Sooo, you have decided to pick up Table tennis? A wise choice Sire! But hold on, now that you HAVE decided to get into the sport, what exactly do you need? More importantly, where are you gonna get it from??

Fear not, for this article will help clear any misunderstandings regarding the equipment with links to get it from!!

So let’s talk about the 4 essentials needed to start table tennis!

First of all, of course…

1. Table

Yeah, sure, when we think about table tennis, rackets probably are the first thing that pops up in your head. I mean, it is a very important aspect of table tennis but I believe a proper table tennis table helps in better…. Immersion? I don’t know, I would rather play on a proper table than some makeshift surface.

But of course, it’s my opinion, you can play table tennis anywhere you want by turning a flat surface into your playing field by placing a net.

A normal table tennis table (that you see in the picture above) has these dimensions: Length: 2.74 meters or 9 feet. Width: 1.525 meters or 5 feet. Height: 76cm or 2.5 feet above the floor

Now, these table do fold up and can be stored but it does take up a lot of room when it’s opened up. These table are used for professional matches but can also be used for casual times as well.

Fortunately, to play casually and to save space, there are smaller tables available on Amazon that have shrunken dimensions. I will put up a couple of links to the product if you’re interested!!

I will also link a couple of full sized tables from Amazon for you guys to check out.

Full Sized tables(Amazon)

Links are embedded in the text!

1. STIGA STS520 Indoor Table Tennis Table

2. JOOLA Inside — Professional MDF Indoor Table Tennis Table with Quick Clamp

Smaller Tables:

1. GoSports Mid-Size Table Tennis Game Set

2. JOOLA Midsize Compact Table Tennis Table Great for Small Spaces and Apartments

3. Butterfly Family Mini Ping Pong Table (Adjustable Height)

2. Rackets

Here we are, the personal equipment that defines this sport. The rackets are also known as paddles in some places, so don’t get confused when you’re on the internet.

There are loads of rackets available and this can be a bit confusing. People looking to play casually end up buying professional rackets and vice versa. So it’s important to differentiate which rackets suit which players.

Most casual rackets come packaged with the table you end up buying. But as a rule of thumb, you could say that the cheaper the rackets, the more it is oriented for casual occasions rather than professional.

But if you are looking to buy casual ones separately, I will link them down. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play casual games with professional rackets, you absolutely can but professional ones are generally more expensive.

Now for the beginners and intermediates that are looking to go pro, there a number of rackets available to get you started. Companies like Joola and Stiga offer a variety of rackets that help you get accustomed to the fast pace of table tennis.

You might have noticed I only addressed Beginners and Intermediates, well that is mostly because Pros use custom rackets with custom rubbers. Yes, you read it right, there are a variety of rubbers available for rackets and not just that, the handle and material out of which it is made up makes a massive difference in gameplay, and hence different versions of them are available as well.

But you shouldn’t be concerned about that, focus on building your basics first. I will link down rackets that I have used myself and can approve.

Casual Rackets:

1. STIGA Performance 2 Player Ping Pong Set

2. Franklin Sports Ping Pong Paddle Set with Balls

3. Rally and Roar Table Tennis Set — 2 and 4 Player Options

Rackets for Beginners and Intermediate Players:

1. JOOLA Infinity Overdrive

2. STIGA Pro Carbon Performance-Level Table Tennis Racket

3. Butterfly Nakama S-3 Table Tennis Racket

3. Balls

Well, you got the table and the racket. What now? Duh, you need something the play the game with. This is where the ball joins that chat.

The balls are made of plastic and are relatively small. You might have seen them on many trick videos on TickTock or YouTube.

Fortunately, for someone new to this game, this isn’t all that hard to pick.

When you actually go buy some balls, you might actually see numbers like 40 or 40+ (you might see something else but this is what I have seen mostly). According to ITTF(the governing body of Table Tennis), 40+ is the standard and used around the world. The 40+ symbol denotes the fact that that ball is made up of plastic instead of celluloid. Celluloid balls where used previously but were discontinued.

That said, it’s totally fine to play with 40mm balls, the differences are very minimal and as a beginner you won’t feel anything.

It would be better to buy a pack of them instead of getting them individually, since they get lost very easily and can break after a heavy session (trust me I know L).

It would also be better to get balls from a recognized brand due to fakes out there that break easily.

Ball (40+) from Amazon:

1. Butterfly R40+ Table Tennis Balls

2. Killerspin 4-Star 40+ Ping Pong Balls

4. Opponent

You have the table, racket and balls. Now you know what to do. Get a friend or someone and just start playing. I can’t really link people down so you’re gonna have to go get them yourself.

From personal experience, if you’re turning Pro, try to get someone with the same enthusiasm as you. This makes it more fun and you can train for longer sessions without feeling a burden. You could also hire a coach, it’s up to you!

But of course, not everything has to be competitive. Just get your friends and families and start playing!!

Hope this will help you get started and make you fall in love with this beautiful game!!!!