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[varghese]

Hardbat! How did that name emerge? The word 'bat' is surely English. What does this 'hard' mean? I hope this discussion can lead to an important characteristic of a table tennis blade called 'feel'.

[729 fx]

From wiki - Hardbat is the classical table tennis playing style that existed prior to the advent of sponge rubber in the 1950-60s. The main difference between hardbat and modern table tennis is the racket used, which greatly affects the dynamics and strategy of the game. Hardbat rackets use short outward "pips" with no sponge, resulting in decreased speeds and reduced spin compared to rackets using sponge rubber. This results in longer rallies and an increased focus on the strategical aspects of the sport.

There has recently been a resurgence of hardbat play, with national championships contested yearly in the United States.

http://www.hardbat.com/hbequipm.html

[varghese]

Yes, the game of table tennis started with plain wood, then to pimple out. I was told that in Japan someone accidentally put the pips rubber upside down, and that's when they have found the smooth surface can generate spin. Then there was the birth of sandwich rubber.

I think there are some reasons why they have used the word 'hard' in 'hard bat'. They can call it simply 'bat', but they have called it 'hard bat'.