Table tennis or ping pong is a widely played indoor game. It is equally popular in all age groups, be it young people or old. Its popularity brings it to the Olympic level. This game includes a few essentials to play, such as; a ping pong ball, a ping pong table, and a racket or paddle. A person’s expertise completely depends on his grip on his blade.
What is better than making yourself a customized paddle? But to make a new one by yourself, you first need to know the basics about how you can build one. ITTF settles a few regulations. This ITTF approval makes a paddle to be 85% wood and 7.5% fibrous material.
So let’s start,
Things To Consider Before Building A Ping Pong Racket:
Playing Style:
The very first thing you should be careful about is your style. The paddle you are building should have your preferred handle. The spin and speed of your choice should be achieved by the paddle.
Type Of Wood For Blade:
Secondly, you need to choose the type of blade wood that suits you and your play style. Normally, laminated wood is the most preferred blade wood and is widely used with rubberized on both sides. There is a huge variety of plywood you can choose from, such as; fir, pine, softwood, and for hard material wood; walnut, abachi, bamboo, Kiri, koto, mahogany, maple, and many others.
If you do not know much about woods, you can try to use different ones, as every type of blade has its weight and playstyle. Whatever makes you comfortable will be a great pick for you.
Type Of Rubber:
You can simply choose from the basic one-sided pimpled or sandwich rubber. Also, you can look for the needed thickness of the rubber for the blade. A more thick rubber can cause the ball to sink into the rubber and affect the shot speed as well can deflect the direction. So choosing a suitable thickness is very much necessary for better playing paddle.
Gather the tools needed:
- Electric saw( handheld)
- Wood of your choice
- Rubber of your choice
- Glue
- Paddle template
- Tracing pen
- Sandpaper
- Finishing varnish
Step By Step: Build A Ping Pong Racket:
Above mentioned things should be taken into consideration before actually working on the blade. Choosing every piece according to your need and preference can make a near-perfect blade for you.
Let’s get straight into building a customized ping-pong paddle:
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The Blade:
The first step is to cut a wood slab and get a blade shape. Firstly, get a printable ping pong blade template and print it. Then stick or attach it to the wood to get an outline of the shape. Afterward, use an electronic saw to cut the blade shape as cleanly as possible. If you get any raptured sides, you can simply use sandpaper to smooth them.
Now, you can glue the two handle pieces with epoxy or wood glue. Wait till the glue dries completely then, you can sand the edges to give a smoother shape.
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The Rubber:
The second step is to glue the rubber to the blade. In that process, you need to spread the glue on the opposite sides of the rubber. If you feel the rubber absorbing the glue, you can do a double coat. The wooden blade should be equally covered with rubber end to end. The rubber should not be too thick or thin, as both can affect the performance of the paddle. You can choose from any of the ordinary pimped rubber or sandwich rubber considering you’re playing style.
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Stick Together Both:
Now it’s your turn to stick together the rubber and the wooden blade. Check the shape compatibility of the wood and the rubber. Now you can assemble the rubber and the wooden blade, attach one side of the rubber and let it sit before applying another one.
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Apply The Finish:
The final step of building a blade is to apply a finish coat, whether you are using paint or a clear coat on the surface. You can apply it several times on the wooden blade to get a better result.
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Attaching Handle:
This is the last step of making a ping pong paddle in which you are going to make a handle and attach it to the blade. But before going further, you should know the types of handles like; flared, anatomic, penhold, etc. after knowing which handle you are going to use, you can prepare two identical pieces of a handle with one flat side to stick together. Also, you can drill a hole at the end to screw that or wood lock for more durable sticking.
You can attach the handle to the blade. Just let all the pieces stick together and give it to sit for some time. Now, your paddle is ready to use.
Conclusion:
Now, I hope you have a little information about how to build your customized ping pong paddle. And you can build your preferred paddle. If you can not decide on which blade or rubber you should use, you can check people’s experience. Different woods and rubbers and the most recommended test on your own paddle can help you choose one. Otherwise, making your own paddle can be a wonderful experience that will let you know your preferences according to your style.
Your paddle might not be perfect on the first try or may lack in some areas, but gradually, you can ace it as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:1 Does the type of wood affect the performance?
Yes, it does; every kind of wood has different weights and rigidity, with surely affects the spin or the power of the shot in one way or other. Choosing wood for your blade is a significant step and very important for your blade’s quality and durability.
Q:2 How to choose between pimpled or sandwich rubber?
You can differ their properties and skill of your own too, which one of them suits your playstyle.
Q:3 What are the basic parts of a table tennis paddle?
The blade, the rubber, and the handle are the basic parts of a table tennis racket.