Gambling on Gambler Equipment

Let’s face it. Any purchase you make is a gamble. Buying table tennis equipment can be particularly risky. Some new rubber sheets costing more than $100 are about to come on the market. Equipment junkies beware! It might be worth every penny, but you better be sure. While many may balk at the price of rubber and blades, table tennis is still one of the least expensive sports you can play. I wouldn’t hesitate to shell out some rusty money, if I thought a particular item would greatly help my game. 

The problem comes when you do invest in a paddle and it turns out to not work for you. Do all the research. Get the right weight, speed, rubber thickness, and handle shape. You still won’t know if you won the equipment lottery until you get in a few competitive matches with your new toy. For players who don’t experiment with new equipment very often, this shouldn’t be much of a problem. For those who do roll the dice, a few lessons can be learned before you schedule your first visit to Gamblers Anonymous.

You don’t always get what you pay for. The more expensive rubber may not be right for you. Occasionally you’ll go against the odds and hit on a winner. This has happened to me with equipment from Gambler. I’ve lost out on a few $10 and $20 bets. Some of the pips I’ve purchased over the years, haven’t always worked out, but they were cheap, and I didn’t feel like I had totally wasted my money. There have been some really good purchases. The Gambler blade I use cost $27.50. It’s the best feeling blade I’ve ever owned. Add on a mere $23 worth of rubber and I’ve got a very usable defensive paddle, assembled and shipped for half the cost of the newest premium rubber sheets. 

Maybe it’s just coincidence that a very inexpensive paddle seems to work best for my game. Gambler sells some quality equipment. Some isn’t so great, but I could say the same about any other equipment company. As with any purchase, you’ll need to make an informed decision when you consider a new racket or rubber. It will still be a gamble. I wouldn’t hesitate to gamble on Gambler. Don’t let the low prices scare you away.