Tips on playing with Wally
(See our FAQ on WallyRebouner.com for more tips)
Getting the ball to return properly
If you are experiencing problems getting "good" returns or hitting multi-hit rallys from your Wally Rebounder then this section
should help you diagnose the problem and start making progress.
Expectations - It often takes people a few sessions to develop a good and smooth forehand drives and good and smooth forehand
topspin shots so please do not be discouraged if you are having trouble at first. The Wally Rebounder is a great training tool because
it gives you immediate feedback and forces you to use good form. Focus on making one or two really good hits at first over the
number of times in a row you can hit the ball. Focusing on good form in practice will result in consistency and will improve your
overall game.
Paddle Issues - The rubber on your paddle needs to have decent grip on it to generate topspin. You can test this easily by dragging a
ball across the surface and seeing that it has some grip. Do the same thing across the surface of the wally rebounder as a reference
since the rubber we use has very good grip. If your paddle's rubber is slippery compared to the rebounder it is probably time to
replace it or upgrade your paddle.
Setup Related Issues - First, let's make sure your Wally is set up properly. Sometimes the angle of the board is tilted down too far
for that player’s stroke. Advanced players with very strong topspin and/or strong strokes require more tilt. Beginner or
Intermediate strokes often need very little board tilt at all
Our advice is to:
1. Place the tripods very close to the back of the table.
2. Start with the board almost straight up and down with very little to no tilt toward the table.
3. If you get to the point where the rebounded balls are flying off your side of the table then it is usually a good sign that you are
ready to add more tilt to your board.
Stroke related issues - Once you have the board adjusted, if you are still finding that the balls are still going into the net, then it
usually means that you are not generating much or any topspin in your current stroke. This is actually one of the areas where the
Wally Rebounder can very much improve your table tennis stroke, but it takes a little work and some patience as you learn.
Our advice is to watch some online training videos on forehand drive and forehand topspin.
Watch this video from Ping Skills on the basic topspin vs. block stroke. We find that the Wally Rebounder responds very much like
the blocking partner in this video. It doesn't take a lot of topspin, or a particularly heavy hit, but we believe you will see a difference
pretty quickly in the speed and trajectory of the rebounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpVAPPzj3ZI
First ball related issues - The first hit is normally the most challenging for new customers so we usually encourage them to focus on
a good first hit before we have them worry too much about how many balls in a row they can hit. Don't worry, things tend to
progress very quickly once you can get a consistent first hit with a little topspin on the ball. It helps to have a small bucket of balls
close by when starting out.
Our advice is:
1. Remove the net for now (you can add it back as soon as you get comfortable)
2. Stand on the left side of the table between the front edge of the table and the net (assuming right handed)
3. Drop the ball from moderate height to get a nice medium bounce
