In table tennis, nothing can be a more important piece of equipment than the racket that is used as the bat to receive and strike the small plastic ball back and forth across the table. More like a paddle, the surface of a table tennis racket is made of solid wood. There are no nettings or strings on the blade of the racket, but rather a sheet of thin rubber is glued on it for better performance.

In this light, it is important for a beginner to choose the perfect racket. The perfect racket means having a comfortable feel at the handles and a correct shape of the blade that matches the player's skills. Here are the common pointers to observe when looking for the perfect table tennis racket.

Check Out The Blade

Choosing the right table tennis racket starts with the finding the right blade or frame. After all, this part of the whole racket will be the one to have a direct contact with the ping pong ball; hence, will greatly determine the effectiveness of how you receive and drive the ball back to your opponent. Table tennis rackets come in different varieties that can suit the individual preferences of table tennis players.

Beginners can start with rounded blades. The key in choosing the right blade is to make sure that it does not make your shots very slow or very fast. A regular round blade can help you develop and improve your game as you practice.

Mind The Grip

Knowing the type of racket blade that suits you is only halfway in the process of finding the perfect table tennis racket. The other half involves looking for the handle that gives you a good grip. A good grip is important because this affects the way you handle the racket as a whole; as such, it has a direct effect on how you propel the ping pong ball in every shot. There are several types of grips available for table tennis players, but the major types are the penhold and shakehand grip styles.

The rule of thumb when deciding on the handle type is to always pick the one that gives your hand a comfortable feel. In this regard, choosing the right handle is always subjective and dependent on what feels good for your hand. It is important to remember that changing grip styles when you are already well into the sport can be difficult; as it will drastically affect the way you propel the ball.

A Word About The Rubbers

When choosing the type of rubber to be attached to both sides of the racket blade, the smooth surfaced rubbers are more flexible. Rubber with countless tiny blisters allow only a few types of spins, while the smooth rubber can give you better performance by giving you more control whatever kind of spin or drive you do with the ball. Although smooth rubber may take some time before you get used to it, choosing it will hasten your improvement in the sport.

Indeed, for a greenhorn at table tennis, choosing the perfect racket can entail a lot of time and effort that can even go beyond the walls of the stores. Mostly, finding the perfect racket takes a lot of getting-used-to. A few rounds of table tennis may be required to finally decide on whether a particular racket is prefect or not. But remember, choosing a bad racket can have grave consequences like hindered improvement and even hand injuries.