Ping Pong Tables - Who's Your Paddle?

When you talk about ping pong tables you have to mention ping pong paddles. It is like frick & frack, they just go together.

It is strange to think, but there are so many different types of table tennis paddles that it can be as confusing as looking at all of the ping pong tables options. So let's take a look at a few and see if we can't sort it out. First of all, there is one "one right paddle". That is to say that everyone is different and they all have certain requirements based on preference and ability. Ability seems like an odd criteria. But if you think about it different materials have different effects on the ball. That is one of the reasons there has been a standardization of ping pong table top finishes. This provides a very predictable baseline to develop new paddles that have unique playing characteristics.

The very first paddles were made simply from wood, a common base for most paddles today. However it was soon discovered that it was difficult to introduce spin on the ball with a flat smooth surface. Spin by the way is just that, making the ball "spin" in a defined direction. The idea being the more spin, the less predictable the action, at least to the opponent, of the ball when it hits the ping pong table. To create the ability to produce ball spin, different materials are used to cover the face of the paddle. The first was sandpaper.

With its rough surface, sandpaper provides the grip needed to grab the ball and cause it to spin. A great innovation to say the least. However there was still a level of control needed. You see sandpaper provided great spin, but the hard surface left only the most skilled players wit the ability to control that spin. Enter, rubber.

Rubber pads on the paddle provided a similar ability to generate spin but with the added benefit of a cushioning effect as well. This made it much easier for a novice to create spin on the ball without the risk of over shooting the ping pong table.