Table tennis is an indoor game, which is played by two or four players on a table tennis table, using rackets and a ball. The table tennis table is nine feet in length, five feet in width and is 30 inches high with a net in the middle. The table is demarked into four quadrants.
The objective is to play against opposing player or players until one fails to hit the ball, hits the ball into the net or sends the ball off the table without it bouncing on the opponent’s side first. Each player must return the shot with the ball landing on the receiving player’s side of the table. The game was first played in the late 17th century by the English upper class. The bats or rackets are wooden paddle-like structures, which have a rubber sheet coating on the striking face on both sides. These rubber sheets may have small rounded spikes or may be smooth depending upon the player’s preference. Spikes allow a player to stop an opponent’s spin and provide more control over the return shot. The smooth rubber covering on rackets is for spin control and for power.
Table tennis balls are made out of celluloid, are 40mm in diameter and are generally white. However, with the advent of coloured tables, table tennis balls became available in different colours as well. The balls are filled with a gas to provide a certain level of bounce. In competitive table tennis, balls can reach speeds of up to 112 kilometres per hour.
The game is started by the winner of a toss who either decides to serve first or chooses from which side of the table to start the game. Service is determined by the ball landing on the server’s quadrant, crossing the net and bouncing on the receiver’s quadrant. At the other side of the table, the player has to return the ball back to the server in a similar manner until one of the players fails to return or hits the ball out. The winner is decided when a team or a single player is the first to score 21 points.
Table tennis received international fame when in 1926 the International Table Tennis Federation was set up. The first world championship for table tennis was held in London, Great Britain, in 1927. In 1988, table tennis was introduced to the Olympic Games. Table tennis requires fantastic hand–eye coordination, great skill and an acute ball sense.
Buy on Dealtime:
