What is a table tennis blade?

A table tennis blade is a base of a ping pong paddle – the part that is later covered with a rubber pad. Table tennis blades can be made from three materials:

• all wood – very thin and flexible blades, particularly suitable for beginners;

• carbon – hard and stiff blades suit advanced players with a close-to-table hitting style;

• composition materials (layers of carbon, fiberglass, wood, etc.) – very popular among both amateurs and professionals.

A table tennis blade is a key element that links the ball and the player. A good blade ensures a special “ball feeling” sensation that tells the player the direction of the stroke. 

Two Grips, Two Types of Blades

Bear in mind that for a  true “ball feeling” you’ll need to find not only a perfect blade but also an appropriate grip. There are two grips in table tennis:

• shakehand or European;

• penhold or Asian.

Penhold table tennis blades are more difficult to handle, but they come with lots of advantages: more power, free wrist movement, better forehand strokes. However, penhold ping pong blades are mostly suitable for attacking style and demand higher force and endurance from the player.

Shakehand blades are more diverse – there are straight, flared, and anatomic/double flared models. That’s why they are more suitable for different techniques and can be used by both beginners and advanced players.

Hardness and Stiffness

While similar in name, these parameters aren’t identical. Hardness is the feeling of the outer surface and stiffness is the thickness of the blade. The stiffer the blade, the less flexible it is and vice versa. Too hard and stiff blades can be uncomfortable for beginners and intermediate players, so keep this in mind when choosing new table tennis blades.

Check out the range of table tennis blades on pingpongshop.eu and find quality blades that will match your playing style!