Press to failure, no spotter needed.
Keep your shoulder blades pinned and elbows tucked around 45 degrees.
Benching on the Smith machine puts the pecs through a standard press while the fixed vertical track handles all the balance, letting you chase reps to true failure with the twist-to-rack hooks as your spotter. The triceps drive the lockout as normal, but none of your effort goes into steering the bar. It earns its place for safe solo pressing and for squeezing out the last reps free weights would make you leave in the tank.
No, it is a different tool. The fixed path removes the stabiliser demand, which means less carryover to free-weight benching but more ability to push the pecs hard without a spotter.
Line the bar up over your mid-chest at the bottom of the press. Because the track is fixed, an inch too far up or down the bench changes your whole pressing angle, so set it carefully.
Twist your wrists to catch the bar on the nearest hooks, that is the machine's built-in spotter. Set the safety stops just above chest height as backup before your first set.
