When you step into the world of Ping Pong, you have no idea how this recreational, fun providing game can turn, unknowingly turn into a passion. It would give hardly a hint to your mind to make it realise that much before you actually realise it, the craze for Ping Pong would have already captured your mind. And, once you get engrossed in this game, you’d leave no stone unturned before you can establish yourself as a pro of Ping Pong.
But, passion demands dedication, and dedication requires skill training, and skill training hits the need for requirement of proper equipment. Choosing a paddle that suits your game the best is a match in itself. You need to check every box that matches your requirements before getting the paddle for yourself.
We’ve made it easier for you. We’ve tried paddles for all the levels of playing and have brought for you a simple criterion to know which paddle would suit your game the best. Keep scrolling and screening down this article to know more. Also, when you get the specifications matching your game-level, you can hop into pingpongbeast.com to get personalised reviews on a collection of the best paddles for every playing style. Although it’s never about just one paddle, and you might want to keep changing paddles eventually, but it’s always these little things that would help you reach the best kind of paddle every time.
Each paddle features these core pieces-A blade, handle, forehand sponge and rubber, and a backhand sponge and rubber. You can choose every single one of these individually. Each of these components has their special contributions to the game and so, are significant in the decision-making process of buying a paddle. Let’s know what other features can help you decide.
Performance Rating
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Half of the paddle’s performance lies in its ratings. You can always look out for the paddle’s speed, spin and control rating to start with your decision making.
Speed or power is one of the most important things for Offensive players. Powerful paddles are great for smashing. For those who stay a couple of feet away from the table during playing Ping Pong, high speed rating paddles are the best. All the paddles are rated out of 10 or 100 for their performances. Those scoring high on power or speed are often not acceptable to defensive players. Also, high speed-rating paddles are really low in control, and hence, are tough to handle for beginners.
Spin
In the most basic perspective, the back of a Ping Pong paddle is thought to be of lesser speed-providing, but great for spins. A paddle that is great with spins does so by effectively gripping the ball for a longer duration of time than the front of the paddle. Better grip by the paddle often results in better spins. This is where the role of rubber comes in. A good quality rubber can really boost up the spin (and the speed), while a poor quality one does nothing but weakens one’s spin potential, and the game, eventually.
Paddles with great spin ratings are highly reactive, and hence, not at all apt for a beginner’s hand.
A great spin rating also sometimes means that the speed would be equally great.
Control
A paddle good with control is the most desirable factor for the players that are just stepping into the world of Ping Pong. Practically speaking, a Ping Pong paddle with a good control rating would aid your serves and returns. You cannot, although, expect a great spin or power from these paddles. You’d have to compromise on your speed and spin to get a decent control rated paddle. Paddles designed to have good control have pimples and have a decent tackiness. So, you need to look out for that if you are indeed a control freak.
Parts Of The Paddle
The market is filled with Ping Pong paddles that come pre-assembled. Brands like Stiga, Killerspin and a few more manufacture awesome paddles of that kind, but there are players who find it better to customise their own paddle. For that matter, you get a wide range of prototypes to choose from to suit your own needs and get your paddle accordingly. Even if you are a beginner, there is no harm in knowing the core features that every paddle is constructed of. This knowledge will help you know your game and your paddle better. All in all, the thing that’s to be noted here is the fact that the construction of a Ping Pong paddle has a direct effect on the performance rating of the paddle. So, always make sure that you know your paddle, really really well!
Blade
It’s the core that holds the paddle strong. Aside from the rubber, Ping Pong paddle’s blade is one of the things that’s really important for a player to choose. Blades are crafted of wood basically, but with the developing technology, carbon paddles are really into trend. How the paddle’s core is, contributes a lot to the paddle’s performance rating.
Rubber
The rubber covers the paddle’s blade and contributes a lot to how the ball bounces on the paddle. The colour of the paddle’s surface is pretty much coordinated. This helps the player to look up to the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. Changing the rubber at regular intervals keeps one’s game strong. Worn out rubber deteriorates the game.
Handle
The handle is yet another feature of a Ping Pong paddle that’s customisable. There are a number of handle styles. Some of the handles are named after the kind of grip a player would have on the paddle. For instance, the Japanese PHJ is named after the grip, and it’s basically triangular at the bottom. Flared handles are fluid at the top and flare out towards the bottom. Professional players choose flared paddle mostly as these tend to help to control the slipping away of the paddle. Straight handles, as the name suggests, stay straight through and through. If you have good control on your grip, you might opt-in for the straight handles. Anatomic handle style is one of the most popular ones in the present times. These are ergonomic, fitting perfectly to the contour of the grip.
Playing Style
The playing style that a player possesses also pretty much contributes to the choosing of a paddle. For defensive players, who don’t necessarily need to have a bashing speed or power unlike offensive players, need to have lesser of speed and spin and more of control. They need to have paddles featuring rubber that is pimpled and has great tackiness. Tacky rubber gives more control to the player and holds the ball better. Gaining defensive attributes leads proportionally to the sacrifice of speed and spin.
Offensive players need to have a great deal of speed and spin in the paddles. Paddles suitable for these players are mostly crafted out of harder natural wood. A carbon fibre layer may or may not be used which catalyses the power even more. Here again, the player would have to compromise with the control and a decreased reaction and gripping time. Offensive players need to look out for paddles rated in 9’s or 90’s in the rating scale.
All-round players must choose a paddle that sits straight in the middle of all these features. Perhaps, a 7’s or 70’s rated paddle would do, with a medium speed and spin and decent control.
Conclusion
To conclude, here’s a nut-shelled description of what paddle to choose. Firstly, if you are serious about your game, you must choose a paddle that is ITTF approved. Next, make sure you check three boxes- quality, quality and quality. Compromising on quality would only lead you to lose your paddle and you game real soon. Go ahead and get a paddle that feels comfortable to hold (neither too heavy, nor too light), and get one from a reputed seller that provides you with a decent warranty on the product. Once you have got a good seller, go ahead and choose a paddle that suits your style the best. For more insight on the best paddles, you can always look out for a detailed review.