Table Tennis Terminologies

Presented by: John Philip Neri Besedillas

CE - 2105
1. Backhand – A shot 2. Backspin -
done with the racket to 3. Bat or Paddle - Same
Backward spin placed as racket.
the left of the elbow for on the ball. Also called
a righthander, the Underspin. is a shot 4. Blade - Wooden part
reverse for a lefthander. such that the ball of bat.
rotates backwards (as
though rolling back
towards the player)
after it is hit.
5. Block - A quick, off the
bounce return of an
aggresive drive done by
just holding the racket in
the ball's path.
6. Chop - A chop is a
heavy underspin shot. I
7. Chopper - A style of
it usually executed away play where chopping is
from the table and the primary shot.
below the tabletop. A
chop forces the ball to
drop downwards when
it hits an opponents
paddle.
8. Closed - Holding the 9. Counter- drive - A 10. Cross- court - A ball
racket such that he drive made against a that is hit diagonally
racket's hitting surface drive. Some players from corner to corner.
is aimed downward, specialize in counter-
with the top edge driving.
leaning away from you.
11. Dead - A ball 12. Deep - A ball that 13. Down the line - A
without any spin. lands deep on the ball that is hit along the
table. A serve that will side of the table,
not bounce twice on parallel to the sidelines,
the opponent's side of
the table if given the is hit down the line.
chance is also
considered deep.
14. Drive - The basic 15. Drop shot - Short 16. Flat - A ball that has
topspin shot executed placement - very close
close to the table. Also to the net. A key point no spin, usually
called a counter, in making a drop shot is travelling with good
counterdrive, or smash. to not allow the ball to
fall off the table after pace.
the first bounce. i.e.
Drop shots should
bounce at least twice
on the opponents side
of the table before
falling off.
17. Flick or flip - A 18. Footwork - How a 19. Forehand - Any shot
topspin shot generated person moves to make
over the table close to a shot. done with the racket to
the net, usually with the the right of the elbow
power generated only for a righthander, the
from the upper arm or
the wrist. Used to start reverse for a lefthander.
offense on a short ball.
20. Game Set - Each 21. Hitter - A style of 22. Inverted - The most
game is played to 11 play where hitting is common racket
points unless a deuce the primary shot. covering. It consists of a
(both players or pairs sheet of rubber on top
score 10 points) occurs.
of a sponge where pips
of the rubber point
inward, so the surface is
smooth.
23. ITTF - International 24. Junk - Rubber that 25. Kill - A putaway
Table Tennis Federation, produce no spin, such
founded 1926, is the as anti-spin and long- shot. Ball is hit with
world governing body of pips. enough speed so the
the sport, and its opponent can not make
members are the table
tennis Associations of a return.
more than 150 countries.

26. Let - Service ball hitting
the net or a distraction that
causes the point played
over.
27. Lob - Usually used when in
the player is in the backcourt
in a defensive situation. The
player hits the ball as high as
he can - usually with a
combination of topspin and
sidespin. The deeper the ball
lands on the table, the more
difficult it will be for his
opponent to smash.
28. Loop The shot that currently dominates the
sport. This is an extreme topspin shot. A loop, when
exectued properly can curve in the air as a curveball
does in baseball. This curve allows the player to hit
the ball harder and still rely on the spin of the ball
to cause the ball to dive down onto the table. Also,
a loop will 'skip' on the table top taking sharp
changes in directions. A loop will also tend to 'pop'
upwards when it strikes the opponents racket. It can
be executed above or below the tabletop, close or
far away from the table.
29. Looper - A style of play where the primary shot
is the loop.
30. Open Angle - is when
you hold the face of the
racket facing forward or
up. If a coach tells you to
open up the angle, he or
she wants you to rotate it
more to face forward or
up.
31. Penholder - A type 32. Pips - The small
of grip giving the best
possible forehand but conical bits of rubber
the most awkward
backhand of the that cover a sheet of
conventional grips. table tennis rubber.
33. Pips out - A type of
racket covering. It
consists of a sheet of pips
out rubber on top of a
layer of sponge. The pips
point outward, the
opposite of inverted.
34. Point - A unit of 35. Push - A push is an
scoring in table tennis. underspin shot
executed over the table,
and usually close to the
net. This is a passive
shot that is used when
it is impossible to attack
a ball.
36. Rally - The period in 37. Rating - A number 38. Receive - The return
which the ball is in play. that is asigned to of a serve.
players after their first
tournament. The
better the player the
higher the rating
should be.
39. Serve - The first 40. Shakehand - The 41. Sidespin - Spin
shot, done by the most popular grip. It placed on a ball to allow
server. It begins with gives the best balance
the ball being thrown of forehand and it to curve left or right in
up from palm of hand backhand. the air. Usually utilized
and struck by the in combination with the
racket. topspin of a loop.
42. Smash - A putaway 43. Spin - The rotation 45. Stroke - Any shot
shot. Ball is hit with of a ball. used in the game,
enough speed so the 44. Topspin - Spin including the serve.
opponent can not make placed on a ball to
a return. allow it to curve down
onto the table.
46. Twirl or Twiddle - 47. Umpire or Referee - 48. Love – called to
Turning of the paddle, used An official who keeps
for confusing opponents on score and enforces rules the score of 0. It is
which side of the paddle is during a match. called Love all if the
being used. Not as score is both 0 to the
deceptive now due to the players (0-0).
two color law, namely black
on one side and bright red
on the other side. Usually
utilized with combination
bat.