

Only this time, face sideways so that your non-paddle shoulder points toward the other player. Stand like you’re about to serve the ball for a forehand shot. Each player serves five times, and then the serve goes to their opponent. Toss the ball up for a serve, and let it bounce one time before hitting it. Lean forward a bit, using your non-paddle hand to keep balance. Shift your weight to the balls of your feet, and keep your knees slightly bent. Stand far enough from the table so that your arm and paddle can be fully extended. Simply tighten your grip for more powerful shots. You’ll want to grip the handle firmly, but keep it relaxed. Close your fingers around the handle, and use your forefinger and thumb for control. The paddle’s handle should rest between your thumb and forefinger, and its face should point up like your thumb. Then extend your fingers but keep your thumb pointing up. Hold your arm out in front of you – like you’re about to shake hands.
HOW TO BECOME A TABLE TENNIS PRO HOW TO
It’s also a good idea to rest in between training sessions so that your body can relax and your muscles can recover from the workout!įirst, you’ll need to know how to stand and hold your paddle.

So when playing table tennis, make sure you play by the rules and stay alert. Play it Safeĭuring any physical activity, it’s always important to play it safe! Understanding the rules of a game always helps, and you should do things like stretching to help prevent injuries. These new balls allowed people to play with more bounce and at a much faster pace which helped to turn the game into a competitive sport. Once hollow, plastic balls replaced the cork and rubber balls originally used, the game became popular in North America too. It’s believed that table tennis began in England where people used common household objects like corks and box lids to play. In fact, it started at the end of the 19th century. Table tennis is a pretty new when you compare it to sports like running or soccer. AND, they have to have super hand-eye coordination! Table tennis is played at a very fast pace – some people even say it’s the fastest ball sport in the world! This makes it really challenging and requires athletes to be in great shape. But did you know table tennis, also called Ping-Pong, is one of the most popular competitive sports in the world? It can be very different from what you might play at school or at home with friends. This way, players can always tell which side of the paddle their opponent is using.Ĭhances are, you’ve played table tennis at school or at a friend’s house. Even if a player chose different textures for each side of the paddle, official regulations require one side to be red and one side to be black. This allows players to hit the ball at different speeds and with different types of spin. Often times the rubber sheets are made with different textures. Each side is covered with a sheet of rubber. Paddles, sometimes called rackets, are mostly made of wood.
HOW TO BECOME A TABLE TENNIS PRO PROFESSIONAL
The balls used in tournaments and during professional competitions are made of plastic and are hollow inside. A six-inch net is used to divide the table in half. The tables that are used look a lot like a tennis court – they are usually rectangular and green with white lines. You’ll need the right equipment to get started.
