Ping Pong Tables
Finding the Right Ping Pong Table for You
There are so many ping pong tables on the market with so many features it can be hard to choose. Here are some things to consider as you shop for your ping pong table.
Is this your first table? If it's your first table for the family, you should consider lower end tables. As your family learns the game they will likely beat the hell out of it and you will not be able to take advantage of quality of a higher end table anyway. If you decide that you are serious about the sport you can replace the worn out table with a higher model that you can appreciate and take care of properly.
If you are just looking for a good time and you already have a snooker, billiard or pool table at home, it can be tempting to buy a table tennis conversion top. A ping-pong conversion top is basically an attempt by manufacturers to cater for smaller family games rooms by allowing you to place a table tennis playing surface on top of a snooker, billiard or pool table.
Serious players will want to avoid conversion tops for a variety of reasons. They come in odd sizes, either too big or too small, often the table you are converting is too high or too low and the quality of the surface can lead to odd bounces. In short they are good for recreational players but that is about it.
Decide whether you are going to leave the table set up permanently or whether you will be frequently packing it up and putting it back. If you are going to be taking it up and down constantly, you will want something that is easy to setup, preferably a fold-up model that can be handled by one person, with rollers to allow you to move it without fuss. The good roller tables all have brakes on the wheels that can be applied to stop the table moving around when in use.
Even if you plan to leave your ping-pong table set up all the time, buying a table with rollers is still a good idea - you never know when your plans will change, and the quality of the roller tables made by Stiga, Joola, Butterfly, Donic, DHS, Kettler etc. are top notch.
When shopping for a table you need to make sure that the finish on the table is smooth and even, with no patches or rough spots. Look for any rough edges on the top and sides that could cut you if you accidentally grazed a part of your body along it.
And bring a ruler with you to test the height of the bounce - remember that according to the Laws of Table Tennis, the ball should bounce about 23cm when a standard ball is dropped on it from a height of 30cm. Bouncing 24cm high in some places and 22cm high in others doesn't average out!
Some players will argue that only table tennis tables with full 25mm (1 inch) thick tops are worth buying. While it is true that these tables do give a nice, even bounce, many serious players play on 19mm (0.75 inches) thick tops and find little difference, certainly not hundreds of dollars worth!
Serious tournament players will probably want to go to a 25mm thick top just so that they have a similar table to what they will play on at tournaments. After all, what's a few hundred extra dollars to a serious table tennis player who probably spends that in a couple of months on rubbers and speed glue?
Make sure that the ping-pong table you buy has good strong legs and supports, it's probably going to take quite a beating over the next few years, and you will need something well-made to stand up to the rough treatment. This is especially important if you have kids that are likely to treat the table a bit rougher than an adult will.
Another nice feature to look for is leg levelers on the bottom of the legs. These can be very handy when the floor you are playing on isn't level - the levelers can be screwed in and out to keep the height of the table at its standard 76cm (approx 30 inches) above the floor.
Watch out for table tops that are warped. Put your eye at table height from all sides of the table and look for any bending or warping which can affect the bounce of the ball. A 1 meter or 1 yard long spirit level can be very handy for assessing whether the table surface is not flat.
Look for a net with attachments that have a soft covering where they grip the table - so that you don't scratch the finish unnecessarily. You could probably put some sticky felt on the net clamps if you had to. Also make sure that the clamps that are used by the net don't dig into the surface or the underside of the table. And of course, don't drag the net clamps when taking the net off or putting it on!
Whichever table you choose you are making a wise investment. Hours of fun and exercise lie in front of you, enjoy!
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