What weight of table tennis rackets good for me?
? WEIGHT-Most table tennis blades weigh between 70 and 100 grams before rubber is added. As with a tennis racket, golf clubs or baseball bat, the ideal blade weight for you is based on style and strength.
? Light Blades-(under 77 grams) allow quickest racket acceleration. They provide a higher ratio of spin to speed. Medium to very fast light blades are favored for quick attack styles (topspin close to the table play).
? Medium weight blades-(77 to 89 grams) balance some of the extra power and solid feeling of the heavier "power" blades preferred by many combination attacker/blockers, with some of the advantages of lighter blades.
? Heavier weight blades-(over 90 grams) are often more stable when hit off center and once accelerated, produce a higher speed to spin ratio for topspin attacking shots.
Fast, heavy blades-have the greatest power producing potential if accelerated to maximum speed at ball contact.
Table Tennis Racket Rules
The ping pong racket may be of any size, shape, or weight but the ping pong blade shall be flat and rigid. At least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood. An adhesive layer within the blade may be reinforced with fibrous material such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or compressed paper but shall not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35 mm, whichever is the smaller. A side of the blade used for striking the ping pong ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber with pimples outward having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2 mm. or sandwich rubber with pimples inwards or outward having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4 mm. Ordinary pimpled ping pong rubber is a single layer of non-cellular rubber, natural or synthetic, with pimples evenly distributed over its surface at a density of not less than 10 per sq. cm. and not more than 50 per sq.cm 4.3.2 Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber not being more than 2 mm. The covering material shall extend up to but not beyond the limits of the blade, except that the part nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be left uncovered or covered with any material and may be considered part of the handle. The blade, any layer within the blade, and any layer of covering material or adhesive shall be continuous and of even thickness. The surface of the covering material on a side of a blade or of a side of the blade if it is left uncovered shall be matt, bright red on one side and black on the other. Slight deviations from uniformity of color or continuity of covering due to fading, wear, or accidental damage may be ignored provided they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface. At the start of a match and if he changes his racquet during a match, a player shall show his opponent and the umpire the racquet he is about to use and shall allow them to examine it. If a player breaks his table tennis racquet during a game, he shall replace it immediately with another racquet which he has brought with him to the playing area or one which is handed to him in the playing area. A racket shall not be changed in an individual match unless it is accidentally damaged so badly that it cannot be used. If a player changes a racket during an individual match without notification, the umpire shall suspend play and report to the referee. Table Tennis Rackets complying with all requirements of the rules for Hard Bat ping pong rackets shall be legal in all USATT tournaments except the US Open and North American Open Team Championships. Hard Bat rules are shown at www.hardbat.com/ If a player strikes the ball in play with a side of the blade whose surface does not comply with the requirements of the Rules, his opponent will be awarded a point.
How to increase table tennis forehand looping power?
If you are the type of player who has trouble generating power when looping, try out these two tips, and you'll be surprised at the improvement.
First, keep your legs farther apart. Second, contact the ball more from your side.
By following these two tips, you'll automatically put more body weight into the shot. If your basic technique is roughly correct but you don't have good power, these two steps will probably be a huge help.
Table Tennis Rubbers
? Much of the overall speed of your table tennis racket is determined by your ping pong blade. The table tennis rubber, while contributing to the speed of your racket, will primarily function as your source for spin. All table tennis rubbers can be grouped into five different categories. They are:
? Inverted - Inverted table tennis rubbers are able to generate tremendous spin due to their tacky surface. Great for all styles of play from the all-out attacker to the most defensive minded chopper. Inverted is the most versatile rubber type.
? Short Pips - Short pip ping pong rubbers are an inverted sheet of rubber turned upside down. The space between the pimples will help to take some of your opponents spin off of the ball. This will allow you to aggressively attack your opponent¡¯s shots regardless of the oncoming spin. Short pips are great for hitting, blocking and returning serves. However, they are unable to produce as much spin as an inverted sheet of rubber.
? Long Pips - Long pip table tennis rubbers are generally used by players who rely on their opponents to make mistakes. The composition of long pip rubbers is similar to short pip rubbers, but the pips are taller. When your opponent¡¯s ball contacts this surface, the taller pips are easily bent, REVERSING the oncoming spin. This will keep your opponent guessing as to what type of spin is on the ball.
? No Sponge ¨C No sponge table tennis rubber features a short pips top sheet with the absence of sponge. Still adept at nullifying spin, no sponge rubber will produce sharp, crisp strokes with significantly less spin and at a much slower pace.
? Anti ¨C Anti-spin ping pong rubber is an inverted sheet of rubber featuring a very slick top sheet with a ¡°dead¡± sponge layer. The resulting effect is a rubber sheet that is excellent for blocking, returning serves and great for changing the pace. For those that rarely use both sides of the racket during play, anti-spin rubber would be ideal for the backside. Your opponent will generally find himself confronted with a ball with little rotation, or a ¡®knuckle¡¯ ball. This generally will lead to a ball that you can easily attack. A great addition to your arsenal.
Ping Pong Racket "Feel"
The game of table tennis is very much a game of feel and each wood type has its own unique feel that is inherent to the wood. Therefore, we have provided you with this vital piece of information. The ¡°feel¡± is measured by the amount of response or sensation the racket provides at the point of impact. A racket with a ¡®hard¡¯ feel will not offer much response. A ¡®medium¡¯ feel will have a noticeable response while a ¡®soft¡¯ feel will have the most. From a performance standpoint, a ¡®hard¡¯ feel is great for hitters and power play. A ¡®soft¡¯ feel is great for blocking and generating better spin, as the ball remains on the racket longer. A ¡®medium¡¯ feel is the most prevalent and offers the best of both worlds. It is suited for all styles of play.