Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, originated in England in the late 19th century. It is both a sport and a leisure activity. In the game, choosing the right racket is essential. There are several models on the market, depending on the capabilities of each. How to choose a ping pong racket? Follow this guide to see the answers. We've also ranked the best ping pong rackets in different price ranges.
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Our selection
"This racket is perfect for training. It can accompany you in your ping-pong practice. You can play all styles of games with this paddle to…"
"This ping pong racket is with a coating suitable for competitions, a sponge of 1.8 mm foam and a blade of 6 mm. It is…"
"The Excell line replaces the Impluse series by offering stiffer racquets for more powerful play. With a carbon insert, this racquet is a very high…"
"This ping pong racket is suitable for the advanced player with an offensive playing style. It has competitive rubbers and woods. It is equipped with…"
This racket is perfect for training. It can accompany you in your ping-pong practice. You can play all styles of games with this paddle to discover your ping pong talent.
16 £ on DecathlonThis racket is made with 7 ply wood and concave handle with 2 mm covers. It weighs 179 grams. As composition, the racket is made of blade 100 % wood rubber of which 50 % is ethylene vinyl acetal, and 50 % is natural rubber and latex.
To protect this racket, it is necessary to put it in a cover to maintain its properties over time. It is also essential to clean it regularly, ideally with TTA Clean rubber. It is important to avoid exposing the racket to bad weather and UV rays. In addition, two tests have already been conducted on the resistance of this racket and on the coating and gluing of the plies. They are all very promising, this is an ultra-resistant racket. You can also play all official ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) competitions with this ping pong racket.
This ping pong racket is with a coating suitable for competitions, a sponge of 1.8 mm foam and a blade of 6 mm. It is made of special wood to have a good grip.
6,71 £ on AmazonThis racket has dimensions 20*15*3 cm and it weighs 180 grams. This product is suitable for tournaments. It has a 1.8 mm foam sponge, a 6 mm thick blade, a special wood for a good grip. This product is not recommended for children under 6 years old, it is recommended to use it under adult supervision. This table tennis racket is designed for both men and women.
At Amazon, this product has two types, the racket with a 1.5 mm thick sponge and the racket with a 1.8 mm thick sponge. The latter is available in the blue color. It has all the qualities of a good support and a fast execution of the movements.
The Excell line replaces the Impluse series by offering stiffer racquets for more powerful play. With a carbon insert, this racquet is a very high end product.
79,95 £ on CdiscountThis product is made with carbon fiber, a 100% carbon insert on the handle/pallet junction increases the stiffness of the racquet for more power in the game. The PHS changes the position of the center of gravity for a better transfer of energy to the tip of the racquet. It is equipped with a FAST SPONGE foam for excellent feel and optimal speed. As a cover, it is equipped with a 6 star performent cover, two ITTF, Off+ wood and 2 mm foam.
This racquet is available in a black color with a carbon fiber type of material. Manufactured by Cornilleau, the dimensions of the racket are 27.8*17.2*1.8 cm and its weight is 170 grams.
This ping pong racket is suitable for the advanced player with an offensive playing style. It has competitive rubbers and woods. It is equipped with carbon fiber layers.
36,80 £ on DecathlonThis racquet is designed for the advanced player with an offensive playing style. It is equipped with the appropriate rubbers and woods for competition. The carbon fiber layers increase the penetration of offensive shots and reduce vibrations. They guarantee great stability by reducing vibrations, which increases the "sweet spot". The racket is with coatings that guarantee an excellent ball rebound.
This table tennis racket weighs 176 grams. Because it is made of rubber and wood, it should not be exposed to UV and moisture. It is important to protect it in a cover. It is also essential to clean your racket regularly to maintain its properties.
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Best entry-level ping pong racquet
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| OUR SELECTION |
Ping pong racket - Pongori
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Ping pong racket - Hudora
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Ping pong racket - Cornilleau
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Ping pong racket - Tibhar
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This racket is perfect for training. It can accompany you in your ping-pong practice. You can play all styles of games with this paddle to discover your ping pong talent.
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This ping pong racket is with a coating suitable for competitions, a sponge of 1.8 mm foam and a blade of 6 mm. It is made of special wood to have a good grip.
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The Excell line replaces the Impluse series by offering stiffer racquets for more powerful play. With a carbon insert, this racquet is a very high end product.
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This ping pong racket is suitable for the advanced player with an offensive playing style. It has competitive rubbers and woods. It is equipped with carbon fiber layers.
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Racquet strength
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Cover type
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Natural rubber
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ITTF / 1.8 or 1.5 mm sponge
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6-star performa 2 ITTF coating, Off+ wood and 2 mm foam
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Rubber
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Comfort of use
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Handle type
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Concave wood handle
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Special wooden concave handle
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Concave wood handle
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Concave wooden handle
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Weight
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179 g
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180 g
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170 g
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176 g
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When buying a new ping pong racket, the first thing to consider is the weight of the product, or more precisely the weight of the blade. The weight influences the lightness and agility when playing.
The lighter models are more for beginners. On the other hand, the heavier models are for players who practice often and professional players. Indeed, you need to have some precision to handle them.
The racquet you are going to buy depends on the style of play. If you're more of an attacker, you should buy a spin racquet. It promotes both ball handling and speed. On the other hand, there is also a bounce racket that is suitable for defensive play. Indeed, it offers an adequate spin grip while being very maneuverable.
Another possibility is the all-round racket. This one is more balanced. It is more or less suitable for both offensive and defensive play.
The covering is also important when choosing a table tennis racket. There are four different types:
On the market, there are two different types of table tennis racket handles. There are the straight handles, the concave handles. The choice between these models depends on how you hold the racket. The straight handle has more of a curved grip. For days on the defensive, it is the most suitable. For the concave handle, the grip is more bent. This is the most common model.
Thus, it is always better to try each type to know which one you are more comfortable with.
The frequency of play is among the great points to consider when choosing a good table tennis racket. So, those who want to day occasionally can look at rackets that offer good control. For regular players, you should focus on control and spin. For intensive players, you should choose rackets with good grip speed and control.
Maintenance is an essential step in keeping a ping pong racket in its original condition for many years. Wooden ping pong bats are more durable, it is just the coating that needs to be protected. However, you should always store the racket in the cover to protect it. This will also prevent it from rubbing against other objects that cause premature wear.
Cleaning is also very important to maintain your table tennis racket. After each training session or match, the surface should be dusted. On the market, there are special products to clean them thoroughly. However, you can simply use demineralized water and wipe it with a sponge.
It is also essential to keep ping pong rackets from any temperature changes, but also from any humidity. Sudden changes in temperature will also damage the coating of the rackets.
Here are some ideas on how to care for your ping pong racket:
For offensive table tennis players, a faster and stronger bat will be needed. Thus, the rackets have special coatings like special rubbers. These are often thicker, with short knobs to make a counter play quickly. This will allow the ball to gain speed so that the opposing team will not be able to stop it.
On the other hand, using a ping pong racket for offense requires real control. With it, the racket tends to give more speed to the ball so that it is uncontrollable. Thus, this type of racket is more suitable for advanced players who already dominate the subject.
The ping pong rackets for the defensive are distinguished mainly by the diameter of its blade. Indeed, the latter is a little larger. Thus, it is slower and one can easily control it. We can easily master the different movements to hit the ball.
Even if this type of ping pong racket is more practical and easy to handle, you need to know the different techniques to use when you are on the defensive. Thus, it is better to have a little experience in the matter to master the grip of the racket and the style of the game.
Professional table tennis rackets are, by its name, intended for competitions, high level players. Because of this, this type of racket is made with a very strong material and assembled with special glue. There are even professional players who order their own ping pong racket customized to their playing style.
Professional ping pong rackets are suitable for fast, controlled strokes with more power. It then gives more feel to the ball. It is then essential to master the game.
Rubber is a very well known material for making table tennis rackets. This material is made in a very special way because it has to take into account both the strength of the shot, different movements as well as the control of the ball.
In addition, rubber has several amazing characteristics such as ball recovery rate and grip. This is important to allow the ball to spin well. We also gain speed with rubber because rubber is less hard.
The most classic wooden snowshoes are very popular on the market. They look more like snowshoes. For specific games, tactical wooden snowshoes are the most used. This model is less known, but professional players like them a lot for their practicality.
We can also mention the wood pen holder which is also a specific pen holder with shaft. Asian athletes are especially attracted to this type of racket. Thus, the ball has more effect. In addition, we can also mention the combi-wood which is by far the most practical for different types of games.
In short, whether the racket is made of rubber or wood, the choice depends on how you play. Both materials are very durable, but if you are a beginner, rubber rackets are better. On the other hand, wooden rackets are more preferable for professionals.
It is a sensational sport
Ping pong is a real sensation sport. Table tennis lovers can perceive more pleasure while playing because a study has shown that the bouncing of the ball on the table makes you feel a real satisfaction. There is always a feeling of victory.
It helps to work on concentration
Ping-pong is both a precision and a speed sport. Thus, it requires absolute concentration from each player. In this way, one has to make an abstraction not to be distracted by the surrounding movements. It is necessary to channel all the attention on the game in order not to lose the objective of the ball. If you want to work on your ability to concentrate, you should take up ping-pong.
It is a real sport
Not sweating while playing table tennis is simply impossible. You can choose the intensity of the game yourself, but ping-pong is a real sport that makes you work several muscles in your arms and feet. This is especially true when you compete. The most amazing thing about ping pong is that it works both your glutes and your cardio.
It's a game of strategy
With ping pong, you have to analyze and strategize. This is the only way to hope to win the game. Indeed, the game goes far beyond the ability to master the shots and receive the balls. Indeed, it is necessary to take control to lead the game. In this, each player must study his opponent's movements to try to predict his next move. It is also necessary to destabilize him so that he is in difficulty.
Accompanies the development of the child
For growing children, ping pong can help them develop their reasoning and analytical skills. Indeed, they will gradually learn to observe, concentrate and develop an effective strategy. On the other hand, ping pong is a sport that works several muscles in the body. It is very beneficial to stimulate the development of the child and to prevent him/her from having a fragile health.
In our opinion, the best brands of ping pong rackets in 2022 are :
Pongori is the reference brand in the field of table tennis. It still produces products that are accessible to all, but with a very remarkable quality.
Hudora is a German brand that was founded in 1919. Its many years of experience speak volumes about the quality of their product. It also manufactures other equipment such as scooters and rollerblades.
The Cornilleau company is of French origin. It was founded in 1946 and since then, it has been constantly improving its products. This is one of the reasons why most of the sports brands in the UK use Cornilleau brand equipment.
Tibhar is internationally recognized as the best ping-pong equipment manufacturer. It is also a German brand whose product quality never fails.
Joola is one of the best German ping pong racket brands with a reputation that has been established since 1952, its creation. Their products always have positive ratings. It receives praise from all over the world because of the quality of their paddle.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Better grip on a ping pong racket
There are many ways to hold a ping pong racket, but the classic grip is the most popular among amateurs. This consists of keeping the handle on the palm and supporting the flat surface with the index finger. On the other hand, there is also the Japanese grip which consists in fixing the handle between the index finger and the thumb and holding the handle with the tips of one's fingers.
Making the table tennis racket more grippy
To give more effect to a strike, the ping pong racket must be more gripping. Indeed, the serrated part of the racket decreases in roughness after some time of use. To make the surface rougher then, you need to put honey on it and rinse it afterwards.
Giving grip to the table tennis racket
Ping pong rackets tend to lose grip after a few uses. If this is the case with your racket, you need to change the coating. Indeed, no product will make your racket as grippy as when it was new. The best solution is to get a new coating. For this, you can use acetone or simply a special product to remove it in hardware stores.
How to give grip to a ping pong racket
To give grip to a ping pong racket, you can use white vinegar. It's especially great for plastics and fairly soft rubbers. This way, you can hold the handles of your equipment more comfortably.
The proper thickness of rackets based on ping pong experience
The thickness of the right racket depends on the level of professionalism of the user. Indeed, a 1.55 mm racket is suitable for a beginner, a 1.7 to 1.8 mm racket is suitable for a user who has played ping-pong for at least one year. Finally, after two years of experience, you can switch to a racket with a thickness of 2 mm.
The customization of the racket depends on the type of ping pong racket itself. Moreover, it also depends on the type of coating and the general style of the handle. After that, you can visit the specialized sites and send the design or photo that you have chosen. The particular coating will be delivered to you only after a few days.
The cost of the ping pong racket depends on its type and quality among other things. However, the minimum cost is 5 euros while the maximum cost goes beyond 100 euros. Professional models are even more expensive with a price that can reach up to 500 euros. Thus, there are ranges for all budgets on the market.
To keep the quality of your ping pong racket, you need to do the proper maintenance. In this, cleaning is one of the most important steps. You need to wash it with wet sponge from the bottom to the top. To wipe it, we use cloth or paper towel. In this way, the coating will keep its impeccable condition for a longer time.
To increase the grip of a ping pong racket, it is necessary to do maintenance periodically, followed by some tips. It is also necessary to wrap it with plastic film when you are not playing it. There are also special products with special sponges to clean the plates. However, you can also use soap and water for cleaning after each use.
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