table tennis

Table tennis at the highest level

Highest

governing body

ITTF

Characteristics

Contact No

Team members Single or doubles

Type Racquet sport, indoor

Equipment Poly, 40 mm (1.57 in),

2.7 g (0.095 oz)

Presence

Olympic since 1988

Paralympic since inaugural 1960

Summer Paralympics

Table tennis

Table tennisFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which

two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth

across a table using a small, round bat. The game takes place

on a hard table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve,

the rules are generally as follows: Players must allow a ball

played toward them to one time on their side of the table,

and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side at

least once. Points are scored when a player fails to return the

ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick

reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an

opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage.

When doing so the hitter has a better chance of scoring if the

spin is successful.

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization

International Table Tennis Federation, founded in 1926.

ITTF currently includes 220 member associations.[1] The

table tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF

handbook.[2] Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since

1988,[3] with several event categories. In particular, from

1988 until 2004, these were: men's singles, women's singles,

men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008, a team

event has been played instead of the doubles.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Rule changes

2 Equipment

2.1 Ball

2.2 Table

2.3 Paddle/racket

3 Gameplay

3.1 Starting a game

3.2 Service and return

3.3 Let

3.4 Scoring

3.5 Alternation of services and ends

3.6 Double game

3.7 Expedite system

4 Grips

4.1 Penhold

Table tennis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis

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Parker Brothers Ping-Pong game

4.2 Shakehand

4.3 Seemiller

5 Types of strokes

5.1 Offensive strokes

5.1.1 Hit

5.1.2 Loop

5.1.3 Counter-hit

5.1.4 Flick

5.1.5 Smash

5.2 Defensive strokes

5.2.1 Push

5.2.2 Chop

5.2.3 Block

5.2.4 Lob

6 Effects of spin

6.1 Backspin

6.2 Topspin

6.3 Sidespin

6.4 Corkspin

7 Competition

8 Notable players

9 Governance

10 See also

11 References

12 Bibliography

13 External links

History

The sport originated in Victorian England, where it was played among

the upper-class as an after-dinner parlour game.[4][5] It had several

different names, including 'whiff-whaff', and it has been suggested that

makeshift versions of the game were developed by British military

officers in India or South Africa, who brought it back with them.[6] A

row of books was stood up along the center of the table as a net, two

more books served as rackets and were used to continuously hit a

golf-ball.[7][8] The name "ping-pong" was in wide use before British

manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. The name

"ping-pong" then came to describe the game played using the rather

expensive Jaques's equipment, with other manufacturers calling it table

tennis. A similar situation arose in the United States, where Jaques sold the rights to the "ping-pong" name to

Parker Brothers. Parker Brothers then enforced their 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.[9]

The next major innovation was by James W. Gibb, a British enthusiast of table tennis, who discovered novelty

celluloid balls on a trip to the US in 1901 and found them to be ideal for the game. This was followed by E.C.

Goode who, in 1901, invented the modern version of the racket by fixing a sheet of pimpled, or stippled, rubber

to the wooden blade. Table tennis was growing in popularity by 1901 to the extent that tournaments were being


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Assortment of 40 mm table tennis

balls

organized, books being written on the subject,[7] and an unofficial world championship was held in 1902.

In 1921, the Table Tennis Association was founded in Britain, and the International Table Tennis Federation

(ITTF) followed in 1926.[4][10] London hosted the first official World Championships in 1926. In 1933, the

United States Table Tennis Association, now called USA Table Tennis, was formed.[4][11]

In the 1930s, Edgar Snow commented in Red Star Over China that the Communist forces in the Chinese Civil

War had a "passion for the English game of table tennis" which he found "bizarre".[12] On the other hand,

popularity of the sport waned in 1930s Soviet Union, partly because of promotion of team and military sports,

and partly because of a theory that the game had adverse health effects.[13]

In the 1950s, paddles that used a rubber sheet combined with an underlying sponge layer changed the game

dramatically,[4] introducing greater spin and speed.[14] These were introduced to Britain by sports goods

manufacturer S.W. Hancock Ltd. The use of speed glue increased the spin and speed even further, resulting in

changes to the equipment to "slow the game down". Table tennis was introduced as an Olympic sport at the

Olympics in 1988.[15]

Rule changes

After the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the ITTF instituted several rule changes that were aimed at making table

tennis more viable as a televised spectator sport.[16][17] First, the older 38 mm (1.50 in) balls were officially

replaced by 40 mm (1.57 in) balls in October 2000.[7][18] This increased the ball's air resistance and effectively

slowed down the game. By that time, players had begun increasing the thickness of the fast sponge layer on their

paddles, which made the game excessively fast and difficult to watch on television. A few months later, the

ITTF changed from a 21-point to an 11-point scoring system (and the serve rotation was reduced from five

points to two), effective in September 2001.[7] This was intended to make games more fast-paced and exciting.

The ITTF also changed the rules on service to prevent a player from hiding the ball during service, in order to

increase the average length of rallies and to reduce the server's advantage, effective in 2002.[19] For the

opponent to have time to realize a serve is taking place, the ball must be tossed a minimum of 16 cm in the air.

The ITTF states that all events after July 2014 are played with a new poly material ball[20] [21]

Equipment

Ball

The international rules specify that the game is played with a sphere

having a mass of 2.7 grams (0.095 oz) and a diameter of 40 millimetres

(1.57 in).[22] The rules say that the ball shall bounce up 24–26 cm

(9.4–10.2 in) when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm (12.0 in) onto a

standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.89 to

0.92. The ball is made of plastic as of 2015, colored white or orange,

with a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the

table color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see

on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Manufacturers often

indicate the quality of the ball with a star rating system, usually from one

to three, three being the highest grade. As this system is not standard

across manufacturers, the only way a ball may be used in official

competition is upon ITTF approval[22] (the ITTF approval can be seen printed on the ball).


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Diagram of a table tennis table showing the official dimensions

The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Summer Olympics.[18] However, this created some controversy at

the time as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance

of winning since the new type of ball has a slower speed (a 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than

the original 38 mm one, and at that time, most Chinese players were playing with fast attack and smashes).

China won all four Olympic gold medals and three silvers in 2000, and have continued to dominate.

Table

The table is 2.74 m (9.0 ft) long,

1.525 m (5.0 ft) wide, and 76 cm

(2.5 ft) high with any continuous

material so long as the table yields a

uniform bounce of about 23 cm

(9.1 in) when a standard ball is

dropped onto it from a height of

30 cm (11.8 in), or about 77%.[23][24]

The table or playing surface is

uniformly dark coloured and matte,

divided into two halves by a net at

15.25 cm (6.0 in) in height. The

ITTF approves only wooden tables

or their derivates. Concrete tables

with a steel net or a solid concrete

partition are sometimes available in

outside public spaces, such as parks.[25]

Paddle/racket

Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the

grip of the player. The ITTF uses the term "racket",[26] though "bat" is common in Britain, and "paddle" in the

U.S.

The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly features anywhere between one

and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, and Kevlar are sometimes used.

According to the ITTF regulations, at least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood.[27] Common

wood types include balsa, limba, and cypress or "hinoki," which is popular in Japan. The average size of the

blade is about 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) wide. Although the official restrictions

only focus on the flatness and rigidness of the blade itself, these dimensions are optimal for most play styles.

Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket.[28] Various types of surfaces provide

various levels of spin or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For example, a player may have a rubber

that provides much spin on one side of his racket, and one that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the

racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between the rubber used by his

opposing player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black.[27] The

player has the right to inspect his opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber used and what

colour it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was

used to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be exchanged for another

racket at any time during a match.[29]


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Gameplay

Starting a game

According to ITTF rule 2.13.1, the first service is decided by lot,[30] normally a coin toss.[31] It is also common

for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other hand, usually hidden under the table,

allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball is in. The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the

option to choose to serve, receive, or to choose which side of the table to use. (A common but non-sanctioned

method is for the players to play the ball back and forth three times and then play out the point. This is

commonly referred to as "serve to play", "rally to serve", "play for serve", or "volley for serve".)

Service and return

In game play, the player serving the ball commences a play.[32] The server first stands with the ball held on the

open palm of the hand not carrying the paddle, called the freehand, and tosses the ball directly upward without

spin, at least 16 cm (6.3 in) high.[33] The server strikes the ball with the racket on the ball's descent so that it

touches first his court and then touches directly the receiver's court without touching the net assembly. In casual

games, many players do not toss the ball upward; however, this is technically illegal and can give the serving

player an unfair advantage.

The ball must remain behind the endline and above the upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface,

at all times during the service. The server cannot use his/her body or clothing to obstruct sight of the ball; the

opponent and the umpire must have a clear view of the ball at all times. If the umpire is doubtful of the legality

of a service they may first interrupt play and give a warning to the server. If the serve is a clear failure or is

doubted again by the umpire after the warning, the receiver scores a point.

If the service is "good", then the receiver must make a "good" return by hitting the ball back before it bounces a

second time on receiver's side of the table so that the ball passes the net and touches the opponent's court, either

directly or after touching the net assembly.[34] Thereafter, the server and receiver must alternately make a return

until the rally is over. Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move

is often the least predictable and thus most advantageous shot due to the numerous spin and speed choices at his

or her disposal.

Let

A Let is a rally of which the result is not scored, and is called in the following circumstances:[35]

The ball touches the net in service (service), provided the service is otherwise correct or the ball is

obstructed by the player on the receiving side. Obstruction means a player touches the ball when it is

above or traveling towards the playing surface, not having touched the player's court since last being

struck by the player.

When the player on the receiving side is not ready and the service is delivered.

Player's failure to make a service or a return or to comply with the Laws is due to a disturbance outside

the control of the player.

Play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.

A let is also called if the ball hits the server's side of the table if the ball does not pass further than the edge. If

the ball hits the table edge and hits the net, it is called a foul serve.


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Scoring

A point is scored by the player for any of several results of the rally:[36]

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 his end line without touching his 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.[37]

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.[38] 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.[31]

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.[39] In competition play, matches are typically best of five or seven games.

Alternation of services and ends

Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until the end of the

game, unless both players score ten points or the expedite system is operated, when the sequences of serving

and receiving stay the same but each player serves for only one point in turn (Deuce).[40] The player serving first

in a game receives first in the next game of the match.

After each game, players switch sides of the table. In the last possible game of a match, for example the seventh

game in a best of seven matches, players change ends when the first player scores five points, regardless of

whose turn it is to serve. Service is subject to change on game point of the match. Upon the possible last point of

the match, the player with the lessor score serves. If the sequence of serving and receiving is out of turn or the

ends are not changed, points scored in the wrong situation are still calculated and the game shall be resumed

with the order at the score that has been reached.

Double game

In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. Singles and doubles are both

played in international competition, including the Olympic Games since 1988 and the Commonwealth Games

since 2002.[41] In 2005, the ITTF announced that doubles table tennis only was featured as a part of team events

in the 2008 Olympics.

In doubles, all the rules of single play are applied except for the following.

Service


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Service zone in doubles game

A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles

courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the

doubles service rule, which is that service must originate from the

right hand "box" in such a way that the first bounce of the serve

bounces once in said right hand box and then must bounce at least

once in the opponent side's right hand box (far left box for server),

or the receiving pair score a point.[33]

Order of play, serving and receiving

Players must hit the ball. For example, if A is paired with B, X is

paired with Y, A is the server and X or Y is the receiver. The order of play shall be A→X or Y & B→X or

Y & vice versa. The rally proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the other side

scores.[42]

1.

At each change of service, the previous receiver shall become the server and the partner of the previous

server shall become the receiver. For example, if the previous order of play is A→X or Y & B→X or Y,

the order becomes X→B or A & Y→B or A or X→B or A & Y→A or B after the change of service.[40]

2.

In the second or the latter games of a match, the game begins in reverse order of play. For example, if the

order of play is A→X or Y & B→Y or X at beginning of the first game, the order begins with X→A or B

& Y→A & B in the second game depending on either X or Y being chosen as the first server of the game.

That means the first receiver of the game is the player who served to the first server of the game in the

preceding game. In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose

which of them will do so. The receiving pair, however, can only choose in the first game of the match.

3.

When a pair reaches 5 points in the final game, the pairs must switch ends of the table and change the

receiver to reverse the order of play. For example, when the last order of play before a pair score 5 points

in the final game is A→X→B→Y, the order after change shall be A→Y→B→X if A still has the second

serve. Otherwise, X is the next server and the order becomes X→A→Y→B.

4.

Expedite system

If a game is unfinished after 10 minutes' play and fewer than 18 points have been scored, the expedite system is

initiated.[37] The umpire interrupts the game, and the game resumes with players serving for one point in turn. If

the expedite system is introduced while the ball is not in play, the previous receiver shall serve first. Under the

expedite system, the server must win the point before the opponent makes 13 consecutive returns or the point

goes to the opponent. The system can also be initiated at any time at the request of both players or pairs. Once

introduced, the expedite system remains in force until the end of the match. A rule to shorten the time of a

match, it is mainly seen in defensive players' games.

Grips

Though table tennis players grip their rackets in various ways, their grips can be classified into two major

families of styles, penhold and shakehand.[43] The rules of table tennis do not prescribe the manner in which one

must grip the racket, and numerous grips are employed.

Penhold

The penhold grip is so-named because one grips the racket similarly to the way one holds a writing

instrument.[44] The style of play among penhold players can vary greatly from player to player. The most

popular style, usually referred to as the Chinese penhold style, involves curling the middle, ring, and fourth


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Forehand Backhand

Shakehand grip

finger on the back of the blade with the three fingers always touching one another.[44] Chinese penholders

favour a round racket head, for a more over-the-table style of play. In contrast, another style, sometimes

referred to as the Japanese/Korean penhold grip, involves splaying those three fingers out across the back of the

racket, usually with all three fingers touching the back of the racket, rather than stacked upon one another.[44]

Sometimes a combination of the two styles occurs, wherein the middle, ring and fourth fingers are straight, but

still stacked, or where all fingers may be touching the back of the racket, but are also in contact with one

another. Japanese/Korean penholders will often use a square-headed racket for an away-from-the-table style of

play. Traditionally these square-headed rackets feature a block of cork on top of the handle, as well as a thin

layer of cork on the back of the racket, for increased grip and comfort. Penhold styles are popular among

players originating from East Asian regions such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

Traditionally, penhold players use only one side of the racket to hit the ball during normal play, and the side

which is in contact with the last three fingers is generally not used. This configuration is sometimes referred to as

"traditional penhold" and is more commonly found in square-headed racket styles. However, the Chinese

developed a technique in the 1990s in which a penholder uses both sides of the racket to hit the ball, where the

player produces a backhand stroke (most often topspin) known as a reverse penhold backhand by turning the

traditional side of the racket to face one's self, and striking the ball with the opposite side of the racket. This

stroke has greatly improved and strengthened the penhold style both physically and psychologically, as it

eliminates the strategic weakness of the traditional penhold backhand.

Shakehand

The shakehand grip is so-named because the racket is

grasped as if one is performing a handshake.[45] Though it

is sometimes referred to as the "tennis" or "Western" grip,

it bears no relation to the Western tennis grip, which was

popularized on the West Coast of the United States in

which the racket is rotated 90°, and played with the wrist

turned so that on impact the knuckles face the target. In

table tennis, "Western" refers to Western nations, for this is

the grip that players native to Europe and the Americas have almost exclusively employed.

The shakehand grip’s simplicity and versatility, coupled with the acceptance among top-level Chinese trainers

that the European style of play should be emulated and trained against, has established it as a common grip even

in China.[46] Many world class European and Asian players currently use the shakehand grip, and it is generally

accepted that shakehands is easier to learn than penholder, allowing a broader range of playing styles both

offensive and defensive.[47]

Seemiller

The Seemiller grip is named after the American table tennis champion Danny Seemiller, who used it. It is

achieved by placing your thumb and index finger on either side of the bottom of the racquet head and holding

the handle with the rest of your fingers. Since only one side of the racquet is used to hit the ball, two contrasting

rubber types can be applied to the blade, offering the advantage of "twiddling" the racket to fool the opponent.

Seemiller paired inverted rubber with anti-spin rubber; many players today combine inverted and long-pipped

rubber. The grip is considered exceptional for blocking, especially on the backhand side, and for forehand loops

of backspin balls.[48] The Seemiller grip's popularity reached its apex in 1983 when four of the United States'

five participants in the World Championships used it.[48]


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Types of strokes

Table tennis strokes generally break down into offensive and defensive categories.

Offensive strokes

Hit

A direct hit on the ball propelling it forward back to the opponent. This stroke differs from speed drives in other

racket sports like tennis because the racket is primarily perpendicular to the direction of the stroke and most of

the energy applied to the ball results in speed rather than spin, creating a shot that does not arc much, but is fast

enough that it can be difficult to return. A speed drive is used mostly for keeping the ball in play, applying

pressure on the opponent, and potentially opening up an opportunity for a more powerful attack.

Loop

Perfected during the 1960s,[4] the loop is essentially the reverse of the speed drive. The racket is much more

parallel to the direction of the stroke ("closed") and the racket thus grazes the ball, resulting in a large amount

of topspin. A good loop drive will arc quite a bit, and once striking the opponent's side of the table will jump

forward, much like a kick serve in tennis.

Counter-hit

The counter-hit is usually a counterattack against drives, normally high loop drives. The racket is held closed

and near to the ball, which is hit with a short movement "off the bounce" (immediately after hitting the table) so

that the ball travels faster to the other side. A well-timed, accurate counter-drive can be as effective as a smash.

Flick

When a player tries to attack a ball that has not bounced beyond the edge of the table, the player does not have

the room to wind up in a backswing. The ball may still be attacked, however, and the resulting shot is called a

flip because the backswing is compressed into a quick wrist action. A flip is not a single stroke and can resemble

either a loop drive or a loop in its characteristics. What identifies the stroke is that the backswing is compressed

into a short wrist flick.

Smash

The offensive trump card is the smash. A player will typically execute a smash when his or her opponent has

returned a ball that bounces too high or too close to the net. Smashing consists of using a large backswing and

rapid acceleration to impart as much speed on the ball as possible. The goal of a smash is to get the ball to move

so quickly that the opponent simply cannot return it. Because the ball speed is the main aim of this shot, often

the spin on the ball is something other than topspin. Sidespin can be used effectively with a smash to alter the

ball's trajectory significantly, although most intermediate players will smash the ball with little or no spin. An

offensive table tennis player will think of a rally as a build-up to a winning smash.

Defensive strokes

Push


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The push (or "slice" in Asia) is usually used for keeping the point alive and creating offensive opportunities. A

push resembles a tennis slice: the racket cuts underneath the ball, imparting backspin and causing the ball to

float slowly to the other side of the table. While not obvious, a push can be difficult to attack because the

backspin on the ball causes it to drop toward the table upon striking the opponent's racket. In order to attack a

push, a player must usually loop the ball back over the net. Often, the best option for beginners is to simply push

the ball back again, resulting in pushing rallies. Against good players, it may be the worst option because the

opponent will counter with a loop, putting the first player in a defensive position. Another response to pushing is

flipping the ball when it is close to the net. Pushing can have advantages in some circumstances, such as when

the opponent makes easy mistakes.

Chop

A chop is the defensive, backspin counterpart to the offensive loop drive.[49] A chop is essentially a bigger,

heavier push, taken well back from the table. The racket face points primarily horizontally, perhaps a little bit

upward, and the direction of the stroke is straight down. The object of a defensive chop is to match the topspin

of the opponent's shot with backspin. A good chop will float nearly horizontally back to the table, in some cases

having so much backspin that the ball actually rises. Such a chop can be extremely difficult to return due to its

enormous amount of backspin. Some defensive players can also impart no-spin or sidespin variations of the

chop.

Block

The block is a simple shot, but nonetheless can be devastating against an attacking opponent. A block is

executed by simply placing the racket in front of the ball right after the ball bounces; thus, the ball rebounds

back toward the opponent with nearly as much energy as it came in with. This is not as easy as it sounds,

because the ball's spin, speed, and location all influence the correct angle of a block. It is very possible for an

opponent to execute a perfect loop, drive, or smash, only to have the blocked shot come back at him just as fast.

Due to the power involved in offensive strokes, often an opponent simply cannot recover quickly enough, and

will be unable to return the blocked shot. Blocks almost always produce the same spin as was received, many

times topspin. Depending on the spin of the ball, the block may be returned to an unexpected side of the table.

This may come to your advantage, as the opponent may not expect this.

Lob

The defensive lob is possibly the most impressive shot, since it propels the ball about five metres in height, only

to land on the opponent's side of the table with great amounts of spin.[50] To execute, a defensive player first

backs-off the table 4–6 meters; then, the stroke itself consists of lifting the ball to an enormous height before it

falls back to the opponent's side of the table. A lob is inherently a creative shot, and can have nearly any kind of

spin. Top-quality players use this to their advantage in order to control the spin of the ball. For instance, though

the opponent may smash the ball hard and fast, a good defensive lob could be more difficult to return due to the

unpredictability and heavy amounts of the spin on the ball.[50] Thus, though backed off the table by tens of feet

and running to reach the ball, a good defensive player can still win the point using good lobs. However, at the

professional level, lobbers will lose the point most of the time, so the lob is not used unless it is really necessary.

Effects of spin

Adding spin onto the ball causes major changes in table tennis gameplay. Although nearly every stroke or serve

creates some kind of spin, understanding the individual types of spin allows players to defend against and use


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4 phases in a backspin curve

4 phases in a topspin curve

different spins effectively.[51]

Backspin

Backspin is where the bottom half of the

ball is rotating away from the player, and

is imparted by striking the base of the ball

with a downward movement.[51] At the

professional level, backspin is usually used

defensively in order to keep the ball

low.[52] Backspin is commonly employed

in service because it is harder to produce

an offensive return, though at the

professional level most people serve

sidespin with either backspin or topspin. Due to the initial lift of the ball, there is a limit on how much speed

with which one can hit the ball without missing the opponent's side of the table. However, backspin also makes

it harder for the opponent to return the ball with great speed because of the required angular precision of the

return. Alterations are frequently made to regulations regarding equipment in an effort to maintain a balance

between defensive and offensive spin choices. It is actually possible to smash with backspin offensively, but

only on high balls that are close to the net.

Topspin

The topspin stroke has a smaller influence

on the first part of the ball-curve. Like the

backspin stroke, however, the axis of spin

remains roughly perpendicular to the

trajectory of the ball thus allowing for the

Magnus effect to dictate the subsequent

curvature. After the apex of the curve, the

ball dips downwards as it approaches the

opposing side, before bouncing. On the

bounce, the topspin will accelerate the

ball, much in the same way that a wheel

which is already spinning would accelerate upon making contact with the ground. Again, the most significant

change appears when the opponent attempts to return the ball (with a smooth, pimples inwards rubber). Due to

the topspin, the ball jumps upwards and the opponent is forced to compensate for the topspin by adjusting the

angle of his or her racket. This is commonly known as "closing the racket". The speed limitation of the topspin

stroke is minor compared to the backspin stroke. This stroke is the predominant technique used in professional

competition because it gives the opponent less time to respond. In table tennis topspin is regarded as an

offensive technique due to increased ball speed, lower bio-mechanical efficiency and the pressure that it puts on

the opponent by reducing reaction time. (It is possible to play defensive topspin-lobs from far behind the table,

but only highly skilled players use this stroke with any tactical efficiency.) Topspin is the least common type of

spin to be found in service at the professional level, simply because it is much easier to attack a top-spin ball

that is not moving at high speed.

Sidespin

This type of spin is predominantly employed during service, wherein the contact angle of the racket can be more


11 of 16 1/21/2016 3:56 PM

easily varied. Unlike the two aforementioned techniques, sidespin causes the ball to spin on an axis which is

vertical, rather than horizontal. The axis of rotation is still roughly perpendicular to the trajectory of the ball. In

this circumstance, the Magnus effect will still dictate the curvature of the ball to some degree. Another

difference is that unlike backspin and topspin, sidespin will have relatively very little effect on the bounce of the

ball, much in the same way that a spinning top would not travel left or right if its axis of rotation were exactly

vertical. This makes sidespin a useful weapon in service, because it is less easily recognized when bouncing, and

the ball "loses" less spin on the bounce. Sidespin can also be employed in offensive rally strokes, often from a

greater distance, as an adjunct to topspin or backspin. This stroke is sometimes referred to as a "hook". The

hook can even be used in some extreme cases to circumvent the net when away from the table.

Corkspin

This type of spin is almost exclusively employed in service, but it is also used from time to time in the lob at the

professional level. Unlike any of the aforementioned techniques, corkspin (sometimes referred to as "drill-spin")

features a unique situation in which the axis of spin is more or less parallel to the trajectory of the ball. This

means that the Magnus effect will have little to no effect on the trajectory of a cork-spun ball. Upon bouncing,

the ball will dart right or left, depending on the direction of the spin, making it very difficult to return. Although

in theory this type of spin produces the most obnoxious effects, it is not as strategically practical as sidespin or

backspin in terms of the limitations that it imposes upon the opponent during their return. Aside from the initial

direction change when bouncing, provided that it does not exceed the reach of the opponent, a cork-spun ball is

easily countered with topspin or backspin. Similar to a backspin stroke, the corkspin stroke has a lower

maximum velocity, simply due to the contact angle of the racket when producing the stroke. To impart a spin on

the ball which is parallel to its trajectory, the racket must be swung more or less perpendicular to the trajectory

of the ball. This greatly limits the amount of forward momentum that can be transferred to the ball by the racket.

Corkspin is almost always mixed with another variety of spin, as it is less effective and harder to produce on its

own.

Competition

Competitive table tennis is popular in Asia and Europe and has been gaining attention in the United States.[53]

The most important international competitions are the World Table Tennis Championships, the Table Tennis

World Cup, the Olympics and the ITTF World Tour. Continental competitions include the European

Championships, Europe Top-16, the Asian Championships and the Asian Games. Chinese players have won the

men's World Championships 60% of the time since 1959;[54] in the women's competition, Chinese players have

won all but three of the World Championships since 1971.[55] Other strong teams come from East Asia and

European countries, including Austria, Belarus, Germany, Hong Kong, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Singapore,

Sweden, and Taiwan.[56]

There are also professional competitions at the clubs level. The national league of countries like China (the

China Table Tennis Super League), Germany, France, Belgium and Austria are some highest level examples.

There are also some important international club teams competitions such as the European Champions League

and its former competition, the European Club Cup, where the top club teams from European countries

compete.

Notable players

An official hall of fame exists at the ITTF Museum.[57] A Grand Slam is earned by a player who wins singles

crowns at Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup.[58] Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden first


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completed the grand slam at 1992 Olympic Games. Deng Yaping of China is the first female recorded at the

inaugural Women's World Cup in 1996.

Name Gender NationalityTimes won

Olympics World Championships World Cup

Jan-Ove Waldner Male SWE 1 (1992) 2 (1989, 1997) 1 (1990) [59]

Deng Yaping Female China 2 (1992, 1996) 3 (1991, 1995, 1997) 1 (1996) [60]

Liu Guoliang Male China 1 (1996) 1 (1999) 1 (1996) [61]

Kong Linghui Male China 1 (2000) 1 (1995) 1 (1995) [62]

Wang Nan Female China 1 (2000) 3 (1999, 2001, 2003) 4 (1997, 1998, 2003, 2007) [63]

Zhang Yining Female China 2 (2004, 2008) 2 (2005, 2009) 4 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005) [64]

Zhang Jike Male China 1 (2012) 2 (2011, 2013) 2 (2011, 2014) [65]

Li Xiaoxia Female China 1 (2012) 1 (2013) 1 (2008) [66]

Jean-Philippe Gatien (France), Wang Hao (China) and Ding Ning (China) won both the World Championships

and the World Cup, but lost in the gold medal matches at the Olympics. Both Jörgen Persson (Sweden) and Ma

Long (China) also won the titles except the Olympic Games. Persson is one of the three table tennis players to

have competed at seven Olympic Games. Ma Lin (China) won both the Olympic gold and the World Cup, but

lost (three times, in 1999, 2005, and 2007) in the finals of the World Championships.

Governance

Founded in 1926, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is the worldwide governing body for table

tennis, which maintains an international ranking system in addition to organizing events like the World Table

Tennis Championships.[11] In 2007, the governance for table tennis for persons with a disability was transferred

from the International Paralympic Committee to the ITTF.[67]

On many continents, there is a governing body responsible for table tennis on that continent. For example, the

European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Europe.[68] There are

also national bodies and other local authorities responsible for the sport, such as USA Table Tennis (USATT),

which is the national governing body for table tennis in the United States.[11]

See also

International Table Tennis Federation

List of ITTF Pro Tour winners

List of table tennis players

Table tennis terminology

Disability table tennis classification

Table squash

Pingpongo

Headis

References


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"Member Associations". ITTF. Retrieved 13 September 2014.1.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 22.

Hurt III, Harry (5 April 2008). "Ping-Pong as Mind Game (Although a Good Topspin Helps)". The New York Times.

Retrieved 28 August 2010.

3.

Hodges 1993, p. 24.

Letts, Greg. "A Brief History of Table Tennis/Ping-Pong". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved

29 August 2010.

5.

WashingtonPost.com. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/table-tennis-pingpong-or-whiff-whaff-victorian-parlor-

game-returns-home-for-london-olympics/2012/07/27/gJQAXnpmDX_story.html) Accessed 2 August 2012.

6.

"A Comprehensive History of Table Tennis". ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010. External link in

|work= (help)

7.

Hamilton, Fiona (2 September 2008). "Inventors of ping-pong say Mayor Boris Johnson is wrong". The Times.

Retrieved 6 November 2010.

8.

https://www.fredlaw.com/areas/trademark/Articles/trade_0808_drk3.html9.

"International Table Tennis Federation Archives". ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010. External link in

|work= (help)

10.

"About USATT". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 6 November 2010.11.

Edgar Snow, Red Star Over China, Grove Press, New York, 1938 (revised 1968), p 281.12.

[1] (http://ttfr.ru/rus/russian_table_tennis_history/)13.

"Thick Sponge Bats 1950s". ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010. External link in |work= (help)14.

"Table Tennis in the Olympic Games". ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010. External link in |work=

(help)

15.

Clemett, Colin. "Evolution of the Laws of Table Tennis and the Regulations for International Competitions" (PDF).

ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010. External link in |work= (help)

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"Bigger ball after Olympics". New Straits Times (Malaysia). 24 February 2000. p. 39.17.

"Board of Directors Passes Use of 40mm Ball". USA Table Tennis. Retrieved 29 August 2010.18.

"Sport takes plunge with new rule". New Straits Times (Malaysia). 27 April 2001. p. 40.19.

"BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING" (PDF). ITTF. Retrieved 13 October 2014.20.

http://tabletennis.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/history_of_tt.htm21.

"ITTF Technical Leaflet T3: The Ball" (PDF). ITTF. December 2009. p. 4. Retrieved 28 July 2010.22.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.123.

"ITTF Technical Leaflet T1: The Table" (PDF). ITTF. May 2013.24.

Kaminer, Ariel (27 March 2011). "The Joys of Ping-Pong in the Open". The New York Times.25.

2013 ITTF Branding Guidelines (http://www.ittf.com/stories/pictures/2013_ITTF_Branding_Guidelines_v2_0.pdf)

Accessed 24 May 2014.

26.


"ITTF Technical Leaflet T4: Racket Coverings" (PDF). ITTF. August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.28.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 3.4.2.429.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.13.130.

"ITTF Handbook for Match Officials 13th edition" (PDF). ITTF. August 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2010.31.




International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.5.3 and 2.935.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.5.4 and 2.1036.


International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 3.5.238.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.11 and 2.1239.

International Table Tennis Federation 2011, index 2.13 and 2.1440.

"ITTF statistics by event". ITTF. Retrieved 1 September 2010.41.


McAfee, Richard (2009). Table Tennis Steps to Success. Human Kinetics. p. 1. ISBN 0-7360-7731-6.43.

Hodges 1993, p. 1344.

Hodges 1993, p. 1045.

Hodges; Yinghua. "The Secrets of Chinese Table Tennis".46.


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Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Table

tennis.

Look up table tennis or

ping-pong in Wiktionary,

the free dictionary.

Hodges, Larry (1993). Table Tennis: Steps to Success. Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. p. 10. ISBN 0-87322-403-5.47.

Hodges, Larry. "Playing the Seemiller or American Grip". http://blog.paddlepalace.com/. Retrieved 1 December

2014. External link in |website= (help)

48.

Hodges 1993, p. 8949.

Hodges 1993, p. 9650.

Hodges 1993, p. 2051.

Hodges 1993, p. 2152.

Somaiya, Ravi (26 November 2007). ["http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/fashion/27pingpong.html?_r=2&

pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss" "Back-and-Forth Sport Is Back Again"] Check |url= value (help). The New

York Times. Retrieved 27 August 2010.

53.

"World Championships Finalists - Men's Singles". ITTF. Retrieved 28 July 2010.54.

"World Championships Finalists - Women's Singles". ITTF. Retrieved 28 July 2010.55.

"ITTF Team Ranking". ITTF. Retrieved 29 August 2010.56.

"ITTF Hall of Fame" (PDF). ITTF Museum. ITTF. Retrieved 28 July 2010. External link in |work= (help)57.

Cao Jianjie (13 December 2003). "Liu Guoliang needs to prove he is good as coach". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August

2010.

58.

"Jan-Ove Waldner's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.59.

"Deng Yaping's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.60.

"Liu Guoliang's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.61.

"Kong Linghui's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.62.

"Wang Nan's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.63.

"Zhang Yining's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.64.

"Zhang Jike's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.65.

"Li Xiaoxia's results of tournaments". ITTF. Retrieved 27 August 2010.66.

"The ITTF Classification Code" (PDF). ITTF. Retrieved 6 September 2012.67.

"ETTU - European Table Tennis Union". European Table Tennis Union. Retrieved 28 August 2010.68.

Bibliography

Uzorinac, Zdenko (2001). ITTF 1926 - 2001 Table Tennis Legends. ITTF. ISBN 2-94031-200-1.

OCLC 248920627.

Charyn, Jerome (2002). Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins: Ping-Pong and the Art of Staying Alive. Four

Walls Eight Windows. ISBN 1-56858-242-0.

Hodges, Larry (1993). Table Tennis: Steps to Success. Human Kinetics. ISBN 0-87322-403-5.

International Table Tennis Federation (2011). ITTF Handbook 2011/2012. Retrieved 25 December 2011.

Seemiller, Dan (1996). Winning Table Tennis: Skills, Drills, and Strategies. Human Kinetics.

ISBN 0-88011-520-3.

External links

Official ITTF website (http://www.ittf.com/_front_page

/ittf.asp?category=General)

Official website of USA Table Tennis (http://www.usatt.org/)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org

/w/index.php?title=Table_tennis&oldid=700638859"

Categories: Table tennis Summer Olympic sports Racquet sports

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