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“Should I get MAX thickness or go thinner, like a 1.8mm sponge?”

It’s a question that puzzles both beginners and advanced players alike. While most players obsess over choosing the perfect rubber, they often overlook a crucial decision: sponge thickness. Get it wrong, and even the best rubber in the world won’t perform as intended.

If this sounds like you, weâ€ve got you covered. In this article, weâ€ll go over the effects of going for a thinner or thicker sponge thickness.

Weâ€ll talk about inverted rubbers, short pips, long pips, and antispin separately because the effects differ greatly depending on the rubber type.

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Inverted Rubbers

Butterfly Dignics 09c
Source: Butterfly

Let’s begin with inverted rubbers, which account for the majority of rubbers used in modern table tennis. Understanding how sponge thickness affects these rubbers provides a foundation for understanding all rubber types.

The traditional rule of thumb is that, if youâ€re an offensive player, you should choose thicker sponges, and, if youâ€re an all-rounder or a defender, you can go thinner.

However, this common advice oversimplifies a complex relationship between player technique and equipment characteristics. Let’s break down the physics in practical terms.

The Physics Behind Sponge Thickness

While researching this topic, I came across a very interesting comment by a user on Reddit that coincides with my findings.

Iâ€ll explain it using my words.

When the ball hits the rubber, the sponge underneath gets compressed to a certain extent, but the sponge doesnâ€t want to be compressed. So, it will store energy before pushing back against the ball to reverse its direction.

This effect is like that of a trampoline. When we jump on a trampoline, it gets compressed up to a certain extent before shooting us back up.

So, you might think, that the thicker the sponge, the more compression we can get, thus, our shots will be faster and spinner right? Well, yes and no.

Finding Your Sweet Spot

Common sponge thicknesses for inverted rubbers range from 1.5 to 2.5mm.

Now, imagine if we could get a 10mm sponge. Would it make sense? No.

This is because no human on the planet can hit hard enough to compress 10mm of sponge on a table tennis shot.

In addition, such a thick rubber would be extremely heavy and itâ€d make the racket extremely head-heavy.

Conversely, an extremely thin sponge (say, 0.1mm) would “bottom out” – compress fully – even with minimal force, providing little energy storage potential.

The Power-Thickness Relationship

This relationship between hitting power and sponge compression reveals why players with different power levels need different thicknesses. More powerful shots require thicker sponges to store and return energy efficiently.

The harder we hit, the more weâ€ll benefit from thicker (and harder) rubbers, as weâ€ll be able to hit harder and harder without bottoming out the sponge. With thicker sponges, we can store more energy.

The perfect sponge thickness and hardness should match your maximum swing speed, optimizing both control and speed for your level of play.

The Reddit user explains it this way:

If you’re a professional player and you’re constantly hitting the ball with tons of force, you can hit the sweet spot with max sponge thickness and very hard sponge for the fastest bounce possible.Â

If you’re an amateur who doesn’t always hit the ball with tons of force, your sweet spot will involve a softer sponge, thinner sponge, or a combination of both.

In theory, you could plug some parameters into a mathematical equation and find exactly what sponge hardness and thickness would be optimal for you, but as a practical matter nobody actually knows these input values.

Practical Recommendations

So what should you do?

Itâ€s often worthwhile to opt for thicker rubbers if youâ€re an offensive player, even if youâ€re a beginner.

This is because if you want to hit the ball harder and harder over time, the rubber wonâ€t bottom out, and itâ€ll reward you for hitting hard.

There are relatively tame rubbers such as the Xiom Vega Intro or the Yinhe Mercury 2, that, even if you get them in MAX thickness, theyâ€ll still be controllable while almost never bottoming out.

Iâ€d recommend opting for thinner sponges in the following cases:

• Youâ€re a control-oriented player such as a pusher, blocker, or a classic defender. In this case, you can go for thinner sponges such as 1.5-1.8mm.
• You want to reduce the weight of your racket because of personal preference, wrist pain, etc. Getting a thinner sponge will reduce the weight of your bat.
• You can choose a slightly thinner variant on your backhand side as an offensive player because you wonâ€t hit the ball as hard, but I wouldnâ€t go any thinner than 2.0mm myself.

Short Pips

Nittaku Moristo SP
Short pips

Short pips are similar to inverted rubbers in some ways regarding how different sponge thicknesses affect them, and different in others.

Because short pips have less grip than inverted rubbers, short pips with thinner sponges can be beneficial for players who want to use them to play defensive strokes such as blocks or chops.

For those who want to hit and attack with the short pips, itâ€s still worth it to go for 2.0 or thicker sponges.

There are also players who use OX short pips, that is, without a sponge. These rackets are known as “hardbatsâ€.

OX short pips work well because you have good control over the ball, the pips lose quite a bit of spin sensitivity, and they produce very awkward balls.

If you block with these pips, theyâ€ll return wobbly, no-spin balls, and if you chop with them, they give out anything between no-spin to medium backspin.

• So, if you want to play an active block, punch, hit, and loop game, go for thicker sponges such as 2.0mm or MAX.
• If you want to play an all-round game, itâ€s probably better to go for anywhere between 1.5 and 2.0mm sponge thickness.
• If you want to try out hardbat, purchase OX short pips.

Long Pips

Dawei 388D-1
Long Pips

Long pips players generally fall into two distinct categories: close-to-table players who focus on blocking and creating attacking opportunities, and away-from-table defenders who rely on chopping and backspin shots.

Most players should use OX long pips, that is, without sponge, because these pips have the most reversal, that is, they reverse incoming spin the best.

So, if your opponent gives you a heavy topspin and you just block it back, if your long pips have no sponge, your opponent will receive medium to heavy backspin.

In contrast, long pips with 1mm sponge produce less spin reversal, returning mostly no-spin or slight backspin balls.

Understanding Sponge Effects

You should use sponge on your pips if you play away from the table because this will allow you to create more spin by yourself.

While OX long pips excel at reversing your opponent’s spin, they struggle to generate new spin on their own. This becomes a problem when chopping away from the table, where you need to create your own backspin rather than just reverse incoming spin.

So, if you play away from the table, itâ€s best to use sponged pips to allow you to create spin on your own.

If your opponent puts heavy topspin on the ball and you chop the ball with sponged long pips, your opponent will receive more backspin than the topspin they initially put, if you play your shot right.

Choosing Your Sponge Thickness

But just how much sponge should you use? It depends on your level and preferences.

0.5mm is usually the thinnest sponge available, and itâ€s a great sponge thickness for many scenarios.

I recommend 0.5mm if youâ€re learning to use long pips, or if youâ€re a chopper that relies on consistency rather than spin.

0.5mm is the thickness thatâ€ll give you the most control, so if you want to return as many balls as possible, 0.5mm will give you the best chance at that.

1mm could already be considered a thick sponge when it comes to long pips.

This thickness will be harder to control but youâ€ll be able to put a bit more spin on your chops.

And, if youâ€re very confident in your skills, youâ€re an advanced player with great feeling and you want as much backspin as possible, you can go even thicker than 1mm.

Antispin

Butterfly Super Anti
Source: Butterfly

You can think of antispin as the opposite of inverted, especially with the new frictionless antis like Dr. Neubauer ABS and all its variants.

Dr. Neubauer ABS has whatâ€s called a “dampening spongeâ€, so more sponge equals less speed and more control.

For antispin rubbers that have a dampening sponge, more sponge will equal more control but less spin reversal.

So, if you play close to the table and you want the utmost spin reversal, you should go for thinner sponges, but theyâ€ll be harder to control.

If you want more control, you can go for thicker sponges, but youâ€ll have less spin reversal.

While this behavior is typical for most anti rubbers, grippier variants can enable attacking play when paired with thicker sponges.

Choosing Your Ideal Sponge Thickness

After examining how sponge thickness affects each rubber type, here are the key principles to guide your choice:

• Inverted Rubbers: Think of sponge thickness as a trampoline that needs to match your power. The harder you hit, the thicker you can go. Most offensive players will benefit from MAX (2.2-2.5mm), while control players can opt for 1.8-2.0mm. When in doubt, go thicker on your forehand side.
• Short Pips: Mirror the inverted principle for attacking players (2.0mm+), but consider thinner sponges (1.5-1.8mm) for blocking and control. OX remains a valid choice for classic hardbat play.
• Long Pips: Close to table players should choose OX for maximum spin reversal. Choppers should consider:
  • 0.5mm for learning or consistency-focused play
  • 1.0mm for increased spin generation
  • 1.0mm+ for advanced players seeking maximum spin
• Anti: Thinner sponges maximize spin reversal but sacrifice control, while thicker sponges offer more control but less reversal. Consider your playing distance and style when choosing.

Remember: There’s no universal “best” thickness—it all depends on your playing style, skill level, and goals. When in doubt, most players should err on the side of slightly thicker sponges, as they provide more room for technical growth. You can always adapt your technique to a thicker sponge, but a too-thin sponge might limit your development.

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment. Many players keep multiple sponge thicknesses of their favorite rubber to use in different situations or as they develop their game.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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England tamely succumb to a nine-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the third and pivotal Test in Rawalpindi, going down by a 2-1 loss in the series.

Pakistan have won the three-match Test series with England after storming to a nine-wicket victory inside three days in Rawalpindi.

Having suffered one of the most embarrassing Test defeats in history in the first of two matches in Multan, Pakistan have since opted for pitches with more turn.

That has given Noman Ali and Sajid Khan the platform to produce sustained, sometimes unplayable spells of spin bowling, the pair once again delivering during Saturday’s play.

All 10 wickets of the second innings were taken by the duo as England succumbed to 112 all out, Pakistan requiring just 3.1 overs to chase down the 36 that were required to complete the comeback series win.

Within seven sessions of winning the toss, England had crumbled to 267 and 112 all out, Pakistan’s burst from the middle order onwards on Friday to make 344 proving pivotal in the context of the match.

Pakistan edge towards victory as Sajid clean bowls Jamie Smith â˜Â︠pic.twitter.com/T1XZ3OsLpO

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 26, 2024

Another England collapse

Resuming on 24-3, it was imperative that Joe Root and Harry Brook put together a lengthy fourth-wicket stand to give England any hope, and they deserve some credit for reaching 66.

Nevertheless, the writing was on the way as Brook (26), Ben Stokes (3) and Jamie Smith (3) all departed in quick succession, Root (33) not far behind them to leave England on 85-7.

Gus Atkinson and Jack Leach both made 10, but there was no answer to Noman (6-42) and Sajid (4-69) as Pakistan set up a routine run chase.

Leach managed to dismiss Saim Ayub for eight, yet that allowed captain Shan Masood to come to the crease and smash 23 from just six deliveries to get Pakistan over the line in style.

For his 134 in Pakistan’s first innings, Saud Shakeel deservedly won man of the match, with Noman and Sajid taking all but one of England’s 20 wickets.

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James Anderson ends his Test career with 704 wickets as England beat West Indies at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs.

James Anderson has waved goodbye to Test cricket as England record victory over West Indies by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s.

With West Indies resuming on 79-6, only bad weather would prevent Friday from being the 41-year-old’s final day as a Test player, and his 188th match was wrapped up within 65 minutes of day three.

The veteran paceman squandered a fitting moment to sign off from the five-day arena, dropping a caught-and-bowled attempt which would have sealed the win.

Nevertheless, there was a sense of a changing of the guard as Gus Atkinson – on debut – recorded a five-wicket haul and ended the game with remarkable figures of 12-106.

England will now move onto the remaining two matches in the series, but this occasion was all about Anderson, who bows out with 704 wickets in the long format of the game.

For the final time James Anderson walks out at Lord’s 🥺

A guard of honour from both sets of players 👠pic.twitter.com/mgqNu8Twez

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2024

Guard of honour commences final day

Before play got underway, both sides greeted Anderson with a deserved guard of honour, which was accompanied by a rapturous ovation, before he set about trying to end his Test career in style.

In his second over of the day, the Lancashire legend struck, Joshua Da Silva edging through to Jamie Smith for nine for what would prove to be Anderson’s final contribution.

Atkinson had his own ambitions to make the Lord’s honours board for the second time in the match, needing to take the final three wickets to achieve that target.

Alzarri Joseph (8) and Shamar Joseph (3) would follow in quick succession, leaving the younger and old guard to effectively go head to head for the final wicket.

Anderson, literally, had the opportunity to win that duel in his hand, only to agonisingly fumble a one-handed caught-and-bowled attempt much to the despair of the crowd.

DROPPED by James Anderson 😩ðŸÂ´ó Â§ó Â¢ó Â¥ó Â®ó Â§ó Â¿

Almost the perfect ending… pic.twitter.com/bBmjDprLhR

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2024

That would prove to be the England great’s final chance, and although Gudakesh Motie stood tall with an unbeaten 31, Jayden Seales holed out to Ben Duckett to gift Atkinson his fifth wicket of the innings and 12th of the match.

After an emotional exit from the pitch, Anderson will now take the plaudits that will inevitably come his way, but the focus of Ben Stokes will turn to trying to achieve England’s first Test series victory – aside from a one-off Test versus Ireland – since overcoming Pakistan at the back end of 2022.

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Table tennis is all about reflexes and timing. Many players focus on getting their technique just right but donâ€t pay enough attention to when theyâ€re contacting the ball.

Hitting the ball at the right time is what separates a good player from a great one. If you play your shots at the right time you will minimize unforced mistakes and maximize your shot quality.

In table tennis, time is the most precious resource. Hitting the ball at exactly the right moment is almost like cheating because itâ€ll save you lots of time and take time away from your opponent.

However, achieving perfect timing is very difficult since there isnâ€t just one solution for each stroke. Every shot should be played differently depending on the context.

This article will teach you the optimal timings for each stroke and in what contexts it would be preferable to favor one contact point over the others.

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Why Shot Timing Is Critical In Table Tennis

Table Tennis is one of the fastest sports in the world, often having less than a second to process and react to play your next shot. This means that timing your movements to contact the ball at the right time is crucial.

Hitting the ball at the right time gives you an incredible advantage over your opponent, either by improving the quality of your shot or reducing the amount of time your opponent has to react themselves.

Timing can also determine the direction of the ball, creating room for shots that look very similar but travel cross-court or down the line.

Each shot has slightly different guidelines around timing the shot. Some have an optimal timing (like a drive) whilst others have a lot of leeway depending on the type of shot you want to play (like a chop).

Understanding these timing differences will give you a huge advantage over your future opponents.

Let’s get started and discover the best timing for each table tennis shot.

Drive

We will start with the quintessential table tennis shot: the drive.

The drive is a shot that must be played when the ball is rising or at the peak of the bounce.

This is because it has little spin, so if we hit the ball when it is falling after the peak, it will be very difficult to hit over the net because the trajectory will be too flat.

Drive while the ball is rising

In my opinion, drives are extremely underrated. They are deadly shots if played when the ball is rising.

Even though drives donâ€t have as much speed or spin as loops, if you contact the ball while itâ€s rising and place the ball correctly youâ€ll give your opponent very little time to react.

In addition to this, the drive is a very safe shot. Itâ€s a lot harder to make unforced mistakes while driving in comparison to looping.

If this shot is used when the ball is going up, the driveâ€s inherent lack of power is counteracted with the little time that we will give our opponent to react. It can be a great shot to pull off in the right context, even in advanced levels of play.

A well-placed drive just after the bounce is a lot more dangerous than a mighty power loop hit straight toward your opponent’s racket while being a much safer and more efficient shot.

Drives at the peak of the bounce

The drive at the top of the bounce is a very useful shot as it gives us a lot of placement possibilities.

Since we contact the ball relatively high up, we can hit the ball with an open bat and have enough safety to place the ball wherever we want.

In the next clip, we’ll look at the technique for the drive while the ball is rising, the drive at the top of the bounce, and a drive played in a point after a loop.

Loop

The loop is a shot that can be played at three different optimal timings: while the ball is rising, at the top of the bounce, and a fraction after the top of the bounce.

Loop while the ball is rising

This shot is probably the most difficult one to return because it gives you and your opponent  very little reaction time or room for error.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward shot, and requires sublime timing from the player trying to play it.

You have to be quite skillful to be able to execute this technique in a match situation.

To perform this technique, you should close the racket angle, perform the weight transfer efficiently and brush on top of the ball, all while the ball is rising.

This will give the shot enough spin to get it down on the table.

It is a very risky shot as we are very close to the table and thus it is easy to overshoot the table if we contact the ball without grazing on top of it.

Loops with this timing are mostly played on the backhand side, as it’s easier to close the racket angle and brush on top of the ball.

Loop at the top of the bounce

This is the preferred timing formost European-style players. This type of loop allows you to hit with a lot of spin and speed since we contact the ball at the maximum point.

You can perform brushed, spinny loops and also flat, blistering fast ones from this position as the ball is high enough to be hit downwards.

I recommend you play most loops at the highest point as it gives a lot of safety and you can also hit the ball quite hard at this position.

Loop a fraction after the top of the bounce

This is the preferred timing of many spinners and Chinese-style players.

This timing is quite particular as it allows us to hit the ball more upwards rather than forwards, which gives us even more safety and more possibilities to brush and spin the ball.

If we catch the ball at the top of the bounce and hit it upwards, we’ll overshoot the table.

However, if we let it drop just a fraction more, the ball loses lots of speed and spin and we can hit the ball upwards.

Players who like to hit using this timing will load their shots with spin and the ball will have a pronounced “kick†effect once it lands on the other side.

In the next clip, we will see the loop while the ball is rising, the loop at the top of the bounce, and the loop a fraction after the top of the bounce.

Counterloop

This is a more advanced shot that demands fine timing to execute consistently.

Your contact point has to be very precise and it is the riskiest offensive shot since any slight mistake will cause you to hit the ball off the center of the racket or even clip it with the edge.

Countertopspins can be performed at the top of the bounce or a fraction after the top of the bounce.

You do have to adjust the racket angle and determine how thinly you want to contact the ball depending on the height, spin, and speed of the incoming ball (thatâ€s the hard part).

If you want to get better at counterlooping, perform the following exercise:

Player A serves short.

Player B pushes half-long.

Player A opens up.

Player B counterloops.

The serving player will never open up the same way, so donâ€t take your eyes off the ball and move your legs before playing your shots.

If you try to correct your mistakes when you mistime or misjudge the ball, youâ€ll find out pretty quickly that counterloops arenâ€t actually that hard to execute.

Theyâ€re harder to perform than loops because you have to judge every particular ball and get boththe correct timingand the correct contact, or else the ball will go out.

However, youâ€ll find out soon enough that through repetition this process of judging the ball and choosing the correct angle becomes ingrained in your technique. Itâ€s just a matter of training.

Next, we will see counterloops in the 3 different positions.

Block

The ideal height to block, especially to block spinny shots, is while the ball is rising.

You don’t necessarily have to contact the ball directly after the bounce, just hitting it on the upward trajectory is enough.

A mistake that many beginners and intermediate-level players make is to block at the highest point, where you can only play a slow, weak block due to the speed of the ball. In that scenario, a drive, loop or counterloop are far more effective shots.

Blocks should compromise the opponent, not leave them high balls for them to hit comfortably.

The best technique to block is to open or close the racket angle depending on the speed and spin of the shot and contact the ball just after the bounce or while it’s still rising.

In the following clip, I first block at the highest point and then over the bounce. See the difference?

Push

If you want to push with high quality, there are two timings you need to learn: the first one is over the bounce and the second is at the top of the bounce.

Push immediately after the bounce

This is a technique you must have. A good push immediately after the bounce can give you the initiative on point and compromise the opponent.

Whenever you try to touch short, always contact the ball as early as possible. The sooner you can hit it, the better.

This is because you are going to push a backspin ball. If you want to touch short, you will want to hit the ball from underneath. Itâ€s a lot easier to touch short if you catch the ball just after it bounces.

Push at the top of the bounce

This push technique is good if you want to push long and with lots of speed and spin.

If you want to push long, you can let the ball rise a bit more and use that height to push a bit more directly.

Below you will see both techniques in action.

Chop

For this technique, the optimal timing is when the ball is between knee and waist height, normally as the ball is falling.

If you contact the ball higher than your waist, your chops won’t be as safe nor will they be low to the net because the ball is contacted too high to begin with.

Any shot played below knee height is complicated and impractical to hit. At such a low height, technique begins to be compromised.

Flick

Flicks, both forehand, and backhand should preferably be executed at the highest point.

This is because the flick is a compact shot that cannot generate as much power as a loop or a smash.

If you want to clear the net, then you will have to strike the ball at the highest possible point.

Drop shot

To play this very aesthetic and useful shot, you want to contact the ball as early as possible.

If you want to play a drop shot against a lob, the ball is going to rise exponentially after the bounce, so you must contact it as soon as it hits the table.

It is a similar principle to blocking, you have to catch the ball early so that your shot doesnâ€t pop up.

You also want to take the energy out of the ball and contact it very thinly so that your drop shot doesnâ€t go long.

You can also use sidespin if you feel it helps you keep the ball short.

In this clip, you can see the correct drop shot technique. Notice the thin contact on the ball and the timing of the shot:

Smashes

Smashes should be played just a bit higher than head height.

This gives smashes enough safety because youâ€re not hitting the ball too far up that you lose control nor too far down that you lose power.

This is why smashes naturally favor taller players (being tall can be an advantage in table tennis!).

Taller players will be able to hit the ball closer to its peak, while shorter players will have to wait a bit for the ball to drop and smash it.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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