Comparison 729 2060 vs Start Line Level 600

— Racket. This type includes classic table tennis rackets, supplied fully assembled and ready to play out of the box. They are sold one at a time and are not equipped with additional equipment such as a net or balls (however, they can be supplemented with cases, see below). Buying a ready-made racket is often more convenient and cheaper than assembling sports equipment yourself. This is especially true for novice athletes and amateurs, but for professional use, this option is considered less suitable than a self-assembled racket. However, rackets of all classes (see below) and price categories are available today in ready-made form.

— Base. The base is the part of the racket that includes the handle and the rigid plate on which the pads are attached. Actually, to turn the base into a full-fledged racket, you need to install pads on it. This option is not very convenient for beginners and intermediate-level players, however, professionals often prefer to choose the combination of base and pads themselves, not trusting the selection and assembly of sports equipment manufacturers. Therefore, models of this type, as a rule, belong to the top class, use advanced materials and are expensive - to the point that some “bare” bases are more expensive than ready-made rackets with similar base characteristics.

- Kit. Kits include sets that include, in addition to a finished racket (see above), also additional sports equipment - te...nnis balls, and sometimes a net. In addition, there can also be several rackets; See below for details on the items included. The convenience of this option is obvious: by purchasing a kit, you can immediately acquire everything you need for a match (except perhaps the table). Most of these kits are made with beginners in mind, but there are exceptions - some kits even reach 5 stars (see “Class”).

The class of a racket describes the general purpose of the product and its ability to perform various table tennis techniques. The general purpose is clear from the name of the class: for example, for those who have not yet held rackets in their hands, 1* models are best suited, players with some experience who play regularly can pay attention to 2*, etc. As for techniques, the more stars, the wider the available range: for example, on “one-star” models only simulations of cutting and top spin are available, while “two-star” models allow you to perform these techniques with average strength, and powerful cutting and top spins are available starting from 3*.

It is worth noting that the term “professional” in this case is somewhat conditional: the class is indicated for the racket (see “Product type”), while professional athletes prefer to assemble equipment, choosing the base and pads themselves. Therefore, the 5* marking corresponds to the most advanced class among ready-made rackets. However, this class is more often designed for experienced amateurs than for representatives of “big sports”.

The style of play for which the racket is designed. For each playing style, optimal indicators of speed, spin and control (see below); The specific values of these characteristics may vary, but the general trend in models of the same style is usually clearly visible.

— Attacking. The attacking style of play requires high speed - it is this parameter that, as a rule, dominates the characteristics of rackets of this style.

— Defensive. When playing in a defensive style, the speed of the ball is relatively low, which is compensated by the abundance of technical elements such as spins and cuts. Accordingly, “defensive” rackets emphasize control (and some spin) and are also designed to absorb high ball speed (in case the opponent prefers an attacking style).

— Universal. A style of play that combines attacking and defensive elements. As a rule, all-purpose rackets have approximately equal speed and control.

Each style has its specializations. For example, attacking rackets may be designed for maximum speed - or a combination of slightly lower speed with an increased degree of control; in universal models, the ratio between speed and spin depends on which direction the emphasis in the design of the product is shifted - towards attack or defence; and so on.

Also, note that a certain style may include not only ready-made rac...kets but also bases(see “Product type”).

— Straight. The simplest form, assumes a flat surface of the handle, without extensions/contractions. For some players, this shape may well be optimal, but in general, straight handles are considered less comfortable than flared or anatomical ones. Therefore, although quite a lot of such rackets are produced, they are noticeably smaller than models with other types of handles, and they mainly belong to the initial class (1 *, 2 *), although there are rare exceptions.

— Flared. The handle of this shape expands noticeably towards the end. This makes the grip more comfortable and secure than the straight shape, while flared handles are easier and cheaper to manufacture than anatomical ones. Due to this, this option is very popular today, it is used in most rackets of all classes.

— Anatomical. This category includes handles, the shape of which is optimized for the shape of the human hand. Usually, they have characteristic notches, where the fingers of the athlete fall when held; this can improve the comfort of use and reduce fatigue. On the other hand, such handles are somewhat more complicated, and as a result, they are more expensive than straight or flared ones. In addition, they require increased attention when choosing: even a very small discrepancy between the profile of the handle and the size of the hand can cause inconvenience and reduce all the...advantages of such a racket to zero. As a result, anatomical handles are somewhat less common than conical ones.

Note that the main selection criterion for the shape of the handle is solely the personal preferences of the athlete. There are no general rules about which option is “better” or “worse”: for different people, the optimal form often turns out to be different. Therefore, before buying, it is highly advisable to try the racket in your hand and evaluate the suitability of its handle for your own preferences.

Note that the same racket model can be produced in several modifications that differ in the shape of the handle; in such cases, the characteristics indicate all available options. And the bases (see "Product type") are, by definition, produced with different shapes of handles; therefore, for this type of product, this moment is not indicated at all.

Table tennis rackets have 3 main practical characteristics: speed, spin and control. The general class of the product, the style of play (see above), available techniques, requirements for player skills, etc. depend on their values and ratio. One of the most popular designation options is on a hundred-point scale; This scale is also used in our catalogue.

Control describes the overall handling of a racket. Roughly speaking, this is a parameter of how easily it can be used to give the tennis ball exactly the speed, direction of flight and rotation that the athlete wants to provide. High values on the control scale will be comfortable regardless of the level of the player and the style of play; however, increasing the speed/rotation hurts control, as a “faster” or “spinning” racket is usually more demanding on the accuracy of movements. Therefore, many models for professionals and experienced amateurs, usually, are distinguished by a low degree of controllability, and “beginner” rackets, on the contrary, have high control parameters and low speed/spin.

The number of layers that make up the base of the racket. The number of layers affects the degree of rigidity and elasticity of the base and, accordingly, the characteristics of the rebound of the ball. However, this moment is irrelevant for the simple reason that the materials used (see above), the presence of inserts, build quality, sponge thickness (see below), etc. also affect the mentioned characteristics. And given that modern table tennis rackets are very diverse (for example, wooden models can use different types of wood), the number of layers is today a reference parameter, which in itself does not affect the practical characteristics of a particular model.

The sponge is the bottom layer of the coating, located under the outer coating (rubber is most often used for such a coating). The thickness of the sponge determines the characteristics of the impulse that the racket transmits to the ball, and, accordingly, the characteristics of the flight of the ball after the impact; in other words, this parameter affects all three practical characteristics of the racket - speed, rotation, control. Accordingly, models for different playing styles (see above) also differ in sponge thickness.

So, a small thickness - up to 1.5 mm - is typical for protective style products, which are distinguished by low speed and good control. All-purpose rackets use sponges of the thickness of 1.5 – 1.8 mm, which provides a balance between speed and control. And thick sponges - from 2 mm - are installed in rackets for an attacking game, and the greater the thickness, the higher the speed and rotation, and the worse the control.

The total weight of the racket or base (see "Product type"). Usually, in the first case, the weight values are in the range of 140 – 180 g; occasionally there are lighter models, mainly these are rackets of the "beginner" class 1 * (see above). For most bases, this figure is 50 – 100 g.

In general, lighter rackets are considered better suited for beginner players — in particular, light weight contributes to good control. Trained professionals can use more "weighty" equipment. In addition, it is believed that heavy rackets are better suited for the attacking style of play (see above), while light rackets are more convenient in defence. Anyway, the choice of weight depends on personal preferences: the racket should not seem either too light or too heavy.

The number of balls in a kit(see "Product type").

This inventory is completed with almost any modern kit, and given that the balls are very easily lost due to their small size, there are usually at least two of them. And in the most extensive sets, this number can reach 8.