OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hello guys, i am new to the sport and i am looking for advice on what custom racket to buy. Let's start with some introduction... I have a disability that affects my hands and legs which puts me at the paralympic category with the more severe disabilities (class 1). It is very hard to find information about what blade and rubber would be best for the playstyle in my category, because wheelchair players and able bodied players play completely different (wheelchair players have different shots etc). I will write any information that i have gathered so far and any tips/recommendations will be very appreciated (note: i prefer a decent medium priced blade and cheap rubbers). So, i play on a wheelchair so i can't really move, as a result all games are in pretty close quarters and i have a hand disability so i can't control the angle of the racket as someone able-bodied is supposed to (i need rubbers/blade that allow me to have my racket more open, maybe pips?). I have learned that people in wheelchairs prefer bigger blade to be able to reach further (near the net and side) and control setups are recommended because when the ball bounces in your side, sometime you have very little time to react to it. Finally, the wheelchair makes it hard to do big swings, rotate hips, abs etc. Basically imagine that you are sitting on a chair near the table and you can't close your racket properly for x reason (and the same is true for the opponent, i play with people with similar disabilities). I am doing all the research i can, any recommendation would be great .

My background: I have no first hand experience to speak of in playing seated. Some 30 years ago I did assist players in what I guess would now be class 1 (not competitive) 2 and 6 (competitive). Based on my experience with the class 1 level player, I'd say you would benefit from a light, fast blade (likely a good choice to select something fiber reinforced, like carbon or fibreglass) with a fairly slow inverted rubber, or possibly medium friction SP/MP. With that, you have consistency for your returns while you don't need to make any excessive effort.

Of the blades I have tried, I'd suggest YinHe T-2 or Yasaka Synergy.
From class 1 opponents you'd expect moderate spin, including some topspin induced from the forward bounce. Depending on your degree of mobility and fine motor skills, you could use a slow "normal friction" inverted rubber and counter the spin (like Gambler Reflectoid or KTL pro XP) or aim more at flat hit returns using lower friction rubbers (Friendship 804 "half anti" or 563 medium pips).

If you can grip the racket properly, you most likely have some control of bat angle and can benefit more from rubber friction. If you need mechanical aid (tape or straps) to keep the racket in hand, you are also likely to have less wrist movement, and movement is further inhibited by the attachment. In such case a lower friction rubber is perhaps a better choice. Note that the Friendship 563 is significantly more bouncy than the 804, which is an advantage for your attack but a bit more difficult to control.

Either way, with your limited striking force you do not need max rubber thickness, so perhaps aim for around 1mm sponge if that is available. It will make your setup considerably lighter. You may have trouble finding the KTL rubbers in anything less than max, but the sponge used on those is fairly light anyway, so you should be good. All the suggested equipment can be found in the low/medium price range. If you find that you have to pay premium prices at your nearest dealer, you may want to shop around...

As previously mentioned, my experience towards your level is getting old, and is not from competition, so I may misjudge what to expect from an opponent. I am only guessing.

Any way you approach it, accept that a lot of practice is required, don't hesitate to request the kind of input you need from your practice partner, and have fun!

Also, don't hesitate to post back if you would like to share more detail about your ability level (arm/wrist mobility, fine motor skills, reach, speed of reaction). You may receive better advice. You know your own situation, goals and preferences better than anyone else, and this is a friendly place to discuss those factors and hopefully arrive at a good solution.

Pm sent

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Tsp Black Balsa 3.0 Tenergy 05 1.9 388d ox black

Thanks for the reply. I play with my racket straped in my hand (no finger control) and my wrist control is almost absent. As a result, to angle the racket i use momentum from my elbow/shoulder. My reaction time is not the best buy that is true also for my opponents. My reach is what is expected from someone in a wheelchair (side shots and close to the nets shots are pretty hard to counter). Generally i practice a lot (7-10 hours/week) and i want to become as good as possible (firstly versus wheelchair opponents and then if possible versus able bodied)

What I would try first in your case is a YinHe T2 blade (or some other light and fast blade) with Friendship 804 rubber.

If you only strike with one side of your racket, there are two additional options to choose from:

• Cover/paint the unused side of your blade with alternate color (for competitive playing the two color rule applies, even when you are unable to change sides "on the fly").
  An opaque colored foil or paint gives the lightest possible setup. Lower weight makes handling easier, but some players find it more difficult to control their stroke when racket is too light.
• Put a different rubber (any one you want to try) on the other side.
  This gives additional variety, which may be useful against different opponents. I'd use something with a bit more bounce, like the 563, facilitating fast attack.
  Note that the suggested rubbers are very different, so if your training is largely to build basic reflexes at this time, this solution may be counter productive.

My reasoning:
This is equipment I would not recommend for the average player.

• It will not allow you to impart a lot of spin
  With your situation as described, you would not be able to exploit such properties anyway.
• It may be difficult to control when you have great variations in incoming spin/speed.
  From your regular opponent, that is not likely to be an issue.

For your competitive playing I guess you need to keep your returns long and to the middle. This will reduce your opponent's opportunity for short/angled returns (which are your vulnerabilities) until you see an attack opportunity for yourself. A fast blade means that you need to put less effort into your strokes to keep the ball long. A slow, energy absorbing rubber gives good control for passive shots (push/block) which may be your most important attack weapon.

As previously indicated, my comments here are mostly educated guesswork. IIRC, Dazzler (who said he sent you a PM) has some experience in playing with reduced mobility and gives good competition advice, and he also tried a lot of different "specialised" equipment. Make sure to take his advice seriously.