We often define a ping pong paddle on three attributes, speed, spin, and control. As you know, beginners should look for a paddle that is high on control, and intermediate or advanced players rely more on speed. But what about spin? Spin is the magic of table tennis. It can upgrade you to another level. But don’t forget that spin is strongly related to control and speed. So when you consider the best ping pong paddle for a spin, you must also relate it with speed or control according to your level of play.
Let’s go into detail.
Comparison of the Top Ping Pong Paddle for Spin
Preview | Name | Features | Rating | View |
 | Killerspin Jet 600 |
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 | STIGA Pro Carbon |
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 | Palio Expert 3.0 |
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 | Killerspin Jet 800 |
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 | Palio Legend 3.0 |
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What is the Effect of Spin on Table Tennis?
Spin is the angular momentum that makes a ball drift in the air with a different trajectory. A ball that goes beyond the table with a flat hit, may fall well inside the table when spin is added to that stroke. This is a simple example of the effect of spin. Actually, in today’s modern table tennis, spin is significant in almost every stroke.
The effect of spin in table tennis is a vast subject and it needs long discussions. For details, you may go through my article, “Spin in Table Tennis”. In a nutshell, we can conclude that:
- The addition of spin helps bounce a ball on more occasions, thus increasing your consistency.
- Spin acts as an additive to bring more power to your shots.
- Spin forces a ball to behave differently, so it is harder to counter a spinny ball than a non-spinny ball.
What are the Types of Spin in Table Tennis?
In general, there are three types of spin, topspin, backspin, and sidespin.
Topspin
To create topspin, you have to brush at the top of the ball, it’s a tangential action. In topspin, the ball dips with a higher speed to a shorter distance and after the bounce, the ball skids the table with a lower trajectory.
Backspin
The nature of backspin is just the opposite of topspin. For backspin, you have to brush the underneath of a ball and the brushing action should be high to low. When you impart a backspin, the ball floats in the air, and after the bounce, the ball follows a higher trajectory.
Sidespin
In table tennis, sidespin is of two types, left-side spin, and right sidespin. Sidespin is more effective when it is combined with topspin or backspin.
Ping Pong Paddle for Spin: Buying Guide
For the selection of a racket that is best for spin, you have to consider the following factors.
Types of Rubbers (Pips-in, Pips-out, and Anti-spin)
Among the three types of rubber, pips-in, pips-out, and anti-spin, pips-in (Inverted) rubber is best for spin generation.
Sponge Thickness
The thickness of a sponge that lies between a top sheet and wood has a major role in the amount of spin generation. The sponge acts as an energy storage device during the penetration of the ball. After the impact, the ball sinks into the sponge, and the induced energy forces the ball to spring out at a higher speed and spin.
So a thinner sponge will be less springy and provide less spin, whereas a thicker sponge produces more spin.
Tackiness
The tackiness is the measurement of how much the top sheet grips the ball during impact. The more tackiness is, the more the gripping capacity, and the more will be the amount of spin.
Hardness (Density of Sponge)
The hardness is the degree that represents the density of the sponge. A denser (harder) sponge has a higher number whereas a lower number means a softer sponge.
A lower number gives more spin at low speed and a higher number provides more spin at high speed.
High Tension (Tensor) Rubber
In a high-tension rubber, the top sheet is stretched massively making it thinner before gluing with the sponge. The thinner top sheet allows the ball to penetrate deep into the sponge which reacts with an increased amount of spin.
Blade Construction
Though the rubber enables the player to impart more spin to the ball, the blade also has some influence. A slower blade enables the ball to stay longer on a rubber (more dwell time) and the reverse is true for a faster blade. So a faster blade like a carbon blade produces less spin than a wooden blade.
5 Best Ping Pong Paddles for Spin
There are top paddles available in the market that give you the best experience according to your playing level.
- Killerspin JET 600 Spin N2
- STIGA Pro Carbon
- Palio Expert 3.0
- Killerspin Jet 800
- Palio Legend 3.0
1. Killerspin JET 600/ Best Ping Pong Paddle for Spin
Killerspin JET 600 is the most balanced racket among the JET series that suits all-rounders. This paddle has a blade of 5-ply wood. The combination of 3 premium kinds of wood makes the blade thinner for a soft feel with precise placement.
This racket features Killerspin’s famous Nitrx-4Z rubber. This high-tension 2.1 mm thick rubber is perfect for massive spin blended with power when it is required. The nice flared handle gives a perfect grip to hold the paddle with more comfort.
Why is Killerspin Jet 600 Good for Spin?
- The famous Nitrx-4Z is a high-tension rubber. For a high-tension rubber, the top sheet is stretched before pasting on the sponge. This thin top sheet allows the ball to penetrate more into the sponge. As a result, more energy is stored in the sponge, for which the ball springs out with greater spin and speed.
- The Nitrx-4Z rubber is grippy and holds the ball for a longer time, especially in soft strokes which results in an increased amount of spin.
- The sponge thickness of Nitrx-4Z is 2.1 mm. This thick rubber can generate more spin in your strokes.
Pros
- High spin
- Thinner blade for maximum feel
- ITTF approved
- 30 day’s warranty
- Storage box
Cons
- High price
For details check my full review on Killerspin Jet 600.
2. STIGA Pro Carbon
STIGA Pro Carbon, the most popular premade racket, is the result of the amalgamation of improved technology and high-quality materials. This paddle is designed for intermediate and advanced players who love to generate massive spin and high speed on power shots.
The 7-layer composite blade has 2 outer carbon layers and 5 balsa wood plies. The carbon layers provide power over a larger area of the racket while the soft balsa wood induces more spin.
The innovative ACS technology incorporates air capsules in the rubber for maximizing elasticity which results in high speed with increased control.
The flared handle features SDT (Shock Dispersion Tube) technology where a hollow is inserted into the handle for absorbing shocks and vibrations and transferring in the form of sound out of the handle.
Why is STIGA Pro Carbon a Top Ping Pong Paddle for Spin?
- Balsa wood is light, soft, porous, and springy. Due to these characteristics, the 5-ply balsa wood adds more spin in strokes.
- The 2.0 mm thick S5 rubber rebounds the ball with more spin.
- NCT (Nano Composite Technology): Nano Composite Technology makes the bonds tighter and stronger in the rubber. This adds more to the spin rating of this paddle.
Pros
- High Spin
- High Speed
- Innovative handle
- ITTF approved
Cons
- You need some time to adjust to the slightly heavy handle.
For details, check my full review on STIGA Pro Carbon.
3. Palio Expert 3.0
Palio Expert 3.0, the perfect beginner’s racket has very high authority on control. The all-wood Expert 3.0 blade is designed to contribute to maximum control.
The tacky soft CJ8000 rubber is good for a spin. This paddle comes with a nice flared handle. This helps for easy gripping of the racket and also prevents it from falling from your hand.
Why is Palio Expert 3.0 a top beginner’s racket for Spin?
- The CJ8000 is a Chinese tacky rubber. The tacky rubber grips the ball for a longer duration which results in high spin.
- CJ8000 is also a soft rubber. This will tend to provide more spin at lower speeds.
Pros
- High control
- High spin
- Affordable
- Rubbers can be replaced
- ITTF approved
Cons
- Tacky rubber attracts dust which needs to be cleaned regularly.
4. Killerspin Jet 800/ Ping Pong Paddle for Spin
Killerspin Jet 800, the latest of the Jet series comes with a 7-layer (5W + 2C) blade and Nitrx-4Z 2.1 mm thick rubber. This paddle is specifically built to fulfill the needs of advanced players for high speed and spin.
The stiff outer carbon layers boost power strokes with a wider sweet spot while the premium 5-ply wood provides the feel and control. The tacky Nitrx-4Z high-tension 2.1 mm rubber can generate a good amount of spin. The top sheet provides exceptional grip for a heavy spin on your serves.
A nice wooden tape is wrapped along the periphery of the blade to avoid the peeling of rubbers. This special tape also enhances the longevity of your blade, so that you will never need to replace your blade.
Why is Killerspin Jet 800 good for Spin?
- A very grippy top sheet not only provides a high spin on your serves but also is more forgiving to the incoming spin.
- The 2.1 mm thick sponge
- High-tension rubber is excellent for the generation of spin even on low impact.
Pros
- High speed and spin
- Longer life of the blade
- Nice grip
- Great finish
- 30 days warranty
Cons
- High price
- Slightly heavy
To know more, check my full review on Killerspin Jet 800.
5. Palio Legend 3.0
Palio Legend 3.0, the fastest of the Palio rackets, is mainly for those who want to dominate their opponents with lethal speed and massive spin. This paddle has a redesigned blade of the previous Palio Legend 2.0 for more feeling and quality. The blade is made with hardwood to maximize power.
This racket features hard tacky Palio Hadou rubbers that can generate tremendous power and spin but lacks control. So to get the best result, you should have a good command over feelings and control.
This Palio Legend 3.0 comes with a nice carrying case to protect your rubbers for longer use.
Why is Palio Legend 3.0 Good for Spin?
- Palio Legend 3.0 has a very tacky hard rubber. This rubber has similar characteristics to the Chinese rubbers that are famous for putting massive spin and tremendous power.
- The high tackiness of the top sheet helps generate extra spin in your serves and soft strokes.
Pros
- High speed
- High spin
- Nice flared handle
- Affordable
- ITTF approved
Cons
- Poor control
How Do You Get Maximum Spin from a Ping Pong Paddle?
To get more spin, you have to impart more rotational speed of the ball. This can be done by faster racket movement.
Now how can you generate faster racket movement?
- Faster arm speed: This depends on the movements of several body parts like the knee, hip, shoulder, and leg.
- By faster wrist action: By wrist action, I mean flicking your wrist with a fast snapping motion. Your wrist should be flexible, not in locked condition.
- By brushing the ball at the top edge of the racket: The top edge of the racket can give the ball more rotational speed than the rest part of the bat which will increase the spin.
Related Post: “5 Best Ping Pong Paddles for Control to Build Consistency“
