Table tennis racket
sports equipment
A table tennis racket (also known as a paddle in North America or a bat in Europe and Asia) is the primary piece of equipment used by table tennis players. According to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the official term is "racket," and it is distinguished from other racket sports by its solid surface rather than an open frame strung with strings.
The racket consists of a laminated wooden blade which, depending on the player's grip and style, is covered with rubber on one or both sides. Modern construction varies significantly, ranging from traditional all-wood plies to advanced composite structures incorporating carbon fiber, glass fiber, or arylate. These materials and their specific arrangements directly influence the racket's performance characteristics, primarily categorized by speed, spin, and control. Consequently, players typically select a racket based on their individual skill level, ergonomic preference, and offensive or defensive tactical orientation.
Blades
The blade is the wooden portion that serves as the foundation for the rubber. ITTF regulations mandate that at least 85% of the blade's thickness must be of natural wood. The remaining layers may be reinforced with fibrous materials such as carbon fiber or glass fiber, provided they do not exceed 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35 mm, whichever is smaller.
Classification and speed
Blades are categorized by their performance characteristics, ranging from defensive to highly offensive.
The public source identifies “Table tennis racket” as sports equipment. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Table, tennis and racket.
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This entry incorporates text from “Table tennis racket” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.