When it comes to the endeavours to bridge the gap from social to pro table tennis, PingPod is the latest innovation to make strides in the field. PingPod CEO Max Kogler is a passionate table tennis player and enthusiast with plenty of business experience. He joined us for Episode 10 of the Talkin’ Smash Podcast!

We had the chance to talk about the conceptualization of PingPod – the automated, app controlled private table tennis pods. Max detailed the lengthy process and challenges of getting the idea to become a reality. We also spoke about the highs and lows of navigating a global pandemic.

It was great to chat more about different tech concepts, like the replay button. This allows players to capture their last rally with simply the push of a button. We also spoke about the coaching structure of PingPod and how the process has expanded to bring a larger range of coaches into the pods.

When it comes to the gap from social to pro table tennis, Max shared many sentiments which plague the sport. PingPod aims to make the sport more accessible. They have shed away the potentially intimidating elitism of professional clubs. Sometimes the pro environment can turn off people who just want to pick up a racket and play for fun.

There was plenty of passionate discussion on the topic, obviously a very important one. For that reason the podcast is the longest one yet! Also threw in a highly entertaining break segment for this one too.