Table tennis is a sport where two players hit a ball back and forth to each other, with a racket on a table, in a manner similar to tennis. The rules are slightly different, but the concept is essentially the same. Table tennis is an Olympic sport, "ping-pong" is the recreational version of the same sport. Spin, speed and strategy play an important part in competitive table tennis matches. The speed of the ball can vary from slow spinny serves to fast smashes that travel as fast as 110 km/h.[citation needed]
The playing surface is a 9 ft è— 5 ft è— 30 in high (2.7 m è— 1.5 m è— .762 m) hard rectangular table with the surface usually colored green, dark blue, or black. A 6 inch (15.2 cm) tall net divides the table in half (much like a tennis court) and is strung to extend 6 inches (15.2 cm) beyond the table on each side.
It is often difficult for beginners to learn to use the correct footwork. At the beginning, you can get away with poor footwork since it is not the most important part of the game. But as you get better having good footwork becomes more and more important, until it is an essential component of the game in advanced play.
Play is fast and demands possibly the quickest reactions of any sport. A skilled player can impart spin to the ball which makes its bounce difficult to predict or return with confidence. Spin combined with speed makes table tennis an exciting sport to play as well as to watch. The difference between Olympic level play and the average home recreational player is tremendous. Often a proper foundation of table tennis skills is required to understand how competitive players can do what seems impossible to the untrained eye.
Keep your crouching position as much as you can while playing - this helps keep your center of gravity low, and will help you move around the court more smoothly. Standing up straight will raise your center of gravity, lock your knees and impair your ability to balance and move quickly.
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Table tennis is a popular pastime among people today. Played indoors most of the time, table tennis requires the right equipment, but a table for table tennis should be especially considered. There are many different tables for table tennis to look out for.
In sports, you have to train and practice in order to improve your game. One of the best ways to learn about the different strategies of a game is by watching the professionals play the game itself. Table tennis is a fast paced game that requires you to think and act fast in order to return the ball to your opponent with the proper placing and the right swing in order to gain the advantage.
Ping pong was introduced to the United States when Parker Brothers bought the trademarked name from English manufacturer J. Jaques and Son Ltd. after 1901. The name 'Ping Pong' was used to describe the English game of table tennis when it was played with high-end, Jaques-branded equipment. Today, however, the sport is officially recognized as table tennis; only those who play at the hobby-level use the term 'ping pong.' The sport of table tennis is governed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Not sure how to play ping pong? No problem. The following information will provide you with all of the basic instructions you need in order to learn how to play ping pong and enjoy a good game of table tennis.
Let's give you an introductory tour into the world of the ping pong game. Just a bit of advice on what you need to get and how to play.
Table Tennis originated in the 1880s in England.
At the time it was an amusement for upperclass Victorians rather than the sport that it is turned into in current times.
Surprisingly enough, table tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, with more people playing it than most other sports.
It is particularly popular in China, Japan and Korea.
Ping pong, otherwise known as table tennis, is a popular indoor sport enjoyed by many around the world in facilities ranging from recreation clubs to school common rooms etc. Ping pong is very similar to tennis in that players on opposite sides of the ping pong table hit the ball back and forth over a net. But similarities end there as ping pong is played on a table surface rather than a hard court, thus the name "table tennis."
