Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Best Ping Pong Paddle

One of the most asked question in ping pong or table tennis is “what is the best ping pong paddle?” Similar to my article regarding what the best ping pong table is, greatly depends on your play style. Some players think that by getting one that the current world champion uses, they will somehow become a better player. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.  You need to make sure that the one that you get fits your play style or it will make your game even worse.

Ping pong paddles also known as table tennis rackets, table tennis bats, ping pong rackets, ping pong bats, etc…is the same ping pong equipment regardless of what you call it.

First let’s look at the official International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rules when it comes to ping pong rackets.

The rules state that a ping pong paddle may be of any size, weight or shape, but the blade must be rigid and flat. Most rackets used however are close to around 6 inches (15cm) across and 10 inches (25cm) long including the ping pong handle.

A ping pong racket has two main parts – the blade which can be made of wood, carbon, or both and the larger part of the racket which is the area you hit the ball with.  This is also the area where you would glue the rubber sheet (unless you like to play old school and not use rubber sheets).

There are various handle types to choose from. You can pick a shake hand or western blade grip which has an anatomical, flared, or straight handle.



Or you can get the popular Asian paddles commonly known as the pen hold grip. The pen hold grip has two types, the Chinese and Japanese grip. Try them both and get a feel for which one you prefer. Either way, the one you like the most is the best one for you.



For beginners, I suggest going to your local sports store and buy a pre-made western and pen hold paddles. Play for a few days to find out which grip you prefer.  Once you’ve decided on the type of grip you like, you can then start looking into a customized one. A customized paddle is the only way to play if you’re serious about table tennis. If you only play occasionally with friends outside or in the garage, then a pre-made paddle should suffice.



The reason custom made types are better than pre-made types is due to the flexibility you have when building the ping pong paddle according to your play style. Assembling your paddle gives you a wide range of options. You can have a spinny rubber on one side and an anti-spin on the other. You can also use a fast blade and rubber combination for aggressive attack play. It’s almost like trying to assemble your own bike. You can pick the pieces that you like.

The main companies that create the best ping pong paddles, rubber, and equipment are Butterfly, Donic, Stiga, TSP, Killerspin, Yasaka, and Nittaku.  These companies have been around for a long time and are always researching and developing new table tennis technologies.

These companies have a rating on their products. They tell you if their product is offensive, defensive, or all-around.  You should find the product that best suits your play style. If you like to attack with your backhand, then get an offensive rubber for that side of your ping pong bat. If you like control, then you should get an all-around blade. Think of how you play ping pong and based on that, make the right product purchase that reflect the equipment rating.

By choosing the right rubber and blade combination that fits your play style, you will maximize your success in table tennis matches and find the best ping pong paddle for you.

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