Best rubbers for Table Tennis

Table tennis certainly has evolved since it was first created by the British back in the 1800s. It originated as an after dinner form of entertainment for the well to do. The wiff-waff as it was first called was played with rackets made of stretched parchment over a frame or using a book hitting a golf ball over a row of books. What started as a simple form of fun entertainment has now transcended into an Olympic sport in 1988 where the best table tennis players from around the world show off their skills and compete for the gold.

Ping-pong players are divided into beginners, intermediate and advanced players based on their skill levels. The game has become so refined that the paddles (rackets) are even customer built or custom designed by the players. You can of course go out and by a racket ready to use off the shelf but for the more discerning, you play with your own blades and rubbers for your skill level.

Skill levels are basically determined by:
– The types of shots that you can take
– The delivery to your opponent and how you strategically return back.

There are special blades and rubbers for different purposes that can each be purchased separately and assembled together creating the perfect customized paddle just for you and your skill set. As your skills jump from beginner levels to intermediate and finally advanced your equipment will become just as refined as your game.

For Beginners

Beginners should start out with the basic equipment to learn what their style is and then they can expand their blades and rubbers to customized pieces that works well for them. To get started choose a well-rounded paddle that offers a lot of control at a reasonable price. Good quality brands for beginners include 729, DHS, Yasaka, Stiga and Butterfly.

– The Primorac All-blade by Butterfly is recommended for beginners supplying them with the proper speed and control to get started.
– Tube All-round, STIGA Energy WRB and Classic All-round blades made by Stiga are also great blades for beginners.
– Good rubbers for beginners include the YASAKA Mark V series or the Butterfly Sriver series because they provide more controllable speed.