A table tennis racket is used by table tennis players. It is usually made from laminated wood covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the player's grip. Unlike a conventional "racket", it does not include strings strung across an open frame. Though the official ITTF term is "racket", [1] the US generally uses the term "paddle", while Europe and Asia use the term "bat".
Table tennis regulations approved by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) allow different surfaces on each side of the paddle for varying amount of spin (including nullifying it) or speed. [2] For example, a player may have a spin-heavy rubber on one side of their paddle, and no spin on the other side. The player can flip the racket during play for different types of returns. To help a player distinguish between different types of rubber used by their opponent, regulations specify that one side of a paddle must be red, blue, violet, pink, or green while the other must be black, allowing a player to see what side of a paddle hits the ball mid-play. The player has the right to inspect their opponent's racket before a match to see the type and color. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the paddle cannot be exchanged for another at any time during a match.
The rubber coating may be of pimpled rubber, with the pimples outward, or it may be composed of a sponge layer, covered by rubber that may have the pimples pointed inwards or outwards. Some paddles are not covered with rubber ("naked") to make them spin-resistant. However, these are not approved for competition play by the ITTF. Some types of rubbers are also not approved. Approved rubbers have the ITTF emblem on the base of the rubber. [1]
Players have many options and variations in rubber sheets on their racket. Although a racket may be purchased assembled with rubber by the manufacturer, most serious tournament players will use a custom racket. A player selects a blank blade (i.e., a racket without rubber) based on their playing style. The type of wood or synthetic layers used to make up the blade will determine the blade's speed. The different types of rubber sheets affect the level of spin, speed, and other specific playing characteristics. Racket construction and new rubber technology contribute significantly to the amount of deviation from the expected ball flight path. [3]
Normally, a sheet of rubber is glued to a blade using table tennis brand glues such as STIGA, Butterfly, Donic, or DHS. Some glues may work even if they are not designed specifically for table tennis rackets, such as rubber cement and tear mender. [4] The rubber is not removed until it wears out or becomes damaged. In the 1980s, some players developed a new technique with a special glue called speed glue to apply the rubber every time they played. [5] The glue would help provide more spin and speed by providing a "catapult" effect[ citation needed ]. Speed glue and all other compounds containing high VOC content were allowed for the last time in the 2008 Summer Olympics and are currently disallowed by ITTF regulations. [1]
The surface of a racket will develop a smooth glossy patina with use. The rubber surface needs regular cleaning to retain a high friction surface for ball spin. Commercial cleaners or water and soap can be cleaning agents. [6]
Prior to 2021, the laws of table tennis specified that one side of the bat must be red and the other black. However, in 2021 the rules were officially amended so that blue, green, purple, or pink rubber could be used in place of the red one. Nevertheless, the other side must still be black. [7]
Table tennis is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of two, players take alternating turns returning a light, hollow ball over the table's net onto the opposing half of the court using small rackets until they fail to do so, which results in a point for the opponent. Play is fast, requiring quick reaction and constant attention, and is characterized by an emphasis on spin relative to other ball sports, which can heavily affect the ball's trajectory.
A racket or racquet is a sporting equipment used to strike a ball or shuttlecock back-and-forth in games such as tennis, badminton, squash, racquetball and padel. The typical basic structure of a racket consists of a widened distal end known as the head, an elongated handle known as the grip, and an reinforced connection between the head and handle known as the throat or heart.
Para table tennis is a parasports which follows the rules set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The usual table tennis rules are in effect with slight modifications for wheelchair athletes. Athletes from disability groups can take part. Athletes receive classifications between 1-11. Classes 1-5 are for those in wheelchairs and classes 6-10 for those who have disabilities that allow them to play standing. Within those groups, the higher classification means the more function the athlete has. Class 11 is defined for players with an intellectual disability.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is the governing body for all national table tennis associations. The role of the ITTF includes overseeing rules and regulations and seeking technological improvement for the sport of table tennis. The ITTF is responsible for the organization of numerous international competitions, including the World Table Tennis Championships that has continued since 1926.
A billiard table or billiards table is a bounded table on which cue sports are played. In the modern era, all billiards tables provide a flat surface usually made of quarried slate, that is covered with cloth, and surrounded by vulcanized rubber cushions, with the whole thing elevated above the floor. More specific terms are used for specific sports, such as snooker table and pool table, and different-sized billiard balls are used on these table types. An obsolete term is billiard board, used in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two (singles) or four (doubles) players hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits an infraction. Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors. It was invented in 1965 as a children's backyard game in the United States, on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington.
This page is a glossary of tennis terminology.
Table tennis is unique among racket sports in that it supports a wide variety of playing styles and methods of gripping the racket, at even the highest levels of play. This article describes some of the most common table tennis grips and playing styles seen in competitive play. The playing styles listed in this article are broad categories with fuzzy boundaries, and most players will possess some combination of these styles while leaning towards a "favorite". Many advanced players will also add some "special" shots of their own.
In ball sports, topspin or overspin is a property of a ball that rotates forwards as it is moving. Topspin on a ball propelled through the air imparts a downward force that causes the ball to drop, due to its interaction with the air. Topspin is the opposite of backspin.
In table tennis, speed glue is a glue that is used to re-fix the rubber surfaces to the racket or paddle. Speed glue is usually applied around 30 minutes before a match starts. The use of speed glue has been found to increase the elasticity of the racket, which adds speed and spin to the ball.
Wang Tao is a retired Chinese table tennis player, the current head coach of the Bayi Gongshang club in the China Table Tennis Super League, and a member of the Chinese Olympic Committee. Wang Tao is a left-handed player who utilizes the shakehand grip, known for using short pimpled rubber on his backhand and regular inverted rubber on his forehand. Due to the special characteristics of short pimpled rubber being able to hit through and resist spin, Wang Tao's play style is unique, as he was able to rely on the quick hitting motion on his backhand to directly attack serves with heavy spin or make controlled shots at wide angles against his opponents. Wang Tao positions himself close to the table, attacking with great speed and surprising his opponents with unexpected shots.
Four wall paddleball, or paddleball, is a popular court sport in the Upper Midwest of the United States, on the West Coast of the U.S. and in the Memphis, Tennessee area. It is played with a paddle and small rubber ball on a standard handball or racquetball court, with similar rules to those sports.
A serve in tennis is a shot to start a point. A player will hit the ball with a racquet so it will fall into the diagonally opposite service box without being stopped by the net. Normally players begin a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side. If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper service box, it is called a let; this is not a legal serve in the major tours although it is also not a fault. Players normally serve overhead; however serving underhand is allowed. The serve is the only shot a player can take their time to set up instead of having to react to an opponent's shot; however, as of 2012, there is a 25-second limit to be allowed between points.
Tibor Klampár is a male former international table tennis player from Hungary.
Table squash is a sport for two players which is an evolution of table tennis and uses similar rules and equipment. The game is played by placing a table tennis table against a playing wall with the net remaining on the table perpendicular to the wall. Each player stands on the opposite side of the table facing the wall on either side of an imaginary line as if the net was extended backwards. Players each use table tennis rackets and take turns to play a table tennis ball off the playing wall onto the table on the opponents side of the net, except on serves where the ball must first bounce on the servers side of the net on the table.
Table tennis in the United States is regulated by USA Table Tennis. USATT Historian Tim Boggan has written a volume of books entitled “History of U.S. Table Tennis” to give the readers a brief overview of how the sport of table tennis came to be. There are a total of 19 books in the series. Table tennis was initially considered an alternative to lawn tennis at parties and events. However, the rapid rise in popularity of table tennis reached worldwide and caught attention in the United States. In 1993, the official governing body of the United States Table Tennis Association was created. The sport was not named ping pong since that name was already taken from by the Parker Brothers. The non-profit corporation version of the United States Table Tennis Association truncated their name to “USA Table Tennis”.
Table tennis rubber is a type of rubber used as covering on a racket in table tennis. Modern table tennis rubber is usually composed of two layers: a layer of foam ("sponge") underneath and a layer of actual rubber on the surface. There are four common types of table tennis rubbers: short pips, long pips, antispin, and inverted. The thickness and density of the sponge layer underneath also affects how the rubber will handle the ball.
Bernard Francis Hock was a table tennis "bat maker", considered a world-class pioneer in the design and fabrication of table tennis rackets. Many of the great American players of the classic "Table Tennis Era" exclusively used Hock rackets. Hock is remembered as a true craftsman. In 1977, Sports Illustrated described Hock as the "Stradivarius of bats".
