A Guide for Casual Ping Pong Players

Casual ping pong, also known as recreational or social ping pong, has gained immense popularity among enthusiasts around the world. It offers a fun and engaging way to socialize, stay active, and improve hand-eye coordination. 

In this guide, we will explore various aspects of casual ping pong and provide valuable insights for casual players looking to enhance their game.

Understanding Casual Ping Pong

Casual ping pong differs from competitive play in terms of its relaxed atmosphere and emphasis on enjoyment rather than intense competition. It is often played in social settings, such as parties, community centers, or friendly gatherings. The primary goal is to have fun and engage in friendly matches with friends, family, or colleagues.

Equipment Essentials

To enjoy casual ping pong, you'll need a few essential pieces of equipment. The most crucial item is the ping pong paddle. When choosing a paddle, consider factors such as grip, weight, and blade composition. 

A paddle with a comfortable grip and suitable weight will allow for better control and maneuverability. It's also important to select quality ping pong balls that are durable and provide a consistent bounce.

While there are various high-end equipment options available, you don't need to spend a fortune on your gear as a casual player. Many affordable paddles and balls offer excellent performance for recreational play. Look for reputable brands that strike a balance between quality and affordability.

Rules and Etiquette

Familiarizing yourself with the basic rules of ping pong will enhance your enjoyment and fairness during casual matches. The rules include serving regulations, scoring, and gameplay guidelines. 

For casual play, it's common to adopt a more flexible approach to rules and modify them according to the players' preferences. However, establishing a shared understanding of the rules among players is essential to maintain fairness.

Etiquette is also crucial in casual ping pong. Respect your opponents and follow good sportsmanship principles. Be courteous and patient, avoid excessive celebrations or taunting, and acknowledge your opponent's good shots. Remember, the primary focus is on having a friendly and enjoyable experience.

Developing Basic Skills

Improving your basic skills will make casual ping pong more enjoyable and competitive. Focus on developing fundamental techniques such as grip, stance, and stroke execution. 

Experiment with different grips to find the one that suits you best, as it greatly influences your control and power. Maintain a balanced and relaxed stance, with your feet shoulder-width apart, allowing for quick movements in any direction.

Ball control is a vital aspect of ping pong. Practice various strokes, including forehand drives, backhand shots, and basic spins. Start with slow and controlled shots, gradually increasing the speed and spin as you become more comfortable. Regular practice sessions, even for short durations, will help improve your hand-eye coordination and overall game.

Strategies and Tactics

While casual ping pong emphasizes fun rather than intense competition, having a few strategies and tactics up your sleeve can enhance your gameplay. Positioning is crucial—try to maintain an optimal distance from the table to have better control and reaction time. Additionally, practice your footwork to move efficiently and reach shots effectively.

Anticipating your opponent's shots is another key aspect. Pay attention to their body movements, racket angle, and shot selection patterns. This will allow you to react faster and better predict their shots. Exploit weaknesses, such as their weaker side or susceptibility to certain types of shots, to gain an advantage during rallies.

Fun Game Variations

To add excitement and variety to casual ping pong matches, explore different game variations. Doubles play is an excellent option, allowing for teamwork and more dynamic rallies. 

You can also try games like "Around the World," where players take turns hitting the ball to different spots on the table, aiming to cover the entire table in the fewest shots possible. 

Another popular variation is "King of the Table," where the winner stays on the table to face new challengers while others rotate in to compete for the crown. These variations introduce new challenges and keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Creating a Casual Ping Pong Community

Building a casual ping pong community can enhance your playing experience and provide opportunities for regular matches and friendly competitions. Consider organizing ping pong nights with friends, family, or coworkers, where you can gather and enjoy friendly matches together. Establish a rotating schedule to ensure everyone gets a chance to play.

You can also explore local ping pong clubs or social groups dedicated to casual play. These communities often organize events, tournaments, or leagues specifically for recreational players. Joining such groups allows you to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from experienced players, and participate in a more structured ping pong environment.

Staying Engaged and Progressing

To stay motivated and continue progressing in casual ping pong, it's essential to set personal goals and track your progress. Identify areas of your game that you want to improve and set specific targets. For example, you might aim to enhance your backhand shots or increase consistency in your serves. Break down your goals into smaller, achievable steps, and celebrate your successes along the way.

There are various resources available to aid in your skill development. Online tutorials, instructional videos, and articles can provide valuable insights and techniques. Additionally, consider attending local ping pong clinics or workshops led by experienced coaches who can provide personalized guidance and feedback.

Remember, the key to improvement is consistent practice. Set aside regular practice sessions, even if they are short, to work on your skills and reinforce your muscle memory. Practice with players of different skill levels to challenge yourself and learn from their playing styles.

Conclusion

Casual ping pong offers a fantastic way to have fun, socialize, and improve your ping pong skills without the pressure of intense competition. By understanding the basics, investing in suitable equipment, and practicing regularly, you can elevate your casual ping pong game and enjoy more rewarding matches.

Embrace the spirit of friendly competition, respect your opponents, and explore different game variations to keep the gameplay exciting. Building a casual ping pong community and setting personal goals will help you stay engaged and motivated. 

Whether you play with friends, family, or join local ping pong clubs, casual ping pong provides an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for players of all skill levels.

So, grab your paddle, gather your friends, and embark on an incredible journey of casual ping pong, where fun, camaraderie, and improvement await!

Recommended Ping Pong Tables for Serious Players

"Professional" or "Serious ping pong players" are strict when it comes to their training especially to the table that is going to be used on their practice. They strictly follow the official rules that are being regulated by the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation).

What exactly is the reason why serious players cannot use just ordinary tables on their training?

Ordinary ping pong tables actually have many differences when compared to the tables used by the professionals in international competitions (such as in the Olympics). Here are the following differences between them:

1. Table Top Dimensions

The official ping pong table dimensions must be exactly 5 ft by 9 ft with a height of 2.49 ft. But for the ordinary ping pong tables, they have varied sizes.

2. Smooth Table Top/Surface

The table top or surface should be well inspected which must be perfectly smooth. You have to know that a table with smooth surface gives better control over the ball. Unfortunately, most outdoor ping pong tables are designed with rough surfaces. It's for this reason why professional players only play indoors.

As for the ordinary type of tables, most manufacturers focused on durability and less on the quality. Thus, they most likely have rough surfaces.

3. Bounce of the Ball

To test the table surface if it meets the ITTF's criteria regarding about how the ball must properly bounce back upon impact, a standard ball must be dropped at a height of 30 cm from the table top. As a result, the ball must bounce back in vertical direction and its first bounce must reach a height of at least 23 cm. Most ordinary ping pong tables fails to meet this criteria.

4. Height of the Net

ITTF had stated that the official height of the net must be fixed at exactly 6 inches high. But for casual players, they may choose to make the necessary adjustment according to their compatibility or playing comfort.

5 Top Lists of Ping Pong Table for Professionals

Here are the top 5 following lists of ping pong tables in the market that are preferred and recommended by most professional players:

1. Sportcraft Ping Pong Table

"Sportcraft ping pong tables" has already been around for several years in the market. Today, it is considered as one of the top sport brand that manufactures tables with supreme strength and durability. Their tables also comes in two different versions which can be "Portable" or "Fixed" type of table.

Portable tables can be folded in half for easy storage that doesn't take too much space. Fixed type of tables is the opposite.

Overall, most Sportcraft tables follow the official table dimensions recognized by the ITTF organization.

2. Stiga Ping Pong Table

Most "Stiga ping pong tables" are designed by the manufacturers as portable types but most importantly, they followed the ITTF table standards. Although, Stiga tables are quite heavy to move around without the rollers. The heavy weight of the table are actually due to the durable materials used.

3. Kettler Ping Pong Table

"Kettler" sport brand is owned by a German Company where they are running their company for quite some time. They actually gained their reputation in manufacturing good quality of ping pong tables because of their good structural designs which follows the ITTF standards. And just like Stiga brands, they mostly produce portable tables.

4. MD Sport Ping Pong Table

The pride of "MD Sport" brand are the perfectly smooth-finishing of their table tops. As already mentioned above, a smooth table surface gives a good bounce of the ball. And apart from the smoothness of the table surface, the leg-supports are enhanced with sturdy metallic materials which ensures stability of the table while at play.

5. Prince Ping Pong Table

When it comes to positive feedback from the satisfied customers, the "Prince" sport brand has the higher number. Although, there were still a few negative feedbacks but none of them concerns about the quality of the table. Those issues were all about the confusing instructions from the manual.

Overall, those are the top 5 ping pong table brands that most professionals or serious players do recommend for beginners who are aiming to become a pro.

Suitable Size of a Ping Pong Table Room

Before you intend to buy or build your own ping pong table, it is important that you already have an appropriate room for it. Your first priority is to make sure that the room must have enough spaces for the players to move around their playing corners. You have to know that an appropriate room makes the game a lot more enjoyable to play.

If it happens that you have an extra room such as an empty storage or garage room, you need to measure it if the table could fit inside the room with extra spaces for the players to move. Thus, you need to take the dimensional size of the table that you intend to buy or build (recognized official ping pong table dimensions is 9 feet length by 5 feet wide) then, layout an imaginary size of the table at the center of the room and check if there is sufficient space for the players movements. So if your garage or storage room doesn't have enough room then you might consider renovating it.

There is actually no official standard about the required playing space of ping pong. What's really important is that both competing players should be able to freely move around performing their movements without any restrictions.

Here are the following suggested measurements for the playing space of ping pong:

1. Playing Ping Pong just for Fun

If your purpose of owning a ping pong table is simply to have fun with your family and friends then an added extra space of 5 to 6 ft from both end-lines of the table is suggested. As for the sides, a space of at least 3 ft is already good enough. These suggested measurements is appropriate for two players only.

For a room to accommodate four players (doubles), you have to add at least 8 to 9 ft extra space from the end-lines of the table. And at the sides, the space must be at least 4 to 5 ft.

2. Robot Training

"Robot Training" is usually for single players only where they don't need any training partner.

Most ping pong tables manufactured today actually offers the feature where it can be folded into half. And to perform a robot training, the other half of the table can be folded vertically. This folded part of the table will act as the wall that causes the ball to bounce back into the player's corner.

A room intended for robot training requires a smaller size of room as compared to the setup mentioned above. For beginners, at least 2 meters space from the end-line of the table is suggested while for the intermediate and advance players (particularly defenders and loopers), the suggested space must be at least 4 to 5 meters.

3. Intermediate and Advance Players

According to the official stated rule of table tennis sport (rule 3.02.03.01), the suggested playing space or room for intermediate and advance players must be rectangular with the following dimensions:

a. 46 ft Long

b. 23 ft Wide

c. 16.4 High

If your room have more than enough space, you can setup a large net that takes the above dimensions.

Moreover, table tennis or ping pong is a fast-paced type of sport that requires movement behind the table's sides playing-corner. It's due to this reason why it's really important that the room must have enough space.

Ping Pong Table Cleaning Procedure | Simple Steps

Cleaning a ping pong table is actually easy that the even a ten year-old kid can do it all by himself. Although, the proper way of cleaning the surface of the table must be properly observed. You have to know that the table surface are made out of very delicate materials. Any scratches or cracks on it can affect how the ball bounces off especially when it lands directly on them.

It is important for you to know that when cleaning your ping pong table, you should avoid applying strong chemical solvents because it can possibly damage the paint and wooden surface of the table board. The use of "Natural Cleaning Solvents" are best advised over "Artificial Cleaning Solvents".

Here are the following simple steps on how to clean your ping pong table:

1. Take Off the net from the Table

Ping Pong Table Net

The very first step of cleaning your ping pong table is to take-off the net. Most "Net-Posts" are designed by the manufacturers to firmly stretch the net apart. Stretching the net are due to the adjustable screws which tightly grips both ends of the net. Thus, you will need a Screwdriver to loosen those screws. Once unscrewed, you can now remove the net.

2. Chemical Agents for Cleaning Purposes

There are various cleaning agents for ping pong tables that are available in the market today. And as stated above, it's best to choose those Natural type of cleaning products. Assuming that you have purchased a cleaning solvent to use, you have to read the instructions carefully and follow the details on how to properly apply it.

Bowl of Water and Vinegar

If you want to save money, you can actually use a mixture of water and vinegar. What you have to do is to fill a container with an "equal" amount of water and vinegar. Mix the two components well for about 1 to 2 minutes and when it's done, it can now be applied.

3. Clean Soft Cloth

Clean Cloth

You will need a soft clean cloth that you no longer use. This will be used for wiping the table surface. Once you have it, soak the cloth into your cleaning agent then squeeze it firmly until none of the liquid drips down from the cloth.

4. Wiping the Table

The proper way to wipe the surface of the table is to do it in circular motion. If you are a right-handed person, swipe the table surface in a counter-clockwise direction. As for the left-handed, do it in a clockwise direction.

Make sure that you do not miss any portion of the table. Keep on wiping the board until it is clearly clean enough with your visible eyes. When it's done, you can also cover the other body parts of the table such as its legs, sides, bottom edges and corners.

Wiping the Table

After wiping the whole table, you will need another piece of clean cloth. This time, you need to soak it on a plain clean water. Wipe the table surface for the second time until the vinegar contents are removed. Once done, do the same on the remaining parts of the table.

5. Washing the Net

Again, if you have purchased a cleaning agent then you can use it to wash the net. But just like the step on number 2, an alternative method is to use a mixture of an equal amount of water and vinegar.

Assuming that you have prepared a mixture of water and vinegar, submerge the net completely into the mixture. Offer the net for at least 15 minutes before taking it out.

After 15 minutes period of waiting, take the net and hang it out until it gets dry.

Going back into the table, it is suggested that you cover it entirely or keep it into a proper storage room. This is to prevent dust and other elements from starting to accumulate on it.

Moreover, cleaning a ping pong table is actually a part of being a disciplined player. If the table is heavily being used regularly then it is best suggested to clean it after its last use of the day. But if you simply play once in awhile, you can clean it every once a week.

Play Table Tennis | Good Places in London

Did you know that according to some sources, the original inventor of table tennis were a group of British soldiers back in the 1800s? Despite of this rumored claim, table tennis in the UK is not really a quite popular type of sport. It's probably due to the reason that there are only few places in London that offers training facilities or playing ground to all interested players.

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A perfect room to play table tennis

In my searches, I came across several good places in London to play table tennis. Check them out on this following list:

1. Bounce - 121 Holborn, EC1N2TD

In order for you to play table tennis or ping pong at "Bounce", it is required to book your group consisting of at least 6 (minimum) individuals during peak hours. If you have a smaller number of group (less than 6 individuals), you are allowed to book your schedule during the off-peak hours only.

What makes Bounce one of the best place to play table tennis is that, they always have free tables for the purpose of serving them to any walk-in guests or players.

Prices:

Off-Peak L10.00 (30 mins) and L18.00 (60 mins)

On-Peak L13.00 (30 mins) and L26.00 (60 mins)

Schedule:

Monday to Saturday before 6 PM. Sunday off-peak all day! (12 PM to 11 PM).

Official Website:

http://www.bouncepingpong.com/

2. Ping - 180-184 Earl's Court Rd, SW5 9QG

"Ping" is an interesting place to play table tennis along with your family or friends because it offers a perfect game room with kitchen and bar. In short, it's a good place to have some fun, relax and unwind.

Official Website:

http://www.weloveping.com/

3. Pongathon - Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6LA

"Pongathon" is actually a social playground that is dedicated to all ping pong lovers. What makes Pongathon unique is that, it they feature surprising events. Some of these events include Tournament Play, Private Play, Challenge Pongbot, Record Attempts, Mini Challenge and Pro Players.

Official Website:

http://www.pongathon.com/

Cheap Places in London to Play Table Tennis

You may find the above lists quite expensive from your pocket but on this following list offers alternative places with cheaper prices.

1. Barnet - BTTC

"BTTC" (Barnet Table Tennis Club) is open to any adult players with learning disabilities. What makes them an interesting table tennis club is that they have partnership with the Special Olympics Barnet.

For more information about BTTC, contact Lindsay Wilson at Barnet Mencap (020-8349-3842).

2. Bromley - Kemnal Table Tennis Club

Bromley's Kemnal Table Tennis Club is open to all ages including individuals with disabilities. The exact location of the club is at the Sports Hall, Kemnal Technology College, Sevenoaks Way, Sidcup DA14 5AA.

For more information, contact Len Pilfold (0208-850-3910).

3. Croydon - Monks Hill Table Tennis Club

For more information about Croydon's Monks Hill Table Tennis Club, contact Mr. Lan Moir (020-8657-1457).

4. Kingston - Graham Spicer Table Tennis Club

For more information about Kingston's Graham Spicer Table Tennis Club, contact Jane Barella (0202-8287-9346).

5. Islington - Finsbury Table Tennis Club

Islinton's Finsbury Table Tennis Club also offer Junior Coaching.

For more information about Finsbury Table Tennis Club, contact Sanket Shah (020-7253-2346).

6. Enfield - Ellenborough Table Tennis Club

For more information about Enfield's Ellenborough Table Tennis Club, contact Sylvia Tyler (01673-8435655).

If it happens that you know some other good places to play table tennis in London that has not been mentioned on the list above, feel free to suggest them on the Comment Form provided below.

Common Table Tennis Injuries

Unlike most popular sports such as basketball and soccer, table tennis is a "non-contact" type of sport. This means that players don't have to physically touch, push or hold one another. But despite of no physical contact involve, injuries may still occur.

Here are some of the common injuries that may happen while playing table tennis:

1. Slipping Down on the Floor

Table tennis or ping pong is a fast-paced type of sport which involve quick body movement. With such speed, try to imagine yourself that you suddenly slipped down on the floor. You will surely suffer a painful impact on the floor's hard surface. And depending on how you land on the floor, the consequence can be severe.

Most slippage accidents actually results in dislocations of joints. In some rare cases are head-cuts. It's because there are some instances that when a certain player slipped, his or her head will land on the table. Chances are, the player's head might hit the corner-edge of the table which results into a cut.

Some common reason why slipping accidents occur are drops of water, sweats (from previous players) and any other liquids that are unnoticed on the floor. Thus, before you intend to play, always make sure that the floor is thoroughly cleaned before using it.

2. Unstable Table

Most common manufactured tables these days are those with rollers which allows you to move it around without any help from another individual. Other than the roller, the table can also be folded inwards for storage so that it does not take too much space. There's actually a threat with this two features of the table.

First, there are some instances that the person who setup the table may fail to properly lock the roller-brakes. The accident occur when players begins to play. Their movements (especially jumping) can cause the roller-breaks to be released. And as a result, the table could hit one of the players in such a bad way.

Second, there are really some players who have the bad habit of sitting or leaning on the table. So if it happens that the table is the foldable-type and it isn't properly locked, the table won't be able to support the weight of the sitting or leaning individual which will most likely collapse.

3. Cracked Blade

There was one of my experience about a cracked blade incident that I couldn't forget. It was when one fellow member of our table tennis club had forgot to bring his own paddle. Unfortunately, none of us had an extra paddle to lend it to him. The only available paddle was the old paddle with a small crack on its blade laying around the storage room.

Being too lazy to go back home, he took and used the old paddle.

After playing for about 15 minutes, the blade suddenly snapped and it went flying up into the ceiling and landed right onto the head of one of the spectators from the bleachers. Thus, the moral lesson is not to use broken or cracked blade.

4. Stepping on the Balls

Some players may be training themselves with "Multi-Balls". These is a type of training where the player receives multiple served balls to improve their counter shot skill. As a result, some of the balls that fell may roll under nearby tables with other unaware players playing on it.

An accident occur when one of the player from the nearby tables will step on the ball resulting into slippage.

5. Collision with another Individual

You have to know that when a certain player is playing or practicing, he is fully concentrated on his front view but isn't aware on his back. However, the common accident that usually happens is that, there are some individuals who choose to walk or pass behind a busy player. If it happens that the player aggressively move backward at the same time that another person is passing behind, the collision between the two could result into a potential serious injury.

6. Body Pain due to Stress

Some players are putting too much effort into their practice where they often ignore stress or body pain. You have to know that everyone has its own limits. If you choose to exceed the limitation of your body, this could result into some serious life-time body pain conditions.

Such body pains are the following:

a. Lower back pain
b. Knee joint pain
c. Wrist joint pain
d. Shoulder joint pain
e. Ankle joint pain

Table Tennis Training Camp

Are you serious about playing table tennis sport? If you do then you might want to consider enrolling at a training camp because it's the best place to develop and improve your playing skills. You have to know that there are a lot of things that you can really learn from a training camp rather than relying on your own.

Training on your own does offers you the comfort of staying at your home. However, there is a very high tendency that your attention will be distracted or diverted into other forms of activities around your house. One common example of such diversion is when you close friend or friendly neighbor suddenly pays you a surprising visit. So instead of being able to practice, you end up chatting with your friends.

At the training camp, there are trainers who are supervising the members of players on their practice. They ensure that their concentration are never to be distraction. The trainers are also professional coaches who can teach their members the basics and proper way of playing table tennis.

What do Training Camps Offer?

All training camps has only one goal. This is to help the members develop their skills at the top level of their performances. Thus, it is actually where all players begin their journey towards becoming a pro.

Here are the following features that a good training camp offers to their members:

1. Stretching

Table tennis is a fast paced type of sport which requires speedy movements. Due to this reason, it is important for players to have good flexibility. Why? It is to reduce possible injuries into your joints such as spraining your ankles. All training camps actually requires players to perform physical "stretches" to Warm-Up (or Cool-Down) before starting their proper training.

2. Physical Condition

"Physical Condition" has something to do with stamina and endurance. You have to know that no matter how good you are at playing table tennis but you lack the required stamina and endurance, you end up being defeated in the long run. In fact, this is a very common issue to all new players.

At first, a certain player may perform quite well on his match from the start. But assuming that he lacks the necessary stamina and endurance, his performance will start to degrade reducing down his speed which affects body movement and footwork.

Through training camps, couches ensures proper physical training that can greatly improve both stamina and endurance. Some of these training includes jogging, swimming, bicycling, country skiing and etc...

3. Training Schedule

Everyone has their own other important activities that they need to attend aside from playing table tennis. It's for this reason why training camps will help you establish a weekly schedule of your training. You have to know that it is important for you to follow your schedule while keeping a monthly or weekly logs about the improvement of your training.

4. Drills

The main purpose of a "drill" is to help you improve your footwork and placement. Footwork refers to your steps on how you move around the corner (or court) of your table. As for placement, it refers to how you carry and position yourself at the proper spot.

Beginners will be taught by trainers the drills but they have to start by doing it slow. As they progress, they have to perform the drills at a faster rate until to their limits.

5. Multi-Balls

Most training camps offers "Multi-balls". This is a type of training where you get to deal with multiple set of balls. According to the experts, this method of training can greatly improve multiple skills such as service return, speed and control.

Robots as Multi-Ball Partners

The traditional way of multi-ball training is that you need a partner who will be serving the balls. Thanks to our technology today that robots has been invented in which they serve as an excellent multi-ball training partner. Most training camps already do have these kinds of robots.

Overall, training camp is a good stepping-stone towards becoming a professional table tennis player.

Basic Rules of Serving the Ping Pong Ball

The official rules of ping pong has already been altered so many times in the past recent years to accommodate fair game-play and to make it a lot more entertaining to the audience. But for ordinary or casual players, the rules still remains very simple.

If you want to learn the basic rules, then you should read the post entitled, "Ping Pong Rules for Beginners".

So how exactly are you going to properly serve the ball?

The ball must always be above the level of the playing surface of the table which must be clearly visible to the opposing player. It must also be served behind the server's end line. Some players call the end line as the "imaginary extension". This is exactly behind the end of the table.

Once in the proper spot, the free-hand should hold the ball tossing it in an upward direction. As the ball starts to fall, the player should immediately hit it with his paddle (some people also call it "racket" or "bat").

The Number of Serves

When a new set of rules issued by the ITTF took place back in 2001, it has affected the number of serves allowed for each player. This rule was the "Official Scoring-point System" where the old 21 points system was reduced down to only 11 points.

In the old 21 points system, each player were given "five serves" each. While on the new system, each player has only "two serves" each.

Once the ball has been served into the opponent's side, the opposing player should hit it back over the net. Upon hitting it, the ball should bounce at least "once" on the server's side of the table. If the ball bounces twice or more then the server losses the point.

Double Team

Ping pong can be played by a maximum of four players. They will be competing against each other by teams consisting of 2 players on each side. In short, it's a 2-on-2 match. With the current 11 point system, the rule of serving the ball remains the same but this time, each pair of players are only given two serves.

Just like on a Single Match, the serving of the ball will alternate between the two competing teams for every two points. Another difference when playing and serving the ball on a Double Match is that, the ball must bounce only on the half portion of the table on both sides.

If it happens that the server has gained two score points, the receiver will take the place of the server and the previous server becomes the receiver.

Game Play

When the receiving side managed to hit the served ball back, the server's partner must be the one to take the counter-shot. If the shot has been successfully returned then the receiver's partner (the other player who didn't hit the served ball) own turn to hit the ball. The sequence of hitting the ball goes alternate between the two partners.

If you have some questions regarding about the rule of serving the ball that has not been covered on this post, use the Comment Form below.

How to Build your Own Ping Pong Table?

Learn how to build your own ping pong table with the following detailed set of instructions.

But first,

Prepare the following materials

- 2 pieces of 2 x 2 lumbers. Take note that there are soft and hard type of lumber. You must choose somewhere in between which is not too soft and not too hard.

- A plywood with at least 5 x 5 feet of measurements. Recommended thickness is quarter of an inch or half. Actually, the thicker the better.

- Wood saw for cutting the wooden materials.

- Screws for wood. It is not advisable to use nails.

- A net with a length of at least 6 ft and a height of 6 inches.

- Other materials that you will be needing are masking tape, wood glue, enamel paint, paint brush and clamps.

And here are the following steps:

Form the rectangular frame

The very first step on making your ping pong table is to construct the rectangle frame by using the 2 x 2 lumbers. We will be following the official ping pong table dimensions stated by the ITTF which is 9 ft long and 5 ft wide. So cut two pieces of lumbers with 9 ft lengths then cut another two pieces of lumbers but this time with 5 ft lengths.

Form a rectangular frame by attaching each ends of the lumbers using some wooden screws.

The table surface

Now that you have completed the frame, the next step is to make the table surface. If you are able to buy a plywood with 5 ft wide and 9 ft long or longer, all you have to do is to cut the excess of the length if it is longer than 9 ft then attach it on the frame. However, if the size of the plywood you bought is 5 x 5 feet then you need to cut one of the side to make it 5 x 4 feet. You will need two pairs of 5 x 4 feet plywood.

Lay the 5 x 4 feet plywood on the frame to complete the table surface. Make sure that the seam is exactly aligned at the middle. When you are sure about the alignment, you may now secure the plywood with the clamps and wood glue.

Perhaps take a minute break to allow the glue to dry completely.

Your ping pong table legs

You will need again four to six pieces of 2 x 2 lumber for the legs of your ping pong tables. Based from the ITTF, the standard height of a ping pong table must be 30 inches. This doesn't mean that you are going to cut four or six pieces 30 inches lengths of lumbers. You have to know that the thickness of the table top is included on the height. So if the table top has a thickness of 2.5 inches, you will have to deduct it to the standard height which is 30 inches. This gives you 27 and a half inches.

After cutting the legs, attach them to the table tops using the screws.

Painting the table

Commonly used color of a ping pong table are green and blue. Anyway, it actually depends on your own choice. After painting the table, you may need to take a longer break to wait for the paint to dry up.

Assuming that the paint already dried up, it's time to paint the white lines at the edges of the table including the center. The thickness of the white lines must be 3/4 inches. Use the masking tape in painting these lines.

Attach the net

Grab the net and attach it at the center of the table by using clamps. It must be 6 feet high.

Congratulations, your ping pong table is now complete. All the rest you need are your ping pong paddle, a ball and a partner to play the game.

How to Choose or Buy the Best Ping Pong Table?

Training or playing on the best ping pong table gives you the advantage of improving your skills over those poorly designed tables. Other than being able to enhance your skills, good tables also offers you the best experience of enjoying the sport. It is due to this reason why it is important to choose the best ping pong table for you to play.

There are actually two ways for you to own a ping pong table. First is to buy a readymade or premade ping pong table in the market. And second, you can either build it yourself or hire a professional carpenter to do it for you.

Build your own Ping Pong Table

If you have the time, tools, skills and materials (for the construction which can be purchased) then you can build your own ping pong table. Otherwise, you can hire a professional carpenter to build the table for you. You just have to provide him the needed materials and the design (with the dimensions) of your preferred ping pong table. If you are a serious player (who wants to join competitions someday) then it is important for you to follow the standard table dimensions recognized by the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation).

Buy a Readymade or Premade Ping Pong Table

When you do have enough extra money that you are willing to spend then you may choose to buy your own readymade or premade ping pong table. Unlike building it, there's no need to wait for your table to be fully constructed. Once you buy it, take it home then set it up and you can play right away. Although, it is not a good idea to just randomly choose any available ping pong tables on sale.

There are actually some important factors that needs to be considered when buying a ping pong table. And, they are the following:

1. Playing Area or Room

The official standard dimension of a ping pong table (ITTF Standard) must be 5 x 9 feet. Such size of table can take too much space. So if you intended of setting up your table inside a certain room, make sure that there is enough extra-space for the players to move around.

If it happens that the room is also being used for some other type of activities (such as a family gathering), you should choose the "portable type" which allows you to assemble and disassemble it. One good advantage of a portable ping pong table is that, you can set it up outside your house (perhaps in your empty backyard). And when you are done playing, you can simply disassemble it for safe storage.

What is a portable ping pong table?

A portable ping pong table is a type of table that can be easily folded. With its foldable feature, you can set it up anywhere. In fact, you can even pack it up and bring it along with you on your vacation trip.

Just to let you know, most portable ping pong tables does not follow the standard dimensions issued by the ITTF. Most of them are actually smaller in size.

Anyway, here are the following qualities that you need to check when buying your own portable ping pong table:

a. Portability

- You should choose a table that can be folded in a well-compact form where it does not take too much space or room.

b. Lightweight

- Make sure that the frame support are made of light but durable materials (such as aluminum). An average weight of a good portable ping pong table is around 18 lbs.

The advantage of a lightweight table is that, you can easily carry it around.

c. Handling

- After folding the table on its compact form, there should be a handle for easy-carrying. The handle should be made out of aluminum tubing and not just some piece of fabric or plastic that has been strapped around.

d. Height Adjustment

- Anyone should be able to play and enjoy. This is the reason why you must choose to buy the type of portable table where you can adjust the height of the table's surface. Considering that you have kids, you can adjust the height of the table's surface at their preferred playing level.

e. Accessories

- It is actually a part of our human nature that we tend to forget things. As an example, there might be some cases where you brought your portable table to a certain distant vacation place but you forgot to bring the paddles, net and the balls. Thus, you may want to choose a portable ping pong table with compartment that allows you to store the accessories.

2. Table Surface must be at least 1 inch thick

The thickness of the table must be at least 1 inch thick. It's due to the reason that table boards with less than 1 inch thickness tends to bend naturally in due time. You have to know that when the board suffered even just a slight bend, this can really affect the way how the ball bounces off.

Playing outdoors can actually contribute to the damage of the table surface of your ping pong table. The damage are often caused by natural elements such as extreme heat, cold or moisture which are common to most environments.

If you really intend to play outdoors, it is highly suggested that you should choose the type of table that is equipped with the so called "protective aluminum coating". But even though, it is still suggested that once you are done playing, you should keep it indoors.

3. Table Support

It is very important that your ping pong table remains stable right on its spot. An unstable table that is even slightly moving (which can be due to natural causes such as winds or vibration) can affect the ball to bounce at some random directions. Thus, you should choose a table with sturdy leg support.

4. Net Setup

The Net of a ping pong table can be setup either by a "permanent bracket" or "removable post". If the table you bought has the permanent bracket then you get to tie the ends of the net on it. As for the removable post, you have to attach them first on the sides of the table before you can tie the net. And most importantly, you should be able to setup the net at a height of exactly 6 inches.

5. Avoid Cheap Ping Pong Tables

If you are going to search the web, you can find several cheap ping pong tables with interesting features (as compared to the top brands) on their product description page. But based on experience, most of them are unexpectedly bad tables that you need to avoid at all possible cost.

You are probably thinking that by buying a cheap table, it can save you money. This is a complete "wrong notion" common to all individuals. In fact, you are actually wasting your money.

A cheap ping pong table may have the required ITTF standards but the quality of the materials used for the construction are surely of low qualities. In short, it won't last long enough. And as a result, you will end up spending for the repairs or worse, you need to by a new replacement.

What if you just want to have some fun?

If your main purpose of buying a cheap ping pong table is just to have some fun or to check if you have the interest in playing this particular sport then you may do so. But as a suggestion, you should choose the table that follows the ITTF standards. Take note, there are many tables out there that does not follow the official standards.

How much does a Ping Pong Table Cost?

There are so many places to check around for ping pong tables that are being sold at affordable prices. One among them is to search the internet. You can really find a lot of table products online with positive and negative feedbacks from the previous buyers or customers. However, buying a ping pong table online is highly not recommended because you won't be able to inspect if it really passes the quality requirements.

The best advice to buy a good ping pong table is to go out and visit the actual market place or shop.

Sport Shops

- A sport shop should always be your first option because they display their available ping pong tables for their customers to test and inspect.

Prices from Sport Shops ranges from $100 to $700.

Classified Ads

- You can check the classified ads and contact the nearest seller from your place. Do not agree to buy the table yet (on the phone) where you have to visit the place of the seller to conduct your inspection. Once the table passed the quality requirements then that will be the time for you to buy it.

Prices from Classified Ads ranges between $100 to $500.

Garage Sale

- If you do not have enough extra money then your best option is to check garage sales. Although, you will have a hard time in finding the a good table unless you are lucky.

Prices from Garage Sales ranges from $100 to $300.

How Much does it Cost to Build A Ping Pong Table?

Some people think that they can save more money if they are going to construct their own ping pong table. If you do then you will be surprised to know that the materials will costs more than buying a premade table from the market. Assuming that you choose high quality materials, it will surely cost you around $1000. In addition to the expensive construction materials are your time to be spend on building your table.

Moreover, owning the best ping pong table can actually save you both money and time. There are actually many cheap table products out there but most of them do not meet the qualities of a good table as discussed on this post. Overall, choose your ping pong table wisely.

Paralympic Table Tennis | Disabled Players

Table tennis sport is not only for ordinary people around but also for those individuals with physical disabilities. The ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) categorized it as the "Paralympic Table Tennis".

Recently, one paralympic player have become well-known especially when his YouTube video went viral around the internet. His name is "Ibrahim Hamato" claiming that he had achieve his amazing skill by spending countless period of time practicing and honing his skills. As a result, he had developed what most professional players call as the "feeling" for the spin and "speed" of playing the game.

Feeling is the term for the skill of being able to hit the ball without looking at either the ball or the paddle. It's for this reason why it can only be developed through a lot of constant practice that also takes a lot of time.

On Ibrahim's case, he doesn't actually have a pair of arms. He handle his paddle with his own mouth. It isn't really easy to develop a "feeling" with your playing-hands but how much more when it comes to your mouth?

One of Ibrahim's video that went viral was him playing in Cairo back in January 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPlqhj4fEY

It is a very short video clip that features Ibharim making an impressive display of hitting the ball back and forth over the net against an opponent (normal player) that was going easy on him.

At the 2014 World Team Championships held in Japan, ITTF had invited Ibharim as a guest for short matches against some of the best table tennis players in the world. Based from his performances that was witnessed by many professionals, they found out that he was playing proper strokes and applying spins that seems quite impossible to achieve.

There is actually no limit to what Ibharim can do as a table tennis player. He can block the ball pretty well, he can drive, apply spin and properly serve using his foot. But the most impressive skill that he has is that, he can tilt his head to launch an aggressive shot. It's not just an ordinary shot where there's a considerable amount of speed involved with some added spin.

Ibrahim Hamato's Early Background

At the young age, Mr. Ibrahim do actually had his two complete arms and he already has the passion of playing table tennis. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious accident at the age of 10 where he had no choice but to lose both of his arms. Since his favorite sport requires his hands to play, this reason alone didn't stopped him in pursuing his passion to continue playing table tennis.

Ibrahim tried a few experiments to himself on how to hold the paddle. At first, he tried to hold it under his arms but it didn't worked well. But after a lot of trials, he finally settled on using his mouth as the best part of his body in holding his paddle which really works amazingly great.

The story of Ibharim as a paralympic table tennis player is a great inspiration to all other disabled individuals out there. He has successfully sent a message that there is no one that can stop you from trying to achieve what you really want to accomplish.

Rules of Para Table Tennis

The official rules of paralympic (or "para") table tennis is being managed and regulated by the ITTF organization. They have actually classified disabled players on three different groups. The entire classifications is between 1 to 11.

Players classified under Class 1 to 5 are disabled players with wheelchairs. For Class 6 to 10, they are the disabled players who can stand like Ibharim. And for Class 11, they are players with intellectual disability.

Class 6 to 10

Unfortunately, disabled players who can managed to stand on their own has no exceptions to the official rules of table tennis. They follow the same rules applied to all normal players. But if the disabled player seems to have difficulties due to its physical disability, the umpire can make slight adjustments to the requirements.

Class 1 to 5

Disabled players on their wheelchair have their own laws of playing table tennis.

Serving and Receiving the Ball

- If the ball has been successfully served, the ball need to touch the receiver's court. Otherwise, the player who served the ball loses the point.

- A score point is earned by the serving player if the ball bounces for more than twice or if it comes to rest on the receiver's court.

- During a rally, any of the disabled player can place their hand on the table's surface specifically after a shot. This is to allow them to recover their position.

Playing Doubles

Disabled players on their wheelchairs can also play Doubles. The serving procedure remains the same so as for the receivers or opposing team. But the difference (from the official rules) is that, either of the disabled pair of players can hit and return the ball. (*Official rules for normal players requires the pair of players to alternately receive the ball.)

In addition to receiving or returning the ball, it is important that the players' wheelchairs should not go beyond the imaginary extension of the table's center line. If this happens, the umpire will automatically award the point to the opposing team.

Body Positions on the Wheelchair

Disabled players on their wheelchair doesn't just have to pay attention to the other rules mentioned above. They also need to observe their body positions as they play because improper positions could get them penalized causing them to lose a score point. Here are the following positions that the players must avoid while at play:

- When striking the ball, the back of the player's thigh must be resting or at least maintain minimum contact on the seat or cushion.

- The player must avoid touching the table's surface before striking the ball. Although, the player is free to touch the table but "after" hitting the ball out from his or her court.

- It is important that the player should avoid resting or touching the floor with his or her foot during the match.

Approved Wheelchairs

ITTF have issued an official requirements that is approved for the competition. First of these requirements is that, the wheelchair must have at least two large wheels and one small wheel consisting of three total wheels. If it happens that one of the wheels got dislodged or malfunctioned, the match will be immediately stopped by the umpire awarding the point to the opposing player.

The second requirement is about the height of the cushion. It is required that one or maximum of two cushions must have a limited height of up to 15 cm.

And third, no part of the body which is above the knee can be attached to the chair. It is because according to some experts, this can improve the balance of the player which seems to be unfair.

Moreover, if you are one among the disabled table tennis player especially a beginner, then you may want to consider joining Disability Awareness Training programs. These programs involve workshops and practical courses tutored by some professional paralympians.