Information on Table Tennis Paddles
Most people think of table tennis as a fun family game suitable for garages and basements, but it's much more than that these days. Table tennis is one of the fastest growing sports amongst young people and as such the paddles have come a long way towards making this more competitive.
When you first learn to play table tennis your goal is simply to hit the ball back and forth without missing. Once you have mastered that most players move on to speed shots such as the smash. They require a bit more skill but can still be mastered by most.The next skill is learning to put spin on the ball. This really changes the game to one of beginners to a much more competitive game with good players being able to put massive spins that if not countered properly lead your opponents shot going off their paddle at some crazy angle. With those mastered it's time to step up the game a bit and that's where the modern table tennis paddle comes in.
Each paddle is rated one to ten in each of the following 3 categories; speed, spin and control.The higher the number the better that particular paddle is at a specific purpose. For instance if you have a paddle rated 10 in speed it's going to be a lot more wicked at a smash than say one that is a one on the scale. The difference is in the surface of the paddle. To achieve better ratings in these categories, paddle makers use a variety of surfaces. Some of them more tacky, or more resistive which increases one or more categories. For beginner players the basic paddle does fine but when you start introducing speed and spin to the game it's clear to see that those paddles leave most players with low scores and lots of losses.
Good table tennis paddles can range from $40 on the low end to upwards of $200 for a really high quality paddle. You will want to look at a paddles particular ratings to match your skills as in the hands of a novice one with a 10 in each category is probably not playable, they will find themselves over controlling the ball which will lead to missed shots.
Typically you start at the lower end and work your way up the skills ladder to the point you can handle a wicked paddle.
Now get out there and enjoy the game.
