CHOOSING THE RIGHT BLADE FOR YOUR TABLE TENNIS RACKET
Finding the right table tennis blade is not as easy as it may seem, not even for the most experienced table tennis player. Every player has their own personal playing style. Perhaps you’re a defensive player, who focuses on control and the aim of making it difficult for your opponent with a lot of reverse spin. Or perhaps you prefer to go all in on the offensive with the topspin and the aim of a quick finish, leaving your opponent completely outplayed.
No matter your playing style, you probably want your table tennis racket to perform in a certain way. This means that the best blade for you is not necessarily the best blade for your friend. This guide helps you to choose the right table tennis blade for you. Here you can read more about the wood, glue and technologies behind our table tennis blades. You can also find out which blade to choose in order to create a table tennis racket that suits your playing style.
Have you already bought your first blade? Here you can read more about our rubbers and how to glue table tennis rubber.
PLAYING STYLES
There are as many playing styles as table tennis players around the world, but we usually narrow playing styles down to three categories: defensive, all-round, and offensive. To make it easier for you to find the right blade, we’ve divided them according to the three playing styles.
The defensive table tennis player
The all-round table tennis player
The offensive table tennis player
HANDLES & GRIP
Our blades are available with three different types of handles:
1. PEN / PENHOLDER
A conical, short and wide handle.
The grip allows the wrist to move quite freely, good for receives and all types of serves.
2. MASTER / CONCAVE
A concave, slim handle.
Handle with a wide handle end. It fits in the palm of your hand. The center of gravity comes closer to the handle.
3. CLASSIC / STRAIGHT
The classic, straight handle.
This handle is straight and thicker compared to a concave handle. It makes changing your grip easier between your strokes.
All handles are made of the top-quality wood and have a surface roughness that ensures an optimal gripping surface without the handle feeling slippery.
BLADE MATERIAL
Wood
Before we design our blades, we always consider the playing characteristics of the different wood types. In general terms, each wood type has something particular to offer. After testing hundreds of varieties, we have learned about the different playing characteristics of blades made in each wood type, and thus we’re able to offer the best blades for upcoming world champions. Here you’ll find our entire range of table tennis blades.
Reinforced artificial fibers
This thin, lightweight material contributes to increased speed while the blade retains its lightweight quality. Carbon fiber is the main feature of the blades in our Carbonado series, which uses the unique, patented and Swedish-made carbon fibre, Spread Tow Carbon. Carbon fiber is also used in Cybershape Carbon, Dynasty Carbon, Inspira CCF and Legacy Carbon.
Outer fiber:
The fibers is located beneath the outer veneer, which provides the blade with additional power and speed compared to the Close Core Fiber.
Close Core fiber:
The artificial fibers are applied directly over the wooden core, preserving the original characteristics of the blade while offering the sensation of an all-wood blade with less vibration. The Close Core Fiber structure provides a longer dwell time.
Limba:
Soft yet sturdy wood is used for outer veneers in blades, it provides greater control and improved touch without compromising on speed.
Koto:
Koto is a harder wood compared to limba and is commonly used for topspin shots and provides a sharper feel for powerful, direct shots.
Q&A BLADES
For how long can a blade be used?
Heavy or light blade? Which weight should I choose?
How is Speed and Control calculated?
Compare STIGA blades
Searching for the right blade? Want to know how STIGA blades compare? This overview provides a comparison of our blades and how they differ in terms of control and speed, as well as each blade’s recommended skill level.
TECHNOLOGIES
Behind each table tennis blade lies many decades of intensive research, development and table tennis experience. Since the end of the 60s, STIGA Table Tennis has been manufacturing its own blades – genuine craftsmanship by and for world-class table tennis players. Our blades feature the following technologies:
STIGA CUSTOM WEIGHT TECHNOLOGY
The STIGA Custom Weight Technology (STIGA CWT) innovation allows you to adjust the weight and balance of the blade using three weights of 3, 6, and 9 grams that you can easily attach to the bottom of the handle with help of a magnet inside the blade, this facilitates you to achieve your personal perfect characteristics of your STIGA blade.
CYBERSHAPE
According to measurements from tests carried out in collaboration with KTH, Cybershape has a larger sweet spot placed higher up on the blade than a standard shape which gives more power in your strokes without losing control of the ball. Our research has shown that for the majority of players their optimal hitting area is on the top half of the blade. So we’ve optimized the hitting area so that it is larger in comparison to the traditional shape of the blade’s upper half and slightly smaller on the lower half to maintain the blade’s balance.
TEXTREME® TECHNOLOGY
A technology based on the carbon fibre Spread Tow, which increases both a blade’s speed and sweetspot. Example: All blades in the Dynasty Carbon and Carbonado series.
WRB SYSTEM
A technology used to manufacture the handle, which optimises blade balance. Example: Offensive Classic and Clipper Wood.
CR SYSTEM (Combi Revolution)
The blade surface has undergone UV treatment, which provides increased speed at ball impact. Example: Clipper CR.
CLOSE CORE FIBER (CCF)
The artificial fibers are applied directly over the wooden core, preserving the original characteristics of the blade while offering the sensation of an all-wood blade with less vibration. The Close Core Fiber structure provides a longer dwell time compared to blades with the fibers located beneath the outer veneer
