As a new ping-pong player, the number of rubbers out there to choose from when trying to pick your first ping-pong rubbers can be overwhelming.
Here are 10 great beginner ping-pong rubbers to help you get started. I would recommend that you stick to 1.5mm to 1.7mm sponge thickness when using these rubbers for the first time – this will improve your control without sacrificing too much spin or speed. There will be plenty of time later on to use thicker sponge once you have developed your own style.
1. Butterfly Sriver |
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Butterfly Sriver is one of the all time classic ping-pong rubbers, and is a great first choice for any new player. It’s hard to go past Sriver for control, and the versatility to attack or defend while developing your game.
For those interested, I’ve now added a full review of Butterfly Sriver. |
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2. Yasaka Mark V |
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Mark V from Yasaka, along with Sriver, is one of the two rubbers that I most often recommend to new players looking for a first ping-pong rubber. Keep the sponge thickness to 1.5mm or so, and you’ll have a rubber than can do it all and won’t force you to adapt your game to suit the way it plays.
For those interested, I have added a full in-depth review of Mark V here. |
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3. Butterfly Flextra |
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Butterfly Flextra has been around for many, many years, and with good reason – it has good spin, reasonable speed and very good control – not a bad combination for a beginner’s first ping-pong rubber! |
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4. TSP Curl P2 |
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After recommending three great inverted rubbers for beginners, it’s now time to look at a rubber that I would not suggest for beginners, but would recommend to players who are looking to start using long pips for the first time.
TSP Curl P2 is a great rubber for players new to the art of using long pips. It is a great starting rubber for the following reasons:
Of course, no rubber is perfect. The main downsides of TSP Curl P2 is that it is not a particularly tricky or disturbing long pip – it won’t generate a lot of wobble. Also, it won’t load up the backspin against loops quite as much as its big brother TSP Curl P-1R (recommended in our Top 10 Classic Rubbers list). But for a starting long pip, it’s a great choice. I would advise using 1.0mm sponge to begin with before deciding whether to go to OX (no sponge) or thicker sponges. TSP Curl P2 in 1.0mm sponge remains my personal favourite long pip. It gives me the perfect blend of defensive and attacking capabilities that suits my particular style of combination bat play, whether I am defending or attacking. |
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5. RITC 802-40 |
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Having just recommended a starting long pip, I had better suggest a suitable short pip for beginners.
There are many short pip rubbers recommend out there on the Internet, and one of the rubbers that keeps cropping up in suggestions is RITC 802-40, for many of the following reasons:
It is not considered a particularly tricky short pip, but the many advantages make up for this relatively minor disadvantage. Start with a 1.5mm or so sponge to begin with, and adjust as necessary when it’s time to replace your first sheet. |
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6. Andro Rasanter R42 |
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Andro Rasanter R42 is listed at megaspin.net as a best selling rubber, and with good reason according to the reviews. With good control and spin and decent but not overwhelming pace (a little less than its stablemate Rasanter R47), and possessing good dwell time and a medium throw with a medium-soft topsheet and sponge, it makes a very good beginner rubber in the 1.5-1.7mm sponge thickness range. |
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7. XIOM Vega Europe |
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XIOM Vega Europe brings a high level of control and spin with an adequate amount of pace. Good value for money allround rubber that has proved to be popular since its recent introduction on the market. |
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8. DHS Skyline 3-60 – Mid-Soft |
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There are a number of DHS Skyline rubbers out there, but the one we are suggesting for beginners is the DHS Skyline 3-60 – Mid-Soft.
This is a hybrid rubber with the classic Chinese tacky topsheet on a soft elastic sponge instead of the more usual harder sponge. This gives a rubber that plays more like a Japanese/European rubber than the typical Chinese rubber. Good spin and control, with average speed, DHS Skyline 3-60 – Mid-Soft is a good allround beginning rubber with European feel at a Chinese price.
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9. Yasaka Rakza 7 Soft |
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Using the same topsheet as its namesake Rakza 7 (which is listed in our Top 10 Classic Rubbers), but with softer sponge, Yasaka Rakza 7 Soft has a bit more control, hence why we are preferring it for beginners.
Providing nice feel for controlled looping and topspin play, it has a medium to high throw and medium speed. Players have noted that it can be a bit fragile around the edges, so use with edge tape for protection. |
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10. RITC Friendship Super 729 FX |
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Friendship 729 is another classic rubber that has been put on many thousands of beginner bats over the years, in one form or another.
The Super 729 FX version is cheap, durable, with tons of control, a tacky topsheet and adequate speed. One of the quintessential Chinese rubbers out there, a tacky topsheet and hard sponge that is slow and good for beginners in its natural state, but is often boosted by advanced players to bring the hard sponge to life for extra power and spin.
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