A Brief About Table Tennis

Table tennis is a sport that is very similar to normal tennis. It is usually played by two or four players using tables, rackets and balls. Like in lawn tennis, the table used for table tennis is divided into two parts with a net in the middle. Players play on the table and bounce the ball off to each other. Whoever keeps the ball clear from the other player longer wins.

History of Table tennis

Table tennis was invented in the 1880s in England to imitate normal Tennis. When it first appeared on the field in England, the game's name was not definite as table tennis. Various manufacturers participated in making the game, so various names appeared for the game. The first table tennis game took place in 1890, and from then onwards, the game went through various stages of development.

The first real table tennis set appeared in 1898, and they were manufactured by John Jaques. The produced rackets, balls and tables were advertised as ping pong pieces of equipment, and that’s when the name ping pong started appearing.

After 1920, the game became even more popular than before, as it spread to Europe and Asia, and tournaments started to appear. Because John Jaques insisted that anyone who uses their pieces of equipment must use their name for the game (Aka. Ping Pong), an international name was needed, and so the name table Tennis was chosen. The name was accompanied by the first appearance of “the international table tennis federation” ( ITTF) in 1926.

Tennis Table Equipment

Rackets

Table tennis Rackets are wooden rackets with small wooden handles. They are mostly coated with rubber to reduce friction with the ball. Players use rackets to bounce the ball to each other, and whoever misses more usually loses.

Balls

Table tennis balls are usually made of plastic material; they are very small in size, about 40mm in diameter, and their weight is always standard as 2.7g. Players play with only one ball, and whoever misses the ball more usually loses.

Court

Unlike normal tennis, where the court is a real land field, the Table tennis court is the table the game is played on and its surrounding space in which the player stands. The table is divided into two halves separated by a net, and both players need to pass the ball back and forth over the net.

Fun Fact: When the activity first started in England, it was only an imitation of the real tennis game; however, right now, it has a recognised set of rules and equipment that should always be used for it.

A Brief About Table Tennis