Hey guys, today I have come up with the guide on how to choose a Ping Pong Paddle. If you’re reading this then, you’re on the correct place. Before starting the guide, I want you to acknowledge that there are lots of names for a ping pong paddle. Because of which many get confused such as paddle, racket, bat or racquet as Table tennis controlled by the International Table Tennis Federation, but the official ITTF calls it a table tennis racket. In this guide, you will get every detail that you need to know about buying a ping pong paddle. So here we go!
What Ping Pong Paddle Made?
If you’re wondering over ping pong paddles then, you must know the components that go into it. When it comes to purchasing it, it is not an extremely interesting part, but knowing the different parts of a ping pong racquet will be helpful to select the right one for playing as well as skill level.
How to Choose a Ping Pong Paddle A Complete Guide
First Blade: One of the essential parts of a paddle is the blade that made up of wood. According to the official regulations from the ITTF, it contains a small percentage of other fibrous material such as carbon fiber and compressed paper. But for competition standard, ping pong paddle should be 85% wood and less than 7.5% of the total thickness.
Rubber: There are two types of rubber ordinary pimpled rubber and sandwich rubber. Ordinary pimpled rubber is known as pip rubber, and it is a single layer of non-cellular rubber. It comes with a natural or synthetic evenly distributed pimple. Whereas a single layer of cellular rubber comes cover with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber.
2-Faced Rubber: You will have two different rubber coatings on each side, but you can choose the front and back of the bat the same. Also, you can look for the ITTF logo on the rubber as it is competition standards. Moreover, the color of the rubber will be black on one side and red on the other.
Handle: Handle can be straight, anatomic, flared or penhold, covered or uncovered, short or long attached to the blade. There is no such regulation it is totally up to you.
Penhold: It is for a short handle for those players who are looking for the penhold grip. Penhold makes the player remain flexible which allows more spin and keeps paddle close to the table. But it will be difficult to apply backhand spin.
Flared Handle : It is common type of handle which is longer than the penhold handle. Also, it will be best for beginner players because the flared ends help the paddle stay firmly in the hand of the player. It comes with the low- to mid-priced paddles, so you don’t have to dip or break into your savings. Furthermore, it is perfect for those who use front hand play predominantly.
Straight Handle: If you frequently change your grips then, the straight handle is ideal for them. It is likely to slip from the hand which makes slightly harder to control. However, most of the professional player chooses straight handles. There are not many straight handled table tennis paddles out there in the market. But you will get the intermediate bats such as the Killerspin Kido 7P that comes with a choice of flared or straight handle. If you opt to buy a blade and customize, you will have more choice on a paddle.
Anatomical Handle: If you are looking for comfort that feels natural in your hand then, Anatomical handles is ideal for you. Similar to the flared handles, Anatomical handle is well suited for players that keep the same grip.
Square and Rounded Handle: Almost all the paddles have rounded handles where the edge of the handle is curved. In contrast to the square handle, the rounded handle allows a player to instantly flip the paddle around as well as it feels nice in hand.
Grip Tape: Most of the players use a racket with a grip on the handle that provides better control. If you want then, you can add the handle grips on your handle.
Glue: The rubber of Table tennis is attached to the blade using glue. There are specific types of glue used in ping pong. The glue is called speed glue used by professionals before a match so that to boost the elasticity of the rackets.
Side Tape: Now, we have come to the final part of the ping pong paddle which is the side tape or edge tape. It seals and covers the edges of the rubber and the edge of the blade. But the thickness depends totally on the thickness of the blade and rubber. Usually, players use power tape to add weight to the ping pong bat.
Aggression level: Following are the Table tennis aggression
- Defensive
- All-rounder (or Counter-Attacking)
- Aggressive (also called Offensive, Attacking)
- Almost all the beginners and intermediates players use an all-rounder style of play. The more aggressive paddle is the heavier the racket but for a beginner a mid-weight racket.
Speed, Spin and Control: Since there are tons of ping pong paddle options available out there so it might be impossible to find the right one. But there are three main functions of a ping pong paddle those are speed, spin, and control. So thick rubber will give more speed whereas thin rubber will have less speed.
Ping Pong Paddles for Beginners: Beginners needs a reliable bat that allows advancing new skills and improves the game too. So here are some of the best bats for beginners:
- For a smooth grip and focus on forehand play – Flared handle
- If you want lightweight and low aggression – 5-plywood blade
- If you are looking for maximum control and low spin – thin rubber
Best Paddles For Intermediate Players: You should find a paddle that suits your playing style. STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket, Diamond Stallion Ping Pong Paddle, Killerspin JET800 are some of the paddles to name a few.
