LESSON 2: TABLE TENNIS

INTRODUCTION
Table Tennis is a common sport that could be played inside the gymnasium, especially when it is windy
outside. But this can also be played outside if there is no gymnasium or a room available. This game can be
played in singles wherein there are two players competing. This can also be played in doubles wherein there
are two teams competing.
The objective of the game is to hit the ball by a racket and return it to the opponent over the net. Each player is
given five consecutive times to start the game. The common name of this game is ping pong.

HISTORY OF TABLE TENNIS

Table Tennis is a relatively new sport. It was first conceived by a British officer in 1881. He used a dining table
and filled a set of books at the middle of the table. He knitted web into a cork ball from wine bottle and used
cigar boxes cover as a racket in 1901, the game was also known as “whiff-whaff”, “flim-fam”, and “gossima”
which were the trade names of balls given by the Jacques and son, Parker brothers who are the manufacturers
of sporting goods. Later, the game was named “ping-pong” derived from the sound made by the ball when it
hits the racket and table. In 1903, Arnold Parker, a champion table tennis player formulated the first law in
table tennis.
The game lost its popularity in 1904 because the cost of the racket and the ball went high. When it regained its
popularity in 1922, different national associations were formed in 1926, one of which was the international
Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) which was established in Berlin. Its main objective was to formulate laws in
table tennis, and sees to it that the game is played as a contest for human skills, and the constant change in
the equipment are being disseminated and strictly followed by all.
Table Tennis became the number one racket game in China, Japan, and United States. Early years of
international competitions were dominated by European countries and is the major sport in England, Hungary,
and Czechoslovakia.
In the Philippines, it also fast becoming a popular sport. It is now included as one of the events in athletic
sports meets.

EQUIPMENT
TABLE
 Constructed of ¾ inch (1.9 cm) thick fine plywood: 9ft. (2.74
m.) in length and 5 feet (1.52 m.) in width.
 Playing surface: should be dark (usually green and non
reflecting and should lie in horizontal plane 2 ft. 6 in. (76 cm)
above the floor. Sidelines and endlines are white and should
be ½ and ¾ in. (2 cm) wide. The centerline is also white but
only 1/8 to 1.4 inch (3mm) wide.
THE NET
 Light in texture and stretched across center of table and attached to the outside by vertical standards.
 Net should be from 6 to 6 ¾ inches above the table.

RACKET OR PADDLE
  A wooden rubber faced racket (as mandated by the rules)
 The striking surface of the racket must be covered with a pimpled rubber facing inward and outward.
 A single layer of cellular (sponge) rubber may be located underneath the rubber surface.
 The two surface of the blade shall be black on one side and bright on the other side.
PING-PONG BALLS
 Is small, celluloid, spherical, white or yellow in color, 40 mm in diameter, and 2.5 g. in weight.
 Is fragile but quite hard to break unless stepped on.
 The ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) approved standard ball
has a uniformed bounce.
 If it is dropped from a height of 12 inches (30.5 cm) on a plywood, it should
bounce up to 8 ¾ to 9 ¾ inches (22 to 25 cm)

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

A. GRIP RACKET CONTROL
- Holding the racket determine how you play the game. Two basic grip is recommended.
1. Orthodox or Shake-hand Grip
- This is popularly used worldwide. Grasps the racket as if to shake hands with it. It gives you the
best forehand and backhand.
2. Penhold Grip
- This is similar to holding a pen between the thumb and forefinger. The forefinger and thumb reach
over the shoulders of the blade, with the other fingers spread over the back. Only one side of the
racket is used for bother forehand and backhand shots.

B. STANCE AND FOOTWORK

- Proper stance and footwork in serving or receiving are just as important in learning table tennis as they
are in tennis, badminton, or any sport skill that requires a constantly alert player.
1. Beginner’s Stance in Serving
- Face slightly to the right side with feet well apart and the left foot forward. Be in position about 1 ½
to 2 ft. directly behind the center line of own court.
2. Stance in Receiving
- Position is about 2 to 2 ½ feet directly in the back of the center line of own court. Feet well apart,
knees slightly bent and body inclined forward in ready position.
3. For Forehand Strokes
- The left foot and left shoulder point approx. towards the table.
4. For Backhand Strokes
- The right foot and shoulder should point approx. toward the table.

C. SERVING
1. Topspin serves
- With either a forehand or backhand stroke, the ball is put into play by projecting it upward from the
flat free hand. As the ball hit the racket, which is swung forward and upward meets descending it,
and the racket face is closed (face upward from the tabletop and net).
2. Backspin serves
- The ball is struck with a downward, forward motion of the racket. The racket face is open (facing
upward from the tabletop and net).

D. STROKES
1. Push shot
- is the basic defensive shot.
 2. Forehand/Backhand Drive
3. Forehand/Backhand Chop
- This is primarily a defensive stroke.
4. Smash Shot
- is used on a higher-than-the-net bounce the higher the better. It is high straight forward and
downward without spin on the opponent’s court. This is an offensive stroke.

RULES OF THE GAME

 The objective of the game is to hit the ball with the racket or paddle held in the hand over the net. The ball
must strike on the server’s side of the court before striking the top of the table on the opponent’s court.
 Striking the ball before it bounces is not allowed.
 Whoever commits a mistake loses a point and your opponent gains a point.
 A player or pair first scoring eleven (11) points is the winner of the game, unless both players or pairs score
10 points, the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of two points.
THE SERVICE
A good service is delivered by projecting the ball from the free hand and the projection starts from above the
playing surface. The ball must be resting on the palm of free hand, which is flat, and the thumb free of the
fingers. As it starts to descent, the ball is struck so that it touches the server’s court first and then, passing
directly over or around the net, touches the receiver’s court.
A good return of a served ball must be struck by the receiver on the first bounce so that it passes directly over
or around the net and touches directly on top of the opponent’s court.
A POINT
A point is awarded to the opponent in the following circumstances:
1. Failure to make a good service, unless a let is declared.
2. Failure to make a good return of a good service or a good return made by the opponent, unless a let is
declared.
3. If the player, the racket, or anything that the player wears or carries touches the net or its support while the
balls is in play.
4. If the player’s free hand touches the playing surface while the ball is in play.
5. If, before the ball in play has passed over the endlines or sidelines, not yet having touched the playing
surface on the player’s side of the table after being struck by the opponent, it comes in contact with the
player or anything the player wears or carries.
6. If a player strikes the ball twice in succession.
7. If the server (or partner) stamps a foot during the service.
A LET
A let ball, which is then replayed, is called in the following cases:
1. If the served ball, in passing over the net touches it or its support, provided that the service would
otherwise have been good or volleyed by the receiver.
2. If a service is delivered when the receiver is not ready, provided always that the receiver may not be
deemed unready if an attempt to strike at the ball is made.
3. If either player is prevented by an accident not under his or her control from serving a good service or
making a good return.
SCORING
A point is scored by the side that makes the last successful return prior to the end of a rally. In an unsuccessful
return the ball is missed, struck with the side of a racket blade having an illegal surface, hit off the table, sent
into the net, or hit onto the player’s own half of the court on the return. Failure to make a good serve also
scores a point for the opponent unless it is a let.
IN PLAY
The ball is in play from the moment it is projected from the hand in service until one of the following has
occurred:
1. It has touches one court twice consecutively.
2. It has, except in service, touched each court alternately without having been struck by the racket
immediately.
3. It has been struck by either player more than once consecutively.
4. It has touched either player or anything that the player wears or carries, except the racket or racket hand
below the waist.
5. On the volley it comes in contact with the racket or the racket hand below the wrist.
6. It has touched any object other than the net and supports.
THE ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING, AND ENDS
1. The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving, and ends shall be decided by lot and the winner
may choose to serve or to receive first or to start a particular end.
2. When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the other
player or pair shall have the other choice.
3. After each two points have been scored, the receiving player or pair shall become the serving player or pair
and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs score 10 points or the expedite system is
in operation, when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve
for only one point in turn.
4. In each game of doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of them will do so
and in the first game of a match, the receiving pair shall decide which of them will receive first; in
subsequent games of the match, the first server having been chosen, the first receiver shall be the player
who served to him in the preceding game.
5. In doubles, at each change of service the previous receiver shall become the server and the partner of the
previous server shall become the receiver.
6. The player or pair serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match and in the last
possible game of a double match the pair due to the receive next shall change their order receiving when
first one pair scores five points.
7. The player or pair starting at one ends in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match
and in the last possible game of a match the players or pairs shall change ends when first one player or
pair scores five points.