We continue to plan to expand the scope of TT Leagues so that it can be applied even more widely across Table Tennis Englandâ€s competition landscape.

Currently the underlying infrastructure that supports the TT Leagues platform is being updated and streamlined. This will lead to improvements in displays on mobile devices, providing a more modern “look and feel†to the league websites and significant improvements in performance in terms of speed, robustness, accessibility and optimisation for search engines.

The Local League ranking system is also being enhanced by the provision of a series of tools that will enable local leagues to proactively curate their ranking list. These tools will be helpful in handling new players and in resolving errors that occasionally arise in the ranking system.

We continue to look forward to developing the scope of TT Leagues to meet the needs of the table tennis community.

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October 30, 2025

Two intense days of learning, hard work, and athletic growth. The Training Camp organized by Butterfly, BrainFast, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito wrapped up with great success.

On the first day, Saturday, October 11, participants focused on key topics such as warm-ups, serve and receive, as well as strategies to handle pressure during matches.

On the second day, athletes carried out a match simulation, applying everything they had learned the day before.

Additionally, BrainFast delivered a valuable talk on “invisible training,†highlighting the importance of mindset, rest, and habits for high-performance sports. A big thanks to all the players and coaches who were part of this experience.

This camp series is made possible thanks to the support of Butterfly, which provided the official balls, and BrainFast, a company dedicated to neurolinguistic programming applied to high-performance athletics.

 

Upcoming Camp Dates:

• Second Camp: November 1–2, 2025
• Third Camp: February 14–15, 2026

We continue growing together on and off the table!

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Dos días intensos de aprendizaje, esfuerzo y crecimiento deportivo. El Training Camp organizado por Butterfly, BrainFast y la Universidad San Francisco de Quito llegó a su cierre con grandes resultados.

En la primera jornada del sábado 11 de octubre, se abordaron temas clave como el calentamiento, el servicio y la recepción, además de estrategias para manejar la presión durante los partidos .

Durante la segunda jornada, los participantes realizaron una simulación de partido aplicando todo lo aprendido el día anterior.

Además, BrainFast ofreció una valiosa charla sobre el entrenamiento invisible, enfocada en la importancia de la mente, el descanso y los hábitos para el alto rendimiento.Gracias a todos los jugadores y entrenadores que formaron parte de esta experiencia.

Esta seríe de campamentos cuenta con el valioso apoyo de Butterfly, quien donó las pelotas oficiales, y de BrainFast, empresa dedicada a la programación neurolingüística aplicada al alto rendimiento deportivo.

 

Calendario de próximos campamentos:

Segundo Campamento : 01 y 02 de noviembre 2025.

Tercer Campamento : 14 y 15 de febrero 2026.

¡Seguimos creciendo juntos, dentro y fuera de la mesa!Â

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October 29, 2025

(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)

The top seed is out, and USA’s Kanak Jha now enters the Round of 16 in the position most expected would be filled by Hugo Calderano.  The Calderano/Jha match started like many of their recent match-ups, an 11-4 win for Calderano put him in a dominant position, Jha fought back for a narrow 13-11 win in the second, and Calderano dominated the third to take the lead again (11-6).  This time, however, it was Jha who fought from behind and who flawlessly closed out the remaining games – logging a pair of 11-9 wins to take the match 3-2. At worst, Jha has already secured 90 Ranking Points and $6,000 in prize money – and while I’m sure he’s planning to press further, 90 points is likely enough to move up two spots to No. 22.

Jha and Calderano were one of the interesting “couplings” in this tournament.  These two were the Pan Am Finalists, and the winner (Jha) now moves on to face Lee Sang Su who was paired against another player from the Korea Republic (An Jaehyun).  In fact, out of the 16 matchups, six of them were natural pairs.  Yukiya Uda faces Harimoto in an all-Japan pairing on Thursday, Anton Kallberg and Truls Moregard play an all-Sweden pairing on Thursday, Dan Qiu defeated German teammate Benedikt Duda today, and Simon Gauzy defeated French teammate Lilian Bardet today and will face French teammate Felix Lebrun on Thursday.

The other Round of 16 matchups will be Jang Woojin and Lin Yun-Ju, Felix Lebrun versus Simon Gauzy, Sora Matsushima against Patrick Franziska, Dang Qiu and Oh Junsung, and Darko Jorgic versus Hiroto Shinozukua.  Three matches in the first round have yet to be played, with Ovtcharov, Moregard, Kallberg, and Harimoto all set to play for the first time tomorrow.

The top seed in the Women’s event is out as well.  Bernadette Szocs upset Chen Xingtong 3-0 in the 1pm match on Tuesday.  And, interestingly, just an hour later teammate Elizabeta Samara upset Mima Ito.  The two Romanians are now in the Round of 16, and if they were both to win their next match (Szocs faces Sabine Winter, and Samara faces Doo Hoi Kem) then they’d face each other in the Quarterfinals.  USA’s Lily Zhang had a 2-1 lead over Chen Yi of China,  but couldn’t hold on – falling 2-3.  The second seed, Kuai Man, lost to Kim Nayeong of the Korea Republic on Wednesday.

Lots of action has yet to unfold.  Visit ButterflyOnline.com for the latest table tennis news and results.

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October 29, 2025

The Puerto Rico national team had an outstanding performance at the 2025 ITTF Pan-American Championships, held in Rock Hill, South Carolina, reaffirming the growth and strength of our table tennis at the continental level.

Our delegation completed its participation with extraordinary results and multiple medals:

• Gold in women’s singles: Adriana Díaz
• Gold in women’s teams: Adriana Díaz, Brianna Burgos, Alondra Rodríguez, and Fabiola Díaz
• Silver in mixed doubles: Steven Moreno and Brianna Burgos
• Bronze in women’s doubles: Adriana Díaz and Brianna Burgo

Beyond the medals, the most important achievement was Puerto Rico’s qualification for the 2026 World Championships, both in the women’s and men’s categories a reflection of the effort, discipline, and unity of our entire national team.

As a national coach and a coach sponsored by Butterfly America, I am proud to see how the dedication of our athletes, the work of the coaches, and the commitment of the Puerto Rico Table Tennis Federation, under the leadership of its president Iván Santos, continue to elevate Puerto Rico’s reputation on the international stage.

I am deeply grateful to Butterfly America and Butterfly Global for their continued support of our federation, their trust in our development processes, and their commitment to the growth of table tennis throughout the continent. Thanks to this backing, our athletes can compete at the highest level and continue to inspire new generations.

We continue working with passion, purpose, and Puerto Rico pride. The best is yet to come.

 

  Stay “In The Loop†with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.

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October 29, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Mark Bates Ltd have extended their sponsorship of the National Championships for another year, continuing a partnership with Table Tennis England which began in 2020.

The partnership will see the Mark Bates Ltd name continue to be associated with every age group of the Nationals.

To celebrate the news, Mark Bates Ltd are giving away two fabulous prizes in a draw which is open for the next two weeks.

The first two names drawn at random will each win a pair of SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction Sports Headphones – and the first name drawn will also win a pair of tickets to Finals Day (Sunday 22 March 2026) at the Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships.

More about the sponsorship extension

The announcement follows the news that the Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships will feature a refreshed format for 2025/26, with qualifying and the main draw brought together under one roof.

This seasonâ€s competitions under the Nationals umbrella are:

• 7-8 March: Mark Bates Ltd Cadet & U17 Nationals
• 20-22 March: Mark Bates Ltd Senior Nationals
• 19-20 April: Mark Bates Ltd U10-13 Nationals
• 16-17 May: Mark Bates Ltd Junior & U21 Nationals

As well as sponsoring the Nationals since 2020, the Lincolnshire-based family-run insurer has put in additional investment to increase prize money at the flagship Senior Nationals, resulting in a 25% increase in 2020 and a doubling in 2023, with prize money maintained since then.

In a statement, Mark Bates said: “Weâ€re delighted to be continuing our partnership with Table Tennis England for another year.

“Supporting the sport at every level, from grassroots to elite, is something weâ€re proud of, and itâ€s inspiring to see the passion and dedication of everyone involved. We look forward to another exciting year working together.â€

Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer said: “Itâ€s great news that Mark Bates Ltd are continuing to support and invest in our flagship event, the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships.

“Mark shares our passion for the sport and together we are determined to elevate the sport to new heights and to create an unrivalled experience for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators at the Nationals.â€

Find out more about Mark Bates Ltd and the companyâ€s support for the Nationals in this video:

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October 28, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Chris Brown is excited to play his part in building a lasting legacy of next yearâ€s ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London after returning to Table Tennis England as Director of Development.

Chris, starts work in his new role on 10 November, will be well known to many of our members having previously worked in our development team.

Chris said: “Table tennis has been close to my heart since I first played with my grandad at the age of 11. From school and local clubs through to representing my county, and even Great Britain at the World University Games, the sport has shaped my life both on and off the table.

“I began my career with the then ETTA aged 20 and spent 12 years in a range of development roles before moving to British Cycling, where for the past seven years Iâ€ve focused on partnerships, programmes, and place-based delivery across both regional and national levels.

“That experience has been invaluable, but I feel very fortunate to now return to table tennis in such an exciting period for the sport.

“With the World Team Championships on the horizon, Iâ€m passionate about helping to build a lasting legacy — from engaging more children and young people to tackling wider challenges like inactivity and healthy ageing.

“There has been some really exciting progress at the organisation since I last worked here, and Iâ€m looking forward to reconnecting with old colleagues, meeting new ones, and working with the rest of the senior leadership team to guide us into an exciting future.â€

Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer added: “Iâ€m pleased to welcome Chris back to table tennis in this new role.

“He joins at an exciting time with next yearâ€s ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals providing the sport with an unrivalled opportunity to drive forward participation, not just in London but across the country.â€

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October 28, 2025 | Francesca Bullock

Under the most difficult circumstances a 16-strong squad of British Para table tennis team athletes paid tribute to their late Performance Director, Gorazd Vecko MBE, who passed away last Friday, by competing in the ITTF World Para Elite Yvelines 2025 in France and showing the courage and determination that has become the hallmark of the team under the Slovenianâ€s inspiring and dynamic leadership.

Win or lose they fought for every point and, supported by the coaching team led by BPTT head coach Andrew Rushton, they won seven medals in the singles events, including gold for Fliss Pickard (womenâ€s class 6, pictured above), Rob Davies (menâ€s class 1) and Will Bayley (menâ€s class 7) and bronze for Bly Twomey (womenâ€s class 7), Paul Karabardak (menâ€s class 6), Aaron McKibbin (menâ€s class 8) and Joshua Stacey (menâ€s class 9).

BPTT Programme Manager Shaun Marples said: “What the team has managed to do these past few days since hearing that Gorazd had passed away and wanting to battle in his honour, I think it really demonstrates the strong family culture that Gorazd instilled within this team over a number of years.

“It is with great pride that everyone has put on their GB shirt and gone out there and done just what theyâ€ve done for Gorazd with some excellent performances and some great gold medals and bronze medals.

“But it was bigger than hitting a ball on the table. It was about doing it for Gorazd. I know people will be emotionally drained from the tournament and understandably so but, overall, they can hold their heads high and think ‘we did that for you G†and as a massive thank you and out of the love and respect for what heâ€s done for the programme.

“The whole team back in the UK is extremely proud of every single individual who has been in France – it couldnâ€t have been easy talking to all the other countries who are also grieving, and all have amazing, positive memories of Gorazd.

“Weâ€ve done ourselves proud and I know Gorazd would have been equally proud of the team. This is the start of the GB force battling in Gorazdâ€s honour and continuing his legacy for years and years to come.â€

Womenâ€s class 6

Fliss Pickard was a 3-0 winner against Kinga Mihalffy from Hungary and then recovered from losing the first set to beat Barbara Jablonka from Poland 3-1.

As group winner she received a bye into the semi-finals where she produced a typically gutsy performance to beat Katarzyna Marszal, the world and European silver medallist from Poland, 3-2, 12-10 in the deciding set.

Pickard had to dig deep again in the final against Gulmira Gonobina, which also went the distance. After losing a tight first set 12-10 she edged the second and third sets 14-12 and secured the gold 12-10 in the fifth after the 36-year-old Russian had levelled at 2-2.

Menâ€s class 1

Rob Davies won 3-1 against former European team silver medallist Alan Papirer from France and then recovered from losing the first set to beat Paralympic bronze medallist and world No 5 Federico Falco from Italy 3-1. He secured top position in his group and a bye into the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Sylvio Keller, the former European bronze medallist from Switzerland and, after dropping the first set he came back to defeat Dmitrii Lavrov, the former two-time European bronze medallist from Russia 3-1.

Davies found himself 1-0 down again in the final against Timo Natunen but fought back in typical fashion to take the second 12-10 and went on to take the third and fourth sets 11-9 to beat the world No 7 from Finland 3-1.

After leading 2-0, fellow Welshman Tom Matthews showed all his fight and determination to come through 3-2 against Adam Urlauber after the world No 18 from Hungary had levelled the match at 2-2. Matthews lost 3-0 to Timo Natunen but kept his hopes alive with a 3-0 win against Antreas Aravis from Cyprus. He was unlucky to lose out on a place in the quarter-finals on countback.

Menâ€s class 7

Will Bayley secured his place in the knockout stages as group winner with a 3-0 win against former Paralympic champion Stephane Messi from France and a 3-0 win against two-time European champion Jean Paul Montanus from Netherlands.

He beat world No 4 Krizander Magnussen from Norway 3-1 in the quarter-final and won his semi-final 3-1 against world No 8 Jonas Hansson from Sweden before securing his fifth consecutive singles gold medal of the year by defeating Bjoern Schnake, the world No 7 and European bronze medallist from Germany 3-0 in the final.

Theo Bishop was drawn in a tough group, and he did not progress after losing 3-0 to Jonas Hansson, 3-0 to European bronze medallist Kevin Dourbecker from France and 3-2 to the Russian world No 6 Maksim Nazarkin.

Menâ€s class 2

Chris Ryan lost a very tight match to world No 8 Daniel Rodriguez from Spain 12-10 in the fifth set and again lost nothing in a 3-2 defeat to the very experienced Frenchman Julien Michaud, 11-9 in the deciding set.

He produced a great performance to beat world No 9 Jiri Suchanek from Czechia 3-0 and progress to the quarter-finals where he took the first set against world champion Fabien Lamirault before the world No 3 from France secured a hard-fought 3-1 win.

Menâ€s class 4-5

Jack Hunter-Spivey was a 3-0 winner against Krszysztof Zylka from Poland and was then beaten in four close sets by class 4 world silver medallist Maxime Thomas from France. He progressed as group winner with a 3-0 win against Peter Mihalik from Slovakia and led 2-0 in his last 16 match against world No 5 Carlos Freire De Moraes before the Brazilian came back to win 3-2.

Menâ€s class 6

Paul Karabardak was a 3-0 winner against the American teenager Samuel Altshuler and then came through against Benedikt Muller 11-9 in the fifth after the German had twice come back to level.

He fought back after dropping the first set to beat Georgios Mouchthis from Greece 3-1 in the quarter-final and led two-time world and Paralympic champion Peter Rosenmeier 2-1 in their semi-final but was just edged out 3-2 by the world No 4 from Denmark.

Martin Perry lost in five sets to Rafal Kraft from Poland but then bounced back to beat world No 8 Esteban Herrault from France 3-0. He had his chances in the quarter-final against Samuel Altshuler, but the American took the match 3-2, 11-9 in the fifth.

Menâ€s class 8

World No 1 Aaron McKibbin was a 3-0 winner against Alejandro Diaz from Spain and then beat Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist Maksym Nikolenko from Ukraine 3-1. He won his quarter-final against world No 4 Piotr Grudzien from Poland 3-1 and twice came back to level in his semi-final against 19-year-old Borna Zohil but the world No 6 from Croatia took the deciding set for a 3-2 win.

Billy Shilton won 3-0 against Hamza Taleb from Belgium and then came through a tough battle against Piotr Grudzien 3-2. He again showed all his fighting spirit to come back from 2-1 down and beat Nicklas Westerberg from Sweden 12-10 in the deciding set before losing his quarter-final to Nikolenko 3-1.

Ryan Henry was drawn in a difficult group but played with great credit despite losing 3-1 to world No 5 Clement Berthier from France, 3-2 to Marcin Zielinski from Poland and 3-1 to Borna Zohil.

Menâ€s class 9

Joshua Stacey came through a tricky match against the German Jan Reinig 3-2 and then recovered from dropping the first set against Lev Kats to beat the world No 10 from Ukraine 3-1. He progressed as group winner after a 3-0 win against Francis Chukwuemeka from Nigeria and was a 3-0 winner in the quarter-final against another Ukrainian Ivan Mai.

The Welshman had to settle for bronze after losing his semi-final to world No 1 Ander Cepas from Spain 3-1.

Womenâ€s class 4-5

Class 4 Megan Shackleton lost 3-0 to the class 5 world No 1 Alexandra Saint-Pierre from France and showed all her character to beat class 4 world No 4 Irem Oluk from Turkey 3-2.

Shackleton then produced a brilliant performance to fight back from 2-0 down and beat the class 4 world No 2 and Paris 2024 Paralympic champion Sandra Mikolaschek from Germany 3-2, 11-4 in the fifth and was unlucky not to progress to the knockout stages on countback.

Womenâ€s class 7

Bly Twomey was a 3-0 winner against Smilla Sand from Sweden and led world No 2 Kubra Korkut 2-0 before the world and European champion from Turkey came back to win 3-2.

Twomey progressed to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Jenny Slettum from Norway and took the first set against world No 1 Kelly Van Zon before the four-time Paralympic champion from the Netherlands used all her experience to secure a 3-1 win.

Womenâ€s class 8

Grace Williams lost 3-0 to world No 1 Sophia Kelmer from Brazil and then fought back superbly from 8-4 down in the deciding set to beat Elena Elli from Italy 3-2.

She had her chances against Juliane Wolf in the quarter-final, but the German world No 5 and Paris 2024 bronze medallist edged the third set after Williams had led 9-3 which proved to be crucial in a 3-1 win.

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October 28, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Table Tennis England and World Table Tennis (WTT) are inviting the business community to support a once in a generation opportunity to get more people around the table in 2026.Â

Table Tennis England will be curating a limited number of special edition ‘centenary tables†to commemorate 100 years of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships, which will return to London in 2026.

Businesses are encouraged to invest in the initiative which will place these tables into high footfall locations throughout London and nationwide in the build-up to and during the Championships, hosted at the Copper Box and Wembley Area in April and May 2026.

Following the event, the tables will be donated to community programmes across the country to support TTEâ€s social impact programme, like the Ping Hub in Ilford recently visited by the ITTF President Petra Sörling. Programmes like this seek to get more young people and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to get around the table.

ITTF President Petra Sörling (centre) at the Ping Hub in Ilford (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images for Table Tennis England)

Commenting at the launch of the centenary table initiative at the WTT Star Contender Copper Box, ITTF President Petra Sörling said: “It is remarkable to return to England and London in 2026, the city which hosted the first World Championships100 years ago, alongside the foundation of the ITTF itself.

“This programme will secure investment from the private sector to ensure that the sport continues to thrive in 2026 and beyond.”

Sally Lockyer, Table Tennis England Chief Executive, said: “Businesses across the country are encouraged to support our programme to get more people engaged in this great sport.Â

“Table tennis is an accessible sport open to all. With more tables for people to play for free and investment into our social impact programme we will be able to share the benefits of this sport more widely.

“2026 is THE year for table tennis, including the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships, centenary celebrations and a number of cultural and media activities which will promote the sport to the widest possible audience both in the UK and around the world.â€

The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals is the most prestigious and historic global table tennis event. The iconic team competition returns to London where it all began 100 years ago. The top players representing 64 nations from around the world will compete for the menâ€s and womenâ€s trophies and the ITTF family will come together to celebrate the centenary in the capital.Â

The Championships will be broadcast live to more than 300 million people worldwide, with the broader reach on social media and digital platforms likely to be well in excess of that figure.

Ticketing detail will be published in the coming weeks, with up to 100,000 spectators set to watch the Championships in-venue.

Businesses interested in supporting the ‘centenary table†programme and discuss other partnership opportunities, please contact Ben Cummings, Partnership Director, Table Tennis International Events.Â

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October 28, 2025

(By Larry Hodges)

There was a time that the smash, especially on the forehand side, was considered the most important shot in the game. Japanese and then Chinese players dominated with forehand hitting in the 1950s and 1960s, and often into the ’70s and ’80s, often using short pips. But in modern times, looping has dominated. When I started playing in 1976, you could almost divide players by whether they were hitters or loopers, plus blockers and choppers. (Note that the terms smash and kill mean the same.)

These days, at least at higher levels, it’s basically all loopers with very few exceptions. Killing has nearly died out – except for loop kills and against lobs.

There will always be a place for smashing. Most still smash against lobs, though many these days loop even against those. Those that do tend to play long rallies against good lobbers since their loops don’t quite have the penetrating power of a pure smash. Against high balls that aren’t lobs, many still smash, though as you go to the higher levels, more and more they just loop. (There’s a reason for this – not only does the extra topspin give more consistency, but it allows them to focus on just one shot – looping – rather than developing both a loop and a smash.)

Below the higher levels smashing is often easier against higher balls than looping. It takes a lot of training to really develop a good, powerful loop, though once developed it’s extremely consistent against weak balls. Looping is also harder for older players or players not in top shape.

So, should you develop a good smash? It depends on your aspirations, playing style, and physical fitness. If you aspire to reach the higher levels, you should probably focus on looping, though smashing is always an option off higher balls. But there are plenty of hitters at the near and often elite levels. Among older players, hitters tend to dominate over loopers. In fact, it’s almost like revenge of the hitters – after years of perhaps losing to athletic loopers, when they get older, it’s the hitters that tend to dominate. However, older players generally need to hit from both sides to be effective since they generally cannot cover as much of the table with the forehand as they could when they were younger.

Personally, I started out as a hitter, learned to loop and became about 50-50 between them. Now that I’m older, I still loop, especially against backspin, but once in a rally, more and more I find myself hitting. It’s just a shorter, quicker, less physical shot. I’ve even considered going to short pips on either the forehand or backhand, or perhaps both. I tend to prefer inverted as it allows both options. But that’s just me. How about you?

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Ever wished you could practice your backhand loop at 2 AM without needing a training partner?

Table tennis robots are one of the most powerful tools in table tennis, and they make this dream a reality.

Used by beginners and pros alike, robots enable what was previously impossible: practicing table tennis alone whilst replicating genuine match-like conditions. You could argue return boards do the same thing, but they don’t even come close.

Robots are the perfect training partner. They never get tired, they’re available 24/7, and they feed you exactly what you need to work on.

However, you must know how to use them properly to get results.

This guide covers why you should train with a robot, how they work, the training methods that’ll accelerate your improvement, and the key dos and don’ts. Let’s begin!

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What Is a Table Tennis Robot?

A table tennis robot is an automated ball-feeding machine that sits at one end of your table and fires balls at you with adjustable speed, spin, and placement.

Think of it as your personal coach that never complains, never gets tired, and can repeat the exact same shot 1,000 times in a row if needed.

Basic robots simply launch balls at consistent intervals. Advanced models can:

• Program complex sequences (like alternating forehand-backhand patterns)
• Vary spin types automatically (topspin, backspin, sidespin)
• Oscillate to place balls anywhere on the table
• Adjust timing between shots
• Store multiple drill programs

The best robots can simulate virtually any opponent’s playing style, from heavy defensive pushers to aggressive attackers. This means you can practice specific match situations whenever you want, without needing a human training partner.

Why Train With a Robot?

We highly recommend training with a robot because they unlock training opportunities that simply aren’t possible with human partners.

Perfect consistency: Robots hit the exact same spot with identical spin and speed every single time. This lets you groove your technique without the variables that come with human inconsistency.

Target your weaknesses: Want to work on that shaky backhand receive? Set the robot to serve short backspin balls to your backhand for 30 minutes straight. Few human partners would have the patience (or accuracy) for that.

Learn new techniques safely: Robots give you a controlled environment to experiment with new shots like flicks or open-ups without the pressure of a real opponent.

Build muscle memory: The repetitive nature of robot training is perfect for grooving strokes until they become automatic. You can practice one specific transition hundreds of times in a single session.

Customize intensity: Whether you want gentle warm-up feeds or blazing fast attack balls, robots adapt to your current skill level and training goals.

How Robots Work

Understanding how robots actually function helps you make better buying decisions and get more from your training.

All robots have a ball feeding mechanism that uses spinning wheels or rubber rollers to launch balls. Two wheels spinning in opposite directions grip the ball and fire it forward. By adjusting wheel speeds, the robot controls ball velocity and spin. A faster top wheel creates topspin, faster bottom wheel produces backspin.

Most good robots will either have a remote or an app to control how the robot works. Virtually all modern robots have an app that connects to your smartphone. With this app or remote, you will be able to tell the robot exactly what you want it to do. Advanced models let you program complex sequences and adjust timing between shots.

You may want to have it feed underspin balls to your forehand to practice open-ups. Or maybe 2 balls to your backhand and 1 to your forehand to practice the Falkenberg drill. Maybe you want to practice your serve receive against that one serve that always gives you trouble, so you can set the robot to feed you short or long sidespin, backspin, or topspin balls.

Basic models have fixed ball trajectories, while advanced robots use oscillation (a motor that swivels the launching mechanism left and right) to place balls anywhere across the table width.

The possibilities are endless once you understand how to harness these features.

Choosing Your First Robot

You could easily spend anywhere from $200 to $3,000 on a robot. The question is, what do you actually need?

My strong recommendation is to get a programmable robot, one that can feed you customizable sequences of balls.

If you get one of these robots, you’ll be able to practice any stroke or combination of strokes you want. You’ll be able to dial in all the transitions: getting in and out of the table, backhand to forehand, forehand to backhand, backhand to pivot.

For Most Players: Pongbot Nova S Pro ($350)

The Pongbot Nova S Pro is our top pick for home use. At $350, it delivers 95% of the features you need without breaking the bank.

This robot has excellent build quality, compact size, and consistent delivery. The advanced smartphone app lets you program complex sequences and handles topspin/backspin combinations automatically. You can practice virtually every drill that matters for improving your game.

Yes, it has some limitations. For example, you can’t mix short and long balls in the same drill, sidespin requires manual adjustment, and there’s no ball recycling system.

However, in years of testing and playing with robots, I can confidently say these rarely impact actual training sessions. The Pongbot covers 95% of what you’ll realistically practice, and it’s reliable enough that you won’t get frustrated with inconsistent feeds.

The Premium Option: Butterfly Amicus Prime

If budget isn’t a concern and you want the absolute best, the Butterfly Amicus Prime is the gold standard. It’s the robot I’d choose for club use or serious competitive training.

This is where you get everything… and I mean everything. The Amicus Prime comes with a free Android tablet that mounts directly to your table for seamless control. The ball recycling system includes 120 balls and a net, so if you’re hitting accurately, you can practice indefinitely without stopping to collect balls.

The build quality is exceptional, and features like IFC technology let you fine-tune timing between shots with precision no other robot offers. You can randomize parts of drills, store unlimited programs, and it even includes a premium carry bag.

It’s expensive, but it eliminates every frustration and limitation you’ll encounter with cheaper robots. For serious players, it’s an investment that pays dividends in training quality.

Setting Your Robot Up for Success

Now that you’ve got your robot, it’s time to set it up properly, and this step matters more than most people realize.

Start with the basics by aligning the robot with the center line of your table and positioning it securely at the end. Follow your model’s specific instructions for mounting, but here’s what really makes the difference:

Get Your First Balls Right

Not all table tennis balls work equally well with robots.

Cheap, thin balls will bounce inconsistently and throw off your timing. Invest in quality training balls. They don’t need to be tournament-grade, but they should be from a reputable brand.

Most robots work with standard 40mm balls, though some older models prefer 38mm. Check out our latest advice on the best table tennis balls to buy.

Test and Calibrate Immediately

Once you’ve loaded balls and plugged in, don’t just start hitting. Run the robot through its paces first. Test the basic speed and spin settings, check that balls are landing where you expect on the table, and make sure the feeding rhythm feels consistent.

Start Simple, Then Build

Start with single-spot feeding at moderate speed. Get comfortable with the robot’s rhythm and your positioning before adding variables like oscillation or spin changes.

The goal is to build confidence in both you and the machine. Once you’ve got the basics dialed in and you’re hitting consistently, then you can explore all those advanced features that make robot training so powerful.

Beginner Training Drills

Now, weâ€ll share 5 of our favorite foundational drills to do with your robot.

2 backhands, 2 forehands

The fundamental drill of table tennis, 2 backhands 2 forehands, works the two most important transitions in table tennis: forehand to backhand, and backhand to forehand.

It is the ideal practice drill to get more consistent at attacking on both wings.

1 forehand, 1 middle

One of my favorite drills, 1 forehand 1 middle, is a great exercise to practice the speed of movement and recovery after hitting a forehand.

It is a superb exercise because, even if itâ€s relatively simple, it keeps us moving and hitting forehands at all times.

Open ups

Robots are great tools to practice our open-ups on both wings.

Set your robot to feed you balls to either your forehand or backhand to practice your static open-ups. Then you can do any exercise you want, i.e., 2 backhands, 2 forehands, but with all the balls being backspin balls.

And, once youâ€ve gotten the hang of this, you can set your robot to feed you backspin balls anywhere on the table, randomly, to practice your reactions and movement.

2 backhands, middle, 2 backhands, forehand

One of my favorite drills for consistency, this one targets everything.

I like that it makes us practice our forehand from 2 different spots on the table, and the 2 backhands make it ideal for practicing our backhand topspin consistency.

¾ table, all forehands

If I had to say, this is my absolute favorite drill in table tennis. Youâ€ll have to set your robot to feed you balls randomly towards 3/4 of the table on your forehand side.

Then, youâ€ll have to hit only forehands, react, move, hit, and recover in time for the next one. If you want to improve your forehands in the rally, this is the exercise to do.

Building a Practice Routine

We have written a guide on how to plan your training sessions.

Training with a robot wonâ€t differ much from that, except for the fact that youâ€ll have to take breaks more frequently because youâ€ll never have to block for your robot as you would have to if you were training with a real person.

A great practice routine, in my opinion, is composed of:

• 50% mobility drills.
• 25% open-ups, touch drills, and serve receive.
• 25% free time dedicated to whatever you want to work on at the moment, such as learning a new technique, correcting a specific weakness, or building confidence in a stroke.

So, whatever time you have, you can divide it among these 3 sections.

Letâ€s say you want to practice for 1 hour. Then 30 minutes will be allocated to mobility drills, and 15 minutes each for open-ups, touch drills, and serve receive, and 15 minutes free to work on whatever you want.

If youâ€re a player who has a good forehand but struggles on the backhand side and wants to build confidence in your backhand loop, a good sample training routine would look like this:

Mobility (30min)

1. 2 backhands, 2 forehands
2. Forehand, middle, forehand, backhand
3. 2 backhands, middle, 2 backhands, forehand
4. 3/4 table, all forehands

Do each exercise for 5 minutes and rest for 2:30 minutes in between exercises (you can fine-tune this time depending on your stamina)

Touch drills and open-ups (15 min)

1. 2 backhands, 2 forehands, all open ups.
2. Serve receive (short)
3. Serve receive (long, attack all serves)

Do each exercise for 4 minutes and rest for 1 minute in between exercises.

Free time, in this case, allocated to practicing the backhand attack (15 min)

1. All backhands until the robot randomly switches to forehand.
2. Backhand open up and then hit balls anywhere on the table.
3. Robot feeds all towards the backhand, you hit 2 backhands close to the table, and 2 mid-distance.

Do each exercise for 4 minutes and rest for 1 minute in between exercises.

I can assure you that, if this player were to do this routine at least once per week (preferably 2-3 times), theyâ€d see great improvement in their game and their backhand skills.

We must also mention that practicing with a robot should ideally serve as a complement to playing with real players at a table tennis club or rec centre.

Robot training should complement, not replace, playing with real opponents. Humans provide unpredictable variation that robots can’t match, but robots give you the consistency needed to groove technique.

Even practicing this routine once per week will accelerate your improvement dramatically. The key is consistency over time.

Check out our guide to planning a table tennis training session for additional drills, and remember to switch things up regularly to keep sessions engaging.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Now that you know what exercises to do and what a good training routine looks like, letâ€s quickly go over the most common mistakes when practicing with a robot, and how to avoid them.

Reinforcing incorrect technique

In my opinion, the biggest mistake you can make when practicing with a robot is practicing with bad technique.

If you do so, you will practice the wrong way of doing a given stroke over and over again, ingraining it into your muscle memory.

This highlights the importance of a coach who can give you feedback on your techniques.

What I would do with my robot is go to the club, get feedback on what I have to improve, correct it at the club, and then get the reps in with correct form with the robot.

What we donâ€t recommend is practicing with your robot nonstop if your technique is not the best and you arenâ€t conscious of what needs fixing.

Staying static

Another mistake is doing static drills all the time, such as only doing forehand open-ups, then backhand open-ups, then forehand loops, etc.

You need to incorporate irregular drills, that is, drills with a component of randomness.

If you always know where the ball is going, the robot will give you a false sense of security that you know how to execute the technique.

However, come a real match, you will miss the stroke you practiced over and over again, and you wonâ€t know why.

This happens because, with your robot, you practiced hitting the same stroke over and over again, from the same position, with the speed and spin being the same all the time.

However, in real matches, all the balls you get are radically different. They can have wildly different speeds, spins, depths, placements, etc.

This is why you need to make sure that many of the drills youâ€re doing are irregular, that is, you donâ€t know where the ball is going.

Practicing the same skills all the time

Our last mistake weâ€d like to point out is practicing the same skills all the time.

Itâ€s no use doing only forehand or only backhand drills. You should train every stroke and try to perfect every transition.

Make sure to include drills that involve different spins and placements if you want to improve as fast as possible.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Taking care of your robot properly will keep it running smoothly for years.

After each session, wipe down the robot and check that no balls are stuck in the feeding mechanism. Clean the feeding wheels regularly with a damp cloth to maintain consistent ball grip.

Common Issues and Quick Fixes

Ball jams: Stop the robot immediately and gently remove stuck balls by hand. Never force them through. Check that you’re using quality balls of the correct size.

Inconsistent feeding: Usually caused by dirty or worn wheels. Clean them first, then check if they need replacement. Also make sure your balls aren’t damaged or warped.

Connection problems: Restart both the robot and your phone’s Bluetooth. Ensure you’re within range and no other devices are interfering.

For any electrical issues or internal component problems, contact manufacturer support rather than attempting repairs yourself. This keeps your warranty intact and avoids potentially expensive damage.

Transform Your Game with Robot Training

To sum up, we love table tennis robots for what they bring to the table (pun intended!).

They’re the perfect training partner because you can use them at any time, they’ll feed you any drills you want, and they’re ideal for learning and perfecting techniques.

If you’re looking to up your table tennis game, a good robot is something you should seriously consider. It enables you to get high-quality practice at any given moment without needing another player.

Remember to vary your training as much as possible and keep progressing your sessions in difficulty, intensity, and frequency as you improve. Start simple, stay consistent, and use robot training to complement your regular play with humans.

Your 2 AM backhand loop sessions are now within reach. Get out there and start transforming your game one ball at a time.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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