Here you will find excellent instructions for understanding key features for selection of rackets and rubber sheets and how to guides for various maintenance functions.
How to Select Rubber
We render a complete listing of rubber sheets of speed, spin, control and available thickness in millimeters. A speed rating below 50 means very good control. From 50-70 is a good all-around rating and anything over 70 we consider fast for offensive play. The preferred rubber sheets are mostly smooth inverted and sticky. Some players are still using the pips out for faster and more direct shots. Others may use long pips on one side, that imparts a knuckle ball effect and reverses the opponents spin. A small percentage of players use an anti-spin rubber for defense which also reverses the opponents spin. Long pips and anti spin are mostly used for easy control against spinney serves and loops, but it also takes more practice and more time to get used to. The sponge behind the rubber comes in different thicknesses, from 1.2 mm to 2.5 mm. The thinner the sponge the better the control, a thicker sponge gives you more speed with less control. It is therefore possible to slow down a fast racket by using a rubber with thinner sponge. Some players will use a fast offensive rubber on the forehand and a slower more controllable sheet on the backhand. All rubber sheets are priced per sheet only. For a complete racket you will need 2 rubber sheets. American Table Tennis will assemble any combination ordered, free of charge. For customers who need more expert advise give us a call and ask for Mr. G.
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How to Select a Blade (Racket withour rubber) This first step is not always easy for the beginner, for that reason we provide a complete rating chart for all blades. The chart gives you the speed, control, plies and weight for every blade we sell. If you think that you are an all-round player your best choice of course would be an all-round wood. If you are an offensive player choose a faster blade which has the speed rating over 70. Most 5 ply blades are in the all-round range ( 50-70). 7 and 9 ply blades are faster for offensive play and provide extra strength. Should you require a defensive blade just pick one of the slowest blades like Donic Defplay Classic or Yasaka Sweeper. The slower a blade the better the control factor. The fast blade is good for offensive shots but offers less control for touch returns. Carbon blades provide a larger sweet spot and more stability of the blade. Handle shapes are strictly a players preference. The number one selling grip has always been the flared handle. Anatomic is second and the straight handle is third. From our survey 6 years ago we discovered that 50% of the world class player prefer the straight handle. Top
How to remove your rubber 
To Replace an Existing Rubber Sheet First remove the old sheet of rubber by allowing a few drops of solvent preferrably acetone (nail Polish remover), to trickle between the rubber and the blade. As the adhesive loses its grip, peel the old rubber off, adding further solvent as necessary. Remember all solvents are flammable so always work in a well ventilated area. Next sand the blade completely smooth to remove all traces of the old glue. To remove the dust, wipe once again with a little solvent.
To Apply a New Sheet of Rubber Spread a small amount of table tennis glue even and thin across the blade and the rubber sheet, then let both sides dry to a tacky feel. Position the rubber on the blade and roll with a roller or another round object like a bottle, or press down on it to get good adhesion. Trim the excess rubber using a sharp scissor or very sharp knive.
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