Site Products

Ask The Experts No. 423: Ahmed Elmallah

Posted on

Butterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer

Question:

Dear

I’m seeking advice regarding the purchase of my very first table tennis racket. It’s hard to make a choice due to the wide range of possibilities on the website, so I’ll try to give as much context and information as possible.

I’ve picked up table tennis a few months ago and I’m doing quite well in my humble opinion so I’m looking for a racket that is already past the beginner series and somewhere in between intermediate and advanced. It must give me the room to grow into as I get better so I don’t bump into another proverbial limit and will need another racket. Next year I’ll start to play competitive as well so its purpose is beyong recreational.

I’d describe my playstyle as offensive/attacking with long strokes and high spin/speed. I will look for ways to convert the game to my advantage by trying to attack on defensive strokes such as a push or chop as well. Even though my preference, I’m not willing to fully sacrifice defensive properties of the racket. So it’s not entirely clear to me if I fall within the off- or off range of blades. I have no idea regarding sponge thickness and type of rubber either as to what better suits me. Professional players I look up to and whose style I really like are Ma Long and Dimitrii Ovcharov.

Budget wise I’m looking for something between €100 and €150 in total (meaning blade+rubber), should there be a perfect match slighly above this range then that may be discussable as well. Once decided, do you always have to glue the both sides together yourself or can Butterfly do this for you as well (possibly against payment)? And by extension: can I easily replace the rubbers? I play in a local club who may assist in this.

As a final piece of info: I live in Belgium so perhaps not everything is available in my region? 

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards

Jonathan

 

Answer:

Hi Jonathan,

Thank you for your question.

I would suggest the Rozena 2.1 for the black and red rubbers.

For the blade, I recommend the Petr Korbel blade. Since you are an intermediate player, a softer blade is better to learn how to get good feeling on the ball.

Best Wishes!

Coach Ahmed

 

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.

Latest News

Coaching Opportunity – PongPlanet Table Tennis Club (San Francisco Bay Area, California)

March 18, 2026
(By PongPlanet) PongPlanet Table Tennis Club in the San Francisco Bay Area, California is currently seeking a professional… Read More

🎥 Episode 6: Ask The Expert Live With Logan Rietz | How do you select the right equipment?

March 18, 2026
(by Bowmar Sports) Choosing the right table tennis equipment can feel overwhelming especially when you're just starting out.… Read More

🎥 Episode 5: Ask The Expert Live With Logan Rietz | Decoding Equipment Specifications

March 17, 2026
(by Bowmar Sports) In this live session of Ask the Expert Logan’s breaks down understanding Table Tennis Rubber… Read More

Austin Table Tennis Club Elevates 2026 Competitive Season with Butterfly Partnership

March 17, 2026
(By Austin Table Tennis Club) AUSTIN, TX – The Austin Table Tennis Club (ATTC) is proud to announce a… Read More

Lean Over a Bit More

March 16, 2026
Logan Forehand short backspin serve from Backhand to Backhand, robot plays backspin short in Forehand, Logan pushes long… Read More

Dusseldorf Signs Fan Zhendong

March 16, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo Borussia Dusseldorf) TTBL and Champions League Club Borussia Dusseldorf has announced that Fan Zhendong… Read More

2026 Open de Boucherville Butterfly 12th edition

March 16, 2026
(By Bowmar Sports) The 12th Edition of the Open de Boucherville Butterfly 2026 is set to bring exciting… Read More

The Five Attacking Placements

March 16, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame Most often coaches and top players (including… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.