Shakehand attacker starter, intermediate looper, penhold looper, chopper and short-pips hitter: how to choose the blade and rubbers for each style, why, and alternatives from other makers.
TT Lab editorial opinion These setups are examples picked by TT Lab. They are not ads or sponsored, and each slot lists similar alternatives from other makers. What fits you differs from person to person, so holding the gear yourself is best.
Shakehand attacker — starter
Under a year of play, still building forehand/backhand rallies and the first loops
An all-wood 5-ply blade the maker classes as allround keeps the ball on the blade longer, so you can feel whether a stroke was right.
Rubbers are the softer inverted options within each maker's range. They catch the ball even on gentle strokes, so fewer errors (don't compare hardness numbers across makers).
Start one or two steps thinner than the thickest sponge: a lighter racket and a ball that doesn't fly off as much.
Same rubber on both sides is fine. If your backhand feels awkward, try a softer or thinner rubber on that side only.
Shakehand looper — intermediate
You win points with loops and keep rallies going a step back from the table
Chinese penhold (CS) has a shakehand-like head, good for a backside rubber and reverse backhands. Japanese penhold (JS) has a cork ridge that helps load power into one forehand.
Many penholders use a rubber with some tack on the forehand: it grips the ball for low short serves and drops, and rewards self-powered loops with heavy spin.
For the reverse backhand, a light, soft tension rubber is easier. The penhold angle uses less wrist, so a rubber that lifts the ball helps.
If you play Japanese penhold with one side only, you don't need a backside rubber — and the racket gets lighter.
If the playground style test gave you this type:FPAMPA
Chopper (defender)
You step back, chop the opponent's loops and counter-attack when you get the chance
Blades the maker classes as defensive (DEF) have larger heads or less speed, so strong balls from far away are easier to absorb and chop to the right length.
Forehand: inverted with a thin sponge to put spin on chops and still counter-attack. Many choppers use slightly tacky chop rubbers.
Backhand long pips send the loop's spin back reversed and make the ball vary. A thin sponge is easier at first; OX (no sponge) varies more.
Check long pips against the ITTF list (LARC) and thickness rules before competing (see the rules section of the basics).
If the playground style test gave you this type:MPC
Short-pips close-to-table hitter
You stay close to the table and hit the ball early, fast and flat to end rallies quickly
Short pips are less affected by incoming spin, which suits fast, early hitting close to the table. Most players put them on one side, usually the backhand.
Blades the maker classes as offensive but not the fastest: close to the table, control wins points.
Inverted on the other side lets you spin the ball: unsettle with pips, finish with inverted.
Even within one maker, short pips split into spin-oriented and speed-oriented types. The spin side is usually easier to get used to.
If the playground style test gave you this type:FSAFPC
Blocker with long pips or anti
You block at the table and make the opponent miss first
An allround blade makes it easy to drop blocks short and still attack with the forehand.
Anti or long pips on the backhand react little to spin or send it back reversed, disrupting length and spin. They make little spin themselves, so blocks and pushes are the core.
Keep an easy-to-control inverted rubber on the forehand to finish the chances your backhand creates.
Check that long pips or anti are on the authorised list (LARC) and within thickness rules before competing.
If the playground style test gave you this type:FSC
Speed, spin and hardness numbers are set by each maker to compare its own products. Butterfly's hardness 36 and DONIC's 47.5 are on different scales, so numbers from different makers cannot be compared. This page shows each value exactly as the maker states it.
