Unquestionably the greatest single influence in the development of table tennis can be attributed to the proliferation of surface variations of the racket (more popularly referred to as the bat). Let us therefore take a closer look at the development that has taken place from the rigid and unyielding bats to the cushioned, resilient weapons we have today.
The very earliest bats that were used for table tennis were vellum battledores originally made for the ancient game of Shuttlecock, a primitive form of Badminton. These battledores were not entirely suitable for the table game on two counts. On the one hand, the vellum became slack in damp conditions and the other hand, the overall length of the battledore became an encumbrance when quick fire play was needed. First came wood and cork faced bats but they had severe limitations in shot production, so a search for bat covering that would provide better control and impart spin, persisted. Baize, felt, leather and ever sandpaper were tried, but without any noticeable spin the game degenerated into a stonewalling contest. In 1902, Mr. E.C. Goode cut down the rubber spikes of a chemist's cash mat and stuck it to the blade of a wooden bat. After only a few weeks practice his form improved immeasurably and he went on to win the English championship with comparative ease. He became the first player ever to win a tournament with a rubber faced bat. It was the celluloid ball in contact with the rubber surface that allowed for a new range of shots and different spins. From a drawing room diversion the game took on a new dimension and the pimpled rubber bat lasted until the fifties, when sponge and sandwich rackets took over and changed the pattern of the game by adding greater spins and increased speed of shots.
The advent of sponge
Experiments with bats covered with sponge had taken place in the thirties and forties. An English player became quite proficient with a thick sponge racket and was rewarded with an international badge. However, it was not until 1951 that the effects of a sponge bat were first felt in the World Championships. A 28-year-old Austrian named Waldemar Fritsch became a veritable giant killer by notching up victories over four of the world's top ranked players in Swaythling Cup matches. Most of his wins were made over three games where it seemed his then secret weapon was most effective. Over the longer course of five games his opponents had more opportunity to fathom out the problems he created and he was eventually tamed by Ferenc Sido. In 1952 the World Championships moved to Asia and marked the beginning of Asian dominance. The Japanese used sponge bats with great effect causing confusion among their opponents with guile and considerable control. The winner of the Men's singles was Hiroji Satoh who used a thick sponge bat and simply mesmerized the European stars by variations and unusual bounces he managed to produce. The lack of noise upon impact was very disconcerting to opponents and several experts who were there voiced the opinion that is would kill table tennis as a spectator sport. The ITTF, however, thought otherwise and decided to allow sponge to be used in International competition. At the 25th Congress considerable discussion took place as to whether or not sponge should be banned and a compromise was made that was to become operative on 1st July, 1959. Finally it was agreed upon that sponge could be used in matches.
In 1960/1961 an exaggerated topspin shot was developed which was classified as a "loop drive". It was not necessarily a new shot but when executed with modern rubbers and sandwich bats its spin effects were quite violent. The 1970s brought about an escalation in another direction when at the 1971 World Championships, China's Liang Geliang caused consternation by using a technique that won many points, particular from the service, by deceiving his opponents. He used a bat that was faced on one side with long pimpled rubber and on the other side it was faced with inverted soft rubber. Just before making contact with the ball, particularly when serving, he would turn the face of the bat to confuse his opponent. Furthermore and to prevent detection by sound, he would stamp his foot on the floor, so that it was not possible to determine which side from the bat he was about to use.
The 38th ITTF Congress held in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1985 dealt with a considerable number of rule change proposals and the one with the most impact concerned a new regulation for racket covering. It read: "The surface of one side of the racket shall be bright red and surface of the other side shall be black, whether or not both sides are used for striking the ball".
One of the major issues of the nineties was a debate on whether liquid glue should be banned as it had been proved to be harmful if inhaled. According to the decisions made by the ITTF in 1995, liquid glue should have been banned since that year. However, that resolution was not actually implemented. In 2004, liquid glue was once again discussed by the ITTF, and the final decision will probably be made during this world championship in Shanghai.
At the latter part of the nineties debate was centered on the length of pimpled rubber and it was decided that as from the 1st July, 1999, a reduction in the length of long pimples should be made by 0.3 millimeters. The adoption of larger balls in the year of 2000 prompts the further development of the covering of the racket. The so-called inner-energetic sandwich rubber was widely used, which lessens people's reliance on the glue to some extent. At the same time, man-made fiber rackets are more and more recognized by people, for it conforms to the trend of the powerful and quick playing style at present. However, the limitations contained in the rules on fiber might encounter some challenges as well.