Table Tennis

I was recently reminiscing about the good old days of junior high school and thought about the two or three table tennis or ping-pong tables we had on the eight grade patio area.

If you were an eighth grader, you were allowed to play ping-pong before classes started or at other times when you had a few free minutes. Rackets and ping-pong balls could be borrowed at the school’s office but they had to be returned. The eight graders always called the game ping-pong and the rackets were called paddles.

If a seventh grader, dared step on the special patio area, then for punishment he or she had to scrub the area with a toothbrush or get a swat with a paddle, (not a ping-pong paddle but a huge thick board). I once saw a kid on his knees scrubbing a block.

More on Table Tennis

Table tennis is also known as ping-pong or in some areas whiff-whaff. It is played with two or four players with a light-weight ball and small rackets. Table tennis is played indoors or outdoors but you need a table with a net.

The history goes back to John Jacques when in 1901, he registered the ping-pong game as a trademark in England. He then sold the rights to Parker Brothers, a well-known America game company.

Table tennis players often compete in team leagues with cup competitions

It’s not always the case, but the black side of the paddle gives the ball a better spin. The red side of the paddle makes the ball go faster. So the red side is for the attack and the black side for defense.

To play in competition, you need an approved racket, but not to fear, you can also make your own racket.

Ending Notes

Anyway, one person I know recently took up the game thinking what an easy winnable sport for a young guy.

Well this is not the case, as he told tales of being beaten in the game by very young kids and also by a 70-year-old lady.

Table tennis takes skill, coordination, and quick hand movements plus a good mental attitude and it, also, doesn’t hurt to hire a coach.

Resource Sites: Wikipedia

Note for Trail Diva, who went to the same school, but never saw the game tables. Yes, it is true. It did happen.