Missed the ball, but the ball hit me (Swingball)

Member Name: mjw92

Product:	Swingball
Date:	13/09/08 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Partially good gameplay, Customizable

Disadvantages: Safety, scares animals, hard to assemble

Swingball is one of these toys that you just expect to see in some-ones back garden over the summer period. Between most people I know there is a mixed reaction about this product and if I'm truthful I have to side with those who don't particularly like it.

~~ What is Swingball ~~

For those people who muct never step out of the house in summer, here is a brief description of what swingball is.

It is a two player game, where there is a central pole, with a rope attached near the top somewhere. On the end of this rope is a bog standard tennis ball. On the section where the rope is, there are several rings, and depending on which way you hit the ball round the pole, the rope will either go towards the top of the coil, or to the bottom of the coil. The winner is the first person to hit it to their end of the coil.

~~ Problem 1 - assembly ~~

As far as I'm aware, there are three different types of swingball base for assembly purposes and they all come with their own problems.
Firstly is the one with a pole that is simply forced into the ground. Our garden has a particularly hard surface under the grass, and therefore we struggle to push things into our lawn and so this presents a problem. We can't use a mallett as otherwise the pole bends under the pressure, so we currently have to apply as much force as possible.
Secondly, is the hollow base where the pole is inserted to. The problem here is that the base moves around to much, so as you are hitting the ball, the pole itself sways, and you can't play swingball on an unsteady surface.
Finally, there is a weighted base, where the base is filled with either sand or water. The disadvantage is that it makes it incredible heavy to move around one you are finished playing and so this too causes troubles.

~~ The gameplay ~~

The gameplay itself isn't that bad. One player is trying to hit the ball clockwise, the other hits it anti-clockwise. The games can be quite interesting, however Ive never been very good at it, so I haven't enjoyed this as much as this the rest of my family probably have. Though this form of gameplay does present problems too.

~~ Problem 2 - Safety ~~

Players have to move in and out of the balls revolving circle to hit it, and avoid getting struck by it. The ball does move very fast and therefore does hurt if you get your timing wrong, like smaller children probably would do, and therefore can be quite unsafe. On another note, gameplay means that on player can shoot clockwise, which benfeits right handed people, however if two right handed players play, the one aiming anti-clockwise will have a distinct handicap, therefore results can be biased.

~~ Good Features ~~

Besides the gameplay, the other good features include that the height is customizable as you simply remove a pole to lower it and bring back the pole to raise the height again. Also, the big novelty rackets with the honeycomb pattern holes are a novelty item now-a-days and instantly recognisable, which I suppose does show how widely distributed the game is.

~~ Price and Availability ~~

There are so many different versions in different colours of this it is unbelievable. It is available from many places that do outdoor toys, so you should have no problem finding one. As for price, the average is about £15.00 which to me is slightly expensive.

~~ Final Problem - scares pets ~~

The final problem, which is a major one in our house is that it scares all our pets. The cat runs of when he heres the bats, the dog runs inside even when he sees the pole, so animals definitely don't like this item.

~~ Summary ~~

Overall, I have quite a negative view on this product, and I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I can't recommend it, and therefore I'll be gnerous and give it 3*, but it only just scrapes this rating.

Summary: Don't get it unless it's a gift