Ping Pong Paddles
The Evolution of the Ping Pong Paddle
Modern ping pong paddles first came about in 1903 at the behest of E.C. Goode. He was the first to create the wooden table tennis racket out of a thin wooden blade covered with pimpled rubber. Before 1903 players used anything they could get their hands on for a paddle. Popular items were cigar box tops, cardboard, and ping pong rackets made out of parchment paper stretched over a frame.
The evolution of the ping pong paddle continues to this day with upgraded rubber types and such exotic materials as titanium, aluminum, fiberglass and other composites. Each regulation paddle has two different rubber surfaces to give the player a variety of surfaces to choose from. The different surfaces produce different results in spin and speed when they strike the ping pong ball.
On a regulation paddle one side is black and the other side is red, this is so that the opponent can tell which type of rubber a player is using, and thereby judge how the ball will react in advance. Obviously it takes a lot of experience and skill to take advantage of the colors of your opponents paddle.
Table tennis rackets are available with a variety of rubber surfaces. These are often referred too as ping pong rubbers. The most popular varieties of ping pong rubber are; inverted, inverted Chinese, short pimples, long pimples and anti-spin.
Inverted is the most popular ping pong rubber, the surface is smooth, with the pimpled side facing inwards toward the blade. With inverted rubber the player is able to generate high levels of spin and speed. Spin is generated by the action of the top sheet and by the ball sinking into the sponge, allowing a greater surface area to contact the ball.
The inverted Chinese rubber is tackier and has less sponge; the tackiness of the topcoat of rubber is responsible for producing spin in the inverted Chinese rubber.
Short pimples-out rubbers are usually used by close-to-the-table hitters. They do not generate as much spin as inverted rubbers, but also make the user less susceptible to the opponent's spin. Speed generated from a short pip rubber is generally greater than that of an inverted with the same sponge. Depending on the thickness of the sponge it is also possible to play a chopping game with short pimples by varying the spin of the return. Using underspin while blocking and attacking can cause a "dead ball" effect.
Long pimples-out rubbers carry relatively long and soft pips. They do not have the ability to generate any real spin of their own, but feed off of the opponent's spin instead. This allows the user to confuse the opponent and upset their rhythm. Long pips rely on the opponent's oncoming spin, as they tend to "continue" the opponent's spin, by bending upon impact, rather than reversing or changing the spin, like inverted rubbers.
Long pips are usually used by close-to-the-table blockers, or choppers, but, in some cases, they can be used away from the table for long distance chops. They are usually only used on the backhand side, as they offer very limited attacking capabilities. Depending on the grip of the sides of the pimples and the thickness of the sponge it is also possible to play an aggressive game with long pips, although without much spin capability.
Anti-spin rubbers may look similar to the inverted ones, but their surfaces are very slick and frictionless. Like long pimples, they cannot generate much spin. Anti-spin is also not very susceptible to the opponents' oncoming spin, due to the low coefficient of friction of the rubber's surface, as well as the incredibly soft sponge, which is designed to cushion or absorb the momentum of the ball upon impact.
As long as newer, lighter materials continue to be discovered paddle evolution is certain to continue into the future. Regardless of type of paddle you choose; wood, fiberglass, or graphite or even the type of rubber you choose, the game is still the same as it was in the 1890s. You are still trying to get that little ball to hit to hit the other side of the table and prevent your opponent from doing the same.
More Ping Pong Paddles Information