Table Tennis Blade

So, if you're following my recommendation to buy a customised racket (part one) rather than a ready-made racket, your choice of table tennis blade will be just as important as your choice of table tennis rubbers.

A table tennis blade is made up of several layers of wood, although the official rules state that small amounts of other materials such as carbon fibre can also be included.

However, these table tennis blades are more expensive and it's probably not worth considering them until you've progressed to an advanced level.

The type of wood used in these layers will be a major contributor to how your blade reacts, but before we look at those options ...

There are two distinct styles of blades. The first is a...

Penhold Style Blade

The penhold style blade is for players who use the penhold grip, i.e. the racket handle is held between the thumb and forefinger. This style is used mainly by Asian players.

I wouldn't recommend this type of grip for a beginner - why make the game harder than it needs to be?

Leave the penhold grip to the Chinese and Japanese who've developed that style of play.

You can buy custom-made table tennis blades here

I'd recommend a...

Western Style Blade

The western style blade is for players who use the western grip (also known as the shakehands grip because of its similarity to shaking hands with another person).

The racket handle is held in the palm of your hand so that the start of the racket head fits snugly into the "V" shape formed by your thumb and first finger.

This comes down to personal preference with generally a choice of Anatomic, Flared or Straight.

I prefer the Anatomic, but you should use whatever feels most comfortable for you.

If you haven't been playing long enough to be able to make a choice, try asking other players if they've got any old table tennis rackets they could let you try out or buy.

You can buy custom-made table tennis blades here

Your style of play will help you to determine which blade to use because you should choose a blade which will complement your style. This means choosing the right combination of wood layers for your blade.

Fortunately, all the table tennis equipment suppliers categorise their blades, so if you choose a blade from the correct category you'll know that it'll be right for you.

It's also worth noting that blades vary slightly in weight - generally between 75-95 grams. But unless you're an experienced player, you don't need to be too concerned about this. Your preference will evolve over time.

Generally, a defensive player would choose a lighter racket, whilst an allrounder would choose a medium weight racket, and an offensive player would choose a heavier racket to help generate extra power in his shots.

You can buy custom-made table tennis blades here

1. All-round / counter-attacking style

If you're just starting to play table tennis, or you've developed an all-round, counter-attacking style of play, look for a blade that is categorised as allround.

These blades will consist of hard inner plys of wood, with softer outer plys.

It'll be a medium speed racket and it'll help you to control the ball.

I'd recommend a...

Butterfly "Timo Boll All" blade.

2. Attacking / offensive style

If you've developed an attacking style of play, look for a blade that's categorised as attacking or offensive.

It'll be a semi rigid blade with harder outer plys of wood which will enable you to generate more power in your shots.

I'd recommend a ...

Butterfly "Kong Linghui - Euro" blade.

3. Defensive style

If you've developed a defensive style of play, look for a blade that is categorised as defensive.

These blades will have soft flexible plys of wood which will give you better ball control.

I'd recommend a...

Butterfly "Matsushita Pro" blade.

When you've chosen your blade, you'll be ready to consider the next stage...