Table tennis on Black Friday
This selection of table tennis brings together the equipment for players: pre-assembled rackets Tibhar and Donic Waldner, training and outdoor balls, covers, cleaner and glue for rubbers, indoor shoes Mizuno and Joola, shirts and shorts Donic, score counters and dividers to equip a hall. From family play to team championships, everyone can find their level.
All the ping, at a reduced price.
Complete paddle or composite blade: what to choose
A complete paddle comes ready to play: the blade and both rubbers are already glued, making it suitable for beginners and casual play. The Tibhar Fun and Hobbyset are aimed at family play, the Rookie is for learning in clubs, while the Pro Blue and XXX Powergrip, which are faster, support players starting to work on their spins. The Donic Waldner paddles pay tribute to the Swedish champion Jan-Ove Waldner, Olympic champion in Barcelona in 1992. The experienced player then moves on to a composite blade, where they glue the rubbers of their choice. The rules require one side to be black, the other can be red, blue, green, purple or pink since October 2021.
Other racquet sports
Racquet sports during Black Friday also include:
All racquet sports can be found on the racquet sports page.
Forty millimetre balls: stars and uses
The standard ball measures forty millimetres in diameter and weighs 2.7 grams; it replaced the thirty-eight millimetre ball after the Sydney Games in 2000, in order to slow down exchanges and make them more readable on television. Celluloid, which is highly flammable, was replaced by plastic in 2014. The printed stars indicate quality: the three-star ball, perfectly round and consistent, is used in competitions, while training balls Tibhar, sold in bulk, can withstand repeated sessions and multi-ball training. The Tibhar Outdoor, more durable, is designed for outdoor tables, and the Dunlop Pro is suitable for casual play.
Covers, cleaner, glue: making your rubbers last
The rubber is the component that wears out the fastest: its surface grips the ball and produces spins, but dust and sweat make it slippery. The cleaner Tibhar, sprayed and then wiped with a soft sponge after each session, restores its grip. The covers Tibhar, round to fit the paddle or rectangular with a pocket for balls, protect the paddle from light and shocks in the bag. When the rubber is worn out, the glue Donic Vario Clean, water-based, allows for a new one to be applied: glues with volatile solvents have been banned in international competition since 2008. A well-maintained rubber retains its speed and spin for longer.
Shoes, shirts and equipment to set up a hall
The table tennis player moves with small side steps and constantly pivots: a table tennis shoe with a low profile and thin rubber sole keeps the foot close to the ground and grips the surface of the halls. The Mizuno Wave Medal and Wave Drive, lightweight, are popular among club players, and the indoor Joola shoes are suitable for more casual use. The shirts Donic, adult and child, comply with the rule that prohibits a colour close to that of the ball. For a hall or a section, the score counters Donic and Joola and the dividers Joola Surround define the playing areas. Black Friday is a good time to equip an entire section before the return phase.
Frequently asked questions
Why do we say table tennis and not ping-pong?
Ping-Pong was registered as a brand name at the very beginning of the twentieth century by the English manufacturer Jaques. Federations have thus retained table tennis, which remains today the official name of the sport in competition.
Does table tennis and ping-pong refer to the same activity?
The sport is the same, but the usage often distinguishes ping-pong as casual play, played in the garden or on holiday, from table tennis played in clubs with licenses and rules. The equipment follows this logic: complete paddle on one side, wood and chosen rubbers on the other.
How many points is a game played to?
A game is won by eleven points with a two-point lead, a rule that has been in place since 2001; previously, it was played to twenty-one. The service changes every two points and a match is played best of five or seven games.
What are the dimensions of a regulation table?
The table measures 2.74 metres long by 1.525 metres wide, and its surface is 76 centimetres above the ground. The net height is 15.25 centimetres. Allow at least two metres of clearance behind each side to play comfortably.
When should you change the rubber on your paddle?
It all depends on how often you play: a club player who trains several times a week generally replaces it every few months, while a casual player does so much more rarely. A rubber that no longer grips the ball, even if clean, has reached the end of its life.
