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".
Playing style
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").Speed
Table tennis rackets have 3 main practical characteristics: speed, spin and control. The general class of the product, the style of play (see above), the available techniques, the requirements for the player's 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.
The speed indicator describes how fast the ball will move after contact with the racquet. High speed values are extremely important for an attacking style of play.
Rotation
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.
The higher the spin number, the more the ball will spin with the corresponding hit and the better the racquet is suitable for various twisting techniques.
Control
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.
Number of base layers
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 thickness
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.
