Table Tennis

Table Tennis - Ping Pong Tips

Could a game started with Champagne corks and box lids eventually bring world peace? The game commonly called 'ping pong' did ease international relations when, in 1971, the Chinese invited American table tennis players to tour their country. These players were the first Americans to enter China in over 20 years! Visit our Dazadi-Pedia guide for more table tennis history.

Below are a few tried and true ping pong tips:

Two of the most important and hardest skills to master to be a great ping pong player are offensive and defensive strokes.

Examples of Offensive Strokes are the smash and loop

The smash stroke is exactly what it sound s like- a hit with large back swing with as much speed as possible. An effective smash stroke makes the ball move so quickly that an opponent can not return it. The ideal moment to execute a smash is when a opponent has returned a ball that bounces too high or close to the net.

The loop stroke is a hit that grazes the ball which results in a topspin. This creates an arc that once the ball hits the opponent's side will then jump forward. Though this stroke is not necessarily hard to return, the topspin is likely to rebound off the opponent's racket at a high angle, setting up an easy smash stroke.

Examples of Defensive Strokes are the push and lob

The push stroke resembles most closely the tennis slice. To perform an effective push stroke the racket needs to cut beneath the ball creating a backspin and causing the ball floats to the other side of the table. A push can be difficult to return because the backspin causes the ball to drop toward the table when it strikes the opponent's racket.

The lob stroke propels the ball about fifteen feet in the air only to land on the opponent's side of the table with an impressive amount of spin. To perform an effective lob stroke, the defensive player needs to back off the table a substantial amount, then using as much force as possible to hit the ball as high as possible before it falls back to the opponent's side. Because a lob stroke can have almost any kind of spin it makes it incredibly difficult to return.

Different Types of Spins:

1. Backspin: To execute a backspin the base of the ball needs to be hit with a downward movement and causes of the ball to rotate away from the player.
2. Topspin: To execute a topspin add a wrist flick to the standard stroke. This causes the ball to arc over the net and down onto the table surface and is effective because it gives the opponent less time to respond.

Now that you have the tips it's time to get the right gear! The first step to play is to have a table and Dazadi has got a huge variety to choose from. Our selection features indoor as well as outdoor table tennis tables.

Do you have a pool table in your rec room? Maximize space with our table tennis conversion tops that will transform your pool table into a ping pong table for twice the playing fun.

Don't forget to check out our table tennis accessories for rackets, balls, cases and more. Rackets such as the Gamecraft Economy Rubber Face Table Tennis Paddle and the Gamecraft Economy Sand Paper. Not only do we carry Gamecraft Table Tennis gear but also other top trusted brands such as Butterfly, Joola, Killerspin, and Stiga.

If you need help finding the right table tennis setup, contact one of Dazadi's experts to help you. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free at 888-382-4537.