Paddle, Racket, Bat... Glove? Brodmann Shakes up Ping Pong
Last week we looked at ways to get you out on the road for Spring Break, but we also know that many people have time off and are not planning to go anywhere. So in the interest of fairness we thought it might be fun to look today at a new twist on an old favorite pastime, ping pong. After all, everyone wants to have fun, whether itʻs traveling to the ends of the earth, or just to the ends of the house or neighborhood.
It doesnʻt seem like there is a whole lot about table tennis that can really be changed up all that much, but the folks over at Brodmann Blades felt that perhaps the handles on those paddles were a bit excessive. So, they went ahead and designed a paddle that fits over your hand, providing an entirely new experience for playing table tennis. With the paddle over your hand you end up being able to feel exactly where the ball hits, which, ostensibly, allows you to be more precise in your game play. What we found is that our more casual players (read: those of us who havenʻt played since we were ten) had an easier time adapting to the blades than those who play more regularly. With a paddle on your hand it isn’t possible to switch from one hand to the other while playing, like you might if you were holding a paddle. Most people play with one dominant hand of course, and the Brodmann Blade will fit both your right and left hand equally well. It is somewhat easier to hit the ball with a backhand stroke than a fronthand stroke initially, but a little practice was all it took to feel comfortable using both. And it’s truly easier to feel the ball’s impact, allowing you to adjust and react a bit faster.
The Brodmann Blade set retails for around $100. In the nice-looking case you’ll get two blades, two wristbands, four ping pong balls and a pamphlet going over the use of the blades. We didn’t try resurfacing the Blades, and the more serious among you might not be happy with the relatively untextured surface on both sides, but they appear to use regulation rubber.
It’s only available through a few retailers, which are linked from Brodmann’s website. Right now these blades are for recreational use, but according to Mr. Rudolf Sporrer, the Rules Committee Chairman of the ITTF, “This innovation may eventually be incorporated into international competition”. The Brodmann Blade would represent the first truly revolutionary idea since the inception of the sport in the late 1800’s.
