OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Do you give yourself an annual budget for table tennis and if so, how does that budget break down in terms of where you spend that budget. Note, I'm not asking for absolute figures as that's too personal a question, more a case of percentage of budget spent on each of the type of things listed below

Factors to consider:

1. Equipment (blade, rubbers, balls)
2. Clothing / shoes
3. Membership / affiliation fees
4. Coaching group sessions
5. Coaching one to one sessions
6. Competition entry fees
7. Travel and accommodation fees
8. Physio / fitness training
9. other

I don't have a budge per say, but I do monitor my costs and by far the biggest costs I have are travel costs, then a much smaller amount on equipment, then clothing or shoes

You left out the most important one. Spousal control over your table tennis freedom

Over the past year I'd say coaching and equipment have been my top two. I used to go to more tournaments, but there aren't as many in my area as there used to be. I've also been getting regular coaching, which has helped tremendously. Definitely equipment because I've bounced between glanti, long pips and back to glanti in the last year and a half.

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"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

dwruck, how much of your equipment changes are triggered because your rubbers have worn out and how much because you simply wanted to try something else?

Simple solution - get your spouse hooked on the game.

Hi all!
I’m an EJ addict. It’s been 8 days since my last impulse purchase, Clipper Cybershape. By far the costlier part in my TT journey is the equipment part. Perhaps 90%. I should have spent some of that $$ to get quality coaching and be much better player. But I got my priority out of whacked. It’s like, with one hour of coaching I could buy this/that blade instead and I picked the blades. I always discount myself as old dog can’t learn new tricks, why waste it on getting coaching. I don’t play for achievements just for fun and the exercise. I do get better learning stuff without coaching, just on a snail pace. Ha!

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instagram: rokphishtt

What is scary here?

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"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

Just how much is spent on this sport. Travel costs travelling all over the country or abroad with players to competitions or training sessions/camps are scary high for me and by far my biggest expense and run into the thousands each year. Then it's equipment a long way behind. I now monitor everything I spend and have cut back to stay in budget. It used to be playing costs were my biggest expense ie social session costs and match night fees but that's changed now.

So what's scary is a) the amount I spend and b) what I spend it on (travel costs originally weren't a consideration as I used to only play locally).

Do you ever monitor closely how much you spend each month or year on table tennis related costs GregorTT425?

Oh, now I see. Thanks for making it clear! In this case yeah, it is actually scary.

In the first two years I spent around 3000$ just to find the perfect racket setup for me. I am not even going to mention the other expenses went for clothing and other accessories I still use. I would rather call it "sad" than "scary", but I see your point. However, it doesn't have to be like that.

Since the beginning of 2024, I am doing another system of spending money on table tennis. I try to be as specific and accurate as I can possibly me.

1. Equipment: I purchase a new blade every 3 years, a new forehand rubber every 6 months and a new backhand rubber every 3 months.
2. Clothing: I try to be clothing and other accessories as rarely as possible. This means around 2-3 shoes a year and 2-3 T-Shirts, pants, socks, underwear and wristband a year.
3. Membership fees: I pay a monthly fee to my club, it is around 5,50$. Plus an annual fee, which is 60% of that.
4. Group coaching: There are no coaches in my club.
5. Individual coaching: There are no coaches in my club. All I know is thanks to a teammate of mine who I hit with sometimes and my diligence.
6. Competition fees: I don't like joining into competition I have to pay for, but honestly I don't like competitions at all. The only one I am in is the Miskolc Local Table Tennis Championship. That is obligatory, because if I don't play in a championship, I can't be a member.
7. Travel and accomodation fees: Even if I travel to a match, the club leader takes me to by car, so it is free. No accomodation, the matches are usually played within 2 hours.
8. Physio and fitness traning: Nothing like that. I go for a run as much as possible in my free time and also train in other possible ways.
9. Other:

I am tempted to think you aren't so impressed with this club and I have to agree with you. An amateurish and low-budget oriented club. The lack of coaches are not the best way to have the players learn.

Estimated budget per year: 90$ + 55$ + 100$ + 5,50$ + 3,3$ = ~253,80$ in the end. + This year I have bought my ultimate setup: 171$ + 91$ + 55$ = 317$.

_________________
"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

I don't have a real budget. I get what I need.

1. When i'm not changing equipment I have the 2 blades (the same) and rubbers. Changing FH every season (2 times a year) and long pips once a year. Balls are provided by the club. Total: 100 euro. I have 2 same blades. Total 180 but I will use them for years and years until I change blades.
I do use one blade for matches, one for practise. When the 'new' season starts i change my practise blade with new rubbers and use it as matchblade, and the old match blade changes to practise blade with no new rubbers.
2. Club shirts are with the clubfee. Shoes when worn out, mostly once every 2 or 3 years. Long trainer pants and jacked every 4/5 year. Total max 50 per year?
3. that is around 250 euro per year, but that includes training/coaching and fee for the tabletennis federation for insurance and competition fee.
4. included in 3
5. never had that
6. Competiton is included in 3. Tournament fee is 10 - 15 euro per tournament. I usualy don't play much tournaments so 50 euro max.
7. Travel fee is not much in my country, most is close to home. Will explain more at 9
8. I do fitness but not for tabletennis. Just to get better condition and muscles.
9. During competiton you have some drinks and maybe something to eat (special tournaments). You give your oponents a drink or 2 as well. At the end off the evening you split the bill with your teammates. Usualy the one driving does not pay as he had travel expanses (the driver picks up the other members). This will be in total 150/200 euro per year I think.

All these costs is nothing with other stuff I do. Only the energy bill for my reptile collection outcosts all tabletennis cost.
I also play golf where the yearfee is more than 1250 euro per year. That's without all the balls I need to buy as i'm not good at golf and lose many balls .

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Regards Marc

Setup: Stiga Cybershape Wood / FH:Tibhar Evolution FX-D / BH: S&T Hellfire X 0x

This is what I tell people - on this forum, other than, say, Brett Clarke, there are no "professionals", i.e. people who actually make money (or, to be strict, make a living) playing table tennis. The rest of us are "enthusiasts". Table tennis is a money SINK. Many years ago, when I lived in the US and attended tournaments, travel, accomodation, entry fees, etc. were by far the biggest expense, and I didn't really go far or spend THAT much money (most of the tournaments were within a day's drive and we didn't stay in hotels or anything of the sort). Nice thing about the US is that the ratings system means you get a LOT of playing time at most tournaments, since you can enter several ratings category, and in at least one of them you have a pretty good chance at winning something, since you're playing against people your own level in that category, and in the other categories you have a chance at picking up points by defeating players rated above you. This means you have pretty big turnouts, even at relatively small club-organized tournaments.

Iskandar