Table Tennis paddle

February 01, 2023, 10:06 PM

konata88

Table Tennis paddle

I'm trying to do some research but the usual SF practical expertise is probably more valuable.

Looking to buy a gift - a table tennis paddle for someone who plays recreationally about 6-8 hours per week. Not beginner but far from being a pro. Can do extended rallies, hit w/ speed and utilize spin. Can place shots. But not nearly the same pace as pros (where I can't even see the ball - one minute someone is holding the ball to serve, the next time I see the ball it's on the ground and the point is done).

Trying to figure out recommended brands, types of paddles, things to look for, etc.

Or, it could be that paddles are very personal choices and likely whatever I buy, no matter how good it is, probably wouldn't match the recipient.

"Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy
"A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book

February 01, 2023, 10:51 PM

1s1k

When I was heavy into it Butterfly was the main brand.

A paddle is a very personal choice and depending on your style of play you may prefer a different paddle than someone else.

As expensive as they can be I think talking to someone he knows that also might know what he wants is the best option. Otherwise it could (probably) be wasted money.

February 02, 2023, 12:58 AM

bcereuss

Killerspin is what I use. It is a very personal choice and depends on style of play…as you’ve deduced.

February 02, 2023, 02:30 AM

Rey HRH

Even within a given brand, there are different price points. And then, there's the kind of cushion on either side that would be conducive to whatever style the player has, whether they like to put a lot of spin of the ball, etc.

Maybe just a gift card to the store that sells high end paddles? Then he can spend as he wish on which paddles he likes.

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.

February 02, 2023, 02:47 AM

Nismo

I also suggest just getting him a gift certificate so he can choose his own since it can be very personal.
My dad played for many many years, and used Butterfly Japanese pen grip. He bought blades, corks, and that rubber stuff separate, and assembled them to his liking.

February 02, 2023, 07:15 AM

Gustofer

Flex-O-Lite?

February 02, 2023, 05:24 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by konata88:

Or, it could be that paddles are very personal choices and likely whatever I buy, no matter how good it is, probably wouldn't match the recipient.

There are so many many different paddles, handle shapes, types of rubber, and padding under the outer rubber that it is hard to imagine you would guess right and get the person a paddle that suits them. Some like one surface on one side and another on the other.

Get a gift certificate to Ping Paddles R Us.