CHRISTINE M.

ROBISO

TABLE TENNIS
Alternative Name: Ping-Pong

HISTORY
 The sport originated in Victorian England, where it was played among the upper-class as
an after-dinner parlour game.
 It has been suggested that makeshift versions of the game were developed by British
military officers in India in around 1860s or 1870s, who brought it back with them.
 Ping-Pong is a trademark name for table tennis and associated equipment.
 The name “Ping-Pong” was invented by the English firm J. Jaques and Son at the end
of the 1800s and later trademarked in the United States by Parker Brothers, the board
game company.
 Parker Brothers then enforced its trademark for the term in the 1920s making the various
associations change their names to "table tennis" instead of the more common, but
trademarked, term.
 London hosted the first official World Championships in 1926. In 1933, the United
States Table Tennis Association, now called USA Table Tennis, was formed.
 Today, the sport both in England and abroad is very well established and is growing each
year. The culmination of this has been its recognition as an Olympic Games sport, being
featured for the first time in the 1988 games in Seoul.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis#History
https://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-table-tennis.htm

MECHANICS

This is a singles and doubles event.

 A match is best three of five games.
 A game is played to 11 points, but must be won by at least two points.
 The game starts with the toss of a coin. The winning player or team chooses the serve or
receive. The losing player has choice of sides.
 Players change ends after each game. In the fifth game, players change ends after 5
points. The team that served first in the previous game now receives.
 Players take turns serving groups of 2 consecutive points, unless the score becomes 10-10
in which case the receiver will make one service followed by the original server with one
service etc., until a winner is declared.
 In doubles, the service bounces in the right side of the server's side of the table and must
land on the left side of the receiver's side of the table (from server's viewpoint).
 In doubles, the person who just finished serving switches with his partner and does not
receive the next serve.
 In doubles, partners alternate making returns.
 The served ball is a let if it touches the net or it’s supports then lands in the receiver's
court. There is no limit to the number of let services.
 A serve that does not land in the receiver's court is a point for the receiving team.
 From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing
surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by
any part of the body or clothing of the server or his doubles partner. As soon as the ball
 has been projected, the server's free arm shall be removed from the space between the
server's body and the net.
 The ball cannot be struck until it has hit his/her side.
 The white lines are in bounds.
 If a player/team does not show after 5 minutes then the game is a forfeit.
 All disputes must be settled at the table at that time.
Source: https://web.mst.edu/~ima/rules/Table%20Tennisrules.html

EQUIPMENTS

Table
 The table tennis dimensions has to be a rectangle that is 2.74 meters (9 feet) in length
and 1.525 meters (5 feet) in width. The table has to be horizontally parallel to the floor,
exactly 76 (2.5 feet) centimeters above from the floor.
 Although the table can be made of almost any material, it is required that the material
returns a uniform ball bounce of approximately 23 centimeters (9.1 inches) when a
standard table tennis ball is dropped from a height of 30cm (11.8 inches) from the table
surface- that is 77% of the initial ball height. Additionally, the surface of the table should
be a uniform dark matte color.
 The table’s surface should have a white lines outlining the border of the table and a
straight line dividing the two courts into equal left and right half-courts. Note that the
white line marking up the table may be 2 centimeters thick.
 The table is divided into 2 equal courts, separated in the middle with a 15.25 centimeter
(6 inch) high net running in between.
 For doubles play style (2 v 2), each court is divided into 2 equal half-courts by a 3
millimeter white center line.
Net
 The net assembly is composed of the net itself, the clamps that hold the net onto the
table, and the supporting posts and suspensions that keep the net stretched out straight-
given that the bottom and top ends of the net attaches to the supporting posts.
 The official height for table tennis nets is designated at 15.25 centimeters or 6 inches. This
net may also hang over the table 15.25 centimeters (6 inches) on both sides.
 The net should be just barely touching the playing surface; making sure that the top part
of the net is 15.25 centimeters (6 inches) above the table surface.
Ball
 The ball must be a sphere. Also, the ping pong ball must be made up of a plastic-like
material called celluloid, which is the same material that photographic film is made up of.
 It must have a mass of 2.7 grams or 0.095 ounces. And the ball must have a diameter of
40 millimeters or 1.57 inches.
 The official table tennis balls must also bounce approximately 24 to 26 centimeters in the
air when dropped from a height of 30.5 centimeters on a standard steel block.
 The ball must be made of celluloid plastic, colored white or orange, with a matte finish.
Paddle/Racket
 Laminated wooden rackets are used, covered with rubber on one or both sides depending
on the grip style that the player uses.
 The wooden part of the racket is often referred to as the “blade”. By ITTF standards, at
least 85% of the blade by thickness must be made of natural wood. Table tennis blades are
commonly made out of balsa, limba, and cypress (hinoki) woods.
  The average size of a paddle blade is 17 centimeters (6.7 inches)
long and 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) wide.
Source: https://pingpongpassion.com/table-tennis-equipment/

GRIPS

Different Type of Table Tennis Grips

The Shakehand Grip Technique
The technique got its name for the way one would normally do a handshake with another as this
grip-technique comprises holding the racket pretty much similar to a handshake.
This grip technique can be further divided into two sub-categories:
1. The Shakehand deep grip
 In this style, a player usually positions one’s thumb on the racket’s rubber.
 The technique is mostly used by players who don’t need much of wrist flexibility and who
are only looking for a tight hold of the racket.
 Helps with an accurate attack
 Helps in accurately getting the ball to the table edges
 Ideal for both forehand and backhand
 Helps in hitting the ball really hard
2. The Shakehand shallow grip
 In the case of shallow grip, a player would relax one’s thumb over
the blade.
 A common grip style among the beginners for the reason that it
offers amazing flexibility of wrist which eventually improves your
ability to spin the ball while executing the serves or loops.
 Improves your ability to spin the ball
 Helps you return the ball efficiently
 Helps you exert more force on the ball
 Perfect for both forehand and backhand strokes
 Helps in attacking the ball with the same strength from any position
The Table Tennis Penhold Grip
The reason the grip technique is called the Penhold Grip is that it is similar
to the way one would actually hold a pen while writing with the index finger
and the thumb at the front of the handle and the rest folded behind the
head of the racket.
It has 3 variations such as the:

1. Japanese/Korean grip
 Unlike the Chinese grip, the fingers on the back of the racket are
instead placed straight in the Korean grip.
 Helps to execute the forehand strokes with more power
 Helps to conveniently attack a ball even from a spot far from the
table
 Limited blade movement
 Positioning the racket in various angles is challenging
 2. The reverse backhand grip
 Unlike the normal Penhold grip which uses the same paddle side for both forehand and
backhand strokes, the Reverse Backhand Grip even uses the paddle’s backside.
 Ideal for attacking short balls
 Offers better flexibility
3. The Chinese grip
 Asian table tennis players use the Chinese Penhold grip a lot wherein one would hold one’s
racket in a way so as to get the blade faced towards the ground
 Ideal for players who stay really close to the table
 Helps to spin the ball brilliantly in the attacking strokes
 Largely effective in the serves
 Helps in easily blocking and pushing the ball on the backhand side
 Offers brilliant freedom of bending one’s wrist
 Reduces the possibility of a Crossover point
The Table Tennis V-Grip
 In the V-grip technique, a player would hold the blade between
one’s index finger and middle finger almost making a V shape.
 The two fingers are curled down the blade to grip it properly and
the thumb can be placed anywhere where one feels comfortable.
 Pros: Offers more power and spin in attacking
 Excellent control
 Cons: Balls shot towards the player’s elbow are difficult to return
 Hard to find a coach for this grip
The Table Tennis Seemiller Grip
 The Seemiller Grip is actually a variation of the Shakehand
grip. However, in this grip technique, the forefinger-tip is
positioned close to the edge of the paddle or sometimes even
around the edge of the paddle.
 Both the thumb and index fingers hold either side at a 90-
degree turn.
 Most players that use this technique usually use a dotted
rubber on the back for twiddling the blade with combination rubbers to confuse the
opponents.
 Players using this technique have the advantages of moving their wrist freely.
 Pros: Allows strong snaps for forehand topspins
 Effective for good blocking
 Cons: Poor backhand wrist movement
 Average spins and returns
Source: https://www.99sportz.com/types-of-table-tennis-grips/

STROKES

The four basic Table tennis strokes are:

The Backhand Push
 The backhand push is a defensive stroke played with a small amount of backspin.
 It is usually played from the backhand side of the table.
 The backhand push is played against short and low, backspin balls, although beginners
that have not developed a loop (or open up shot) can play a push of a long ball.
The Forehand Drive
  Stand close to the table and take a sideways stance facing the line of play.
 Forehand drive is an attacking stroke played with the small amount of topspin.
 Usually played from the forehand side but players are also encouraged to use their
forehand drive against balls that come to their middle. Advanced players will sometimes
move around to play a forehand drive from their backhand side if they see the ball early
enough.
The Backhand Drive
 The backhand drive is an attacking stroke played with a small amount of topspin. It is a
drive shot.
 The backhand drive is played against long or medium length topspin balls. You can’t play a
backhand drive off a short ball (that would be a flick) and you can’t play a backhand drive
off a backspin ball (that would go into the net).
 The backhand drive is primarily played from the backhand side.
 To play this stroke, stand close to the table and take a stance facing the line of play.
The Forehand Push
 The forehand push is a defensive stroke played with a small amount of backspin.
 The forehand push is usually played against short and low, backspin balls, although
beginners can play a push off a long ball. At the intermediate stage, any long balls should
be attacked and any balls that are short but high should be flicked or hit.
 The forehand push is primarily played from the forehand side.
 To play this stroke stand close to the table facing the line of play

And the more Advance Strokes include:

Backhand Topspin against backspin
 Backhand topspin is performed in front of your body. It is an attacking shot is played
against the backspin balls.
 It’s a challenging shot. To play the shot well you need to combine forearm and wrist
movements with upward acceleration and brushing the ball (not driving or pushing it). If
you get any of these wrong, the ball might usually end up on the net or long outside table.
 The advantage is that its consistent attacking shot against any of the push, chop or long
backspin.
Forehand Flick and Backhand flick
 You can use this stroke to attack pushes, chops and long backspin serves.
 You have to brush against the ball to generate topspin. The movement should be more
upwards than forwards.
 More you brush, more spin you generate.
Forehand and Backhand topspin against block
 You need this stroke against an opponent who blocks well.
 Blocked returns can come back to you with varying amount of topspin.
 Attack this ball on the top. the motion should be more forward than upward.
Forehand topspin against backspin
 This is an attacking shot played against the block. To be able to perform this shot, you
need to have good wrist and forearm movement.
 It is similar to the backhand drive but the difference is that the bat is slightly more tilted
and you should brush against top of the ball.
Forehand Flick
 The forehand flick is an attacking shot played against a short ball.
Backhand Flick
 The backhand flick is an attacking stroke against a short ball, using mostly the wrist and
forearm. The starting position is the same as for the short push so that the player can alter
the direction, speed and spin as well as to flick or push the ball short or long, with a quick
change of the wrist.
 The flick uses more of an upward, brushing action against backspin, while the stroke is
more horizontal against no spin, sidespin or topspin.
Source: https://tabletennisbeginner.in/basic-table-tennis-strokes-beginners/

POINT SYSTEM

A point is scored by the player for any of several results of the rally:
 The opponent fails to make a correct service or return.
 After making a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net assembly
before being struck by the opponent.
 The ball passes over the player's court or beyond their end line without touching their
court, after being struck by the opponent.
 The opponent obstructs the ball.
 The opponent strikes the ball twice successively. Note that the hand that is holding the
racket counts as part of the racket and that making a good return off one's hand or fingers
is allowed. It is not a fault if the ball accidentally hits one's hand or fingers and then
subsequently hits the racket.
 The opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface is not covered
with rubber.
 The opponent moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly.
 The opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.
 As a receiver under the expedite system, completing 13 returns in a rally.
 The opponent that has been warned by the umpire commits a second offense in the same
individual match or team match. If the third offence happens, 2 points will be given to the
player. If the individual match or the team match has not ended, any unused penalty
points can be transferred to the next game of that match.
 A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points unless both players score 10
points, when the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2
points. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games. In competition play,
matches are typically best of five or seven games.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis#Scoring

Table Tennis Terminologies

Anti or Anti-loop or Anti-spin- A smooth rubber with very low surface friction, used to defend
against excessive spin or to confuse the opponent. This type of rubber deactivates spin and
speed, returning a "dead" ball.
Assistant Umpire- The person appointed to assist the umpire with certain decisions.
Backhand- A shot executed where the back of your hand is pointing towards the opponent, to
the left of the elbow for a right handed player and vice versa for a left handed player.
Backspin- A type of spin used mostly on defensive shots. When you chop down on the ball, you
produce backspin. The bottom of the ball will move away from you.
Bat- An alternative name for the racket.
Blade- The wooden part of the racket.
Block- A topspin shot played close to the table with the racket making contact with the ball just
after it bounces.
Blocker- A style of play where use of the block is the primary stroke.
Chop- A defensive return of a topspin stroke played with backspin, usually well away from the
table.
Chopper- A style of play where use of the chop is the primary stroke.
Chop Block- A stroke played close to the table where the racket makes contact with the ball
(just after it bounces) with a fast downward vertical motion to create backspin. Made popular by
Jan-Ove Waldner.
Closed Racket- A stroke played with the striking surface of the racket angled downwards, eg. a
topspin stroke or block.
Counter-loop - A loop stroke played in response to a loop stroke from your opponent.
Counter-smash- A smash stroke played in response to a smash stroke from your opponent.
Cross-court- A stroke that's hit diagonally from corner to corner.
Crossover Point- The area in which the player has no obvious choice of forehand or backhand.
For a right handed player, the crossover point is roughly in line with the right hip.
Dead ball- A stroke played which returns the ball with very little, or no spin.
Deep Playing- any shot which causes the ball to bounce very near to your opponents end of the
table.
Double Bounce- When the ball bounces twice on one side of the table before a return is made,
causing that player to lose the point.
Doubles- A game of table tennis where two people play on each side and alternate turns at
striking the ball.
Down the line- A stroke that's played where the ball travels parallel to the sidelines of the table.

Drive- A stroke played close to the table with your racket arm moving forward and slightly
upwards in the direction that the ball is going to travel.
Drop shot- A shot which drops very short over the net on your opponent’s side of the table.
Usually played when your opponent is positioned away from the table.
Early- Playing a stroke (during a rally) that makes contact with the ball just after it bounces.

Expedite- A rule which comes into operation if a game is unfinished after 10 minutes play (or at
any earlier time at the request of both players or pairs). Thereafter, each player shall serve for 1
point in turn and if the receiving player or pair makes 13 returns, the receiver shall score a point.
Flat- Playing a stroke with minimum topspin so that the ball travels very low over the net.
Flick- A stroke played close to the table where you hit over the back or top of ball, using a loose
wrist action to impart topspin.
Forehand- A shot executed where the palm of your hand is facing your opponent, to the right
side of the elbow for a right handed player and vice versa for a left handed player.
Free Hand- The hand not holding the racket.
Game- A game is won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs
score 10 points, when a game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead
of 2 points.
Gluing-up- The act of affixing table tennis rubbers to the blade with table tennis glue
(particularly with "speed" glue which was repeated at regular intervals in order to increase the
playing speed of the rubber, but this is no longer permitted).
Handicap Event- An event in a tournament where players are graded or ranked according to
ability so that they can compete equally. The weaker player will not have to score as many points
as the stronger player to win a game.
Heavy- Used to describe excessive spin
High Toss Serve- A serve where the ball is thrown high into the air. This helps the server to
increase the amount of spin and speed imparted onto the ball.
ITTF International Table Tennis Federation- the international governing body for the sport of
table tennis.
Inverted rubber- The most common racket covering. It consists of a sheet of rubber on top of a
layer of sponge. The pimples (pips) point inward, so the playing surface is smooth.
Kill- An aggressive shot hit with too much speed for the opponent to return it.
Late- Playing a stroke (during a rally) that makes contact with the ball when the ball is
descending rather than rising.
Let- If play is interrupted for any reason during a rally, a let is called and the point does not
count.
Let Serve- If the ball, in passing over or around the net, touches it, provided the service is
otherwise good, the serve is replayed - or - if your opponent is not ready, the serve is replayed.

Loaded- Used to describe excessive spin.

Lob- A defensive shot used against high-speed shots, where the ball is returned very high in the
air.
Long- Playing any shot which causes the ball to bounce very near to your opponent's end of the
table.
Long Pimples (Pips)- A type of racket covering. A sheet of rubber on top of a layer of sponge.
The pimples (pips) point outwards, so the playing surface is pimpled. Depending on the length
and hardness of the pimples, unusual types of spin can be imparted.
Loop- An attacking stroke where excessive topspin is imparted onto the ball. This enables you to
hit the ball harder as the topspin will help you keep the ball in play.
Looper- A style of play where use of the loop is the primary stroke.
Loose return- A return shot that is either too high, too long, has insufficient spin or a
combination of these and therefore makes it easy for your opponent to attack or kill.
Match- A match consists of the best of any odd number of games (usually 3, 5 or 7).
Multi-ball- A training method that minimizes wasted time by using a continuous supply of table
tennis balls instead of just one ball.
Open Racket- A stroke played with the striking surface of the racket angled upwards, eg. a push
or backspin shot.
Paddle- An alternative name for the racket.
Penhold- A style of grip in which the racket handle is held between the thumb and forefinger.
Used mainly by Asian players.
Pimples- A type of racket covering. A sheet of rubber on top of a layer of sponge. The pimples
(pips) point outwards, so the playing surface is pimpled. Depending on the length and hardness
of the pimples, unusual types of spin can be imparted.
Ping Pong- A trademarked name. Used predominantly in USA. Often used interchangeably with
table tennis by the general public.
Playing Surface- The upper surface of a table tennis table which lies in a horizontal plane 76cm
(2ft 6in) above the floor.
Point- A unit of scoring in table tennis.
Push- A backspin shot usually executed over the table.
Racket- The equipment used to hit the ball.
Racket hand- The hand that is used to hold the racket.
Rally- The period during which the ball is in play.
Ranking / Rating- A method of evaluating the playing abilities of different players in relation to
each other.
Ranking Event- An event in which the results will be used to calculate a player's ranking.
Receiver- The player due to strike the ball second in a rally.
Re-glue- The act of affixing table tennis rubbers to the blade with table tennis glue (particularly
with "speed" glue which was repeated at regular intervals in order to increase the playing speed
of the rubber, but this is no longer permitted).
Reverse rubber- The most common racket covering. It consists of a sheet of rubber on top of a
layer of sponge. The pimples (pips) point inward, so the playing surface is smooth.
Rubber- The racket covering. Sometimes refers only to the rubber on top of a sponge base.

Sandwich Rubber- A racket covering with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness
including adhesive of not more than 4mm.
Server- The player due to strike the ball first in a rally.
Service- The start of a point where one player strikes the ball.
Shakehand- A style of grip in which the racket handle is held in the palm of your hand so that
the start of the racket head fits snugly into the "V" shape formed by your thumb and first finger -
similar to shaking hands with another person.
Short- Playing any shot which causes the ball to bounce very near to the net and, if not hit by
your opponent, would bounce at least twice on the table.
Short pimples - A type of racket covering. A sheet of rubber on top of a layer of sponge. The
pimples (pips) point outwards, so the playing surface is pimpled. Depending on the length and
hardness of the pimples, unusual types of spin can be imparted.
Sidespin- A type of spin imparted onto the ball causing it to move left or right before and after it
strikes the table surface.
Smash- An aggressive shot hit with too much speed for your opponent to return it, often in
response to a high bouncing return.
Speed Glue- A type of glue used to affix table tennis rubbers to the blade. Previously used at
regular intervals in order to increase the playing speed of the rubber, but this is no longer
permitted.
Spin- The rotation of the ball. A player can impart spin onto the ball by using a brushing action
with the racket surface.
Sponge- A type of racket covering used in sandwich rubbers. It is used under a sheet of rubber
with pimples. First seen in 1952 when Japan's Hiroji Satoh astonished the world with his
unexpected victory in the men's singles of the World Championship that year.
Stroke- Any shot used by a player in a game.
Sweet spot- The portion of the racket (usually near the centre) which produces the best
response.
Third ball or Third ball attack- The stroke played by the server after the opponent's return of
the serve. Because the serve can be used to make attacking difficult for the opponent, the third
ball is frequently the first strong attacking stroke in any table tennis rally.
Tight- Playing any shot which makes it difficult for your opponent to attack.
Topspin- A type of spin imparted onto the ball causing it to arc over the net and down onto the
table surface.
Twiddle- The act of turning the racket in your hand in order to use different sides of the racket to
strike the ball. Usually only used by players who have different rubbers on each side of the racket
in order to deceive their opponent.
Umpire- The person appointed to control a match.
Underspin- A type of spin used mostly on defensive shots. When you chop down on the ball, you
produce underspin. The bottom of the ball will move away from you.
Volley- Hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the table. A player who volleys the ball
generally loses the point.
Source: http://www.stt.org.au/home/index.php/tips-and-tricks/86-table-tennis-terminology