I happened to watch a video about Chinese table tennis racquet construction. For such a simple looking device they are meticulously crafted. Specific wood dried for 20 years. Several layers of wood with grain running in different directions. Carbon fiber. Flatness checks. Beautiful handles pieced together from contrasting woods with exotic inlays. They are sold without rubber facings and players add (and change out) their own. These paddles are hundreds of dollars at times.
One of the things that I discovered is that the racquet and rubber varies with the style of play - offensive vs defensive. Now obviously each player has to both attack and defend. I read a bit about this but didn’t really get a good grasp of the different styles. Is one style better? Does an offensive player do better against another offensive player or a defensive one?
Finally - is ping pong the same as table tennis?
I can answer that one. Yes, for all intent and purposes, although ping pong is the unofficial name of the sport.
This tennis table snob sniffs at (holds finger to nose) “ping pong”.
Sometimes call it g-nip g-nop.
FWIW, this defensive player preferred playing offensive players, like Dayglo Abortions drummer Jesus Bonehead, who always had an attacking game. This would be back in the early 90s, outside, (only on windless days of course) with 15+ shot rallies, as I’m standing a good 12 feet back from the table for the bulk of most rallies, parrying his smashes back. (Ususally I’d take 6 out of 10 from him).
Playing defensive players, on the other hand, didn’t complement my style, making it not as fun. Saying all of this in past tense given I haven’t picked up a racket in decades. Miss the weekly Wed. drop-ins I used to go to, ages ago, and apparenty the same rec. centre is still offering it. (should I?)
Two layers of smooth rubber on both sides for me. I remember a number of the Asian players back then (who’d courteously mop the floor with me), were sometimes adjusting / experimenting with different racket surfaces. Some of the ebony inlay, and such, in some of their handles was pretty cool.