The last thing you want after a hard table tennis robot drill is a floor littered with balls, and while robot nets capture many, the likelihood is that a good chunk ends up on the floor.
These take ages to pick up, ruin your momentum, and increase the chance of developing backache. So don’t use your hands and a bucket to pick up balls! Use a pickup net instead!
A pickup net quickly gathers all of these balls so you can get back to your drills and focus on improving, not on clean-up.
The best table tennis ball pickers are:
- Best overall: Frjjthchy adjustable table tennis ball picker
- Easiest to dispense: Ping Pong Ball Buddy V6
- Best Scoop-style net: JOOLA telescoping table tennis ball pickup net
Why You Should Trust Table Tennis Spot
Table Tennis Spot specializes in table tennis. Unlike other websites, we don’t write about a broad range of sports; we focus on what we know better than anyone else, ensuring you get guides with the most reliable information.
For this guide, we consider table tennis ball pickers based on the following criteria:
- Capacity
- Ease of use
- Adjustability
- Durability
- Warranty
The Best Table Tennis Ball Pickers in 2023
Frjjthchy Adjustable Table Tennis Ball Picker — Best Overall
Pros
- 160-ball capacity
- Rod length is adjustable
- Rod angle is adjustable
- Uses springs to capture balls
- 10x 3-star balls included
Cons
- Frame is not very strong
- Net feels cheap
- Minor assembly required
As soon as I saw the 160 ball capacity, I knew the Frjjthchy ball picker would be in the running for the top position, and what can I say? My assumption was correct. This ball picker houses more balls than any other and functions exactly as it is intended.
While the net feels fairly cheap and is not rigid like the product photo, it doesn’t matter as functionality rules here, not appearance. The aluminum rod extends from 23 inches to 44 inches, so there’s no need to bend down, even if you’re a giant!
And what I like in particular about the rod is that it is adjustable. You can set it at an angle so that you don’t have to be right over the balls to collect them, as you do with many other models.
Another positive is that the capture mechanism uses springs rather than nylon string. This undoubtedly means that the unit will last for a very long time.
Of course, the Frjjthchy ball picker isn’t perfect. The net could be higher quality, as could the frame, but ultimately it’s a very effective ball picker and my top recommendation.
Read more: How To Choose and Buy Good Ping Pong Balls
My Ping Pong Buddy Ball Picker V6 — Easiest to Dispense
Pros
- Very easy to collect balls quickly
- 90-day warranty
- Curved handle
- Includes spare strings and two balls
- Features a funnel to release the balls
Cons
- Lower capacity than some models
- More durable options are available
Ping Pong Buddy has been making table tennis ball collectors for a while, so they’re a reliable brand. Their V6 ball picker represents an improvement on their older model featuring a thicker shaft.
It functions very similarly to the Frjjthchy ball picker. You press the device into the ground and the balls pop from the floor and into the basket. However, where the Frjjjthchy uses springs, the Ping Pong Buddy instead uses eight strings. These work very well, requiring only soft pressure for the table tennis balls to slip through. However, we wonder how they will fair with repeated use over a few years.
But besides durability, we are highly impressed. We found the 50-degree head-to-pole angle perfect for collecting balls. We didn’t have to bend down at all. The pole also extends from 23.75 inches to 39 inches which is more than enough.
The funnel at the top of the net also provides an easy means to transfer the balls from the picker to your robot or tub for multiball training. In the past, I’ve certainly been guilty of spilling balls over the floor and having to pick them up again! So it’s nice to know there’s no such issue with the Ping Pong Buddy Ball Picker V6.
JOOLA Telescoping Table Tennis Ball Pickup Net — Best Scoop-Style Net
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Retractable handle
- 100-ball capacity
- Great for hard-to-reach spots
- 1-year warranty
Cons
- Takes a while to get the scooping motion down
- Easy to spill balls when transferring them to your robot
The JOOLA telescoping net is the first simple scoop-style ping pong ball retriever on this list. Like the others we have covered, it has an extendable handle. When retracted the net measures 30″, but you can extend it up to 50″, making it the longest net on this list.
What I like about this ball picker is that it is cheap, well-built, and features a quality nylon net. It’s great for getting to those hard-to-reach spots such as balls that are under the table, and it can also house around 100 balls which is very respectable. However, I have to say that I prefer using the Frjjthchy ball picker and Ping Pong Buddy ball picker. This is because pressing down on balls for collection is much easier than scooping them up.
While you collect most of the balls using the scooping method, a fair share gets away from you, extending your reloading time between training drills.
Of course, it’s not a big issue. And considering JOOLA’s telescoping net is half the price, there is certainly an argument to be made for picking it up (no pun intended).
TNZMART Adjustable Ping Pong Ball Picker
Pros
- Rod length is adjustable
- Rod angle is adjustable
- Three versions available
- 120-ball capacity
- 90-day warranty
Cons
- Rod is easily damaged
- Net feels cheap
The TNZMART ping pong ball catcher is a lot like the model by Frjjthchy as it shares a similar design. However, it’s important to recognize that there are three versions available.
The first has a fixed rod which means you have to be right next to the balls. Otherwise, your angle will be too indirect for gathering. The capture mechanism also uses nylon which is not that durable.
Option two keeps the nylon capture mechanism but allows for head angle adjustability — a definite upgrade.
Yet option three keeps the adjustable head and switches out the nylon string for durable springs. As such, it is easily the best of the three options. This is the model that is most like the Frjjthchy ball picker.
However, we did find that the metal pole is rather fragile — more so than the rest. On the other hand, this ball picker is cheaper than the Frjjthchy and My Ping Pong Ball Buddy Picker, so if you want a model that you easily press gently on the balls for collection, this could be the right one.
Butterfly Ball Amigo
Pros
- Retractable handle
- ~100-ball capacity
- Great for hard-to-reach spots
Cons
- Takes a while to get the scooping motion down
- Easy to spill balls when transferring them to your robot
The Butterfly Ball Amigo is another type of scooping ping pong ball picker-upper, just like the model by JOOLA. It, too, can expand and collapse, making it easy to use and transport as required.
We placed this model lower than JOOLA’s because it is not quite as robust (it weighs just 220 g) and is 50% more expensive. Such is the way of Butterfly products!
There’s also no mention of a warranty, whereas JOOLA’s net has a 1-year warranty period. Therefore, unless you’re a Butterfly fanatic, the JOOLA pickup net is the logical choice if you want a regular scoop-style net.
Newgy Pong-Pal
Pros
- Includes velcro strap for storing under the table
- Includes two replacement bands
- Separates into two sections for easy transport
Cons
- Only holds 23 balls
- Not very efficient
- Expensive for a simple piece of kit
Although the Newgy Pong-Pal may look like the coolest table tennis ball picker-upper of the bunch, it is by far the least effective. The problems begin with its 23-ball capacity. Most of the others are around 100+ balls, so it’s by no means efficient. Moreover, you must be very precise in collecting the balls, approaching each individually and collecting them from an almost upright angle. This makes the collection process lengthy and tedious.
The main positive, in my opinion, is the velcro straps which conveniently store the ball picker on the underside of the table. However, such a quality pales in comparison to the importance of how the ball picker actually functions. I also consider the Newgy ball picker to be overpriced for what it is, which is essentially two plastic tubes with a nylon string on the end.
Ultimately, while it’s true the Newgy Pong-Pal will save your back from picking up balls, it is many times slower and more tedious than any of the other ping-pong ball pick-up tools on this list.
Why You Should Buy a Ball Picker
Ever play table tennis with a robot or perform multiball drills? Then you know the hell that is a hall that’s riddled with hundreds of table tennis balls.
Sure, playing table tennis is a lot of fun, but picking up the balls isn’t, and you simply cannot avoid it.
This is where ball pickers come in. They allow you to collect these loose balls much quicker than going around with your hands and an empty bucket.
Anyone using lots of table tennis balls per session should consider picking one up. They will save you a lot of time and allow you to train on the table for longer periods.
Table Tennis Ball Picker Buying Guide
Reach
The ultimate goal with table tennis ball pickers is to do the reaching for you to save your back. Therefore you might think that all ball pickers have stellar reach — but you’d be wrong.
Most units have an extendable handle which gives you good reach, but the angle you need to approach the ball to use each picker is more often an issue. Some have a curved frame allowing you to pick up balls from any angle. However, for many, you must approach the ball from a near-vertical position, minimizing its effectiveness.
Capacity
When picking up table tennis balls off the floor, you want to be efficient so that you can get back to training as quickly as possible. Therefore owning a ball picker with a high capacity is one of your top priorities.
Ideally, you want to collect all of the ball in one fell swoop. And with the most accommodating ball pickers, you can. The ball pickers on this list range from around 23 balls to 160.
Durability
Ball pickers don’t get put through the same punishment as say your rubbers, so they should last a very long time. However, some ball pickers are certainly more robust than others.
The first type of ball picker is a standard net where you scoop the balls up. These are the more durable of the two. However, they are often subjected to more heavy-handed use, which can cause their frames to bend.
The second type of ball picker uses elasticated rope at the bottom. Over time and with repeated use, such material degrades and loses its ability to stretch or simply becomes frayed.
Therefore, regarding durability, I expect standard scoop nets to last longer than the two. However, I do feel they are less effective at getting the job done.
How to Make A Ping Pong Ball Collector
While we have covered several excellent ball pickers, you might want to have a crack at making your own. It’s certainly a straightforward DIY project. Below is a video to help you on your way.
Closing Thoughts
Table tennis ball pickers are superb accessories to enhance your table tennis training sessions. If you’re using large quantities of balls you’ll find that picking them up off the floor is a real pain and can be a bit demotivating. Yet with ball pickers, the process is quick and easy, so consider purchasing one.
To recap, our favorite table tennis ball picker is the model by Frjjthchy. With its robust springs and 160-ball capacity, you can collect all of your balls in one go before dispensing them, and you can be confident that it will last for a long time.
Related post:
- Table Tennis Ball Catch Nets
- 5 Best Ping Pong Robots: Pros, Cons, Review
- Ping Pong Accessories: The Ultimate Guide
Alex Horscroft
Freelance writer. Table tennis enthusiast. Lover of all things online. When I’m not working on my loop game I’m probably binge-watching some fantasy show.
