Blade and rubber suggestions for 6 year old starter

[Doctor]

Hello ,

Please suggest a beginner blade and rubber for 6 year old who is just starting out. He is using my nittaku acoustic but don't want him to dent it.
I do have a spare Stiga offensive classic lying carefully for 15 years or so. Will that be ok? Which rubbers shall I use? Want to teach him how to take care of the equipment also.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JJ Ng]

I set my kids up with Neottec Gamma ALL+ XS, with Mark V on both sides. Looking back, I could have used either Neottec Hinomi-M or Neottec Katana at 1.8mm or 2.0mm sponge for both sides.

The set up is cheap but is still a professional set up. I think with a six year old you don't want to set him with adult equipment yet. The Neottec Gamma ALL+ XS is kid's size in terms of the handle and the size of the blade (the face of the blade is smaller than the regular blade's so once you cut the rubber to the size, the rubber is smaller and the weight of the overall racket is also lighter).

To be frank, the build quality for the Neottec Gamma ALL+ XS is not the best. After a few month, the Neottec insert on the handle fell off. We tried to find it unsuccessfully so we had to ditch the blade. But it was good while it lasted. It is a cheap blade so what do you expect?

If your kid plays five days a week and is serious, then after 6 months to a year, you can upgrade to something faster depending on his progress.

Yes, the above set-up will not break your bank but yet it is a professional looking blade! I still find Mark V and Sriver to be good beginner rubbers but they are priced at $33-$34 a sheet. For something that are 40+ years old, that is highway robbery to me. Neottec Hinomi-M and Katana plays just like a classic rubber and costs for about 1/2 the price of Mark V or Sriver.

I think after Neottec rubbers, you can consider Xiom Vega Intro after that.

One of my kids has now moved onto Tibhar Quantum X PRO Soft but that's only because she wanted something pink so that's the only pink rubber I can find that is readily available right now. For her black side, I gave her Friendship LKT Rapid Soft because I have an sheet of that lying around. Her current blade is Neottec Revolution. I gave her a bunch of wood blades to hold including Tibhar Stratus Power Wood, Donic Persson Powerplay, etc. She liked the way Neottec Revolution was held in her hand so hence the choice. She only plays once or twice a week so I really do not care too much about her exact equipment.

 

[Crillo]

Stiga Allround Classic + Stiga DNA Future on both sides. Thats what the kids start with in most Swedish clubs.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Stiga Allround Classic + Stiga DNA Future on both sides. Thats what the kids start with in most Swedish clubs.

this is a pretty good and light combination

most kids I know don't use kids blade (smaller handle/head), but I do feel if the kid is smaller, maybe the smaller handle would be okay for a year or 2.

 

[JJ Ng]

this is a pretty good and light combination

most kids I know don't use kids blade (smaller handle/head), but I do feel if the kid is smaller, maybe the smaller handle would be okay for a year or 2.

My kids are 10 and 8 but they are tiny (short) for their age groups and their hands are not that big. I really do believe we need to look at the world from the kids perspective. The weight of the racket can feel quite heavy for a say 6 year old but the differences in weight may not be that great for adults.

Furthermore, I think it also depends on the kids progress. If the kids are going to be the next Tomokazu Harimoto or Miwa Harimoto, then yes, their equipment should be updated soon. But if the kids are just having fun for now, comfort is important to keep in mind.

Finally we have all played with tiny little rackets from Joola or some other brands for fun. We really do not, if we know what we are doing, use majority of the paddle other than the area around the middle where the sweet spot is. The kid's blade is really big enough where they are not going to hit the edge all the time, with proper coaching.

 

[DaveNewbie]

What I've seen in my club are kids 7-10 years old playing with Stiga AR classic, which no doubt is a good blade, balanced and easy to control. It was my son's first blade. Yasaka Mark V, Original Extra, Donic Akkadi are common rubbers, also BTY Rozena.

For a beginner, I'd give a try to Yinhe Mercury 2 a spinny rubber, elastic, with a lot of dwell time, neither fast nor slow. For only 5-6 € it's worth a try.

 

[Doctor]

Thanks for giving so many nice options.

I can get Mark v and xiom Vega intro here easily. I'm having offensive classic as a spare. Or , shall buy stiga all around classic for my son.

 

[Brs]

I'd focus on light weight. Get a thin sponge in whichever rubber you choose. It's going to wear out and be replaced soon enough. And in a year or two the extra grams of max sponge will not matter to your kid either.

 

[Crillo]

Thanks for giving so many nice options.

I can get Mark v and xiom Vega intro here easily. I'm having offensive classic as a spare. Or , shall buy stiga all around classic for my son.

Vega intro on a Stiga Allround Classic (Master) is perfect. I think Offensive is to fast. Maybe thinner rubbers like 1.8 the first year.

 

[OldUser]

He starts, he's only 6 years old, no need to put that extra money, a premade bat like the Butterfly Specialist is enough for now. You'll see in 6 months how he's doing and if it's worth putting extra money in a custom made bat. Or maybe the 2 others premade

Rackets - Casual

Table Tennis for you - der offizielle Butterfly Online-Store. Beläge, Hölzer, Textilien, Tische und Zubehör - alle Butterflyprodukte unter einer Adresse.

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Dima has proven those bats were good enough.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

My kids are 10 and 8 but they are tiny (short) for their age groups and their hands are not that big. I really do believe we need to look at the world from the kids perspective. The weight of the racket can feel quite heavy for a say 6 year old but the differences in weight may not be that great for adults.

Furthermore, I think it also depends on the kids progress. If the kids are going to be the next Tomokazu Harimoto or Miwa Harimoto, then yes, their equipment should be updated soon. But if the kids are just having fun for now, comfort is important to keep in mind.

Yes, I agree, hence I said what I said.

But then again, of the kids aged 6~10 in my side of the world, they all using "adult" blades.
10 years old using ZLC blades with H3 on both sides.
But yeah, they are busy getting groomed to be the next Harimoto, or rather, in my side of the world, the next Lin.

6 and 10 years old is a big difference too.
smaller one, sure. Just smaller blades.
But indeed, quality on smaller blades is just that - cheap.

There are lots of ALL blades that are 82~85g
and you could get rubbers that would set the whole bat at 165~175g
I'm no kiddies coach, but many seems fine at especialyl 8 to 10 years old with that kind of weight, if not more (that 10 year old, his bat is around 178g

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Vega intro on a Stiga Allround Classic (Master) is perfect. I think Offensive is to fast. Maybe thinner rubbers like 1.8 the first year.

1.8mm could be quite difficult to purchase, 2.0mm should be easier.
I normally recommend max and 1 lower down from max. seldom go 2 down from max

 

[TensorBackhand]

Hello ,

Please suggest a beginner blade and rubber for 6 year old who is just starting out. He is using my nittaku acoustic but don't want him to dent it.
I do have a spare Stiga offensive classic lying carefully for 15 years or so. Will that be ok? Which rubbers shall I use? Want to teach him how to take care of the equipment also.

Thanks in advance.

oh yeah the Stiga OC would be great for him! It has nice flex and feeling and is not too powerful, but its not slow either.

Just use a cheap rubber for him to get started. You could definitely use something like AK47 yellow or Loki Rxton 1, both very affordable.

 

[Crillo]

1.8mm could be quite difficult to purchase, 2.0mm should be easier.
I normally recommend max and 1 lower down from max. seldom go 2 down from ma

You can order 1.5,1,8,2.0 and Max on Tabeltennis11. I think 2.0 is fine aswell but the kid is 6yo and maybe just trying to get the ball over the net for the first 6-12 months..

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

You can order 1.5,1,8,2.0 and Max on Tabeltennis11. I think 2.0 is fine aswell but the kid is 6yo and maybe just trying to get the ball over the net for the first 6-12 months..

I don't recall Vega Intro having 1.5mm.

I think TT11 will be one of view that would stock 1.8mm
Since Xiom themselves won't, and the thinner sponges will be direct order from factory, and MOQ is a bit steep for many

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I just double check. Xiom themselves only have stock to supply me on Vega Intro Max.
Thinner, need to be direct order from factory (MOQ in return though)

 

[mocker88]

Sanwei Accumulator S + Sanwei T88-III Training 2-Pack or 729 Cross General. A good blade to build on and a great setup for a newbie, for about $25.

 

[Choosikick]

What I've seen in my club are kids 7-10 years old playing with Stiga AR classic, which no doubt is a good blade, balanced and easy to control. It was my son's first blade. Yasaka Mark V, Original Extra, Donic Akkadi are common rubbers, also BTY Rozena.

For a beginner, I'd give a try to Yinhe Mercury 2 a spinny rubber, elastic, with a lot of dwell time, neither fast nor slow. For only 5-6 € it's worth a try.

I support.
Mercury 2 in thickness 1.8 soft will be an excellent choice for a Doctor's child. It is not fast yet very grippy and has a long lag time and good control. At the same time, it is incredibly cheap - only 6 dollars. Choose a 5-layer all-round blade with a weight of up to 85 grams with a handle that is comfortable for child.

 

[allfj]

I disagree with the statement you don't need a custom made bat. It is very important to get the muscle memory right and stroke right at the young age, otherwise it could lead to bad habits

 

[OldUser]

I disagree with the statement you don't need a custom made bat. It is very important to get the muscle memory right and stroke right at the young age, otherwise it could lead to bad habits

All the french kids start with a premade bat, even the Lebruns or the Cotons have started like that, it's the 3rd best nation in the world for youth, so I guess they're doing right...