Here's a question we received about our Newgy Robo- Pong robots and the answer from Larry Thoman, General Manager of Newgy Industries and an avid table tennis player himself.

Question: "I'm 29 years of age and I started playing table tennis 2 years ago. It has become sort of a passion. Do you think it would be worth the cost for me? Please try to think as a player rather than as a salesman. Also are there are any disadvantages to Robo-Pong?"

Answer: "There a lot of reasons why a robot is well worth the money."

For Players of All Levels. "Newgy robots are used by players of all levels, but are particularly useful for players who are in the development stages. In the U. S. at the top levels, Cheng Ying Yua (who has beaten Jan Ove Waldner and is the current US Champion), Eric Owens (2001 U.S. Champion), Fan Yiyong (former #1 rated), Tawny Banh (many time US Women's team member) and many others use our robot for practice. Several of our top coaches like Barney D. Reed, Richard McAfee (1996 Olympic TT Director), Marty Prager, and Lily Yip all practically insist on having their students use robots so strokes can be "grooved" as quickly as possible. Anytime you're learning something new, you will find a robot helpful. Newgy's Robo-Pong robot can be adjusted to challenge any player from beginner to national champion."

Practice Anytime "If you have a robot at home, you are more likely to play and practice than if you have to go to a club and hunt for a compatible partner. The single most important thing to do to improve is to play a lot. With a robot you will hit approximately 5-10 times more balls in the same amount of time than if you were training with a human partner (particularly in the earlier stages where both partners lack the ball control to keep a practice rally going for a long period). Robot and multi-ball practice is a much more efficient method for practicing which dramatically cuts down the time to learn and ingrain new skills. The Chinese introduced the concept of multi-ball training back in the 60's and is (arguably) one of the primary reasons why they have so many players that have high level skills."

"You can develop strokes and techniques by repetition on the robot, and then find a practice partner to incorporate random drills, variable shots, and other things that a robot can't reproduce. A coach guiding this entire process is invaluable also. Other aspects of a complete training program include practice competition (so you can incorporate skills learned in practice into an actual match-like situation), tournaments, calisthenics, league play, and proper nutrition. A robot is not the complete answer to getting better, just a part."

Similar Spins to a Human's. "As a former top level player (top 50 in the U.S.), I have no trouble going from playing on the Newgy robot to playing a player in a game. Robo-Pong was engineered to simulate the "real" spins and speeds of "live" opponents. The Newgy Robot is limited, however, in that speed and spin must be increased or decreased at the same time. So it can produce a fast loop with fast speed and high spin, but not a slow loop with slow speed and high spin. A high-level player can also produce more topspin on a good loop than Robo-Pong can."

Aerobic Conditioning "One of the least recognized advantages of using a robot is that you can use it to develop your aerobic conditioning. If you set the robot to oscillate (so you have to move your feet) and at a frequency rate that you can keep up with for at least 20 minutes, you can get true aerobic conditioning by keeping your heart rate elevated for an extended period of time. This is very difficult to do with a human partner, for instance, because you must stop at the end of each rally. Using a robot for your aerobic conditioning kills two birds with one stone: you improve your aerobic condition while at the same time you improve your table tennis specific skills."

A Ton of Fun-All Year Round "Table tennis really is a year round game-and not just for the cold winters. But with a robot it's easier to have fun playing during all seaons. It's a great way to get inside the air conditioning, beat the heat, and enjoy a fun summertime hobby (besides getting a leg up on playing partners who may tend to play more during colder months)."

A Great Investment "I do not know of any disadvantage to using a robot. However, the robot is limited in what it can do. As long as you keep in mind that the robot is not the complete answer, just a part in the puzzle, you will enjoy your practice and reap many benefits from its use. And a well-maintained Robo-Pong will last years. It's a great investment and worth every penny."

Newgy Industries is beginning a series of special offers-only for our newsletter readers. This time you'll get 72 high quality 2 Star balls FREE if you order any Robo-Pong robot by Friday July 8th (a $42 value). All you have to do is add any one of our robots to your shopping cart at Robo-Pong.com or Newgy.com. When you checkout and get to the Review My Order page, you will see an input field for coupon codes at the bottom of the page. Type in "72FREE" (don't include the quotes) and press the Apply button. You'll then see this free item in your cart before you hit the final Submit button. Alternatively, you can also call in your order at 800- 55-NEWGY and give the operator the above coupon code.

And remember, you can break your Robo-Pong payment into 4 installments with our Easy Pay Plan (no extra charges-so you essentially get free credit).

email: newgy@newgy.com

phone: 1-800-556-3949

web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=gblsflbab.0.faoci6n6.g4nmd6n6.536&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.robopong.com