Table tennis, also called (trademark) Ping-Pong, ball game similar in principle to lawn tennis and

played on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net fixed across its width at the middle.
The object is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net and bounces on the opponent’s half of the
table in such a way that the opponent cannot reach it or return it correctly. The lightweight hollow
ball is propelled back and forth across the net by small rackets (bats, or paddles) held by the players.
The game is popular all over the world. In most countries it is very highly organized as a
competitive sport, especially in Europe and Asia, particularly in China and Japan.
History
The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th century and was originally called
Ping-Pong, a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong
Association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had broken up about 1905,
though apparently the game continued to be played in parts of England outside London and by the
1920s was being played in many countries. Led by representatives of Germany, Hungary, and
England, the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation)
was founded in 1926, the founding members being England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark,
Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the mid-1990s more than 165 national
associations were members.
The first world championships were held in London in 1926, and from then until 1939 the game
was dominated by players from central Europe, the men’s team event being won nine times by
Hungary and twice by Czechoslovakia. In the mid-1950s Asia emerged as a breeding ground of
champions, and from that time the men’s team event has been won by either Japan or China, as
has the women’s event, though to a lesser extent; North Korea also became an international force.
In 1980 the first World Cup was held, and Guo Yuehua of China won the $12,500 first prize. Table
tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and doubles competition for men and
women.

The Game
Table tennis equipment is relatively simple and inexpensive. The table is rectangular, 9 feet by 5
feet (2.7 metres by 1.5 metres), its upper surface a level plane 30 inches (76 cm) above the floor.
The net is 6 feet (1.8 metres) long, and its upper edge along the whole length is 6 inches (15.25
cm) above the playing surface. The ball, which is spherical and hollow, was once made of
white celluloid. Since 1969 a plastic similar to celluloid has been used. The ball, which may be
coloured white, yellow, or orange, weighs about 0.09 ounce (2.7 grams) and has a diameter of
about 1.6 inches (4 cm). The blade of a racket, or bat, is usually made of wood, is flat and rigid,
and may be covered with a thin layer of ordinary stippled, or pimpled, rubber, which may be laid
over a thin layer of sponge rubber and may have the pimples reversed. Whatever combination is
used, each of the two sides of a paddle must be different in colour. The racket may be any size,
weight, or shape.

A match consists of the best of any odd numbers of games, each game being won by the player
who first reaches 11 points or who, after 10 points each, wins two clear points ahead. A point is
scored when the server fails to make a good service, when either player fails to make a good return,
or when either player commits a specified infraction (e.g., touches the playing surface with a free
hand while the ball is in play). Service changes hands after every two points until 10-all is reached,
when it changes after every subsequent point.

The serve is made from behind the end of the table, the server tossing the ball upward from the
palm of the free hand and striking it as it descends so that it first bounces on the server’s own court
and then, passing over the net, bounces on the opponent’s court. In serving, no spin may be
imparted to the ball by the fingers. This was not always so. Finger spin, especially in the United
States, reached a stage where the experts could produce untakable services and the game became
farcical. Finger spin was universally banned in 1937.
Interest to the spectator lies in observing the ability of one player to defeat another by well-thought-
out strategy. Increasing the speed of the game, slowing it down, varying the direction of or
imparting different spin or pace to the ball, and employing gentle drop shots over the net when the
opponent is out of position are some of the tactics that may be used to support the strategy planned.
Slow or defensive play at one time was so dominant that, at the 1936 world championships in
Prague, an hour was needed to decide a single point. Play is now restricted. If a game is unfinished
15 minutes after it has begun, the rest of that game and the remaining games of the match proceed
under the Expedite System. Thereafter if the service and 13 following strokes of the server are
returned by the receiver, the server loses the point. The service changes after each point.
Table tennis may be played with one player at each end of the table or with two players at each
end who may be both men or both women or one of each. Worldwide, the women’s game is
comparable in organization to the men’s, and women take part in world championships and all
other organized events. Table tennis as well as being fully organized is also extremely popular as
a recreational game and is so played in all types of sports clubs, social clubs, and game rooms, in
the home, and even out-of-doors when conditions are reasonably calm.

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight
ball back and forth across a table using small rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided
by a net. Except for the initial serve, the rules are generally as follows: players must allow a ball
played toward them to bounce one time on their side of the table, and must return it so that it
bounces on the opposite side at least once. A point is scored when a player fails to return the ball
within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory
and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage.
Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. ITTF currently includes 226 member associations.[3]The table
tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF handbook.[4] Table tennis has been an Olympic
sport since 1988,[5] with several event categories. From 1988 until 2004, these were men's singles,
women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008, a team event has been played
instead of the doubles.
Grips
Though table tennis players grip their rackets in various ways, their grips can be classified into
two major families of styles, penhold and shakehand.[45] The rules of table tennis do not prescribe
the manner in which one must grip the racket, and numerous grips are employed.
 Penhold
The penhold grip is so-named because one grips the racket similarly to the way one holds a writing
instrument.[46] The style of play among penhold players can vary greatly from player to player.
The most popular style, usually referred to as the Chinese penhold style, involves curling the
middle, ring, and fourth finger on the back of the blade with the three fingers always touching one
another.[46] Chinese penholders favour a round racket head, for a more over-the-table style of play.
In contrast, another style, sometimes referred to as the Japanese/Korean penhold grip, involves
splaying those three fingers out across the back of the racket, usually with all three fingers touching
the back of the racket, rather than stacked upon one another.[46] Sometimes a combination of the
two styles occurs, wherein the middle, ring and fourth fingers are straight, but still stacked, or
where all fingers may be touching the back of the racket, but are also in contact with one another.
Japanese and Korean penholders will often use a square-headed racket for an away-from-the-table
style of play. Traditionally these square-headed rackets feature a block of cork on top of the handle,
as well as a thin layer of cork on the back of the racket, for increased grip and comfort. Penhold
styles are popular among players originating from East Asian countries such
as China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Traditionally, penhold players use only one side of the racket to hit the ball during normal play,
and the side which is in contact with the last three fingers is generally not used. This configuration
is sometimes referred to as "traditional penhold" and is more commonly found in square-headed
racket styles. However, the Chinese developed a technique in the 1990s in which a penholder uses
both sides of the racket to hit the ball, where the player produces a backhand stroke (most often
topspin) known as a reverse penhold backhand by turning the traditional side of the racket to face
one's self, and striking the ball with the opposite side of the racket. This stroke has greatly
improved and strengthened the penhold style both physically and psychologically, as it eliminates
the strategic weakness of the traditional penhold backhand.
  Shakehand
The shakehand grip is so-named because the racket is grasped as if one is performing a
handshake.[47]Though it is sometimes referred to as the "tennis" or "Western" grip, it bears no
relation to the Western tennis grip, which was popularized on the West Coast of the United
States in which the racket is rotated 90°, and played with the wrist turned so that on impact the
knuckles face the target. In table tennis, "Western" refers to Western nations, for this is the grip
that players native to Europe and the Americas have almost exclusively employed.
The shakehand grip's simplicity and versatility, coupled with the acceptance among top-level
Chinese trainers that the European style of play should be emulated and trained against, has
established it as a common grip even in China.[48] Many world class European and East Asian
players currently use the shakehand grip, and it is generally accepted that shakehands is easier to
learn than penholder, allowing a broader range of playing styles both offensive and defensive.[49]
Seemiller
The Seemiller grip is named after the American table tennis champion Danny Seemiller, who used
it. It is achieved by placing your thumb and index finger on either side of the bottom of the racquet
head and holding the handle with the rest of your fingers. Since only one side of the racquet is used
to hit the ball, two contrasting rubber types can be applied to the blade, offering the advantage of
"twiddling" the racket to fool the opponent. Seemiller paired inverted rubber with anti-spin rubber;
many players today combine inverted and long-pipped rubber. The grip is considered exceptional
for blocking, especially on the backhand side, and for forehand loops of backspin balls.[50] The
Seemiller grip's popularity reached its apex in 1985 when four (Danny Seemiller, Ricky Seemiller,
Eric Boggan and Brian Masters) of the United States' five participants in the World Championships
used it.[50]

Types of Strokes
Table tennis strokes generally break down into offensive and defensive categories.
 Offensive strokes
Hit
A direct hit on the ball propelling it forward back to the opponent. This stroke differs from speed
drives in other racket sports like tennis because the racket is primarily perpendicular to the
direction of the stroke and most of the energy applied to the ball results in speed rather than spin,
creating a shot that does not arc much, but is fast enough that it can be difficult to return. A speed
drive is used mostly for keeping the ball in play, applying pressure on the opponent, and potentially
opening up an opportunity for a more powerful attack.
Loop
Perfected during the 1960s,[1] the loop is essentially the reverse of the speed drive. The racket is
much more parallel to the direction of the stroke ("closed") and the racket thus grazes the ball,
resulting in a large amount of topspin. A good loop drive will arc quite a bit, and once striking the
opponent's side of the table will jump forward, much like a kick serve in tennis.
Counter-hit
The counter-hit is usually a counterattack against drives, normally high loop drives. The racket is
held closed and near to the ball, which is hit with a short movement "off the bounce" (immediately
after hitting the table) so that the ball travels faster to the other side. A well-timed, accurate
counter-drive can be as effective as a smash.
Flip
When a player tries to attack a ball that has not bounced beyond the edge of the table, the player
does not have the room to wind up in a backswing. The ball may still be attacked, however, and
the resulting shot is called a flip because the backswing is compressed into a quick wrist action. A
flip is not a single stroke and can resemble either a loop drive or a loop in its characteristics. What
identifies the stroke is that the backswing is compressed into a short wrist flick.
Smash
The offensive trump card is the smash. A player will typically execute a smash when his or her
opponent has returned a ball that bounces too high or too close to the net. Smashing consists of
using a large backswing and rapid acceleration to impart as much speed on the ball as possible.
The goal of a smash is to get the ball to move so quickly that the opponent simply cannot return it.
Because the ball speed is the main aim of this shot, often the spin on the ball is something other
than topspin. Sidespin can be used effectively with a smash to alter the ball's trajectory
significantly, although most intermediate players will smash the ball with little or no spin. An
offensive table tennis player will think of a rally as a build-up to a winning smash.
 Defensive strokes
Push
The push (or "slice" in Asia) is usually used for keeping the point alive and creating offensive
opportunities. A push resembles a tennis slice: the racket cuts underneath the ball, imparting
backspin and causing the ball to float slowly to the other side of the table. While not obvious, a
push can be difficult to attack because the backspin on the ball causes it to drop toward the table
upon striking the opponent's racket. In order to attack a push, a player must usually loop the ball
back over the net. Often, the best option for beginners is to simply push the ball back again,
resulting in pushing rallies. Against good players, it may be the worst option because the opponent
will counter with a loop, putting the first player in a defensive position. Another response to
pushing is flipping the ball when it is close to the net. Pushing can have advantages in some
circumstances, such as when the opponent makes easy mistakes.
Chop
A chop is the defensive, backspin counterpart to the offensive loop drive.[51] A chop is essentially
a bigger, heavier push, taken well back from the table. The racket face points primarily horizontally,
perhaps a little bit upward, and the direction of the stroke is straight down. The object of a
defensive chop is to match the topspin of the opponent's shot with backspin. A good chop will
float nearly horizontally back to the table, in some cases having so much backspin that the ball
actually rises. Such a chop can be extremelydifficult to return due to its enormous amount of
backspin. Some defensive players can also impart no-spin or sidespin variations of the chop.
Block
The block is a simple shot, but nonetheless can be devastating against an attacking opponent. A
block is executed by simply placing the racket in front of the ball right after the ball bounces; thus,
the ball rebounds back toward the opponent with nearly as much energy as it came in with. This
requires precision, since the ball's spin, speed, and location all influence the correct angle of a
block. It is very possible for an opponent to execute a perfect loop, drive, or smash, only to have
the blocked shot come back at him just as fast. Due to the power involved in offensive strokes,
often an opponent simply cannot recover quickly enough, and will be unable to return the blocked
shot. Blocks almost always produce the same spin as was received, many times topspin. Depending
on the spin of the ball, the block may be returned to an unexpected side of the table. This may
come to your advantage, as the opponent may not expect this.
Lob
The defensive lob is possibly the most impressive shot, since it propels the ball about five metres
in height, only to land on the opponent's side of the table with great amounts of spin.[52] To execute,
a defensive player first backs-off the table 4–6 meters; then, the stroke itself consists of lifting the
ball to an enormous height before it falls back to the opponent's side of the table. A lob is inherently
a creative shot, and can have nearly any kind of spin. Top-quality players use this to their advantage
in order to control the spin of the ball. For instance, though the opponent may smash the ball hard
and fast, a good defensive lob could be more difficult to return due to the unpredictability and
heavy amounts of the spin on the ball.[52] Thus, though backed off the table by tens of feet and
running to reach the ball, a good defensive player can still win the point using good lobs. However,
at the professional level, lobbers will lose the point most of the time, so the lob is not used unless
it is really necessary.