BAT ADVICE

BAT ADVICE

Table Tennis as a sport is unusual in that the equipment has a very significant influence on how a player performs.

Similar to sports such as Formula One Motor Racing a technical advancement in the equipment can mean the difference to winning or losing. Taken to the extreme European and World Championships have been won by players using ground breaking equipment that has propelled them from relative table tennis obscurity to major title success!!

At TOPSPIN Sports we are always looking for the best possible equipment and new technological developments to help take your game to new heights. We realise as players our selves how individual each player’s style is and how important it is to find the best suited combination of blade and rubbers to complement each player’s unique individual style.

Please see below a very broad outline of factors you might possibly want to take into account when choosing your rubbers and blades. Each rubber and blade on the TOPSPIN website has been categorised using the following classifications below. If you would like any additional advice we would be happy to help.

Please email hello@topspintt.com including a description of your playing style and playing standard.

PIMPLE IN

The rubber sheets playing surface is smooth and the pimples are within the rubber facing the sponge. Pimple In is the most commonly used type of rubber sheet. The Pimple In rubbers versatility allows an extensive variety of stroke play. Offensive Pimple In rubbers generate high levels of speed for powerful strokes and forceful spin.

The pimples are facing out and are part of the playing surface. They are generally very fast but the ability to impart spin is less than Pimple In rubbers. Short pimple rubbers are used by speed players that play a fast attacking game close to the table.

The pimples are facing out and are part of the playing surface. The pimples are longer which decreases speed and causes spin reversal on contact of the ball to the rubber. The pimples flex; under the balls weight and pressure and they produce deceptive returns that are difficult to read and respond to. Long pimples are often used by defensive players who require the control and spin reversal.

Pimples facing in with practically no surface grip. The lack of grip makes anti-spin an ideal choice for receiving heavy spins and powerful hits. However, it is practically impossible for you to generate any ‘real’ spin using anti. The spin that your opponent imparts is effectively reversed or removed when you return it - hence the name anti-spint;. Many Anti-Spin rubbers also absorb a lot of the pace of
the ball, which can disrupt the rhythm of the opponent’s game. These rubbers are often used in combination with a spinny pimple in rubber to provide a huge contrast between the shots played with the different sides.

The Sponge of the rubber is available in different thicknesses. Generally the thicker the sponge results in an increase in Speed and Spin when playing topspin shots but a decrease in Control. The reverse is true when playing backspin defensive play and a decrease in sponge thickness results in an increase in backspin.

The tradition colour for table tennis rubbers is either red or black. Which colour to use on either backhand or forehand is down to personal choice but many top professional players use the black rubber on their forehand side. On 1st October 2021 a major rule change was introduced to table tennis where additional colours
pink, violet, green, blue along with the traditional red can be used on one side of the bat in combination with a black rubber on the other.

The ball stays on the rubber a fraction of second longer due to the softness of the rubber sponge which results in more ball control and feeling but results in a slight loss of speed. Soft rubbers are easy to use and often have a distinctive sound when you hit the ball. An example of a soft sponge rubber from our range is Donic Bluestorm Z3 rubber

The ball rebounds almost immediately from the rubber due to the hardness of the sponge which results in increased speed but less ball control. The majority of top professional players use rubbers with hard sponge due to the increased speed possibilities and the slight loss in ball control is not as pronounced due to the many hours of practice perfecting their ball control. An example of a hard sponge rubber is Donic Bluestar A1 rubber

The standard sponge offering a happy medium between the Soft rubbers ball control and Hard rubbers increased speed. An example of a medium sponge rubber is Donic Bluefire M2 rubber SURFACE The elastic properties of the top sheet of the rubber determines the control of the ball and the characteristics of the rubber. The main categories for the top sheet of Pimple In rubbers are:

These rubbers are not fast, but provide excellent grip and ball control. Due to the weak elasticity of the rubber, the grip can only develop its effect on topspin when slow balls are played.

These rubber sheets offer good control and due to the sticky nature of the rubber offer enhanced Spin opportunities against slow balls.

These rubbers develop spin elasticity even at low speeds giving you more control.

Slightly sticky rubber sheet with very good spin dynamics and ball control when playing at high speeds. The rubber sheet of these have been developed by using very sophisticated technology.

Fast offensive rubbers where speed rather than spin is the predominant characteristic. The rubber sheet is suited to fast aggressive players.

Rubber sheets that have the speed of the offensive elastic rubbers but with additional spin characteristics. Spin Elastic rubbers are the choice of rubber sheet for today's top table tennis professional players.

The handle comes in either straight, concave, anatomic or pen hold. The choice of handle is purely down to personal taste and there is no ‘best’ handle. Straight handles are generally held more loosely, while concave and anatomic handles are held relatively firmly. The penhold handle is used by players who grip the blade in the penhold grip rather than the shake hand grip.

WEIGHT
Again down to personal preference. Generally the lighter blades have more control and feeling and the heavier ones have more speed. The majority of table tennis blades weigh between 80 to 90 grams.

Elastic:
You can really feel the contact between the ball and blade, often with a vibration. An example is the defensive blade the DONIC Defplay Senso.

Balanced contact between blade and ball with no vibration. Excellent control for all-round play and when combined with spin elastic rubber fantastic offensive possibilities. An example is the DONIC Appelgren Allplay

You can still feel the contact between the elastic blade and the ball, but this blade is also stiffer and faster than a control-elastic blade. An example is the DONIC Waldner Carbon Senso.

The vibration has been reduced to a minimum which results in increased speed. These blades are very fast. An example is the DONIC Original True Carbon.

There is virtually no vibration and the predominant characteristic of this blade type is speed! They are not always easy to control but offer un-paralled speed and aggressive offensive play possibilities. An example is the DONIC Original Carbo Speed.