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Let’s Start with Limba Wood.

Limba wood is typically a softer wood type. It provides great balance alongside faster carbon composite layers. Limba generally offers more stability to powerful blades. This makes it perfect for blades which are focused on ball acceleration through spin production. It’s also perfect for blades which have more control to balance out their power ratio.

While they offer more balance, it is important to note that Limba top layer blades are not necessarily slow. These blades can have great speed thresholds like the Vyzaryz Trinity blade, but this softer wood helps make the blade more forgiving. This sacrifices some of the power properties of the blade to offer more touch.

Koto is considered the powerful wood in the world of table tennis blades

Koto is usually applied in thinner layers. It is a much stiffer wood, taking away flex and adding hardness to a blade. Koto on the top layer of a blade packs a punch, it adds sharpness and a clean feedback to the blade.

These blades have very pure feedback. With the added hardness on the top layer the Koto wood blades are also considered to have greater precision and direct power.

The Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90 is the latest JOOLA blade with Koto wood on the top layer. It helps provide the sharpness and power that a player like Zhou Qihao in the Chinese National Team would look for in his game!

In some cases these wood layers are relatively thin. They may make up just one top ply layer of a blade, but they can have a huge impact on performance. The differences between Limba and Koto top layer blades are important to know about for competitive players. Perhaps Limba is for you, perhaps Koto. Maybe your preference lies elsewhere as mine has at many times and you prefer the feeling of Hinoki Top layer blades.

Understanding more about these wood types will help you to find the right custom table tennis equipment for you.

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Outer layer carbon blades are those which have a composite layer directly beneath the top wood layer of the racket. In most cases the added stiffness of the composite layer can be felt more upon contact in these outer layer rackets. You certainly feel more bite from the carbon properties and get added speed in your shots.

In these blades the quality of the carbon is felt more purely and directly.

Players who like the power and pace of carbon would more likely prefer these outer layer carbon blades for their game.  This could be for more power at distance, perhaps with a koto top layer like the Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90. Alternately player might prefer  faster and with more flex closer to the table with limba or hinoki outers – the Santoru KL-c Outer is a prime example.

Inner Layer Carbon Blades:

The Inner Layer positioning offers more softness to carbon blades. Yes you can still achieve great speed with composites like PBO-c or KL-c, and with different wood layers on top, however you achieve more wood feeling with the carbon.

Inner Layer composites are positioning the layer above the core layer, with two plies of wood on top. The Santoru KL-c Inner blade is a perfect example.

The double wood plies on top of the composite offer a cushioning for the ball, creating optimal touch and added control while maintaining the presence of the carbon fiber properties to add extra kick.

These blades are great for players who like higher arc on the ball, more spin feeling and a lot of variance in their game, while still relying on the carbon fibers to add some sting to the ball contact. It is important to note that while these blades don’t necessarily have the same direct impact into the ball contact, they are by no means slow blades and still have great speed.

Other Elements to Consider:

Of course while there are some differences between blades based on the positioning of composite layers – there will always be many other variances depending on wood types and combinations and the different types of carbon composite and thicknesses of layers.

This hopefully serves as a general guide to give a basic understanding of what you might expect in differences between inner and outer layer composite table tennis blades.

I was using the Santoru KL-c Inner blade for a little while and recently decided to switch to something that I could get a more crisp and direct contact with, and have such changed to the Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90 blade which is an outer layer carbon blade.

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One of the first things that players may want to know is the difference in sponge thickness. For example what is the difference between 2.0 and Max sponge rubbers?

These numbers relate to the thickness of the sponge in millimeters.

Generally thinner sponges are better for developing players and those looking for more control and steadiness in their game. The majority of JOOLA rubbers come in 2.0 or Max which narrows things down and makes it easier to choose. A rubber like JOOLA Samba also has a 1.8 option.

To unlock the maximum potential of a rubber I would definitely personally recommend Max sponge as the best option. With the highest allowable sponge thickness you are able to have greater sponge reactivity.

This means the ball sinks in more in softer sponges to help absorb incoming speed and spin, and has a greater catapult effect in rubbers with medium firm energized sponges with more porous cells.

For defensive players the thicker sponge generally offers greater range, especially for choppers, and can help produce greater spin on the ball, where thinner sponges are great for close and mid range and are super consistent for slowing attacking balls down quickly.

Table Tennis Rubber Sponge Hardness

Generally rubber sponges can be categorized into four main groups – soft, medium, medium-hard and hard.

The majority of players are forehand dominant and prefer to have less hardness on their backhand rubber than their forehand in the topsheet and/or sponge.

Soft sponges offer high levels of control and spin, which helps players looking to develop skills, or build consistency in their game. The more sponge hardness increases, the more speed and power you can build into your shots. Aggressive players often prefer medium-hard or hard sponges on their forehand – and may even have it on both sides of their racket if they attack off both wings. Harder sponges create more power and lower trajectories, which means safety windows over the net are usually lower and require more precision on the player’s part.

Sometimes if you get to very hard sponge levels, the sponges become more dense (which I will cover next) which means you also have to have a very high level of technical ability and play a more physical attacking game.

A good example of a softer sponge rubber is the JOOLA Rhyzen Ice rubber, a fantastic rubber for developing players which has exceptional control and is very consistent. Perfect for blocking and driving, creating good topspin on opening loops and redirection. Of course there is a trade-off and a rubber like Rhyzen Ice with it’s soft sponge doesn’t have too much acceleration or kick and is difficult to generation power on contact.

Table Tennis Rubber Sponge Density

On the flip-side a medium-hard sponge with more catapult, like Dynaryz AGR, can offer great power and even higher levels of spin, but can be much harder to control which places the responsibility upon the player to make the necessary adjustments to strokes and racket angles in order to remain consistent. This is something which requires experience and so often developing players are better off choosing soft to medium sponges.

Density is a third element of table tennis rubber sponges that you need to consider. While the density directly has an impact on the hardness of a rubber, it is more about the ‘cells’ within a sponge. The structure, size and frequency of cells has a major impact on the sponge properties.

Often more dense sponges are less porous, they have less air cells in the sponge. This means the sponge is harder and has less explosion effect. Players can achieve more direct power in their shots by imparting more weight transfer into the ball, so it holds higher power potential – but the responsibility is more upon the player to generate that power. A good example of this kind of sponge is with the JOOLA Golden Tango rubber.

Some sponges are more porous or have larger pores, this is to increase the catapult effect. These sponges often offer a higher arc on the ball and more explosive power from the racket. This means the ball springs off the rubber on contact, presenting less physical strain on the player. These rubbers are great for achieving topspin at different ranges, even further back from the table in counter-loop situations. The JOOLA Hyper Bounce sponge is dynamic in this sense.

In some situations a sponge can be extremely porous, with smaller pores. In this situation the sponge density is lower and offers less catapult effect. These rubbers are great for producing spin and controlling the ball at higher pace. They help increase ‘dwell time’ a common term for the amount of time a ball stays on a rubber to create fiction (of course this is so fractional it’s miniscule anyway).

Sponge Selection is Important for Competitive Table Tennis Players

On your journey to figuring out what kind of equipment is best suited to your game, sponge properties are one of the vital pillars of equipment you will need to understand.

Hopefully this small guide to help explain sponge thickness, hardness and density can help you expand your knowledge and increase your chances of finding the types of equipment that you like the most!

The post How Do Different Table Tennis Rubber Sponge Properties Impact Your Game | MHTT Blog appeared first on JOOLA Global.

Zhang sailed through the first three games before Xiao pulled back some momentum, the three time US Olympian regained her foothold on the match in the 6^th game and brought it home.

Into the final and everything was on the line for both players.

Wang was devastating on serve return and counters in the rally. While Zhang made her steady openings and looked for quick placements, Wang snapped over the top of the ball – adding a great deal of acceleration and often finding exceptional corner placement.

The games were immensely close as Zhang held small leads, but Amy Wang powered back each time. Wang would win the match in four straight games and claim her first WTT event crown, after playing an outstanding match. Despite the defeat, a humble Lily Zhang smiled brightly in the finalist position on the podium after the match.

A huge congratulations to our JOOLA players for their brilliant results and for really dominating proceedings at this WTT Feeder event!

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The Advantages of All-Wood Blades:

– High levels of control
– Good for spin production and feeling
– Lower cost
– High dwell times and contact quality
– More durable and long lasting
– Less variables to consider when choosing

The Disadvantages of All-Wood Blades:

– Doesn’t offer the same power output as carbon and other fibers
– Many all wood blades have more vibration through contact
– Less precision and stroke feedback than fiber blades
– The sport is becoming more physical and more aggressive, all-wood often lacks the sharpness in ball contact for the modern game at high levels.
– Very little innovation, more classic options

All-wood blades are a classic mainstay in the sport of table tennis, but as time has gone on the carbon fiber blade has taken center stage as a more popular choice for many table tennis players. There are still multiple gears based on wood types and ply count, for example a 5-ply with hinoki top layer like the Xylo 5 blade offers more touch and control, whereas the Xylo 7 blade has more contact stiffness and speed.

While all-wood composites are great for developing players and those who wish to play a more controlled all-round or offensive game – the sport is changing and the need for more speed and acceleration at the higher levels is crucial, hence the evolution of table tennis equipment.

Who are All-Wood Blades Best Suited To?:

– Beginners learning basic strokes
– Recreational social players
– Players with a more all-round play style
– Players who like the feel of an all-wood blades
– Those who prefer a spin oriented control game and a softer feeling blade

There is still very much a place for the all-wood blade, and it will probably be a part of the sport for many, many years to come. Let’s take a look more at the composite fiber blades.


The Advantages of Carbon Fiber Blades:

– More spin and power from flex and stiffness
– Lighter options, carbon layers are very thin
– Good range of soft and stiff carbon blades
– Different types of carbon to suit different styles i.e ARY-c, KL-c, PBO-c, 3K-c
– Higher level of precision and stroke feedback
– Less vibration in carbon fiber blades
– More innovation for better performance

The Disadvantages of Carbon Fiber Blades:

– Large differences in feel and performance between different composite combinations
– More variables which can make finding a blade you like harder
– Higher cost than all-wood blades
– Lower durability than all-wood blades due to carbon layers being thinner and more fragile
– More speed means less control in some of the stiffer blades

Carbon Fiber table tennis blades offer the next level of high performance, the majority of aggressive players in today’s modern game are using some kind of fiber composite – rather than an all-wood blade.

As blade innovation has improved, there is a greater range of carbon rackets, including softer alternatives which bridge the gap between the high end stiff and fast carbon fiber rackets and the all-wood control and feeling options. Carbon fibers and inner layer alternatives with softer woods like limba and hinoki are a great option for those transitioning from all-wood to carbon, and those (like me) who want to try and capture the best of both worlds. There are also great new innovations in the world of composite fibers like JOOLA’s unique X3 weave, which combines two types of carbon composite in opposite directions – this is the signature carbon layer of the Premium JOOLA Vyzaryz Trinity Blade.

Who are Carbon Fiber Blades Best Suited To?:

– Recreational players who are competitive (there are high end recreational carbon rackets)
– Players who are developing into active competition players
– Players developing higher level techniques
– Those who have a more aggressive playing style and require more power
– Players who like the feel of harder, faster blades

While the majority of table tennis players will start out their careers with an all-wood blade, eventually most of those players will transition to a carbon fiber blade. As the game becomes more physical and higher pace, this trend is likely to continue and grow as more innovative composites and designs enter the picture.

One of the things that is most important when choosing a blade is to make sure you stay true to your game, sometimes you can change to a faster or slower blade and you adapt your game to suit the equipment and make negative changes, this is something to be conscious of. It is also worth noting that (in my experience) it can be very difficult to go back to using an all-wood blade after using carbon fiber for many years.

Of course there are plenty of other factors to consider like wood types, carbon types and all the rest, but hopefully this gives you some insight into these two different categories of table tennis blades, and which might be better suited for you!

The post All-Wood vs Carbon Table Tennis Blades | MHTT Blog appeared first on JOOLA Global.

Hinoki is a relatively soft wood, but still adds density and heaviness to a blade. This makes it perfect for reactive offense like countering close to the table, and also for deftness and controlled feeling.

My game is built around hand speed and touch, I change the ball direction a lot and play lots of inside-out fade shots and slow loops to open up rallies. Feeling is paramount in my game and hinoki outer layer blades have presented the perfect recipe to bring out the best in my playing style.

I have become very fond of softer carbon blades with added stiffness on the inside layer, usually opting for Koto wood near the core to add the extra bite to the blade.

The blade which has given me the most reliable feel in recent years has been the JOOLA Rosskopf Emotion blade. For me this racket is the perfect balance between carbon offense and all-wood feeling. It embodies characteristics from both and merges them together incredibly.

The best characteristic is that it allows me to navigate the table with a less than perfect technical game and still make adjustments without an immense amount of risk. I feel like the ball sinks in more and allows the rubber properties to shine through more also. Hinoki helps add great safety and arc to mid-distance topspin exchanges and speed close to the table.

I spent some time using the JOOLA Santoru KL-c Inner blade which has a similar composition with KL-c carbon and added stiffness. This blade was great for adding more offense to my game, but in recent months I came back to the Rossi Emotion for its amazing reliability.

I would say to anyone looking to maximize their touch and feeling while maintaining a reasonably strong attacking game, to look no further than hinoki top layer table tennis blades. JOOLA have a great array of them, from the Rosskopf Emotion and the all-wood Xylo 5, all the way to the premium JOOLA Nobilis PBO-c blade.

I have tried many blades over the years, but always find myself coming back to hinoki top blades!

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Rough Estimation Guide, may not be accurate for all player preferences.

That’s a handy ballpark rule that a player could follow to help them know how often to change their table tennis rubber, or at least act as a starting point to understanding. It’s worth noting that the players who are likely to play 20+ hours per week at the high level are more particular about changing their rubber more frequently, hence the estimated rubber lifespan of only a couple of weeks. A player who plays 3-6 hours a week on a very casual recreational basis may also decide it’s ok to change their rubber less than every 3 months also.

The Intensity of Play

Another factor to consider is the intensity of play. If you are engaging in high level training you can expect the rubber wear to occur at a faster rate, as the frequency of balls hit is much higher than at the recreational level.

Where a social player might play a couple of hours a week and change their rubber a couple of times a year, a player who is busy with work or study who does 2 hour multiball sessions at a higher level per week may need to change rubber more than 3-4 times a year. While the above guide can provide a good starting point, it is up to each player to determine how their environment and intensity of play impact that. A prime example is a dedicated social player who may play matches for 20+ hours a week, of course in this scenario they may not need to change rubber each 2 weeks, perhaps they could do so every 2-3 months. It all depends on which point a player would determine that the life of the rubber is beyond use – social players tend to have a greater tolerance.

Upcoming Tournaments

A lot of competitive table tennis players will think about changing their rubber before upcoming important table tennis tournaments, so that they have fresh and high performing equipment before major events. It’s also important to remember that tournaments can have a significant impact on the wear of your rubber, if you are playing a heavy tournament schedule you may need to change rubber more frequently.

This is commonly performed 2-3 training sessions before the event, however this works with your schedule. This helps wear the rubber in a little. For higher level players they may want it totally new for the event so they may change and choose not to play with it before the tournament.

Is the Rubber Impacting Your Level of Play?

This is the single most important thing to understand in the long run. You should be able to feel when the speed and spin of the rubber is beginning to degrade to a point where your level of performance is negatively impacted too much. Obviously, all rubbers undergo depreciation as they are used, but often it will get to a point usually when the grip on the rubber surface has deteriorated too much and a player is not able to produce the quality they desire. Once you feel like the rubber has taken you as far as it can then it’s time to replace it. This is something you gain more experience with over time and will be able to tell when the time is right to switch to a fresh sheet of rubber.

Maintain the Rubber Well

It is important also to ensure you are keeping dust or dirt off your table tennis rubber surface to help extend its lifespan. This helps ensure the rubber surface keeps its grip quality for longer. Some players use condensation from their breath to wipe off dust, others use professional rubber cleaners and accessories. For recreational players often this can double the potential lifespan of their table tennis rubbers as proper care can be a bigger factor rather than high intensity wear and tear.

It is also highly recommended to keep your racket in a proper table tennis racket case, as this can protect it from environmental factors like heat or cold, as well as excess dust or dirt buildup.

So as you can see there are a number of other factors to consider, but hopefully this rough guide will give you a general idea with some extra thoughts for c

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The Final Showdown – Amy Wang vs. Hong Lin

Heading into the finals, both Amy Wang and Hong Lin had blitzed through their semifinals in straight games, with Lin overcoming Li Yue comfortably.

Lin, a short pips penholder with an effective and aggressive inverted reverse penhold backhand, was the second seed of the singles event.

Lin struck first, capitalizing off a tight serve game and heavy rotation on her backhand openings and whipping through her 5^th ball attacks. It was a tight match throughout the first four games but gradually Wang found the advantage.

Wang opened steadily to Lin’s backhand, doubling down and pressing the angles into the rallies. Serve receive was another strength for Wang, with her total commitment to inside-out backhand flick winners under pressure proving awe-inspiring for the spectators.

With a 3-1 lead it was Lin who tightened up play and started to find some more assertive forehand opportunities. Wang squandered away more points, driving the ball flat and taking more risk, as the finish line came within sight.

While Lin was able to take the 5^th game, it was Amy Wang who refocused, coming back from the bench with a renewed sense of conviction – no doubt aided by an energetic and highly motivated coach in Cory Eider.

Wang pressed on, bringing home the points in most of the longer rallies, snapping together topspin shots with ease and staying cool and calm as she did so.

With match points in hand and a gold medal beckoning, Wang closed out the match.

A well deserved victory for Amy Wang, who couldn’t help but smile at the excellent result. The Women’s Singles title to her name and $7,000usd for her efforts, a very successful performance at the 2022 JOOLA Global Championships, well done Amy!

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