Basic ping pong equipment for beginner

Best ping pong equipment for a beginner? A player asked me:

I’ve been playing table tennis for a month with a beginner’s racket (very light and bad quality).

I’ve been told that I should get a heavier racket. What are the basic ping pong equipment that help me improve?

Basic ping pong equipment

Here is the list of basic equipment for new players.

Here are some cheap setups that you can use.

15 USD 2×729 rubbers + Palio 03 Energy Blade

20 USD 2x Palio CJ8000 rubber + Sanwei M8

24 USD 2x Palio CJ8000 rubber + Yinhe N9 Blade

 

You can easily search for them at Aliexpress. (the equivalent of eBay in China)

 

Ball

The table tennis ball is made in Plastic, with a +40 mm diameter (called 40+ Plastic ball). Celluloid ball is no longer used in table tennis. The ball’s weight is 2.7 grams. ITTF certificated 3 stars ball is used in official table tennis competition.

You should use DHS 3-Star D40+ Seamed ABS Balls.

Blade

The blade is the main equipment in table tennis. The blade is made of wood that gives speed, spin to the ball. Chinese coaches emphasize the blade, which decides 80% of your playing style. The blade should give you a good feeling and a clear vibration to your hand.

 

The best blade that helps you improve fast is: Original DHS Hurricane Long 5 plus – blade composition and thickness

Rackets/Paddle

The racket or paddle is the most important piece of equipment. It’s made by combining a blade and 2 rubbers: forehand rubber and backhand rubber.

Backhand Rubber

Backhand rubber is the rubber used on the backhand side. In general, the backhand rubber color is often red. Backhand rubber is often softer, but bouncier than forehand rubber.

Forehand Rubber

Forehand rubber is the rubber used on the forehand side. Forehand rubber has a black topsheet. Forehand rubber is harder, lower throw angle than the backhand rubber.

Table

The table is where the game is to be played on. It affects directly the bounce of the ball.  The table color, in general, are either green, blue, or black.

Based on ITTF official rules, the Table Dimensions must be 2.73 m long, 1.525 m wide, and 0.76 m in height.

The table can be made of any material. But it must satisfy that a 23 cm high bounce when a ball is dropped on it from a height of 30 cm.

 

Clothing

The 3 most important clothing in table tennis is Shirts, Shorts, and Shoes.

Shoes

Table tennis shoes are light and grippy footwear. Choosing the right shoes not only helps you move faster but also prevents ankle injury (one of the most common injuries in table tennis). In table tennis, you need a lot of lateral moves with small steps. Choosing light shoes is crucial.

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