Site Products

Ask The Experts No. 423: Ahmed Elmallah

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

Jha Headlines Upset Filled First Round in Montpellier

October 29, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The top seed is out, and USA’s Kanak Jha now enters the Round… Read More

Anticipate….

October 29, 2025
Serve, short game, flip with defense to offense (wait function) Jhon serves short backspin, robot plays short backspin… Read More

Puerto Rico Shines At The 2025 ITTF Pan-American Championships

October 29, 2025
(By Edgardo Vazquez – Puerto Rico National Coach / Butterfly America Sponsored Coach) The Puerto Rico national team… Read More

Death of the Kill

October 28, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) There was a time that the smash, especially on the forehand side, was considered the… Read More

Right Shoulder Rotation Into the Table

October 27, 2025
Serve, short game, flip with defense to offense (wait function) Jhon serves short backspin, robot plays short backspin… Read More

MLTT Week 4 Recap: Chicago Wind Steady at Home, New York Slice Make Their Mark

October 26, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo MLTT) The Fourth Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) event was played in Bensenville, Illinois… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Joyous Table Tennis Club

October 26, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins) Joyous Table Tennis Club provides 8 professional tables in one of the largest professional table… Read More

France takes Gold in Euro Team Championships

October 26, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo ETTU) The French team with the Lebrun brothers, Simon Gauzy, Thibault Poret, and Flavien… 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.