Comparison Butterfly Timo Boll SG77 vs Butterfly Zhang Jike ZJX6

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”).

Table tennis rackets have 3 main practical characteristics: speed, spin and control. The general class of the product, the style of play (see above), the available techniques, the requirements for the player's 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.

The speed indicator describes how fast the ball will move after contact with the racket. High-speed values are very important for an attacking style of play.

Table tennis rackets have 3 main 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.

The higher the spin number, the more the ball will spin with the corresponding hit and the better the racket is suitable for various spinning techniques.

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.

This racket model has an ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) certificate.

The ITTF - International Table Tennis Federation - is the world organization responsible for developing the official rules for international competitions and monitoring their compliance. These rules also include technical requirements for equipment used in international competitions. An official ITTF certificate is required to allow equipment (including rackets) to participate in such competitions; in other words, to participate in an official international tournament you will need a racket with an ITTF certificate. However, having a certificate is more important taking into account another point: the ITTF puts forward quite strict requirements for the quality of equipment. This has a positive effect on the quality of certified products, but it also imposes some restrictions: for example, the base of the racket must consist of at least 85% wood (see “Base Material”), and some types of spikes on the rubbers are prohibited.

It is worth noting that rackets of almost any class can have an ITTF certificate (see above), even very inexpensive models. A certificate can also be issued for sets - as a rule, this means that all complete equipment (net, balls, etc.) meets the ITTF requirements. But the bases (see “Product type”) do not pass certification: a self-assembled racket may turn out to not comply with ITTF...standards, even if the base itself fits perfectly into these standards.

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.