Racket Fury has two modes, Arcade and Simulation. In Arcade, assists help make the game easier to play. You can pull off power shots and direct the ball with less effort. Simulation mode, on the other hand, felt like the paddle had way too much power during my first attempts.

I did some reading up on it, and tweaked settings. This eventually led to the comfortable setup I have now. I can successfully pull off power shots, make diving saves and have better control. I want to teach you how to harness your own Racket Fury and become the best! Plus, as a bonus, I’m going to teach you how to fitness hack this game so your heart rate hovers at or near 100.

Get ready!

Adjust Settings

First, I want you to trust in your own mastery and turn off all of the assists so we’re going to need to hit the “Settings” menu from the main screen. Open up the “Paddle” tab to adjust all relevant settings for the type of hold, as well as the game’s assists.

Begin with speed, which affects the power of your strike. Turning speed to 0 ensures your paddle moves more consistently with the real world.

The spin should also be reduced to 0. Don’t worry! Properly angling your paddle should help give you all the potential for the spin you need, so you won’t need this assist.

Finally, I want you to remove your own hand. Your robot hand, that is so that the paddle floats freely in the air. My testing showed that there’s just not a comfortable angle to fit the hand that feels real. You need no cognitive dissonance between your hand and the ball.

Get a Grip

Stay in the “Paddles” menu and adjust the angle of your paddle. Playing with 0 degrees is more accurate you could say, but it really depends on how you hold the paddle. In a standard hold, I prefer a 90-degree angle and a 70-degree angle for a pen hold. At 90 degrees, the paddle looks a lot like the horizontal grip depicted below. At 0 degrees, the paddle is completely vertical and you might need to twist your wrist to get the same hold.

As an aside, I was an avid penholder in my youth but the Vive button placement makes it very difficult to be a penholder for Racket Fury. Sorry, fellow pen holders. You might wish to adapt the standard Western grip for this game. You can get pretty close to duplicating the “straight grip” depicted below, but your thumb and pointer fingers are going to be pressing buttons and have no real place to go.

These values should not be taken to be absolute. The idea is that you want your arm to do all the work with no input from the wrist.  I’ve only tested this game for about five hours, but I progressed the furthest once I’d adjusted to these angles, give or take a few degrees. I intend these values to be the starting point you use to fine tune your grip. The best way to tell the proper angle is to hold a paddle in your hand, make a mental note and then do your best to match that angle in game.

Applying Spin

I spent about an hour in practice mode honing spin. I’m still not perfect, but I can more consistently nail my power shots now thanks to how I move the paddle. First, work on your volley and keep the ball on the offensive with the forehand push. To execute this simple maneuver, you’ll simply push your forearm and connect with the ball as depicted below.

You’ll notice his hand stays steady and he angles the paddle to apply spin to the ball. The friction of the ball striking the sponge, as his forearm pushes, puts enough spin to keep the strike accurate without being overly powerful. Master this technique because a solid understanding of the physics involved here will help you understand the real game-winner: the forearm drive.

The game rewards this awesome technique with a robotic crowd roar, a flame trail, and explosive effects. The first few times you try it will be all fanfare for no payoff, but practice it even a little and you’ll make some amazing shots.

Applying spin is a forward and upward motion, from hip to nose. The speed and form must remain consistent. Those of you who golf might feel that zen-like perfect swing effect when you pick up a paddle and swing it properly.

You use the push to keep the volley going and stop novices who can’t defend without knocking the ball too hard or at too sharp of an angle. It also creates openings for the drive, which you’ll use whenever the ball bounces about chest high at the proper speed to react.

Block Effectively

Let’s talk about blocking, the next fundamental skill. Utilize training mode to set up three shots, one to the left of center (Z 10, X 10), one at center (Z6, X6) and one to the right of center (Z10, X1). Turn power up to 5, and gradually increase to 10, and keep the power accuracy high.

Practice blocking power shots from each side with a simple backhand. Perform a lifting motion with your paddle hand, while keeping the paddle at a 90-degree angle. More or less just bumping the ball. The goal is to make sure your bump doesn’t deflect the ball upward, where your opponent can feel free to try another power shot. Ideally, your block will put the ball just over the net.

Wrap up your training session by putting the cursor at Z6, X6 and telling the bot to play it loose with accuracy. It will fire toward center, but put enough spin on the ball to keep your guessing. Once you can respond and keep a volley going you’re ready for online or the singleplayer Championship mode.

Fitness Hacks

Constant shuffling is key to staying agile and increasing your heart rate. Once you practice the advice above, you’ll swing with force and get a full body workout.

Ping pong is a full-body activity, even though you might think it’s all in the arms. Your body should be water, as Bruce Lee would say. The movement should feel fluid and balanced. Be sure you stretch both before and after your session so you can stay limber.

Also, don’t get discouraged. Maybe Racket Fury’s simulated realism doesn’t work for you even after extensive practice. In that case, hit Arcade mode and get the workout you crave. This game is addicting!

Don’t forget to hydrate either. It will keep your energy levels high and your body active.

Final Thoughts

Please do share Gamertags in the comment sections to find matches with other readers. We all have something in common if we’re here reading the blog. Practice and play frequently. Racket Fury is fun and addictive, but mastery requires a lifetime of skill

I’m not responsible for you buying a real ping pong table, but please invite us over when you do. We’d love to go head to head or play doubles for fun.