Preview

History of Table Tennis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
4544 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
History of Table Tennis
History of Table Tennis

February 10, 2009

Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth with rackets (also known as 'bats' or 'paddles'). The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Players must allow a ball played toward them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side. Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart several varieties of spin to the ball, altering its trajectory and limiting an opponent's options to great advantage. General description

A standard table tennis table, together with a racket and ball. The sport is played with two or four players hitting a ball with rackets back and forth to each other on a table, in a manner similar to tennis. The rules are slightly different, but the concept is very similar. In singles play, the serve is not required to cross from the server's right-hand court to the receiver's right-hand court (or left to left) as it is in tennis. However, serving across is required in doubles play. Ball spin, speed, placement, strategy and tactics play an important part in competitive table tennis matches. The speed of the ball can vary from slow serves with much spin to smashes that travel as fast as 112.5 kilometers per hour (70 mph). The game is played on a 274 cm × 152.5 cm × 76 cm high (9 ft × 5 ft × 30 inches high) playing surface. The International Table Tennis Federation requires an area not less than 14 m long, 7 m wide and 5 m high for competitions. No limitations in size or shape are specified. Modern rackets usually have a thin layer of rubber covering the racket's striking surface. The rubber may have dimples pointing outwards or inwards, as well as a thin layer of sponge between the plywood center and the rubber surface. Since spin plays a large role in the modern

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Prince Sports Case Study

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Rudelius, W. (2013). “Prince Sports, Inc.: Tennis Racquets for Every Segment”. Marketing. 11th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.…

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Case Study: Prince Sports

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Environmental forces have come a long way in the last fifty years. The sport of tennis has gained massive participation up to 43 percent. Thus, making tennis the fastest growing traditional individual sport in the world. Prince is happy to be there to meet the demands of these players by offering different types of racquets –performance, recreational, and junior. From the company spending a lot of time and money on market research, Prince offers tennis racquets and other tennis…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “When we first started it was for a better cardio workout and to stay healthy. I had no idea on how to play racquet ball but Tom knew. Starting out we played by the rules. But as the weeks went by so did the rules. We would kick, push trip etcetera.” Kevin explained. At Edgewater Park racquetball and fitness it was in the summer of 1986 Kevin and his best friend Tomas White wanted to stay in shape in a exciting way instead of using boring treadmills. So they solved this problem by taking up racquetball. Thinks hard to remember the time Kevin says “At the time I was a Junior in highschool and Tom was a Senior so I was about 16 and he was 17 years olds.”…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racquetball: Tennis and Ball

    • 7119 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Racquetball is a competitive game in which a strung racquet is used to serve and return the ball.…

    • 7119 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    To be successful in the game of tennis is dependent on the player’s technique as well as biomechanics which play a vital role in stroke production. A fundamental mechanical structure is founds in all tennis strokes.11 The backswing provides the distance. Tennis players need to be able to control the direction of the racket and the timing of the entire movement. The skill level of the tennis player depends largely on the mechanics of their forehand swing. The force of impact is determined by the racket speed at the moment it comes in contact with the ball. When maximum distance is used for accelerating that is when maximum velocity can be obtained. Body weight support is necessary for the forehand drive because shifting weight when striking the ball will increase ground reaction force to the body and the ball. A player wants to be balanced to direct power and energy without losing control. Forward momentum will carry the racket through the ball after contact. The follow through helps prepare the player for the next stroke. It should be long and the arm and racket should wrap around the body. It dissipates kinetic energy off the racket and that is when the player wants to arrive at the right point and balanced to be ready for the next stroke and to be able to play the ball back. The player’s body must absorb the remaining energy of the racket and the…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dynamics of a Bouncing Ball

    • 2746 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Background Information: Table tennis is a ball game that can be played on any reasonably sized, flat, elevated surface. As is the case in any ball game, a crucial criterion to base which material to be used as a playing surface is the bounce of the ball. For any ball game to be fair to both sides, the playing surface must be such that the ball bounces back to a height that is as close as possible to the original height. Moreover, it is desired that the bounce be predictable. No ball game would be fun if the bounce is too uneven as this prevents the timing and strategic thinking of the player.…

    • 2746 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Perfect Serve Lab Report

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The combination of slice spin and top spin makes the ball's path and bounce far harder to predict for your opponent. Varying these with each serve could be the winning formula, as long as these three important constraints are satisfied and…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    History of Racquetball

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It is said that in 1949, Sobek and a partner began playing with a paddle and combined the rules of handball and squash to play what they called "paddle racquets." He then decided to change from a paddle to a racquet itself using a tennis racquet as a model. He made 25 to sell to his friends to start the sport. There was one problem though; there were faults in the ball. Sobek then found a Spalding ball made for children that work well. He bought a lot of them and sold him to his friends in 1950 to keep his sport from dwindling out. Sobek eventually started his own company to make his own ball to his exact specifications for the game.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The origins of tennis are mysterious and unknown. Although some historians have claimed that tennis was developed as far back as Ancient Egypt. However, the first recorded ball and racquet game was first played by monks located somewhere in southern France around the beginning of the twelfth century. They usually played with their hands and hit the ball against a wall. However, the monks soon developed crude instruments with which to strike the ball. They also developed the first type of playing court, which was usually the monastery courtyard. It is there where they devised a crude net with a rope to divide the playing areas. Over the next few centuries, the game spread to several countries in Europe, and it developed several variations. By the start of the nineteenth century, the game became popular and competitive in Great Britain and quickly developed into today's modern tennis, which now consists of many organizations with numerous levels of competition for all ages and skill.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Injury In Tennis Essay

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to Ellenbecker et al (2009) the reported injury rates for tennis elbow were high ranging from 37-57% in recreational and professional players, most of which are over the age of 30. (3) Prevalence rate of tennis elbow is quite the same for both males and females throughout various studies. Smedt et al (2007) suggested that this injury commonly affects novice players rather than professionals. (4) There are many biomechanical factors which lead to this injury such as age, level of play, experience of player and muscle imbalances. In this essay, however, I will discuss how poor technique and equipment used can cause this type of…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    History of Badminton

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There are about 540,379 members distributed in all 50 states. And there are chapters in US territories like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Foosball Tips

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Foosball Tips You have bought a foosball table for your gaming room. Now after playing some matches with it, you will realize about different ways to be better than your opponents. If you have idea about the basic rules only, you will never be a professional on the field of foosball table. You should know some of the foosball tips.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why go pro in tennis

    • 501 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Tennis is a game full of passion; it’s hours of fun and a lifetime commitment. It has been deeply rooted into the history of sports. In order to have the chance to play competitively, a number of diverse skills are required, but the crucial skill necessary is the ability to serve properly. The serve is the most important aggressive defense, being that it is the only opportunity a player has control over the placement, placement, and the spin of the ball. A successful serve can earn the server many points and games.…

    • 501 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Discourse Community

    • 1551 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There is more to tennis than just knowing the scoring system. For example, when I am serving I have to make sure that I get my serve into the correct service box and that my foot does not cross the base line, or I will get a foot fault. Each point is…

    • 1551 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pickle Ball Rules

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Teams will play paper, rock, scissors, to decide service order. For all disputes, teams will replay the point. Player must keep one foot behind the back line when serving. The serve is made underhand and the paddle must pass below the waist. The server must hit the ball in the air on the serves. They are not allowed to bounce it and then hit it. The service is made diagonally cross court and must clear the non-volley zone. Only one serve attempt is allowed, except if the ball touches the net on the serve and lands in the Proper service court. Then the serve may be taken over. Doubles Play serving: Player in RIGHT HAND court serves diagonally across court to receiver in opposite RIGHT HAND court. The ball must clear the non-volley zone and land in the RIGHT HAND serving court.When the serving team wins a point, its players will switch courts on their side and the same player will continue to serve. When the serving team makes its first fault, players will stay in the same court and the second partner will then serve. (On the first fault of the game the ball is turned over to the other team)When they make their second fault they will stay in the same courts and turn the ball over to the other team. Players switch courts only after scoring while serving. Singles Play serving: Each player serves…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays