A player steps to the ping pong table and uses the handshake grip, grasping the table tennis racket as he would the hand of an old friend. Teamed with the table tennis blade (paddle), he evaluates the competition. Then, with fierce determination, the game of table tennis begins - blade vs. blade - as each side battles to claim the 11-point victory.
The Weapon of Choice
The table tennis blade is chosen to block, hook, smash, drive, flip, and slice. The proficiency with which a player performs is based on the construction and engineering of the ping pong blade.
A wooden table tennis blade with rubber sheet on one or both sides was once the only choice. But advanced technology has combined carbon layers with wood layers, giving power shots more margins for error. Kevlar, arylate, aluminum, fiberglass, and titanium represent some of the additives that enhance table tennis blade performance. This state-of-the-art creation can produce a super-powered table tennis blade engineered for quick attack.
Addressing the Blade
Table tennis blades are usually constructed of thin slices of veneer. Basswood, spruce, mahogany, walnut, balsa, and cypress are some of the preferred woods for table tennis blades. The veneer and rubber assemblies of the table tennis blade determine the speed of the Stiga ping pong ball and success in executing shots.
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The International Table Tennis Federation requires that at least 85% of the blade thickness be wood. There are no limitations on dimensions of the ping pong blade. Wood or carbon oversized table tennis blades offer a maximum strike surface. Size and construction variables of the table tennis blade determine the sweet spot, or the center of percussion.
Reaping the Benefits
Attributes of the table tennis blade determine speed. Manufacturers list ratings on all table tennis blades.
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Speed 5 and below for those developing their game
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Speed 6-7 for control of topspin and limited offensive shots
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Speed 7-10 for attack players
A player's style and power determine the weight of the blade needed. Low-speed table tennis blades provide higher control ratings.
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76 grams or less: most speed and spin from the first shot launched.
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77-89 grams: light enough for speed and geared toward attacks and blocks
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90 grams or more: more stable with speed after acceleration; good for topspin attack shots
