LESSON 2: Table Tennis
Table tennis is a 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 in the middle. The
objective is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net and bounces on the opponent’s half
of the table in a manner 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.
Table Tennis 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 1921–1922 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.
By the 1920s, table tennis 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.
TT Equipment - Table tennis equipment is relatively simple and inexpensive.
The table is rectangular, 9 by 5 feet (2.7 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.
In conclusion, the dimensions of the table are:
- The table is rectangular; 9 ft by 5 ft (2.7 by 1.5 meters), and 30 inches
(76 cm) above the floor.
- The net is 6 feet long, and it extends past the end of the table by 15.25
cm or 6 inches.
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).
In conclusion, the measurements of the ball are:
- It may be colored white, yellow, or orange.
- In 1969, a plastic similar to celluloid is used in the creation of the table
tennis ball.
- The ball weighs about 2.7 grams (0.09 ounce) with a diameter of 4 cm
(1.6 inches).
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.
Basic Rules of the Game and Play of the Game
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:
(1)the server fails to make a good service,
(2)when either player fails to make a good return
(3)when either player commits a specified infraction
(a)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.
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, 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 played in all types of sports clubs, social clubs, and game
rooms, in the home, and even outdoors when conditions are reasonably calm.
