What should you look for while choosing the best ping pong paddle?
Is the blade the most crucial part, or should you consider the rubber as the most decisive factor?
This is a moot point, and different coaches have their own opinion regarding this.
While the European and American coaches mostly consider the speed, the Asian, particularly the Chinese coaches, think delivering kick effect is the most vital part.
Some coaches think the blade plays a significant role in the performance. On the other hand, some coaches believe the rubber has to play the core role.
Despite all those confusion, I’m not going to sit on the fence here.
In this article, I’m going to present several ping pong paddle reviews for different levels of players (beginners, intermediate, advanced).
Not to mention, I will be discussing all the upsides and downsides of each of the paddles. Also, don’t miss out on the comprehensive buying guide.
So, let’s get the ball rolling.
Table of Contents
- 1 2 Best Beginner Ping Pong Paddle – Detailed Review
- 2 2 Best Intermediate Ping Pong Paddles – Detailed Review
- 3 2 Best Professional Ping Pong Paddles – Detailed Review
- 4 2 Best Ping Pong Paddles for Spin – Detailed Review
- 5 2 Best Ping Pong Paddles Under $50
- 6 Ping Pong Paddle Buying Guide
- 7 Types of Ping Pong Paddles
- 8 — Frequently Asked Questions —
- 9 Final Words
2 Best Beginner Ping Pong Paddle – Detailed Review
Pro Tip: As a beginner, you should not select a super-fast paddle. Otherwise, controlling the speed will be a nightmare for you.
Beginners should use hard rubber to get a direct feeling.
The blade wood needs to be of high-quality old wood so that you can sense the vibration accurately and improve your game accordingly.
For a beginner, it’s essential to get excellent spin support from the paddle instead of getting speed support.
Let’s see all the good and bad of the two best table tennis rackets for beginners.
1. STIGA Titan (T1260) Table Tennis Paddle Review
- It offers a nice mixture of speed, control, and spin that is ideally suited for a beginner.
- The Balsa material makes the blade lightweight and helpful for controlling the paddle.
- The tacky inverted rubber helps to generate a fair amount of spin.
- The rubber is sweet and sticky.
- Overall, this paddle is lightweight (about 4.87 oz), and gives an excellent feel to the hand.
- It’s easy to manoeuvre.
- This racket offers a useful ball separation feature.
- It’s quite reasonably priced.
- The company needs to focus on improving the quality of the surface.
- Not a good option for anyone other than a beginner.
Bottom Line
Though this table tennis paddle offers speed, control, and spin almost equally, the control is slightly ahead of the speed, and spin. No doubt, as a beginner, you will want to get the control support more than anything else.
This particular ping pong paddle favours the defensive players more than the offensive players, which is something you would like as a rookie.
The rookies shouldn’t invest a lot of money initially. This paddle is inexpensive without sacrificing the required features for a newbie.
That’s why I voted this STIGA Titan as the best beginner ping pong paddle.
In a nutshell, this racket will give you enough control, excellent feel, and moderate spin support that are helpful to improve your game.
Don’t expect too much speed from this one, which you shouldn’t be looking for either. The slowness of the paddle will help you to correct different stroke mechanics.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2. Palio Master 2.0 Ping Pong Paddle Review
- It offers good spin and control support.
- It’s not too heavy and provides an excellent feel to the hand.
- This paddle features a comfortable grip.
- The ball separation meaning the ability to provide good bounce off the paddle is excellent.
- The rubber is mainly made to support topspin, sidespin, and backspin.
- The all-wood blade gives a fair amount of consistency.
- It comes with a nice case, which makes it even easier to transport.
- While it’s not too expensive, the price could have been better.
- Had it been a bit lighter, it would have been a great plus for a beginner.
- At this price point, the overall finish and quality should have been better.
Bottom Line
Palio Master 2.0 is another handy weapon for a casual player or someone who is new to the game.
This is genuinely an all-rounder racket that gives you speed, control, and spin support. However, a bit of slowness would have helped a beginner even more. With that said, no question about spin and control.
As I said, it will not cost an arm and a leg, but for sure, the price could have been a bit lower.
If you are a novice and want to elevate your game, you might not want to miss this all-wood table tennis paddle.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2 Best Intermediate Ping Pong Paddles – Detailed Review
As an intermediate player, you must look for some paddle that gives you everything correctly – not too high nor too low.
You need moderate speed, sound control, and a fair amount of spin from the bat. Don’t go for too speedy racket until you become a pro.
1. Idoraz Table Tennis Paddle Review
- It comes with a quality case that makes it an off the shelf paddle for gifting.
- This one feels good in the hand, and it’s responsive.
- You will get sheer spin and control from this bat.
- A pretty well-constructed racket that weighs decently.
- If you are an offensive player and loves to deliver a lot of spins, then this will be as handy as a pocket on the shirt.
- It offers a perfect amount of speed for an intermediate player.
- You will get a satisfactory grip.
- The price is quite affordable for what it offers.
- It’s not too good of a bat for a beginner.
Bottom Line
This table tennis racket from Idoraz is one of the best bets to develop your skill from beginning to intermediate level.
The quality of this paddle is spot on. Overall, it’s a good suit for both defensive and aggressive players. Nonetheless, a defensive player will like more than an offensive player.
Some buyers think this is a tad overpriced, but I don’t agree. Considering the playability, the price seems pretty okey-dokey.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2. STIGA Pro Carbon Performance Table Tennis Racket Review
- This version of the STIGA paddle is quite efficient in absorbing vibration and transfer energy out of the handle.
- The blade is made from Balsa wood that keeps it lightweight and soft.
- The rubber is quite grippy, elastic and you can easily replace the rubber when it wears out.
- It gives a catapult effect. Kudos to the 2.0mm sponge.
- At low impact, it gives reasonable control.
- You will get faster rebound at high impact.
- It’s a relatively fast bat.
- It seems a long-lasting build quality.
- You will get excellent topspin, and looping supports far from the table.
- A good option for both blocks and smash.
- It’s well worth the price.
- A case with the package would have been a useful addition at this price.
- It takes a bit of time to get control using this bat.
- The grip might seem a bit rough to you. Nonetheless, sanding will solve this issue.
Bottom Line
The amount of speed that this paddle offers is not suitable for beginners, that’s why I’ve considered this as a perfect paddle for intermediate players.
This particular table tennis paddle is constructed by 5 plies Balsa wood and 2 plies of carbon, so, in total 7 plies that lets, it offers a beautiful blend of power and control.
If you want to have a good hold and feel this one won’t disappoint you.
This model implements carbon technology that lets it generate power and speed.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2 Best Professional Ping Pong Paddles – Detailed Review
As an advanced level of player, you won’t mind buying a fast paddle that gives the right amount of spin support too.
Getting control support is not mandatory for a pro as he/she can quickly get used to the racket in no time.
1. Killerspin Jet 800 Ping Pong Racket Review
- The package includes a beautiful case with a pen that makes it a nice gift for a pro player.
- It offers fantastic speed and spin.
- This bat is not too heavy nor too light for an advanced player’s likings.
- It features a premium grade rubber (Nitrx-4z), which is relatively fast.
- Dominating the opponent with sheer speed from long distance is a cakewalk with this racket.
- Delivering quality serve and forehand loops are bang on with this weapon.
- The wooden side tape protects the internal blade for long.
- It won’t hurt your pocket to afford this paddle.
- It’s not the best of the best regarding spin support.
Bottom Line
Killerspin Jet 800 table tennis bat is one of the best choices among the advanced players because of the speed, and spin it offers.
The blade consists of 7 layers of composite wood and 2 layers of carbon. This combination lets it deliver ample speed keeping the weight light at the same time.
While this one is a fast bat, at the same time, it offers pretty good spin support that justifies the name “Killerspin” quite well.
Though this racket doesn’t provide great control initially, if you are an advanced player, then it shouldn’t take too much of your time to get used to it.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2. Butterfly 702 Ping Pong Paddle Review
- It comes with both a case and a gift box. This makes it easy to store and transport, also a beautiful gift for table tennis players.
- It offers incredible speed and spin.
- You will be able to feel the stroke entirely.
- It’s good for both hitter and powerful loop hitter.
- The rounded flared design grip makes it comfortable for handshaking style gripping.
- As the blade is made from carbon layers, it helps to deliver power. On top of that, the size of the blade provides a larger sweet spot.
- It has both black Wakaba and red inverted rubber. These help to generate a fair bit of spin and also speed.
- The price is quite ok.
- Controlling this paddle might take time. I shouldn’t be a problem for an advanced player, though.
- It’s hard to loop far from the table.
Bottom Line
This Butterfly 720 table tennis racket is another reliable option for a professional.
This one has 5 plies and layers of carbon that makes it a fast blade with a hard surface. That’s why a complete beginner should not use this paddle.
I said the price is quite ok. However, I also agree, it could have been a bit lower. However, considering the quality, it’s worth buying this bat at this price.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2 Best Ping Pong Paddles for Spin – Detailed Review
What does it take to make an excellent spin-friendly table tennis paddle?
The all-wood blade, in conjunction with high-end tacky rubber, is something that will give you excellent spin support.
Let’s read the reviews of two of the best table tennis rackets for a spin.
1. Palio Expert 2.0 Table Tennis Bat Review
- A good option for both beginners and intermediate players.
- You will get fantastic control and a significant margin of error from this paddle.
- It offers a more than satisfactory level of spin support.
- The speed is quite balanced. That means it’s not too fast nor too slow.
- You will be able to play perfect, pushing strokes.
- Hitting the ball with a bit of pace is also easy.
- The all-wood blade makes this bat a highly consistent option.
- This package includes a high-quality case too.
- It offers quite a lot more than what it costs.
- Not too good for topspin strokes.
- While this is a super beginner-friendly bat, and also a good option for intermediate players, at the same time, the intermediate players might find it a bit slow for their likings.
Bottom Line
This Palio Expert 2.0 ping pong paddle is something every beginner and an intermediate player should look for to elevate their game.
It’s more appropriate for a defensive style player compared to an advanced level of player.
It’s a beginner-friendly racket as the speed support from this one is less.
If you are a beginner, you need a handy piece of bat that is forgiving in nature and gives you ample control support. It’s because your techniques will not always be perfect. This racket does help in this regard.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2. Killerspin Jet 600 Ping Pong Bat Review
- It comes with a protective layer on both sides.
- It supports both offensive and defensive players.
- This bat gives amazing spin support.
- You will get ample speed and control from this bat.
- The rubber is of high-quality, and it helps to play strong backspin strokes.
- You will like the flared grip as it feels quite comfortable, and it’s 3.8” long.
- It’s a lightweight paddle for the likings of most of the players.
- It comes with a lovely gift box and a pen too.
- The price is quite reasonable for what it offers.
- If you are a fan of larger paddles, you might find this a tad smaller to your likings.
- If you are switching to this bat from a slower bat, it will take some time to adjust the speed.
Bottom Line
When it’s about selecting the spin-friendly table tennis paddle, Killerspin is one brand that you must consider. This particular Jet 600 racket won’t disappoint you in this regard.
It’s 5-ply wood construction with high-quality Nitrx-4Z rubber.
It best suits the intermediate players as it’s a pretty balanced paddle in terms of speed and control.
Beginners won’t find it bad either. However, I’ve listed some even more beginner-friendly bats above.
Overall, this one is a handy ping pong paddle to improve your serves, and other strokes.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2 Best Ping Pong Paddles Under $50
Sometimes, you will want to find some budget options without sacrificing too much about the quality.
To make your life easy in finding such paddles, I’m going to review 2 of the best table tennis paddles under $50 below.
1. STIGA Pure Color Ping Pong Paddle Review
- You have the liberty to choose from multiple colors.
- It gives a fair amount of speed and a satisfactory level of control and spin.
- STIGA’s very own crystal technology makes the blade hard to provide sufficient speed.
- The ACS technology makes the rubber a right blend of control and speed.
- A relatively lightweight ping pong paddle.
- The glossy color makes it easily visible across the room.
- It’s quite inexpensive.
- You may want to do some sanding for a smoother grip.
- Not a good option for serious players.
Bottom Line
STIGA produces several ping pong rackets for all sorts of players.
If you are a beginner or a casual player, you don’t need to spend a fortune to afford a paddle.
No matter if you want to gift some casual player or you play table tennis in your office, it’s better to go for an option that costs less but offers more.
This particular racket is precisely the one that I am talking about.
Even the kids will like this too because of the bright colors.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
2. JP WinLook Ping Pong Paddle Review
- A perfect set for casual playing.
- Suitable for all ages of players.
- You are getting 4 paddles in one pack spending a few bucks. So, it’s highly cost-effective.
- A cute carrying bag and eight ping pong ball come along with the package that makes this set one of best picks for the money.
- The company provides out of the world customer service.
- I liked the look and feel of the paddles.
- It features a comfortable ergonomic flared grip.
- It’s easy to apply some spin on the ball with this paddle.
- These are entirely responsive rackets.
- The overall construction shines in quality.
- Excellent value for the money.
- Not a good option for serious players.
Bottom Line
If you are planning to buy a set of paddles for your family members or office colleagues without hurting your pocket, this one is the best bet for you.
You are getting four quality paddles for the recreational play coming with a beautiful carrying bag, and eight ping pong balls.
It’s comprised of 5 plywood and eco-friendly rubber and sponge. So, don’t think it doesn’t have the fundamental construction right.
More importantly, you will be amazed by the customer service of this company. First of all, the paddles are backed up by a warranty. On top of that, the owner replaces any faulty item – no question asked.
If you are looking for an Outdoor Ping Pong Table (Outdoor Table Tennis Table). We already made a review article about it. Please, check out the article.
Check Price and Details on Amazon
Ping Pong Paddle Buying Guide
I’m not going to make things too complicated here. If you have gone through the reviews of different paddles, you’ve probably found out the perfect suit already.
Nonetheless, let me point out some of the core buying factors in short.
Budget
For some players, the budget is not an issue at all. On the other hand, some buyers don’t want to spend too much, mainly, if he/she is going to buy it for recreational purposes.
What I think is you should buy the best ping pong paddle at a reasonable price. I kept that in my consideration while making this shortlist of paddles.
Almost all the paddles are pretty affordable for what they offer.
Player Level
Depending on the level of the player, the racket should be different, and you just have to pick the right one.
I’ve written reviews for every level of players separately. So, it’s quite easy to pick the right one for you based on your level.
A beginner should never go for a super-fast paddle. Control and speed support are the main concerns for a beginner.
An intermediate player will like the most balanced ones.
An advanced player doesn’t need any control from the paddle. It’s because he/she is already technically skilled in controlling different shots.
Parts of Paddle
Let me give you some insights into different parts of a tennis table paddle.
Handle / Grip
Most of the rackets I’ve listed here offer a comfortable grip. Some require initial sanding. I mentioned that against the corresponding review.
The majority of the handles are suitable for handshaking styles and some for the pen holding style.
Mostly they are Flared concave shaped. You will find some flared straight handles too. Straight handle helps if you grip the handle loosely.
Blade
The blade is one of the two crucial components of a ping pong paddle that has a direct impact on the playing style. According to some experts and coaches, a blade decides almost 80% of the playing style.
A high-quality and old wood blade transfers the sound vibration to your hands, which lets you feel the speed and improve fast.
A blade can be made from different materials like Balsa, 1-ply Hinoki, All-wood, carbon, etc.
Balsa – Balsa is a very light and low-density wood. It’s pretty soft too. At low impact, Balsa gives you reasonable control. At a higher impact, the rebound is speedy. However, Balsa is not too loop-friendly.
1-Ply Hinoki – This type of blade is mainly used in Korea and Japan. It’s the right choice for a pen holding style handle.
Hinoki is a soft surface and gives you a soft feeling. It’s one of the favorite materials for hitters.
All-Wood – This is one of the most favorite blades among the Chinese players and coaches. The all-wood blade is perfect for looping the ball at mid-distance and an ideal option to combine with hard rubber.
It makes the blade more consistent than others.
Carbon – The carbon blades are typically the fastest blade, and it’s the best choice for hitters and loop hitters. However, the feeling is not too good and also not suitable for beginners.
Sponge
The sponge is the middle layer between the blade and the rubber. You will typically see three ratings of sponges – thick, medium, and thin.
If you are an offensive player, then you would probably like the thick sponges more. On the other hand, if you are a defensive player, then you might look for thin sponges.
Rubber
Some experts say rubber decides the playing style more than the blades. On the flip side, some say rubber decides only 20% of the playing style.
Whatever the case is, using a high-quality rubber is essential.
Rubbers can be soft or hard, thin or thick, sticky or non-sticky, etc.
It’s better to choose a harder rubber for the forehand side (more than 45-47 degrees). Hard and thin rubbers are better than soft and thick rubbers.
As a beginner, you should not choose a rubber softer than 35-40 degrees.
Racket Attributes
Speed
European, and American players like speed, the Asian players like to have the kick effect most.
No matter which continent you belong to, if you are a beginner, then you should not go for a super speedy paddle. It will not help to elevate your different other techniques.
If you are an advanced player, then probably you will love the speedy rackets most.
As an intermediate player, you should not be looking for too fast nor too slow rackets.
Spin
Spin is some attribute that every level of players wants to get from a paddle.
The combination of soft rubber + flexible blade will provide you most spin support. Also, the hard rubber + flexible blade combination is a perfect choice for getting spin support.
Soft rubber + soft blade will give a moderate level of spin. Don’t go for hard rubber + stiff blade if you want to get spin support from your bat.
Control
An advanced player doesn’t want any control support from the paddle. It’s because he/she already knows how to control his/her shots properly.
An advanced player doesn’t want any control support from the paddle. It’s because he/she already knows how to control his/her shots properly.
Weight
Some players, particularly the advanced players, don’t mind if the paddle is heavy. But a beginner and an intermediate player should be looking for the lightweight options only.
Some Pro Tips for Buying a Ping Pong Paddle
- The harder the blade’s outer part, the faster the ball
- The softer the blade’s outer part, the slower the ball
- The moderate players should pick up the defensive paddles
- The offensive paddles are only ideal for the pro users
- For recreational games, all-round paddles are the best option
Types of Ping Pong Paddles
Whenever you plan to get a ping pong paddle for you, you must check out which paddle is right. Yes, there are different types of table tennis paddles.
Here, we have come up with the three basic ping pong paddle types in the market that you can purchase. These are differentiated on your table tennis playing style.
Check out these if you want to know which ping pong paddle is ideal for you!
1. Defensive Table Tennis Paddles
When you are playing defensive table tennis, you must ensure that you get these paddles. Defensive playing requires flexibility, and this paddle can provide you with this.
As a result, all the control will be on your hand, and you can defend your side the way you want.
This paddle can make the game’s speed slow. With the help of the long rubber pimples, you will be able to slow the ball’s speed.
As a result, you can easily safeguard your side! When you buy these paddles, check if the material is perfect for the playing or not.
The blade of these paddles should be made of plies of wood. However, the fewer the wood plies, the better. Also, the wood used must be soft to play defensively.
2. Offensive Table Tennis Paddles
When you are a pro, you will try to attack more than to defend. And this is where the actual game begins!
However, we do not recommend you pick up these table tennis paddles if you are just a newbie. As a beginner, you can pick up the next one we have on our list.
But before that, let’s know a bit more about the offensive table tennis paddles. These paddles are usually designed to give your ball more speed.
So, the paddles need to move faster and work harder than the other ones on the list. For hard work, the construction should be done with hard plies of wood.
The outer sector should be made sturdy and durable. And with the hard external body, you can hit the ball with better speed than before.
To keep the speed to its best, check the rubbers. The sponges attached to the rubber should be thick.
Thicker sponges will force the woods to produce more power and more speed!
Make sure there are no patterns on the rubber, and it is entirely smooth. If you get this paddle, nothing can stop the swift pace of your ball!
3. All-Round Table Tennis Paddles
If you are a beginner, you cannot settle for offensive ping pong paddles. Also, for the defensive ping pong paddles, you must have some experience.
The reason behind this is you cannot control those paddles as you are not a seasoned user. For the newbie, we will suggest the all-round table tennis paddles.
These are renowned for affording you the control power you need over the paddle and the ball.
The inner portion of the blade is made of hard plies. However, soft plies of wood are added on the outer part.
As a result, it can keep the speed of the ball at a moderate rate. And you can get both the fun of defensive and offensive table tennis paddles!
— Frequently Asked Questions —
Do ping pong paddles make any difference?
Yes, of course.
Ping pong paddles surely make a big difference, mainly when you are a complete beginner.
Yes, it won’t make you expert right from the word go. You have to develop your own skillset.
But a perfect paddle can help you improve the game as per your plan. Similarly, choosing the wrong racket might ruin your career.
So, yes, a paddle can make a difference in playing different strokes.
Which side of a ping pong paddle is forehand?
Ideally, the red rubber is considered as the forehand part of a ping pong paddle, and the black rubber is considered as the backhand part.
You will want to choose a harder rubber (45-47 degree) for the forehand side.
How often should I change my table tennis rubber?
Many players tend to change the rubber too often. Changing a rubber too often is not a good practice unless it wears out.
You should use rubber for at least six months if you are an irregular player.
Any serious player can decide on his/her own. If you are a serious player, then probably you will want to change the rubber once you start to see it’s undershooting.
How do you take care of a table tennis racket?
You can implement several steps to take care of your table tennis racket.
Here are some significant steps to follow in short –
• Clean both ends of the blade after playing.
• Use damp cloth water or sponge or some other suitable cleaner.
• Cover the rubbers with foil.
• Keep the paddle in the case.
• Don’t expose the paddle under direct sunlight for long.
• Better if you keep the bats indoors.
What can I use to clean my ping pong paddle?
To clean the rubber, you better use a specialized paddle rubber cleaner.
In fact, you can buy any off the shelf high-quality ping paddle cleaner kits like –
● Butterfly table tennis Racket Cleaning kit.
● MightySpin ping pong paddle accessories.
Final Words
I tried to keep things simple and presented the core buying factors against every paddle.
All of the above paddles are good and don’t break your bank at all.
I’m sure, choosing the best ping pong paddle is not a hard task for you anymore.
Don’t miss out on the FAQ section, by the way.
Still didn’t get your answer? Comment below to get in touch.
[…] score a point, you have to hit the ball with your ping pong paddle or bat over the net to your opponent’s […]
[…] don’t realize that there is the right method to hold a ping pong paddle. And No! Getting the best ping pong paddle in the entire world does not mean you’ll be able to hold a ping pong paddle well. You have to […]
[…] you are interested in other ping pong items like; Ping pong paddle, Ping Pong Table then go and check out other articles. You’ll love these […]
Comments are closed.