Table Tennis FAQs
Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a fast-paced indoor sport played by two or four players who hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table divided by a net. Players use small paddles to strike the ball, aiming to score points by making the ball bounce on the opponent's side of the table without them returning it.
Table Tennis Plyometric Exercises
- Stand to one side of it in your standard table tennis stance.
- Then bend down and jump onto the box.
- Try to land softly before stepping back off the box and repeating.
- Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and lower into a squat.
- Place your hands on the ground in front of you.
- Kick your feet back into a plank position, keeping your body straight.
- Do a push-up if you want an extra challenge.
- Bring your feet back to your hands, returning to the squat.
- Jump up, reaching your arms overhead.
- This time you need to stand beside the bench and you’ll be jumping clear over it.
- Once you land, immediately jump back over to your starting position.
- Then repeat.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower into a squat, keeping your chest up and knees over your toes.
- Explode upward, jumping off the ground.
- As you jump, bring your feet together.
- Land back into the squat position, feet shoulder-width apart
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Lunge back with your right foot, lowering your body until both knees are at 90 degrees.
- Explode upward, switching legs mid-air.
- Land in a lunge with your left foot back.
Table Tennis Shots
- An offensive stroke that is used to force errors and to set up attacking positions. A successful shot should land close to your opponent's baseline or sideline.
- An attacking shot, played with a little bit of topspin.Perfect for quick counters when the ball’s on your weaker side.
- It creates a forward rotation on the ball, causing it to dip downward after crossing the net keeping your opponent on their toes.
- Generally less powerful than a forehand topspin but can be executed more quickly and it’s ideal for creating angles.
- A difficult defensive shot that requires the player to strike downwards on the back and underneath the ball to create backspin.
- A defensive shot that many players resort to when trying to negotiate spin.
- Perfect for returning short balls with a bit of cheeky aggression.
- A fast, hard and powerful stroke that aims to force the opponent away from the table or to win a point.
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Backspin Serve:
- A type of spin where the ball rotates backwards (in the opposite direction to the direction of flight) as it travels through the air.
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Topspin Serve:
- The player hits the ball with a downward motion towards the table, causing the ball to spin downward and forward, giving it spin and a fast bounce down the court.
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Sidespin Serve:
- The use of sidespin makes it harder for the receiver to tell how much backspin is on the ball.
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Pendulum Serve:
- A classic serve with spin variety,backspin, topspin, or sidespin!
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Fast Serve:
- Surprise your opponent with a quick serve straight to the baseline.
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High Toss Serve:
- A high toss helps you hit from different angles, but it also forces players to push off harder and adds more power to their shot.
Table Tennis Essential Kit
- Your trusty sidekick for epic rallies and match-winning smashes.
- Recommended product: Carlton Contest Table Tennis Set
- Because you'll want to keep the game rolling all night long
- Recommended product: Carlton Club Table Tennis Balls 6 Pack
- For impromptu matches anywhere, anytime
- Recommended product: Carlton Net and Post Set
- Look good, feel good, play great
- Recommended Shirt for Men: Nike Dri FIT Court Mens Tennis Polo Shirt
- Recommended Shirt for Women: adidas Club Womens Polo Shirt
- Recommended Bottom for Men: Yonex Mens Shorts
- Recommended Bottom for Women: Puma Womens Performance Shorts
- To help you dance around the table with finesse
- Recommended Court Shoes for Men: Asics Upcourt 5 Mens Court Shoes
- Recommended Court Shoes for Women: Asics Gel Rocket 11 Womens Court Shoes
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To carry your gear in style
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Recommended product: Under Armour Undnible DuffleMD Sn00
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Keep that game face fresh and focused
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Recommended product: Nike Dri Fit 4.0 Head Tie
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Stay hydrated, stay in the zone
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Recommended product: Everlast XL Motivational Hydration Bottle