How to choose a ping pong racket?
As with other products on the market, you will find very different models that can complicate the decision a bit. At the time of purchase, do not forget to pay attention to the following characteristics:
The material
Ping pong rackets are usually made of wood, but official ITTF regulations allow it to also contain a small percentage of another material, such as carbon fiber. To be a standard competition racket, the blade must be composed of at least 85% wood, and the additional materials must be less than 7.5% of the total thickness.
The shovels usually have 5 or more thin layers of wood or other material. The 5- and 7-ply paddles are the most common on the market and these things make them the best ping pong racquet in India, and the mix of soft and hardwoods and other composite materials help create the performance of a paddle.
The main difference between carbon and wood is predictability. Wood is a natural material and therefore it is not uniform in nature. Although all blades must be made of at least 85% wood, the small percentage of carbon fiber will add a little more predictability to the blade.
The sheet
The side of the blade that is used to make contact with the ball must be evenly covered with rubber. A single layer of non-cellular rubber can be natural or synthetic, with evenly distributed peaks, with a density between 10 and 30 per square centimeter.
The sheets may have a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of rubber with a thickness of less than 2 mm. The thickness and density of this layer of rubber affect the speed of the ball.
Rackets can have two different rubber liners on each side of the blade, or they can have the same front and back. The ITTF added the color rule so that opponents can tell which side you are using and anticipate speed and spin.
The handle
The handle of a ping pong paddle is attached to the blade and can be found in different shapes and lengths. The most used are the rectum, the anatomical, or the flared. Choosing one or the other depends on your personal preferences.
- The Penhold handle is a short handle widely used by Chinese and Hong Kong table tennis players. It is ideal for serving and returning service, as well as offering greater freedom of movement for the wrist.
- The flared handle tends to be a bit longer than the Penhold, and is well suited for beginning players because the flared ends help the paddle stay firm in the hand. Flared handles are also better suited for players who don’t vary their grips often, and are ideal for forehand dominant players.
- The straight handles are better suited to players who change their grips. However, it is more likely to slip in your hand, making it slightly more difficult to control. Most professional players use straight handles.
The size
Although rackets are usually similar in size, they can be customized for size, shape, or weight, as long as the blade is flat and stiff.
That said, the racket typically averages 6.5 ” long by 6 ” wide.
These are the most suitable dimensions for most styles of play.
The style of play
The way the racket is held also determines the type of handle and blade it should have. There are two main ways to hold a table tennis bat:
- Penhold grip. As we’ve seen before, it involves holding the paddle like a pen or pencil. It is a grip that was once popular with Chinese gamers, but is now much less common.
- Shakehand grip. It is a simple grip that uses the index finger extended on the rubber and the rest of the fingers closed around the handle. It allows a uniform distribution of power on both forehand and backhand shots and is used by many European professionals.
When choosing a ping pong paddle, look for a handle that suits your grip. The penhold grip requires a short handle, while the shakehand grip requires a longer handle (which can be straight, flared, or anatomical).
