Five Joys of Playing With Table Tennis Rackets
1
The joy of owning. Just like playing with toys as kids. Which toy do you like best? No — I want them all. It looks like a low-level joy, but it is also the purest. Back then we could not decide on our own toys; now that we work, can we not buy the rackets we like? (Comrades henpecked at home may ignore this sentence.)
Of course, the tier of owning splits many ways. The me of years past already has a “museum,” while some players treasure just one or two rackets. There is no high or low — be happy with what you have. The thing most to fear in owning is comparison; comparison only feeds vanity. Just enjoy yourself.
2
For the novelty. This is what we call “the bug.” A fevered collector may not care how many he owns, but he must have “once owned.” Buy a new racket, share notes, exchange ideas. This was the foundation of the many table-tennis forums that once rose. Though forums are now withering, they exist in another form: WeChat groups. The chatter and even the debates are a kind of joy. The blade is still the old toy, just in another form.
3
Understanding the differences, feeling the differences. Blades differ. The W968 backs off to mid-far table with bottom power still ample; the Viscaria, once you back off, needs power and more reliance on yourself, plus actively shaping the arc; the Carbo 45 has a natural arc feel, but its bottom-power ceiling is about that. On the premise of understanding the differences, you adapt yourself to the racket: with a longer-arc W968 (Hurricane Long 5) or Heima refined-craft KLC, make more striking space and press the arc lower; with the Viscaria lifting backspin, actively make the arc, and if driving, snap the forearm quickly. All a kind of joy.
4
The differences in rubber. Writing this, I finally realize everything needs money… different rubber setups really cost. Some players feel the joy through different rubber — a fairly high realm. It shows that at this stage, win-or-lose has begun to feel like passing clouds; they simply enjoy the fresh feel and joy of different setups. But more players try different setups to raise their competitive level. What is a more suitable setup? There is much experience to share. For a supple, springy blade with an obvious spring feel, a faithful, linear, solid rubber fits better; for a relatively bouncy, too-fast blade, a more ball-gripping rubber fits — like Hurricane 3, Jupiter 3 and other domestic high-tack rubbers, or D09c, Chilong and other lightly-tacky tensors.
5
The joy of appreciation. Watching stars’ matches, exploring what blades they use. This is not pure gossip. Through watching, we appreciate the execution of technique. And through their gear, we grasp the influence a blade has on the match. Some blades are springy, some weighty and powerful, some keep everything under control. How a star chooses such a blade and plays a different style from it. People act on blades, and in reverse, blades affect the user’s technique and strokes. With an inner blade, the strokes may be big and bold. With an outer blade, the strokes unknowingly become compact — because the arc is shorter and the ball comes out faster, so dragging strokes either lack threat or cannot keep up with the racket’s rhythm.
Of course, the joy of rackets is more than this. Knowing wood, knowing fiber, knowing how different adhesives work — all of it is learning. And the ocean of learning is so vast. Seeking knowledge is a joy too.