History of Table Tennis Table Tennis

The game was invented in England in the Table tennis also called (trademark) Ping-
early days of the 20th century and was Pong, ball game similar in principle to lawn
originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. tennis and played on a flat table divided into
The name table tennis was adopted in two equal courts by a net fixed across its
1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong width at the middle. The object is to hit the
Association formed in 1902 was revived. ball so that it goes over the net and bounces
The original association had broken up on the opponent’s half of the table in such a
about 1905, though apparently the game way that the opponent cannot reach it or
continued to be played in parts of England return it correctly. The lightweight hollow
outside London and by the 1920s was being ball is propelled back and forth across the
played in many countries. Led by net by small rackets (bats, or paddles) held
representatives of Germany, Hungary, and by the players. The game is popular all over
England, the Fédération Internationale de the world. In most countries it is very highly
Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis organized as a competitive sport, especially
Federation) was founded in 1926, the in Europe and Asia, particularly
founding members being England, Sweden, in China and Japan.
Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany,
Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the
mid-1990s more than 165 national Basic Types Of Table Tennis
associations were members. Equipment

The first world championships were held in Ball

London in 1926, and from then until 1939 The ball that used in the game weighs 2.7
the game was dominated by players from grams. It is a small celluloid ball that is white
central Europe, the men’s team event being or orange in color, depending on the
won nine times by Hungary and twice by preference of the player. They come in
Czechoslovakia. In the mid-1950s Asia different qualities with those possessing 3
emerged as a breeding ground of stars being the best kind It is recommended
champions, and from that time the individual for beginners.
and team events (for both men and women)
have been dominated by athletes from
China. The popularity of the game in China Also, they come in a variety of sizes ranging
was notable for giving rise to so-called from 38 mm to 54 mm in diameter.
“Ping-Pong diplomacy,” a period during the However, the 40 mm diameter ball is used
1970s in which Cold War tensions between mainly in international leagues and
China and the United States were eased via competitions. It is the one specified by the
a series of highly publicized table tennis International Table Tennis Federation-ITTF.
matches between athletes from the two
countries. The first such event—held
in Beijing in 1971—is widely credited with Rubber, Racket, or Paddle
paving the way for U.S. Pres. Richard
Nixon’s historic visit to China the following The table tennis racket or paddle is another
year. In 1980 the first World Cup was held, important piece of equipment. It is used to
and Guo Yuehua of China won the $12,500 hit the ball back and forth on the table. The
first prize. Table tennis became shape is similar to the one used for tennis
an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and except it is smaller and made of different
doubles competition for men and women. materials.
The racket is made of wood and rubber. It is The net is bought together with the table or
divided into two parts, the handle, and rackets, or it can be bought by itself.
blade. The quality of both parts of the racket
can affect the force applied by the player.
The player must choose the best kind of Whatever the case, it should be six feet long
racket to get good results. and six inches wide. It should have an
upper white tape that is not more than
15mm wide. Also, it should include an
Aside from that, the player must take note of assembly that can be attached to the middle
the rubber used on the blade. This can of the table tennis table.
affect the type and amount of spin used in
hitting the ball. Rackets are available in pre-
made as well as customized conditions. The four types of equipment are the most
basic that any aspiring player should buy.
Other table tennis equipment include
Beginners are recommended to acquire the shoes, clothing, and accessories. However,
pre-made ones, to avoid the confusion of these are optional.
making customized ones. However, they
must be sure to buy from reputable sports
shops or online table tennis stores.
Facilities

Basically, there are four pieces of

equipment that are used and that include:
the ball, the racket or paddle; the table and
the net.

 Ball.
 Rubber, Racket or Paddle.
 Table Tennis Table.
 Net and Post.
Table Tennis Table  Table Tennis Equipment – Have A
Included in the list of important table tennis Blast or Go Pro.
equipment is the table. The ITTF specifies  Respected Brands of Ping Pong
that the official table tennis tables used in Equipment.
the tournament must be 9 ft long, 5 ft wide,  More Equipment.
and must be placed 30 inches above the
ground.
Consequently, what are the parts of table
tennis?
They come in either green, blue, or black
color and are made from hardboard. The There are 5 main components of a table
surface must be smooth to provide the tennis racket that you should consider.
lowest friction possible. These components are the blade, handle,
grip, sponge, and rubber.

Also Know, what is the measurement of

table tennis? The table is 2.74 m (9.0 ft)
long, 1.525 m (5.0 ft) wide, and 76 cm (2.5
Net and Post ft) high with any continuous material so long
as the table yields a uniform bounce of
 about 23 cm (9.1 in) when a standard ball is Table tennis also utilizes many different
dropped onto it from a height of areas of the brain simultaneously as you are
30 cm (11.8 in), or about 77%. tracking the ball, planning shots and
strategies, and figuring out spins.
Regarding this, how many sets are there in  Table tennis is utilized a treatment
table tennis? for dementia. Five years ago, the Sport
and Art Educational Foundation started
In some tournaments the final set in a a table tennis therapy program, which
match is played with no tie breakers. 3) was designed for seniors with early stage
Match: a match is usually the winner of best Alzheimer's and various forms of
of 3 or 5 sets. In a best of three match, the dementia. Because table tennis activates
first player to win 2 sets wins the match. In a various areas of the brain simultaneously,
best of 5 match, the first player to win 3 sets players can stimulate their overall state of
is the winner of the match. awareness.
 It improves balance. Staying
balanced and being able to quickly change
direction is key to being a good table tennis
player. The more you play, the more you
Health Benefits of Table Tennis
can improve your sense of balance.
 Improving hand-eye Table tennis helps you build strength,
coordination. An intense game of table speed, and agility without risking serious
tennis stimulates mental alertness and injury. 
concentration and develops mental acuity.
 Improving reflexes. Due to the fast-
paced, short-distance nature of the sport, Objective of Table Tennis
both gross and fine muscle movements are
improved. In table tennis (or ping-pong, as it is often
 It’s easy on the joints. Table tennis called colloquially), two opponents (in
is the perfect choice for people who had singles) or two teams of two opponents (in
knee surgery, history of back problems, or doubles), play a match consisting of games
simply those who are tired of twisting their and points, using wooden-
ankles while playing some other sports. based rackets covered in rubber to hit a
 It burns calories. Hate going to the 40mm diameter plastic or celluloid ball over
gym? Try table tennis instead. It's a fun & a 15.25cm high net, onto the opponent’s
easy way to burn calories. side of a table that is 2.74m long and
 It’s a social sport. Social interaction 1.525m wide, and 76cm high.
is very important for mental health. In a
world so connected through technology,
The overall objective of the game of ping-
people are feeling more and more
pong is to win the match by winning
disconnected from each other. Table tennis
enough points to win more than half of the
offers you a chance to #UnPlugNPlay, step
number of maximum possible games to be
away from the screen, and bond with the
played between you and your opponent (in
person on the other side of the ping pong
singles), or you, your partner and your two
table.
opponents (in doubles).
 It keeps your brain
sharp. Renowned physician, psychiatrist
and brain imaging expert, Dr Daniel Amen, A secondary objective (and some would say
calls table tennis “the world's best brain the main objective) is to have fun and get a
sport” because it is highly aerobic, uses bit of exercise at the same time!
both the upper and lower body, and is great
for eye hand coordination and reflexes.
 Drive The basic topspin shot executed
close to the table. Also called a counter,
TABLE TENNIS TERMINOLOGY counter drive, or smash.

Backhand A shot done with the racket to Drop shot Short placement - very close to
the left of the elbow for a righthander, the the net. A key point in making a drop shot is
reverse for a lefthander. to not allow the ball to fall off the table after
the first bounce. i.e. Drop shots should
Backspin Backward spin placed on the ball. bounce at least twice on the opponents side
Also called Underspin. of the table before falling off.

Bat Same as racket. Flat A ball that has no spin, usually

travelling with good pace.
Blade Wooden part of bat.
Flick or flip A topspin shot generated over
Block A quick, off the bounce return of an the table close to the net, usually with the
aggressive drive done by just holding the power generated only from the upper arm or
racket in the ball's path. the wrist. Used to start offense on a short
ball.
Chop A chop is a heavy underspin shot. I it
usually executed away from the table and Footwork How a person moves to make a
below the tabletop. A chop forces the ball to shot.
drop downwards when it hits an opponents
paddle. Forehand Any shot done with the racket to
the right of the elbow for a righthander,  the
Chopper A style of play where chopping is reverse for a lefthander.
the primary shot.
Game Set Each game is played to 11 points
Closed Holding the racket such that he unless a deuce occurs.
racket's hitting surface is aimed downward,
with the top edge leaning away from you. Game Point Last point of a game.

Counter- drive A drive made against a Hitter A style of play where hitting is the
drive. Some players specialize in counter- primary shot.
driving.
Inverted The most common racket
Cross- court A ball that is hit diagonally covering. It consists of a sheet of rubber on
from corner to corner. top of a sponge where pips of the rubber
point inward, so the surface is smooth.
Dead A ball without any spin.
ITTF International Table Tennis Federation,
Deep A ball that lands deep on the table. A founded 1926, is the world governing body
serve that will not bounce twice on the of the sport, and its members are the table
opponent's side of the table if given the tennis Associations of more than 150
chance is also considered deep. countries.

Down the line A ball that is hit along the Junk Rubber that produce no spin, such as
side of the table, parallel to the sidelines, is anti-spin and long-pips. 
hit down the line.
Kill A put away shot. Ball is hit with enough
speed so the opponent cannot make a Paddle Same as racket.
return.
Penholder A type of grip giving the best
Let Service ball hitting the net or a possible forehand but the most awkward
distraction that causes the point played backhand of the conventional grips.
over. Pips The small conical bits of rubber that
cover a sheet of table tennis rubber.
Lob Usually used when in the player is in
the backcourt in a defensive situation. The Pips out A type of racket covering. It
player hits the ball as high as he can - consists of a sheet of pips out rubber on top
usually with a combination of topspin and of a layer of sponge. The pips point
sidespin. The deeper the ball lands on the outward, the opposite of inverted.
table, the more difficult it will be for his
opponent to smash. Point A unit of scoring in table tennis.

Loop The shot that currently dominates the Push A push is an underspin shot executed
sport. This is an extreme topspin shot. One over the table, and usually close to the net.
the Mazunov brothers (russia) won a spin This is a passive shot that is used when it is
competition being 'clocked' at 9000 rpm. A impossible to attack a ball.
loop, when exectued properly can curve in
the air as a curveball does in baseball. This Racket Same as bat.
curve allows the player to hit the ball harder
and still rely on the spin of the ball to cause Rally The period in which the ball is in play.
the ball to dive down onto the table. Also, a
loop will 'skip' on the table top taking sharp Rating A number that is assigned to players
changes in directions. A loop will also tend after their first tournament. The better the
to 'pop' upwards when it strikes the player the higher the rating should be.
opponents racket.
Receive The return of a serve.
The opponent has to deal with
Serve The first shot, done by the server. It
1. A curving ball, begins with the ball being thrown up from
2. A ball that changes directions when palm of hand and struck by the racket.
it hits the table, and
3. A ball that will jump off his racket Shakehand is most popular grip. It gives
unpredictably unless he the best balance of forehand and backhand.
compensates for spin.
Sidespin Spin placed on a ball to allow it to
A loop will also counter heavy spin (topspin curve left or right in the air. Usually utilized
or underspin) from an opponent. It can be in combination with the topspin of a loop. 
executed above or below the tabletop, close
or far away from the table. Smash A put away shot. Ball is hit with
enough speed so the opponent cannot
Looper A style of play where the primary make a return.
shot is the loop.
Spin The rotation of a ball. Topspin: Spin
Open Holding the racket such that he placed on a ball to allow it to curve down
racket's hitting surface is aimedward, with onto the table.
the top edge leaning towards you.
Stroke Any shot used in the game, The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter
including the serve. of 40 mm. The ball shall weigh 2.7 gm. 3.2
The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar
Topspin Spin placed on a ball to allow it plastic material and shall be white or orange
to curve down onto the table.

Twiddle Same as twirl.

Twirl Turning of the paddle, used for

confusing opponents on which side of
the paddle is being used. Not as
deceptive now due to the two color law,
namely black on one side and bright red
on the other side. Usually utilized with
combination bat.

Umpire or Referee An official who

keeps score and enforces rules during a
match.
Parts of Table Tennis

Table Tennis

Table tops are usually made of

either plywood, particle-board, plastic,
metal, concrete or fibre-glass and can
vary in thickness between 12mm and 30mm
(0.47 - 1.2 inches). However, the best tables
have wooden tops with a thickness of 25-
30mm (1 inch).

Size of the Ball for Table Tennis

and matte.

Skills of Table Tennis

 Forehand drive technique.
 Backhand topspin close to the table.
 Forehand push and backhand push.
 Forehand flick.
 Backhand flick.
 Backhand loop the underspin ball. determined in many different ways, we’ll
 Forehand attack the semi-long ball. leave that up to you to decide! Service can
 Forehand fast serve. be diagonal or in a straight line in singles
 Forehand pendulum serve.
 Backhand side spin serve. Serving: doubles

Service must be diagonal, from the right half

court (marked by a white line) to the
opponent’s right half court.
THE BASIC RULES OF TABLE
TENNIS Service changeover in Doubles is as
follows:

The aim of the game is simple; hit the ball At the start of a game, the serving team will
over the net onto your opponent’s side. A decide which player will serve first. The first
point is won by you if your opponent is player to serve is A1 and;
unable to return the ball to your side of the
table (e.g. they miss the ball, they hit the A1 serves to B1 (2 services)
ball but it misses your side of the table, or
B1 then serves to A2 (2 services)
the ball hits the net), or if they hit the ball
before it bounces on their side of the table. A2 then serves to B2 (2 services)

Scoring B2 serves to A1 2 services)

The winner of a game is the first to 11
Repeat
points. There must be a gap of at least two
points between opponents at the end of the At the end of game 1 and the start of game
game though, so if the score is 10-10, the 2, team B will take the first serve; B1 must
game goes in to extra play until one of the serve to A1. A1 then serves to B2 and so
players has gained a lead of 2 points. The on.
point goes to the player who successfully
ends a rally, regardless of who has served. Rotation rules for doubles

A match can consist of the number of In doubles, you should alternate hitting the
games you like, just make sure you agree ball with your partner. So, for example, A1
this in advance! serves the ball to B1, who returns the ball.
A2 then hits the ball and B2 returns this. A1
Serving: singles hits and B2 returns, A2 hits and B1
returns….and so on.
A player takes two serves before the ball
switches to the opponent to serve, except Service rules you must obey
during periods of extra play where it
changes each time. The first person to The ball must first bounce on your side and
serve at the start of the game can be then in your opponents. Your opponent
must allow the ball to hit their side of the
table before trying to return this.

The ball must pass cleanly over the net – if

it ‘clips’ the net and goes over, it is a ‘let’
and the serve is retaken. If it hits the net
and doesn’t go over, the point goes to the
other player/team. There are no second
serves.