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Whether you are thinking of trying a fun new sport or you want to buy a well thought-out gift for your highly energetic children to keep them busy for a few hours, take your time and read this. If you want to exercise in a fun way but you have never been too good at sports (and your school P.E. classes still make you shriek with pain and embarrassment) then why not try ping pong? Besides being a great way to get (or stay) in shape, ping pong is also fun and great for the competitive side of you. If you think that you may look slightly ridiculous jumping from side to side and hitting a small ball back and forth in public, or you just want to keep the fun at home with family and friends, buying a ping pong table is the thing for you! Ping Pong Table Buying GuideBefore you buy a table, you have to think of it as a long-term investment, so here is a list of some things you should keep in mind (they may confuse you at first, but just keep on reading): * Beauty is not permanent; * Your first love * How mobile are you? * Great strong legs! * How thick should it be? * You shouldn’t love surprises Beauty Is Not Permanent Just like in the dating world, the first impression is always important and you want to be attracted to your chosen one, but that does not mean that you should guide your decision solely on that. Likewise, some tables have beautiful or even extravagant designs and can make your friends green with envy, but you have to ask yourself if they are the right ones for you. Big brands are more famous and are advertised a lot, but that does not always guarantee that their tables will be the most resistant and efficient. Being hip or unique is not always the best thing, so you should check some standard models that are proven to be good quality. Take some time, read lots of reviews, get to know more about the specific models you have in mind, and only then make a choice. Your First Love Let’s face it, even if you love your first ping-pong table, you will not have it forever. And, if you don’t get the right one for the beginner stage, you will not even have it for a couple of years. The idea is that, at first, you’d better get one that is cheap, tough and reliable, because if you have never played before, you can be sure that the table will be having a bad time! While trying to understand the game, to learn all its tricks, the best moves and angles and speeds, you will beat the hell out of the poor table! After you or someone in your family decide that it is time to take the relationship with ping pong to the next level, then you can replace the good ol’ worn out table (that will be missed and remembered forever, of course) with a fancier model. How Mobile Are You? If you have enough room in your home and you can leave the table set up at all times, then no problem! But if you are not sure whether you will be moving it around a lot or not, you should buy one that can be easily packed up and set up again. Fold-up models can be handled by one person, so they are great and they usually have rollers too, if you want to move the table around – maybe place it in the yard on a sunny day. Worried that the table will probably run away during a heated match because it got tired of being beaten up? Get a good roller table, equipped with good brakes that will keep it steady anytime! Great Strong Legs! Focus, we are still talking about ping-pong tables here! As specified before, the table is probably going to be treated pretty rough in the future (especially if you have kids), so you want to make sure that it has strong legs that will last for a long time! Another nice touch that some tables have are the levelers for the legs, very important when the floor is not quite level. They can be easily screwed in or out. How Thick Should It Be? Table tennis tables come in two sizes – there are the thicker ones (1 inch or 25 mm) and the less thick tables, measuring 0.75 inches or 19 mm. Whereas some people will say that only the 1 inch ones are worth buying, the choice is up to you. You should try both types first and see which one suits your playing skills better… and your wallet too, because the thicker the top is, the more expensive the table gets! It is true that the ball bounces better when the table is thick, but, if you are not a pro, the difference is not too visible as to affect your play, and it is not worth a few hundreds of extra dollars for most people! You Shouldn’t Love Surprises A table has to have a smooth and even finish. You really do not need any surprises caused by the ball bouncing up and down or left to right like crazy, because the top is warped or it has patches or rough spots! You should also look for rough edges, because you would not want to hurt yourself while playing. If you want to test the table and its “bounciness”, then you can take a ruler and measure the height where the ball bounces when you drop it from a height of 30 cm. If it jumps at about 23 cm high, then the table is good. Conclusion So come on, what are you waiting for? Take your notes with you and start looking for “the one”, because now you know what to expect when you are expecting… a ping pong table! George Stevenson, a table tennis fanatic and a coach to his 4 children. For more info about table tennis, visit http://www.tabletennistable101.com
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