INTRODUCTION OF TABLE TENNIS:

HISTORY
Table tennis, also called Ping-Pong, is a ball game similar in principle to
lawn tennis and is played on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net
fixed across its width at the middle (Brittanica, 2019). It can be played either by
two players or as a “doubles” match with two players per side. The rules in Table
Tennis are similar in Lawn Tennis with a few exceptions, just like in serving
(Nicolas, 2018).
The objective in Table Tennis is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net
and bounces on the opponent’s half of the table in such a way 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 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.
Like other sports that we know of, table tennis started as a parlor game. It
was free to anyone who could lay hands on a table, bats, and ball. The game
started in the late 1800s. This was a time when the players of lawn tennis had to
learn to play indoors during the winter period. Ping-Pong as a name was
regarded as the trademark name for table tennis. The English firm J. Jaques and
son invented the name “Ping-Pong” towards the end of the 1800s. This later
became trademarked in the United States by a board game company, the Parker
brothers (RacketLounge, 2018).
As early as 1901, tournaments started holding with about 300 players. The
Ping-Pong Association which was formed then later became The Table Tennis
Association in 1922.In 1902, a university professor took the game back to Japan,
where his university students got introduced to it. After that, a salesman who
went by the name Edward Shires took it to the people of Budapest. In Britain,
table tennis was already starting to spread outside the middle-class structures of
London.
In Philippines, table tennis was introduced around 1900 by American
soldiers, who were part of the first American colonization period in the
Philippines. They brought with them early table tennis boxed sets and in their
past time between duties, they introduced table tennis to the local natives. It was
called ‘ping-pong,’ as marketed by Parker Brothers Company (creators of the
popular game of Monopoly), and the introduction of table tennis into the
Philippines by the Americans themselves, or in other cases, through early
teachers known as the “Thomasites.” After the US service members left the
Philippines, the Thomasites continued to introduce and perpetuate table tennis
throughout the islands (Babuin, 2015).
On April 24, 1927, the English Table Tennis Association was created. It
was chaired and directed by Ivor Montague, who was the son of Lord Ewatthling.
At the time, The English Table Tennis Association had drawn members from
about 19 leagues.The association now has around 75,000 registered players.
The first world championships took place in the year 1927 and Dr. Jacobi, a
Hungarian won it.
It is quite noteworthy that the Hungarians completely dominated the game
throughout the thirties. Victor Barna led the legendary team, as many also
attested to his inspiration and skill.The new bats, as introduced by the Japanese,
helped the ball to move around amazingly.
The popularity of table tennis in the 1930s waned in the Soviet Union
because of some reasons. These reasons are; military sports and teams became
more popularized. There was a theory developed that the game had some
adverse health effects. Finger spin as a technique especially in the United States
reached a point where the masters in it could come up with services.These
services could not be responded to, and the game became somewhat unequal.
In 1937, finger spin as a technique of playing table tennis became banned.
Early in the 1950s, some paddles used a rubber sheet added with a
sponge layer, and this dramatically affected the game. These were taken by the
sports goods manufacturer S.W. Hancock Ltd to Britain. Speed glue helped to
increase the spin and even add further to the speed. This, in turn, led to changes
in the equipment which reduced the pace of the game.
Currently, there over 300 million active club members worldwide. These
games are governed by International Table Tennis Federation. The International
Table Tennis Federation currently encompasses about 226 member
associations. The official rules for table tennis are in the ITTF handbook.
Furthermore, International Table Tennis Federation governs all Table Tennis
competitions in all countries, just like in Philippines.
In Philippines,
EQUIPMENT
Table Tennis Equipment

BALL

The ball that is used in the game is a 2.7 gram, small

celluloid ball that is usually colored white or orange
depending on the preference of the players or it
might vary depending on the color of table as well as
surroundings. Also, they come in a range of sizes
from 38 mm to 54 mm in diameter. However, the 40
mm diameter ball is the one that is used mainly on
international leagues and competitions as it is the
one that is specified by the International Table Tennis
Federation. Ball quality is displayed by manufacturers
with star mark ranging from one to three, three being
the highest.

RUBBER RACKET OR PADDLE

The table tennis racket or paddle is another important

piece of equipment that is used in hitting the ball back and
forth on the table. Its shape is similar to the ones used in
the game of tennis except that it is smaller and is made of
different materials.

The racket is usually made of wood and rubber and is

divided into two parts: the handle and the blade. The
quality of both parts of the racket can affect the force that
can be applied by the player and it is important the player
choose the best kind of rackets in order to really improve.

Aside from that, the player must take notice of the kind of
rubber that is used on the blade as this can affect the type
and amount of spin that can be used in hitting the ball.
TABLE TENNIS TABLE

Included in the list of important table tennis equipment is the table where the
game is to be played. The ITTF specifies that the official table tennis tables that
are used in the tournament must be 9ft. long, 5 ft. wide and must be placed 2 ft
and 6 inches or 30 inches high from the ground.

They come in either green, blue or black in color and are usually made from a
type of hardboard. The surface must be smooth as to provide the lowest friction
as possible.

NET AND POST

The net which is the last piece of

important equipment is usually brought
together with the table or with the
rackets or it can be bought by itself.
The net should be 6 feet long and 6
inches high.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE
GAME

SINGLE RULES

1. Singles, Each match shall consist of the best two out of three games with the
winning player reaching 21 points first or being ahead by two after the score
reaches 20 all in each game.
2. Each match shall consist of the best two out of three games with the winning
pair reaching 21 points first or being ahead by two after the score reaches 20 all
in each game.
3. The server changes from one player to the other every time five points are
scored, except when the score becomes tied 20-20. At this time, the serve
changes and continues to change after each point until one player scores two
consecutive points, thus winning the game.
4. The server puts the ball into play by tossing it into the air from the palm of one
hand and striking it with the paddle (held in the other hand) so that it hits his/her
own court. The ball goes over the net and hits the receiver's court. The receiver
must return the ball over the net so that it hits the server's court. Play continues
until one player fails to make a legal return. The opponent then scores a point.
5. If the ball hits the net on the serve and goes over, it is a LET and the server
serves again.
However, if the second serve is a LET, the player loses the point.

DOUBLES RULES
1. The service must go diagonally, from the server's
right-hand side to the receiver’s right-hand side.
 This stops you from getting the opposing pair tangled up before they've
even hit the ball.

2. A doubles pair must strike the ball alternately. This makes doubles
challenging. None of that front court/back court nonsense.

3. At the change of service, the previous receiver becomes the new server
and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver. This makes
sure everybody does everything. After eight points you're back to the start
of the cycle.

SERVING: DOUBLES
1. Service must be diagonal, from the right half court (marked by a white line)
to the opponent's right half court

2. Service changeover in Doubles is as follows:

At the start of a game, the serving team will decide which player will
serve first. The first player to serve is A1 and; A1 serves to B1 (2
services) - B1 then serves to A2 (2 services) - A2 then serves to B2
(2 services) - B2 serves to A1 (2 serves)

3. Repeat. At the end of game 1 and the start of game 2, team B will take the
first serve; B1 must serve to A1. A1 then serves to B2 and so on.

SCORING
1. The winner of a game is the first to reach 11 points. There must be a gap
of at least two points between opponents at the end of the game.
2. The point goes to the player who successfully ends a rally, regardless of
who has served.
3. A match consists the number of games that has been agreed between the
players.

BASIC SKILLS IN TABLE TENNIS

HOLDING THE PADDLE
- The exact position of your hands and arms in your stance depends on your
grip or how you hold the bat. There are two basic grips in table tennis: the
shakehand grip, and the penhold grip. The different types of grip have specific
variations for your hand position on the paddle depending on your preference
and style of play. Each grip has advantages and disadvantages, but it’s also
important to choose the grip that is comfortable and natural for you.

READY POSITION
- The ready position describes the generic,
neutral stance that you might expect to see
adopted by a table tennis player before they
receive a serve.
- Usually the feet are apart, knees are bent,
upper body is crouched forward, both arms out
in front, and the racket in a neutral position.

DRIVE
- These are strokes performed by the player when hitting the ball with the
racket.
1. Forehand drive technique
A forehand drive is an attacking shot. It’s played with a little bit of
topspin, but mainly it’s a flat hit and can be very powerful.

(1) Start with bat around waist height

(2) Close the bat angle slightly
(3) Rotate backwards from the waist
(4) As the ball approaches, rotate
forwards and move your bat forwards
and up
(5) Contact the ball just in front of your
body
(6) The contact should be quite flat,
roughly in the middle of your bat
(7) Your bat should follow through and
finish in front of your body

2. Backhand drive technique

A backhand drive is an attacking shot. It’s played with a little bit of
topspin, but mainly it’s a flat hit and can be very powerful. You’d
normally play a backhand drive close to the table when your
opponent’s return is a little high. Players who are good are driving, can
attack topspin, no-spin and light backspin balls.

(1) Start with bat

around waist
height, in front
of your body
(2) Close the bat
angle slightly
(3) As the ball
approaches,
move your bat
forwards and
up
(4) Contact the ball
just in front of
your body
(5) The contact should be

quite flat, roughly in the middle of your bat

 (6) Your bat should follow through and finish just to the side of your
body

Push
-This is used in changing the pace of an exchange such as returning a very low
and close shot with the use of backspin serves.

1. Backhand push technique

The backhand push is a defensive stroke played with a small
amount of backspin.
This is usually played against short and low, backspin or float balls.

(1) Start with your bat in front of you, just below chest height
(2) Turn your bat so your playing side is facing upwards
(3) As the ball approaches, bring your
bat forwards and down
(4) Brush under the ball – this will
generate backspin
(5) Your bat should finish in front of you,
pointing in the direction in the direction
you want the ball to go

2. Forehand Push Technique

The forehand push is a difficult
defensive shot that requires the player to
strike downwards on the back and
underneath the ball to create a backspin. This
is used to change the pace of an
exchange or to return the ball in a very low
manner.

(1) Start with your bat in front of you, just below chest height
(2) Turn your bat so your playing side is facing upwards
(3) As the ball approaches, bring your bat forwards and down
(4) Brush under the ball – this will generate backspin
(5) Your bat should finish in front of you, pointing in the direction in the
direction you want the ball to go

Block
 - The block is a stroke played in order to control an attacking shot. You would
most likely block against a loop, simply volleying the ball to safety. An aggressive
block would be a block with more force pushed back in order to produce a faster
run.