Comparison 729 2060 vs Start Line Level 600

— Racquet. This type includes classic table tennis rackets, supplied fully assembled and ready to play out of the box; they are sold one at a time and are not equipped with additional equipment such as a net or balls (however, they can be supplemented with covers, see below). It is often more convenient and cheaper to buy a ready-made racquet than to assemble a sports equipment on your own. This is true primarily for beginner athletes and amateurs; but for professional use, this option is considered less suitable than a self-assembled racquet. However, ready-made rackets of all classes (see below) and price categories are available today.

— Foundation. The base is the part of the racquet that includes the handle and the rigid plate on which the pads are attached. Actually, to turn the base into a full-fledged racquet, it is necessary to install overlays on it. This option is not very convenient for beginners and intermediate players, however, professionals often prefer to choose their own blade and rubber combination, not trusting the selection and assembly of sports equipment manufacturers. Therefore, models of this type, usually, belong to the top class, use advanced materials and are not cheap — to the point that some “bare” blades are more expensive than ready-made rackets with similar blade characteristics.

— Kit. The sets include sets that include, in addition to the finished racquet (see above), also additional...sports equipment — tennis balls, and sometimes a net. In addition, there can also be several rackets; see below for details on items included. The convenience of this option is obvious: having bought a set, you can immediately get everything you need for a match (except maybe a table). Most of these kits are made for beginners, but there are exceptions — some kits quite reach 5 stars (see "Class").

Racquet class describes the general purpose of the product and its ability to perform various table tennis techniques. The general purpose is clear already from the name of the class: for example, those who have not yet held rackets in their hands are best suited for 1 * models, players with some experience playing regularly can pay attention to 2 *, etc. As for tricks, the more stars, the wider the available "arsenal": for example, on "one-star" models, only imitations of undercuts and top spins are available, "two-star" models allow you to perform these techniques with medium strength, and powerful undercuts and top -spins are available starting from 3*.

It is worth noting that the term “professional” in this case is somewhat arbitrary: the class is indicated for the finished racquet (see “Type”), while professional athletes prefer to collect equipment, choosing their own base and lining. Therefore, the 5 * marking corresponds to the most advanced class among ready-made rackets, but this class is more often designed for experienced amateurs than for representatives of "big sports".

The style of play the racquet is designed for. For each of the playing styles, the optimal indicators of speed, rotation and control (see below); the specific values of these characteristics may be different, but the general trend in models of the same style, usually, is clearly visible.

— Attacker. The attacking style of play involves high speed — it is this indicator, usually, that dominates the characteristics of rackets of this style.

— Protective. When playing in a defensive style, the speed of the ball is relatively low, which is compensated by the abundance of technical elements such as twists and undercuts. Accordingly, "defensive" rackets focus mainly on control (and partly on spin), and also have a design designed to dampen the high speed of the ball (in case the opponent prefers an attacking style).

— Universal. A style of play that combines attacking and defensive elements. Usually, universal rackets have approximately equal indicators of speed and control.

Within each style there are specializations. For example, attacking racquets can be designed for top speed—or a combination of slightly slower speed with increased control; in universal models, the ratio between speed and rotation depends on which direction the emphasis is shifted in the design of the product — to attack or to protect; etc.

Also note t...hat not only ready-made rackets, but also blades can belong to a certain style (see "Type").

— Direct. The simplest form, assuming a flat surface of the handle, without extensions/contractions or bulges/troughs. For some players, this shape may well be optimal, but in general, straight handles are considered less comfortable than flared or anatomical ones. Therefore, although quite a lot of such rackets are produced, they are noticeably smaller than models with other types of handles, and they mainly belong to the initial class (1 *, 2 *), although there are rare exceptions.

— Flared (conical). The handle of this shape expands noticeably towards the end. This makes the grip more comfortable and secure than the straight shape, while tapered handles are easier and cheaper to manufacture than anatomical ones. Due to this, this option is very popular today, it is used in most rackets of all classes.

— Anatomical. This category includes pens, the shape of which is optimized for the shape of the human hand. Usually, they have characteristic notches, where the fingers of the athlete fall when held; this can improve comfort of use and reduce fatigue. On the other hand, such handles are somewhat more complicated, and as a result, they are more expensive than straight or flared ones. In addition, they require increased attention when choosing: even a very small discrepancy between the profile of the handle and the size of the hand can cause inconvenienc...e and reduce all the advantages of such a racquet to zero. As a result, anatomical handles are somewhat less common than conical ones.

Note that the main selection criterion for the shape of the handle is solely the personal preferences of the athlete. There are no general rules about which option is “better” or “worse”: for different people, the optimal form often turns out to be different. Therefore, before buying, it is highly advisable to try the racquet in your hand and evaluate the suitability of its handle for your own requirements.

Note that the same racquet model can be produced in several modifications that differ in the shape of the handle; in such cases, the characteristics indicate all available options. And the bases (see "Type") are, by definition, produced with different shapes of handles; therefore, for this type of product, this moment is not indicated at all.

Table tennis rackets have 3 main practical characteristics: speed, spin and control. The general class of the product, the style of play (see above), available techniques, requirements for player skills, etc. depend on their values and ratio. One of the most popular designation options is on a hundred-point scale; This scale is also used in our catalogue.

Control describes the overall handling of a racquet; Roughly speaking, this is an indicator of how easily it can be used to give the tennis ball exactly the speed, direction of flight and rotation that the athlete wants to provide. In principle, high values on the control scale will be comfortable regardless of the level of the player and the style of play; however, increasing the speed/rotation has a negative effect on control, as a “faster” or “twisting” racquet is usually more demanding on the accuracy of movements. Therefore, many models for professionals and experienced amateurs, usually, are distinguished by a low degree of controllability, and “beginner” rackets, on the contrary, have high control indicators and low speed / rotation.

The number of layers that make up the base of the racquet. Theoretically, the number of layers affects the degree of rigidity and elasticity of the base and, accordingly, the characteristics of the rebound of the ball. However, in fact, this moment is irrelevant for the simple reason that the materials used (see above), the presence of inserts, build quality, sponge thickness (see below), etc. also affect the mentioned characteristics. And given that modern table tennis rackets are very diverse (for example, wooden models can use different types of wood), the number of layers is today an exclusively reference parameter, which in itself does not affect the practical characteristics of a particular model.

Sponge is the bottom layer of the lining, located under the outer coating (rubber is most often used for such a coating). The thickness of the sponge determines the characteristics of the impulse that the racquet transmits to the ball, and, accordingly, the characteristics of the flight of the ball after the impact; in other words, this indicator affects all three practical characteristics of the racquet - speed, rotation, control. Accordingly, models for different playing styles (see above) also differ in sponge thickness.

So, a small thickness - up to 1.5 mm - is typical for protective style products, which are distinguished by low speed and good control. All-purpose rackets use sponges of the order of 1.5 – 1.8 mm, which provides a balance between speed and control. And thick sponges - from 2 mm - are installed in rackets for an attacking game, and the greater the thickness, the higher the speed and rotation, and the worse the control.

The total weight of the racquet or blade (see "Type"). Usually, in the first case, the weight values are in the range of 140 – 180 g; occasionally there are lighter models, mainly these are rackets of the "beginner" class 1 * (see above). For most bases, this figure is 50 – 100 g.

In general, lighter racquets are considered better suited for beginner players — in particular, light weight contributes to good control. And trained professionals can use more "weighty" inventory. In addition, it is believed that heavy rackets are better suited for the attacking style of play (see above), while light rackets are more convenient in defense. Well, anyway, the choice of weight depends on personal feelings: the racquet should not seem either too light or too heavy.

The number of balls in a set with rackets(see "Type").

This inventory is completed with almost any modern set; and given that the balls are very easily lost due to their small size and “jumping”, there are usually at least two of them. And in the most extensive sets, this number can reach 8.