One of the biggest obstacles to adopting a hobby, or in this case, a sport, is not knowing where to start from. Even when everything seems in place, it’s hard to stay committed.
Therefore, having the right tools at your disposal while you begin your journey is crucial to consistency. Now that we have established that visiting the departmental store is the first step on this journey, what exactly are the table tennis equipment you need to get?
The list is quite easy to figure out. You obviously need a personal practice table, paddles, shoes and sport wears, and most importantly, lots of balls. Simply put, you can never have enough balls. As simple as this part seems, the real work is in figuring out how exactly to buy these things.
The question of what features you need to look out for in this list of equipment during your purchase and their various importance becomes the next task. That’s the real stuff that will be dealt with in this article.
A Table :
The first thing to be considered here is where you want the table mounted. This is influenced by how big your apartment is or how much space you have in a garage or if you have any space outside your house that can accommodate a table.
If you have enough space in your apartment, you can go for an indoor table that could be permanently installed and you don’t have to worry about setting up and packing after every use. You can also go for a conversion top which you can be used in place of a table tennis.
If you have space outside your house that you can have a table permanently installed without affecting your space or ruining the overall appearance of the building, then an outdoor table is your best bet. However, an outdoor table leaves less space for privacy and personal practice. So, unless you’ll be having a personal trainer to play with you every step of the way, then I suggest you do your business inside with either an indoor table or a conversion top.
I’ll suggest you read our buyer’s guide to ping pong tables and our guide to table tennis tables to have a better knowledge of which products to purchase.
Paddles and Balls :
Have you ever noticed that when playing tennis with worn out paddles, exchanging the paddle with your opponent changes the game for both of you? Well, paddles with different features obviously provide different results.
Unlike tables, paddles require a more personalized feel for you to get the best out of them. However, you don’t need to stress so much over this. You can’t possibly think that having just one paddle is going to be enough. You need at least two, with different features for different playing styles.
Simply put, you need one paddle each for an attacking and a defensive style of play. Paddles react differently to these styles, and as such you need to have the features of your different paddles complement those styles and amplify your performance.
Having more than one paddle could also intimidate your opponent if used properly. These differences can be properly understood by reading extensively researched reviews of paddles and then you can choose based on your findings, and your budget, obviously.
As far as ping pong balls go, you should never be in shortage of those. Make sure you get as many as possible. In fact, it’s best to get more than you can keep track of and keep refilling that stash anytime you have any business at the departmental store.
It’s hard enough to adopt this sport alone. Interrupting an interesting game just to look for your one ball can be pretty exhausting and drain out the excitement in seconds.
Shoes and Wears :
You need to be as comfortable as possible. During play, you are required to bring your self back into a relaxed position after striking the ball in order to prepare for your next stroke of the ball. To do that, you can’t have any clothing material interfere with your balance.
It is understandable that in your bid to cut the costs and restrict your purchase to only things that you actually need, you might decide to use your jogging shoes. If they are in good shape, there’s no harm there.
However, you need to understand that you might be wearing them for hours daily depending on your schedule. It’s best to get a fresh pair that help you get your balance and keep you afloat the stress.
Make sure that your clothing choice does not affect your body and arm movement. Tennis is all about hand to eye coordination and overall body balance. The wrong clothing choice could compromise that and slow your growth as an aspiring professional tennis player.
Conclusion :
Depending on how far you intend to go in this sport, you must be willing to spend. You need to see these expenditures as an investment on yourself with the intention of reaping benefits in the nearest future when you become a skilled professional. More importantly, you need to take your time with these products and get the one the fits best with you, otherwise, your purchase might not be worth your investment.
Hey! , I am Roland Campbell , a recreational table tennis player for over 5 years and counting. I do a lot of research on table tennis (Ping Pong) and publish my findings here at Pingthatpong.
Thanks for all of this information. I am wanting to purchase a Ping Pong table for our basement. We will have extended family that likes to play and had one growing up. Can’t wait to keep reading and make a decision on what we need.