One of the great things about table tennis is that you really don’t need much equipment to play. If you attend a club, where the tables are set up, and balls are provided, all you actually need is your bat.
But some of us, myself included, arrive at a training session with a bag jam-packed with stuff. How do we end up bringing so much with us, when all we really need is our table tennis bat?
Inside Tom’s bag
Let’s take a look inside my table tennis bag. I’ll explain what I think is essential and what is simply useful, but you can probably do without.
Bat case [essential]
I have a double wallet bat case. In this I have my main table tennis bat (JOOLA Vyzaryz Trinity blade with JOOLA Dynaryz AGR rubbers), a spare back-up bat for emergencies, plus two coaching bats, one for feeding multi-ball and one with long-pimples and anti-spin (the bat from hell). The main practical purpose of the bat case is to protect the rubbers from damage. Absolutely 100% essential. Every player should have a bat case. The one I have (see photo above) has long been discontinued, but there are plenty of other options available.
A few 3* balls [essential]
I always carry a small box of 3* competition balls. The balls I like are JOOLA Prime, which you can get in a box of 6. The longer I have played table tennis, the more I dislike playing with cheap training balls. I want something decent to play with when doing drills and practice matches. And whilst in most league matches the balls are provided, there have been occasions when my supply of balls have been used instead.
Water bottle [essential]
I wouldn’t survive a session without my water bottle. If you’re working hard, moving lots and sweating, you need to get some liquid back in your body. I prefer a stainless steel bottle. This keeps the water nice and cool, even on hot days. They don’t leak. They are easy to clean. And as long as you don’t accidentally lose it (which I have done a few times), the bottle will last a very long time.
Bat cleaner + sponge [essential]
Table tennis rubbers pick up dust, sweat and all kinds of muck. Over time this develops into an unwanted extra layer of grime on your rubber and you can’t generate as much spin. A quick clean with a spray and sponge gets rid of all this dirt and then your rubber can grip the ball better. I use the Impact cleaner and sponge. It doesn’t cost much, it lasts for ages and it doesn’t take up much space.
Towel [essential]
My final essential item is a towel. Generally I am a light sweater. Maybe I don’t move around enough! But in a hard training session or an energetic match, there is plenty enough sweat to be a nuisance. A towel is great for getting the sweat off your face, arms and hands. And it can also be useful in a match. You are allowed to have a towel break every six points. This can be used to clear sweat or simply to give yourself a little more thinking time. I recommend getting a small table tennis towel, as this will take up less space in your bag.
Change of shirt [useful]
If I’m playing in a tournament, I will bring a spare shirt. This is particularly useful if you know you will be playing a lot of games and the venue is likely to be a little warm. It’s not nice playing in a shirt which gets increasingly damp with your own sweat. A change of shirts half way through the day freshens you up and can also give a psychological boost. It’s like you have pressed the reset button. New shirt, new mindset, new player, let’s go! If I’m playing a local league match or attending a 2-hour training session, I won’t bother with an extra shirt. I will make do with just the shirt I’m wearing.
Snacks [useful]
If I have a long table tennis day, e.g. a tournament, then I will bring snacks with me. I’m never certain what food might be available at a tournament venue, so I prefer to bring my own. This will usually be a sandwich, banana(s), apples and my own little snack box consisting of nuts, dried fruit, tomatoes, grapes and flap-jack. I can nibble on these in between matches and they prevent me from getting hungry. During a tournament you are never sure when you will get the opportunity to eat, so I have found little snacks work best. For an evening league match or a 2-hour training session, I don’t bother bringing snacks. If I have played well, I might reward myself with some chocolate when I get home.
Tripod [useful]
More and more players are recording their matches or training sessions. It’s a great way of analysing your performances and identifying areas you need to improve. All you need is your mobile phone and a tripod. I recommend getting a tripod specifically designed for mobile phones. These can usually extend up 1.6m-1.8m, but they can be folded down to a small size which will fit in your bag. When you use these tripods for filming, they don’t take up a huge amount of space. You can put the tripod in the corner, outside the court, and it won’t get in the way. I don’t use mine all the time, but I like to have it with me in case I do want to film myself.
Pens [useful]
Here’s a question which gets asked all the time during local league matches and tournaments … “has anyone got a pen?”. The umpire needs a pen to write the score on the scoresheet. But pens are mysterious things. No matter how many we seem to have, they all have a habit of disappearing. Where do they go? No idea! So I always try to carry a few pens in my bag, just in case. The only problem is that my pen supply inevitably disappears as well. I have to keep topping up my pen stash. I usually get basic BIC pens. They don’t cost much, work fine and it’s not a big deal if one disappears.
Injury support aids & pain relief [useful]
From time to time, we get injuries. Sometimes niggles. Sometimes something more serious. But we keep on playing. It’s hard to give up the table tennis addiction. At various times over the past twenty years I have put a range of physical aids in my bag – kinesiology tape, wrist supports, elbow supports, knee supports. Plus pain relief in the form of tablets and gels. At the moment my bag is actually empty of support aids. I’m going through a period of good health. But I always carry some ibuprofen tablets, just in case I get a headache from all the noise in the table tennis hall!
So that’s my list of items I carry around in my table tennis bag. If coaching, I’ll have a few extra items such as a big bag of balls, ball collection nets and masking tape. The bag gets quite full!
But what do you have in your bag? Is there anything else which you think is essential? Let me know in the comments…