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Table Tennis, also known as “Ping Pong”, is believed to have begun life in Victorian Britain where it became the game of fun for the Upper Classes.  1901 saw a breakthrough in the game when a link was made to celluloid balls and table tennis.  The modern table tennis racket was also invented in 1901 and it was these advances in the game that kept it in the public eye and boosted its popularity in general.  1926 saw the foundation of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and 1988 saw the games entry into the Olympics at Seoul in South Korea.

The official dimensions of a full size table tennis table are 9 foot long by 5 foot wide but smaller versions are available for the home market and leisure industry.  As with most sports, there are international rules governing the size of the balls to be used in tournaments. The ITTF state that the balls must be 40 mm in diameter and just 2.7 grams in weight.  The table tennis racket (also known as a bat or paddle amongst others), is a wooden, lollipop shaped bat that will be covered in textured rubber on one or both sides. The ITTF regulations do permit different surfaces to be present on each side of the racket and this allows players to utilise different levels of spin or speed.  Competitive table tennis is currently popular throughout Europe and Asia and is becoming more so in America.  China has dominated the sport over the last half century although as its popularity spreads, so do the skills of European players.

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Having speed, spin, accuracy and control is what one needs to enjoy a game of ping pong on a Stiga table tennis table . And for that one needs to have good quality ping pong paddles which are also known as handles or rackets. Usually ping pong paddles are designed with wooden handles finished with sponge to make it comfortable for the players to hold and grip the handle easily and enjoy unlimited wrist movements to swing the paddle at any time.

It is the quality of ping pong paddles which helps in producing incredible flow of speed and accuracy when one hits the ball on a Stiga table tennis table. There are numerous ping pong paddles, but not all of them are perfect for everyone. For instance, a ping pong paddle that suits you might be a disaster for someone else. If one enjoys a tight swing, a smaller paddle is a better option, but for free flowing swing at wide angles one must go for a slightly bigger one.

In the market one can find different types of paddles just like ping pong tables. As far as handle style is concerned one can go for personal preference, but one needs to seriously think about the material composition as one’s performance hugely depends on it. Plus, buying the right ping pong blades also depends hugely on playing style and level. Thus it is essential to decide the style of the game first before purchasing a table tennis blade that matches your game.

Here are some tips to help you choose the right table tennis paddles:

Handle Type

Mostly players go for the handle of their preference, although there are a few rules of thumb that can help you in choosing one. Straight ping pong paddles give the best flexibility and are the easiest to flip while hitting the ball on a ping pong table. Hence, these are popular amongst players who like to flip the ping pong blade. On the other hand flared ping pong paddles are for players who prefer to maintain a loose grip. Another most popular handle style is the anatomical ping pong paddles also known as double flared handles. These paddles come with a flared handle with a second wide part in the middle.

Penhold Table Tennis Racket

Penhold table tennis blades are usually for the Asian style of table tennis game. These paddles hugely differ in the grip and the blade itself. The Japanese table tennis blades come with a longer and narrower head and thicker handles. Whereas the Chinese one are designed with rounder thinner blades with rounded handle.

Table Tennis Blade Composition

Thin slices of wood veneers are put together to make the table tennis blade. Some of these blades come with an outer laminate coating of carbon fiber. Apart from this, there are composite blades too that come with one or more carbon fiber, graphite, or other synthetic material layers. These composite blades are lighter, faster, and stronger as compared to the blades made of wood and are better for hitting the ball on a ping pong table. However make sure to find a blade made of 85 percent wood.

Just remember the above mentioned points while buying ping pong paddles and you can enjoy table tennis on your ping pong table for years.

Table tennis is a really fun sport and most people love to enjoy this sport on the patio on a beautiful warm summer afternoon or in the basement for some friendly competition. If you are a die hard fan of table tennis you must have your own table tennis or ping pong table to enjoy your favorite sport anytime. But before planning to purchase one for yourself you need to be sure of what you want to get the best bargain. There are several table tennis equipments that you need to consider. Table tennis equipments in general are not too many and one must not hesitate to purchase the best.

The Table

Generally the standard size of tennis table is 2.74 m long, 1.525 m wide, and 76 cm high made with a hardboard layered with a smooth, low-friction coating. The table top is supported by eight legs. Always remember that the playing surface must be thirty inches from the floor. To divide the table into two parts a white line of around one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch is marked on the playing surface which generally comes in a dark green or some dull, non reflecting color. This line is must while playing doubles but it is not mandatory for singles. Depending upon your storing facility and open space you can consider a folding or stationary table tennis table. As far as quality is concerned, Stiga ping pong table tennis tables are the best in the market.

Racket

For playing table tennis the most important equipment is the racket. As far as the rules of table tennis are concerned one can use a racket of any size, shape, and material. But however for quick response it is better to invest on a good quality laminated wooden racket covered with pebbled rubber on one or two sides. The rubber helps in controlling the ball and spinning it the way the player wants. Go for a racket which has a better grip, feel and touch abilities.

The Ball

Extreme care should be taken while purchasing the ball for your Stiga table tennis table. The ball should be perfect round and should neither be too hard nor too soft. Buy a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball and the ball must bounce up to 23 cm when dropped on the Stiga ping pong table from a height of 30 cm. To check the quality of the ball check the stars on the ball. A ball with 3 stars is of the highest quality, and is used in official competitions.

Lighting

As table tennis is an indoor game it is essential to have good lighting overhead. For adequate lighting use at least four 200-watt bulbs in a playing space of twenty-five feet by twelve. Plus there must be ample space between the floor and ceiling to allow the players enjoy strokes without hitting the ball on the ceiling.

Net and the Posts

Buy a net with a total length of six feet for your Stiga table tennis table. The net is fixed on the posts located on both sides of the table by using a cord. The posts must be six and three-quarter inches high. Always remember that the net must be exactly six inches from the table top.

Once the above equipments are purchased, you can enjoy playing table tennis on your Stiga ping pong table.

The sport of table tennis has been encouraging new players, creating Olympic champions, and inspiring crowds of eager spectators for many many years, though few know the true history of the how the sport began, developed, and became what it is today. Below, is a brief digestible history of the sport of table tennis, that will hopefully inspire a better appreciation for it.

Though there are many variations on the initial beginnings of table tennis or ping pong, most scholars and sources concur that table tennis began in England in the late 1800s as a fun after-dinner diversion. Some rumors say it was enacted on the dinner tables themselves, while others stick to the more popular assumption that it began as a lawn and garden game, closely tied to badminton. At this time, they didn’t yet have ping pong paddles, and so English socialites used vellum bats to play. In the 1890s, Parker Brothers began work on an indoor version of the popular lawn tennis, which included the net, paddles, and ball.

In the very beginnings-though table tennis was very very popular in England-it was still looked at as solely casual, certainly not as a sport. It was not until much later-approximately 1905-1910, when table tennis/ping pong started becoming popular in other countries, such as: Japan, China, and Korea. Meanwhile, England created the first official Table Tennis Association for the purpose of finally recognizing the pastime as a sport, but it was the Asian countries who had adopted table tennis to their own national hobbies, that made it the highly competitive and respected sport it now is. These countries took on the pastime as a full-fledged sport to be mastered, and is still a highly popular sport there. Today, millions of people in these countries play; and consider table tennis a highly competitive sport to be respected and perfected.

After a brief period, England took up the sport again in the 1920s as a popular diversion. This is truly when the standardization of the game, i.e. rules, organizations, and competitions were begun. Since then, table tennis has become a popular worldwide sport, and even an Olympic event; with competitive players outnumbering 30 million worldwide and millions non-competitive. It was during this time that table tennis-through a series of adjustments-truly transformed. In 1926, the International atble tennis Federation was formed. In 1935, the three major table tennis organizations: The American Ping Pong Association, The Amateur Table Tennis Association, and the National Table Tennis Association combined to form the U.S. Table Tennis Association. In 1957, with the overwhelming worldwide popularity the once annual worldwide table tennis championships, becomes biennial. Finally, in 1988, table tennis becomes an Olympic sport at that year’s Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Today, the game of competitive table tennis has been preserved to almost the same rules, measurements, etc that it began with; it’s most avid competitors and the International Table Tennis Federation ensuring that the human skill and capacity for the sport is not changed with the introduction of new technology.