How to Select Table Tennis Equipment

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Table tennis equipment covers a wide range of price and quality. You can buy rackets and balls for just a few dollars each or you can spend a lot more for fancier equipment. It's up to you how much you spend, but it should be based on how much you expect to use the equipment. The goal is to acheive a balance between quality and durability.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Visit the USA Table Tennis website for a list of equipment approved by this sanctioning body (see Resources below). This site is also a great resource for rules of the game and just about anything relating to table tennis in the United States.

Step2

Start by shopping for a table. Make sure your table conforms to stated specifications of length, width, height and net height as specified by either the USA Table Tennis or the International Table Tennis organizations. Color is merely a matter of preference for a home table, but blue and green are the most common colors.

Step3

Select a racket or bat. The first step is choosing one that is comfortable to hold. There are three basic handle designs. There are straight handles, flared handles and anatomic handles. Select the one that feels right to you.

Step4

Select the head type for your racket. In table tennis, the racket can be referred to as a blade.

Step5

Test how light or heavy the blade feels in your hand. The ideal blade is the heaviest one you can use comfortably without sacrificing speed of movement. Beginners should choose a "slow" blade because it offers better shot control. As your skills improve, upgrade to a "fast" blade because it will enable you to hit the ball harder and with more spin.

Step6

Make sure you're buying a wood blade if you plan on being competitive. There are very strict rules about the amount of wood that must be used to make a table tennis blade for competition purposes.

Step7

Choose a blade cover, called a rubber, depending on your preference. Rubbers are the surface that contacts the ball. They can be smooth or studded. There are many colors to choose from and many different graphics that allow you to make a statement about yourself. Check the equipment requirements and rules for rubbers before you enter a table tennis tournament.