The Best Professional Ping Pong Paddle (Top 3 Choices)

Whether you’re a ping pong amateur hoping to improve your play, or an aspiring table tennis pro on your way to your first tournament, a good paddle is guaranteed to help you achieve peak performance. The best professional ping pong paddle will be designed with precise features, dimensions, and high quality materials, putting these blades a cut above the rest.

Of course, it goes without saying that professional table tennis rackets also come at a pretty steep price compared to their lower quality counterparts. So you might think of one as something of an investment. And as with any other investment, you should take your time when making a choice to make sure you’re getting your money’s full worth.

Interested in learning more about the process of picking the proper professional ping pong paddle? Read on to get up to speed.

​Quick Summary

Things to Look for in the Perfect Pro Paddle

Keep in mind that a professional table tennis racket should be made with precise features that make it worthy of a tournament. So aside from being compliant with the International Table Tennis Federation’s issued specifications, it should also aim to improve a player’s performance to make professional play possible.

1. Make and Material

You can determine the performance of a ping pong paddle based on its make and the materials that it uses. There are several types of wood that are permitted by the ITTF for the blade and handle. However there are some blades that use synthetic materials like carbon fiber, which are also acceptable.

Most wooden blades that follow ITTF standards are made from these woods. Do note though that this is not an all-inclusive list, and other types of wood may be used as long as they meet ITTF standards.

Players that prefer a more defensive play style would be better off using a denser, heavier wooden paddle. If you want to adapt a quicker play though and a more offensive style, a light carbon fiber racket might be better suited to your needs.

2. Rubber Coverings

The ITTF allows players to use paddles with different rubber materials on either side of the racket, given that the rubber meets their regulations. While there are lots of different kinds of rubbers available on the market, you’ll want to look at their detailed specifications to figure out how they will work to your advantage.

· Tackiness

This refers to how ‘sticky’ the rubber feels, especially against the surface of a ping pong ball. More tackiness means more spin. Smoother rubbers tend to decrease the spin on a ball.

· Texture

Some paddles have pimpled surfaces, which are strictly regulated by the ITTF. These are commonly leveraged by defensive players as they give balls traveling at high speed unusual, and often confusing spin which could catch an offensive player off guard.

Rubbers with the textured surface facing towards the blade are most common, and are best for consistent strokes used by quick players who want to leverage offensive play.

· Thickness

The ITTF dictates specific measurements to guide the thickness of the rubber used for a paddle. However these parameters allow players to work within a specific range by adding or subtracting a few mm of thickness from their rubber to achieve better results at the table.

Thicker rubbers tend to work best for defensive players as they provide more cushion and tend to slow the ball down. Thinner rubbers are best suited for high speed players who prefer leveraging their offense to win a game.

3. Grip

Lots of strokes call for your body’s full force, so a paddle without grip could easily slip out of your hand and fly across the playing surface – which has happened quite a number of times in professional games.

To avoid this embarrassing possibility, it’s ideal to factor in the design of the grip on your racket. While some paddles come with handles that are made of or wrapped with a tacky rubber-like material to increase grip, there are a variety of grip tapes you can purchase and install to improve the stability of the paddle in your hand.

Note that the ITTF also has regulations for the grip, so consider these guidelines before looking into the grip tape selection available to you.

In terms of handle shape, there are three different types – the straight handle, flared handle, and the anatomical handle. Straight handles, as the name suggests, feature the same width all throughout its length. This is opposed to flared handles which create a subtle A-line shape as they reach the handle’s end.

The least common handle type is the anatomical handle. These have slight curvatures that are intended to mimic the shape of your fingers and palm as they grip the racket. The main objective of this type of handle is to improve comfort and grip stability.

There is not a single “right” choice, and all of these different types of handles can be used in professional table tennis. Choosing the right one for you rests on your unique preferences and what you feel works best for your playing style.

4. ITTF Approved

If you’re planning to play like the pros or against the pros, you have to have a paddle that’s approved for that level of play. Make sure you look out for ITTF approved designs from brands that have been certified by the federation. These can be used in official games, and are designed to help optimize your performance to be at par with the pros.

The 3 Best Ping Pong Paddles for Professionals

1. STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket

The top contender on our list of professional table tennis rackets is none other than the STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket. Made from premium materials such as balsa wood, carbon, and ITTF approved rubber, this paddle can make a sound investment for anyone who wants to step up their game.

The design incorporates unique carbon layers that are designed to reduce vibrations and localize force to improve ball control and power. The lightweight construction is also great for offensive play, with a design that’s perfect for heavy smashes and flat hits. It’s also pretty controlled when it comes to imparting top spin, so even flat hits can become more precise.

The STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket is definitely one of the more expensive paddles on our list. But with its premium construction and high quality materials, it’s definitely a racket that can help your rise through the ranks.

See our Stiga Pro Carbon review for more details on this paddle.​

2. Killerspin JET800 SPEED N1 Table Tennis Paddle

The Killerspin JET800 SPEED N1 Table Tennis Paddle is one that comes with a load of features that make it worthy of its steep price tag. For starters, the design uses premium carbon fiber material that covers 5 layers of high density wood. All together, these seven layers of material help minimize vibration and centralize force so that you gain maximum control of the ball during impact.

On either side, the JET800 boasts ITTF approved Nitrx-4Z rubber which is a high-tension rubber that’s big on spin. Aside from imparting spin on a ball though, the rubber is also efficient at neutralizing it from the receiving end. So tricky spinning shots dealt by your opponent can be easily addressed with this superb tech.

With a flared handle that’s optimized for a solid grip, an impressive construction that can easily breeze through wear and tear, and a handsome aesthetic that can make any ping pong player swoon, the JET800 is definitely a premier choice that’s worth every penny on its price tag.

3. MAPOL 4 Star Pro

Looking for something that will suit your limited budget? The MAPOL 4 Star Pro Paddle is an ITTF compliant design that’s not too heavy on the wallet. It’s particularly ideal for players who want to adapt a more defensive style of play with its heavy build and thick padding.

Despite being built for defense though, the MAPOL 4 Star definitely can impart quite a bit of spin on a ball in play. With that, it’s a very versatile design that can help you shift from one style to another depending on how a game develops.

Other than all of that, the design is reliable and quite durable, despite its affordable price tag. So if you’re looking for a quality piece that can deliver a good game without putting too much of a dent on your wallet, this one is the right pick.

Conclusion

If you want to play with the pros, you have to prepare like the pros – and what better way to level the playing field than using a paddle that’s worthy of being used in an official tournament.

We think the STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket is a great choice worthy of being called one of the best if not THE best professional ping pong paddle. So if you’re willing to shell out a little extra for your pro racket, this premium design is guaranteed to make each stroke a winning hit.