Happy holidays! Table tennis is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only is it a great form of exercise for both your mind and your body, it doesn’t require much space and it can also be played year-round. Young or old, table tennis can be enjoyed by everyone. If you’re thinking about buying your family your first table or trying to find a gift for your friend that’s a pro, we’ve got you covered. Check out this holiday gift guide, which features different skill levels and our suggestions for each level:
1. The Beginner
It’s always a good time to get started on your table tennis journey, but especially now. Winter can be a tough time to get enough exercise in, but as a non-contact sport that can be enjoyed without ever having to leave your home, table tennis is a great way to keep up your energy levels and stay active. Playing frequently can improve your physical coordination and train your ability to think tactically! It’s also a great bonding activity.
Getting started is easy. All you need is a table tennis table, some rackets, and a couple balls. Consider the amount of space you have, if you want an indoor or outdoor setup, and how many people will be playing.
For the Family
For the Game Room
For Competitive Couples
2. The Developing Player
A developing player is someone who has played table tennis recreationally before and has a grip on the rudimentary skills, but is now looking to develop techniques and improve on the basic groundwork they’ve learned.
A player in this category will need a quality, durable racket, which is capable of producing a good standard of spin on the ball, and maintains a high level of control. Control is a vital aspect when learning new skills. Most players in this early phase will use higher end pre-assembled rackets and may look for a robot to practice basic strokes with.
- Speed: 92
- Spin: 92
- Control: 92
- Speed: 95
- Spin: 94
- Control: 94
- Speed: 100
- Spin: 99
- Control: 92
- 80 ABS balls incl.
- Holds ~100 balls
- Dims: 19 x 11in
3. The Player Ready to Level-Up
This player phase focuses on fine-tuning developed skills, with a strong focus on integrating those skills into match-play. At this stage, players can learn to adapt strokes more to maximize their effectiveness in competitive situations and they’ve usually begun using training tutorials or working with a coach.
Players are likely to be looking for a racket combination which suits their style. This means considering the speed vs. control balance of a blade, the basic composition, handle type, and then for the rubber – things like the sponge thickness and topsheet properties. This is the stage which requires a player to figure out which equipment will best suit their game in match scenarios. Most players in this phase will look to assemble their own racket. It is also a time to start looking the part and showing everyone you mean business, clothing and accessories are often a big part of this stage.
Blades
Allround blade with excellent control for better topspin development
Well-controlled blade suited for mid-distance offensive players
Offensive all-wood blade that provides feeling & feedback on all your shots
Well-balanced Carbon blade suited for allround – offensive players
Rubbers
- Speed: 3.5
- Spin: 7
- Hardness: Soft
- Speed: 4
- Spin: 7
- Hardness: Medium
- Speed: 8
- Spin: 7.5
- Hardness: Hard
- Speed: 6.5
- Spin: 9
- Hardness: M. Hard
4. The Aspiring Pro
This is the biggest hurdle for any table tennis player. At this stage, a player is looking to adapt their techniques to the highest level. An Aspiring Pro will be training on a regular basis, with the goal of reaching the highest level possible. In this phase, players will learn to improve advanced techniques and make them more efficient.
When looking into equipment at this phase, there are many more factors to consider – but the racket is the center of focus. The composition of each layer and where it is situated become more important when choosing a blade. The weight, the balance distribution and the comparison of speed vs. feeling/touch become more significant. When choosing rubber, even things as specific as the sponge density and the pip structure of the rubber are taken into consideration. At this time, a player’s equipment choices can have major effects on their game.
Blades
- Plies: 5+2
- Top Layer: Limba
- Fiber: AL-C (Outer)
- Plies: 5+2
- Top Layer: Limba
- Fiber: X3 (Outer)
- Plies: 5+2
- Top Layer: Hinoki
- Fiber: KL-C (Inner)
- Plies: 3+2
- Top Layer: Hinoki
- Fiber: 3K-C (Inner)
Rubbers
- Speed: 7
- Spin: 11
- Hardness: Hard
- Speed: 9.5
- Spin: 9
- Hardness: Hard
- Speed: 10
- Spin: 10
- Hardness: M. Hard
- Speed: 11
- Spin: 10
- Hardness: Hard
