How to Choose The Best Ping Pong Rubber

ping pong

Ping pong is a popular indoor game that is lived by many people. The player’s performance is mainly determined by the type of accessories chosen. Rubbers sheets are useful accessories for table tennis that every player must have when playing.There are different types of rubber, all of which that have different ratings of control, speed and spin. The ideal speed rating for good control should be below 50. A rating that ranges from 50-70 is perfect for all-around rating while that of over 70 is good for offensive play.

table tennis paddle

The best rubber sheet should be sticky and smooth inverted. Some players use the pips out when making more direct and faster shots. Other players use anti-spin rubbers and others long pips for easy controls, especially against spiny loops and serve. Rubber comes with a sponge that has different thickness ranging from 1.3 to 2.5 mm. Thin sponges can give you better control, but the thick one is designed for giving the player more speed. Slowing down a fast racket is much easier when using a thin sponge.

Effects of Sponge Thickness On Speed and Performance

Thick sponges are designed for offensive play. All round players should use a sponge with a thickness ranging from 1.5 to 1.9 mm. Small numbers are ideal for long and short pipped rubbers. A player can catch the ball or slow it down using a sponge. Rubbers have different spin and speed rating, but the sponge’s effect might change depending on the player plays or hits the ball. For instance, taking a soft swing can make the spin to slow down the ball, but the hard loop is known for speeding up the shot.

How Does the Rubber’s Hardness Affect the Player’s Style of Play or Performance?

The degree represents how soft or hard the rubber is. Soft sponges have small numbers while firm ones have high numbers. To drive the point home, the degree of a car tire is about 80 while that of aplaying table tennis rubber band is about 25. The degree of the rubbers used in ping pong ranges from 30 to 45.

  • Lower numbers provide more spin especially at lower speeds
  • High numbers provide more spins at high speeds
  • Players who prefer the ‘Chinese’ style like high numbers while those who love playing the ‘European’ style prefer lower numbers
  • Experienced, highly-rated players enjoy higher numbers than beginners