Gear basics

Rubber types — inverted, short pips, long pips, anti

A rubber is a topsheet (one layer of pimpled rubber that touches the ball) over a sponge. Types differ by which way the pimples face and how long they are.

• Inverted — pimples face the sponge and you hit with the smooth side. Easiest for spin, used by most players.
• Short pips (pips-out) — short pimples face out. A smaller contact area makes it less sensitive to incoming spin and good for fast, flat hitting, but it makes less spin than inverted.
• Long pips — long thin pimples bend on contact and send much of the incoming spin back. Used by choppers and blockers to vary the ball, with no sponge (OX) or a thin one.
• Anti — looks like inverted, but the surface is very slick: it barely makes spin and barely reacts to it.

Tacky vs tension rubbers

Tacky topsheets are sticky and grip the ball. Common in Chinese-style rubbers, usually paired with a hard sponge that rewards big, self-powered strokes. Many players find short serves and drop shots steadier with them.

Tension rubbers are built with stored tension in the rubber and sponge so the ball leaves faster for the same stroke. Most attacking rubbers from European and Japanese makers are tension rubbers. They need less effort, but short balls pop up more easily.

Hybrids mix the two (a slightly tacky topsheet on a tension sponge). In the catalog, “Tacky” and “Tension” say “Yes” only when the maker states it.

Sponge thickness and hardness

Thickness — a thicker sponge sinks deeper and throws the ball harder and faster, but the racket gets heavier and you feel the ball less. Thinner is lighter and easier to control, popular with beginners and defenders. “MAX”, “特厚” or “Ultramax” is the thickest a maker offers.

Hardness — hard sponges need power to work and send the ball straight. Soft sponges hold the ball even on gentle strokes and forgive more, but can bottom out on hard hits.

Hardness numbers can't be compared across makers. Japanese, European and Chinese makers use different scales, so “36” and “47.5” may describe similar hardness. Compare within one maker only.

Blade plies

A blade is thin wooden plies glued together. The number of plies and the materials set its speed and feel.

Dark bands are fibre layers, the middle is the core

• 5-ply all wood — long dwell and easy to control, used from beginners to advanced players.
• 7-ply all wood — more plies, stiffer and faster.
• Composite (5+2) — two fibre layers (carbon, arylate, kevlar…) between five wooden plies for more speed and a larger sweet spot. Fibre just under the outer ply (outer) plays straighter and faster; near the core (inner) it feels closer to wood.
• Defensive (DEF) — larger, thinner or lighter heads that absorb the ball.

ITTF rules say at least 85% of the blade's thickness must be natural wood, and a fibre-reinforced adhesive layer may not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm, whichever is smaller (2.4.2).

Handles — FL, ST, AN and penhold

• FL (flared) — wider at the end so it doesn't slip. The most common shakehand handle.
• ST (straight) — a straight bar, easy to turn in the hand for quick forehand-backhand changes.
• AN (anatomic) — bulges in the middle to fill the palm.
• Chinese penhold (CS) — a shakehand-like head with a short handle; rubber on both sides for reverse backhands.
• Japanese penhold (JS) — a cork ridge for the index finger; traditionally rubber on one side.

Hold it before you choose: the same name can mean different thickness and length at different makers.

What to look at, by level

Beginner (about the first year)

• A 5-ply all-wood blade the maker classes as ALL (allround). You feel the ball while learning strokes.
• Inverted on both sides, soft to medium hardness, medium thickness (around 1.8mm) to start.
• A pre-assembled racket is fine at first. Change once your strokes settle.

Intermediate (once you have a style)

• Loopers often use an OFF- 5-ply wood or inner-fibre blade with tension inverted rubbers in 2.0mm or MAX.
• Many players use a slightly softer rubber on the backhand than on the forehand.
• Defenders and pips players: see “Setups by style”.
• Check the total weight of blade plus two rubbers — add it up in the racket calculator.

Rubber care and when to replace

• After playing, wipe off dust with a rubber cleaner or a damp sponge, cover with protective film and keep it in a case.
• Avoid hot cars and direct sun; rubber hardens faster.
• Edge tape protects the blade edge from chipping on the table and stops rubber edges lifting.
• Glue rubbers with ITTF-permitted glue and never treat rubbers (boosters etc.) — it breaks the rules (2.4.7).

There is no evidence-based number of hours for replacing a rubber (the ITTF rules have no time limit either). Look for these signs instead:

• the same stroke makes less spin and the ball slips
• the surface is shiny or faded, or the main contact area looks different
• edges crack or tear, or the sponge is dented or torn

Record the change date in My gear to see how many days a rubber has been on.

ITTF equipment rules — LARC, colours, thickness

• Authorised coverings only — the covering must be a brand and type authorised by the ITTF (2.4). The list is the LARC (List of Authorized Racket Coverings). ITTF LARC
• Colour — one side black, the other a bright colour clearly distinguishable from black and from the ball, both matt (2.4.6). Besides red, the ITTF list includes blue, green, pink and violet coverings.
• Thickness — pimpled rubber without sponge less than 2.05mm including adhesive; sandwich rubber less than 4.05mm including adhesive (2.4.3, as written in the 2026 rules). The pimpled layer of a sandwich may not exceed 2.0mm (2.4.3.2).
• Pimple density — between 10 and 30 per cm² (2.4.3.1).
• No treatment — no physical, chemical or other treatment of the covering (2.4.7).
• Ball — 40mm, 2.7g, plastic, white or orange and matt, an ITTF-approved brand and type (2.3). ITTF approved balls

Source: ITTF Statutes 2026. The match rules are also summarised on the rules page (in Korean).