A Basic Guide to Table Tennis

A Basic Guide to Table Tennis (Ping Pong)

Images of Men's Olympic Table Tennis


Origin
Table Tennis originated in Britain in the 1800s as an upper class sport. However, there is some dispute to whether this was the first time Table Tennis was played, as some claim that it was brought from the East to the West. Table Tennis has evolved overtime, but by the 1970s technology made the game so fast that it was almost impossible to watch the game, let alone watch it on television. In 1999, the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) introduced a larger ball to the game to slow it down and to make it easier to watch. However, the game has not changed significantly in its rules since its founding.

Equipment
This is the equipment necessary to play the game of Table Tennis.

Ball

Image of Regulation White Ball


The regulation ball is a 38mm-41mm lightweight ball. It is usually between 2.5 to 3 grams. At the professional level, the ball is 40mm and 2.7 grams. These balls are marked with 3 stars. Balls with minimal difference from this standard are marked with 2 stars, and balls that are not in accordance with this standard but still in the right range to be considered “normal” are marked with 1 star. Try to buy 3 star balls when you play, the small increase expense is definitely worth it. The ball may be colored white, orange, or black.

Paddle (Racket)

Image of Standard Racket

The paddle consists of 3 parts, the wooden or carbon frame, the sponge that holds the paddle together, and the rubber on the outside. Sometimes, special glue called “speed glue” is applied to the outside of the paddle. This allows the player to use more spin and hit harder. Some rackets have two different types of rubber on each side. For example, one side may be the “power side” and not provide as much spin, while the other side, the “spin side”, will provide the spin yet decrease power. Under ITTF rules, one side of the racket must be red and one must be black, but many consumer paddles do not follow this rule.

Table and Net

Image of Standard Blue Table and Net

A standard table is 76 cm off the ground, 274 cm (9 feet) long, and 152.5 cm (5 feet) wide, as seen in the picture. The net is 15.25 cm (6 inches) tall. The table is green, blue, or occasionally red. There is a midline that divides the court in half, even though this line is not used in singles game play.

Rules
Under new ITTF rules, a singles match is played to 11, with the service alternating every two points. However, if the score becomes 10-10, then the serve alternates every point until a player wins by two. However, many casual games are played to 11 with the serve alternating every three points or to 21 with the serve alternating every five points. A player serves the ball in by throwing the ball at least six inches in the air and hitting it while it is falling. You serve by hitting the ball so that it bounces once on your side of the table and once on the opponent’s side. However, many non-professional players, including myself, do not throw the ball up in the air before we serve.

Grips
There are two main grips used by professionals: the penhold grip and the continental, or “shakehand” grip. The penhold grip involves holding the racket as you would hold a writing utensil, and the continental grip involves holding the racket how you would hold an axe if you were chopping wood, or how you would shake someone’s hand. Both grips are prevalent among the professionals, however, the penhold grip dominates Europe. Most South Asian players used to use it, but many have switched because of the increased prevalence of the backhand in modern table tennis.

Image of Penhold and Shakehand Grips

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Thank you for reading my guide. Please feel free to point out mistakes, post suggestions, and leave feedback.

 

Hey man, very well written guide. I personally liked that it wasn't boring to read, with simple pictures. You've covered mostly, if not everything on the game of Ping Pong that actually matters. Thanks a lot for the guide mate!