The thickness of a table tennis blade affects how it feels and performs. In this article, I’ll explain the differences between thick and thin blades and how this affects its suitability for different playing styles.
Average Table Tennis Blades Thickness
On average table tennis blades are approximately 5.5 mm to 6.0 mm thick. Most blades fall within the 5-7.5mm range, but it is possible to get thicker and thinner blades than this. In general, blades thicker than 6.0 mm are considered thick, whilst blades thinner than 5.0 mm are considered thin.
What Factors Affect Blade Thickness?
These layers are typically made from wood or carbon. The most common compositions are 5-ply all-wood, 7-ply all-wood and 5+2-ply, where there are 5 layers are made from wood and two layers are made from carbon. The individual wood layers are usually thicker than the carbon layers.
A table tennis blade’s thickness is determined by the number of layers and the individual thicknesses of each layer. Most blades have either 5 or 7 layers and are described as being either 5-ply or 7-ply blades, respectively.
Check out my comparison between 5-ply and 7-ply blades for more info.
Here is a table to show the different compositions and thicknesses of popular table tennis blades.
| Table Tennis Blade | Thickness | Material | Layers |
| Stiga Allround Classic | 5.1 mm | Wood | 5-Ply |
| Butterfly SK Carbon | 5.2 mm | Wood and Carbon (T5000) | 3+2-Ply |
| Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLF | 5.3 mm | Wood and Carbon (ZLF) | 5+2-Ply |
| Yasaka Sweden Classic | 5.4 mm | Wood | 5-Ply |
| Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC | 5.7 mm | Wood + Carbon (SALC) | 5+2-Ply |
| Victas V Orange | 5.8 mm | Wood | 5-Ply |
| JOOLA K5 | 6.0 mm | Wood | 5-Ply |
| JOOLA Xylo 7 | 6.6 mm | Wood | 7-Ply |
| Butterfly SK7 Classic | 6.8 mm | Wood and Carbon | 5+2-Ply |
| JOOLA Chen Defender | 7.5 mm | Wood | 7-Ply |
Thick vs Thin Table Tennis Blades
The thickness of a table tennis blade has an indirect affect on how it feels and performs by affecting the hardness, stiffness and weight of the blade.
Thicker blades provide less feeling due to their hardness, and more power due to their stiffness but also less spin. Thicker blades are also heavier which increases their power but also makes the players reactions slower.
| Thinner Blades | Thicker Blades |
| Lighter, softer, and more flexible | Heavier, harder, and stiffer |
| Increases spin | Increases power |
| Provides more “feeling” | Provides less “feeling” |
| Better for looping | Better for blocking, driving and smashing |
There are also other variables to consider such as the number of layers and the composition of the blade, whether it be wood or carbon fiber.
However, to keep things simple, I’ll be discussing the effect of thickness in isolation, so assume that the material and number of layers is kept the same in the following discussion.
Thickness Affects Stiffness and Hardness
Increasing the thickness of a table tennis blade also will increase its stiffness and hardness. It’s important to note here that hardness and stiffness are not the same thing:
- Hardness: this refers to the outer layers of the blade which will either feel harder or softer.
- Stiffness: this refers to the overall blade and how flexible it is.
The thicker the outer layers of the blade are, the harder it will feel. Harder blades give the player less feedback in terms of the vibrations but feel more stable for blocking and more powerful.
The thicker the overall blade is, the stiffer it will be. A stiffer blade will produce more power but less spin compared to a more flexible blade.
Check out my guide to blade hardness and stiffness for more info.
Thickness Affects Weight
The thicker a table tennis blade is, the more it will weigh. This is assuming that the same materials and number of layers are being used, and the only variable is the thickness of those layers. Heavier blades produce more power, but lighter blades help to increase a player’s reaction times.
Blade Thickness and Playing Style
Different blades have different thicknesses which lend themselves towards different playing styles. In this section I’ll be discussing different shot types. Again, we’re assuming here that the only thing changing is the thickness of the blade’s layers and not the material or number of layers being used.
In reality, when you’re considering two different blades, there are almost always other variables at play so it is important to consider these features as a whole when making your decision.
Looping
Thinner blades are more flexible and generally more suited to looping because they allow the player to generate more spin. Thicker blades are less flexible which means the ball has less dwell time on the paddle, and less opportunity to generate spin.
Blocking
Blocking the ball effectively ideally requires a hard blade. If the outer layers of the blade are thicker, this means the the blade is harder and feels more stable and better for blocking. Thinner and more flexible blades do not feel as stable.
Driving and Smashing
For driving and smashing, having a more powerful blade is desirable. Thicker blades tend to be more powerful because they are harder, stiffer and heavier. This means that less force is required in the player’s stroke to make the ball move at the same speed when using a thicker blade compared to using a thinner blade.
How Thick Should the Blade be for Beginners?
It is often recommended for beginners and players who are learning a new technique use a thinner blade which is less than 5.5 mm thick.
Thinner blades provide more “feeling” which means the player can feel the vibrations from the shot more in their hand. Being able to feel these vibrations is very useful because it helps give the player feedback so they can understand why a stroke went well, or why it didn’t.
Thinner blades are also less powerful so beginners may find them easier to control as well.
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