Appearance
The TTmatic 302 is a free-standing robot with a recycling ball system. The unit is extremely easy to move as it sits on a stable platform of 5 legs, each with solid rubber wheels. The wheels can also be locked so once the unit is in place, it will stay there. This robot is solidly built, constructed mostly of high-strength metal. The 302 has only one ball throwing head, with only one throwing wheel, which is made of foam. The wheel construction at first may cause concern, but there turns out to be a good reason why foam is a good choice for this design. The ball hopper contains up to 100 balls. The throwing head is at a fixed height as it is not adjustable.Setup
The unit itself is easily set up, since you just wheel it into place. However, the recycling net must be clamped onto the table, and then a couple of spring-loaded cables attach to the net standard to create tension in the net, so that the balls fall properly into the ball hopper. It takes me about 5 minutes to get the robot and net set up to use. I bought my robot pre-assembled, so I can't comment on the out-of-the-box experience.Manual
The manual is written written in English with illustrations, but is quite short. However, the basics are covered, and I found the robot easy to use, so the manual wasn't really needed after a few initial consultations. Copies of the manual can be found on the Web from some TTmatic dealers.Control Box
The control box is totally metal and connects to the motors by a long cable, which allows it to be placed on the user's side of the table, so the machine can be easily controlled during use. Connections to the motors are made with high-quality connectors, ensuring reliability. The user can control the rate of oscillation, ball feed, and speed of the throwing wheel. The box does get quite hot in the back during use, and I recommend waiting a minute or two after use before touching it to move the unit.Spin/Speed/Trajectory
The TTmatic can produce any variation of spin, as the head can be easily rotated 360 degrees. And the head can be adjusted up and down to control the initial launch angle of the ball.The TTmatic shows that a single-wheeled robot can be designed so that the spin on a thrown ball can be set separately from the speed. This is accomplished by a combination of the foam throwing wheel and a set of 3 differently shaped plastic ball guides, which TTmatic calls "Power Spin Tec." The distance between the foam wheel and ball guide is set by the user.
For a slow spinny loop, one would choose the highly curved ball guide, and set the distance between the wheel and guide to slightly compress the wheel, and topspin setting. A no-spin ball can be created by compressing the ball a lot, and using a curved wheel guide. Hard to explain in words, but easily understood once seen in action.
It takes a little experimentation to learn how to create the shots you want, but once you understand the how each ball guide interacts with the foam wheel, you can create just about any spin/speed/trajectory shot you wish.
Some TTmatic owners have commented that it is hard to get a heavy underspin ball due to the foam wheel, however, I have found the amount of underspin that can be generated to be sufficient for my practice for long balls. Short serves with heavy underspin are not possible though, or I have not been able to find the correct settings, so light-moderate underspin is what you get for short/double-bounce serves.
Oscillation Control
It is possible to control the swing radius of the oscillating head via a screw adjustment on the throwing head. There are 4 possible settings, with the widest setting being corner-to-corner.Support
The TTmatic is covered by a 2-year warranty, which I learned to my delight also transfers to a new owner if the unit is sold before the 2 years is over. Due to a mishap in transit after purchasing my used unit, I needed a new control box. Table Tennis Pioneers (TTP) provided me one with no charge under warranty. I also needed a replacement oscillator control arm after the warranty expired, and again TTP and TTmatic provided me with replacements with no charge -- 2 of them in fact! The foam wheel does wear out with use and does need to be replaced. You can make your own easily, however, I purchased mine with no problem (from TTP).Interested in purchasing a TTmatic Robot?
