In the article “Table tennis” we will talk about the sports game with a ball, consider the equipment and inventory, talk about the basic rules of the game.
#TableTennis #PingPong #SummerSports
Games with a small ball have been known to mankind for a long time. For example, the ancient Romans enjoyed playing “trigon”. In this game, participants threw a small hard ball from one pad to another.
As you know, it often rains in England. It does not rain on the lawn, so the resourceful British decided to move this venture indoors. At first this kind of tennis was played not on one but on two tables placed not far from each other.
Then the tables were aligned, and a net was stretched between them. And in 1891, an Englishman James Gibb suggested using a small celluloid ball, which he bought in a toy store. This made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of rackets and shorten their handles.
At the very beginning of the 20th century came the name “ping-pong“. The name came from the sounds made during the game, “ping” – the sound of hitting the ball against the racket, and “pong” – the sound of the ball bouncing off the table. At the same time, ping-pong was recognized as a sport and even held the first championship in London, which was attended by 300 people.
A year later, in 1901, an official tournament was held in India, and 25 years later, in 1926, table tennis got an international federation. The first World Championship was held in 1969, and it was very successful for our athletes. Soviet tennis players won two gold medals. Zoya Rudnova and Svetlana Fedorova brought gold to our team.
Despite its worldwide popularity, table tennis did not become an Olympic sport until 1988. Currently there are 5 sets of awards, 2 sets for men and 2 for women and one for mixed doubles.
In table tennis, the game is played to a certain number of points, so the game may end quickly, or it may drag on. As a rule, a match consists of 5 or 7 games. To win, a tennis player or team must win 3 or 4 games, respectively.
To win one game, you must be the first to score 11 points, but you must be ahead of your opponent by at least 2 points. With a score of 10-11, the game will continue until someone reaches a 2-point advantage, such as 10-12. After the game ends, the players switch sides.
The first serve in the game is played by drawing lots, as well as the right to choose their side of the table. To serve, you must toss the ball 16 centimeters or higher, hit the ball so that it touches each side of the table.
Kick the ball “on the fly” when it is in the air, you can not. It is necessary to wait until it once touches the surface of the table, and then send it to the opponent’s side. Points are awarded for a missed ball or for an opponent’s mistake. For example, if the ball hits the net or does not hit the table in your half.
The rules strictly describe sports equipment as well. For example, a racket may be of any shape, size and weight, but its blade (the part of the racket that hits the ball) must be flat and rigid, and its base made of 85% natural wood.
The rules also stipulate the rubber that covers the surface of a racket, its color, uniformity, the presence of spikes, and even the adhesive material, since the glue based on benzene compounds in table tennis is prohibited. At the beginning of the game the athlete must demonstrate the racket to his/her opponent, the referee, and allow it to be carefully examined or examined with instruments.
Tennis table. The height above the floor is 76 centimeters, not a millimeter more or less. This size allows both tall and short players to feel confident. Other sizes are strictly regulated, 274 cm long and 152.5 cm wide. These parameters ensure good execution of both short and long serves.
Sneakers help athletes keep up the frantic pace of the game. Surprisingly, it is just as important for professional athletes to have the right shoes for the game as it is for runners. The first feature of table tennis shoes is the rubber sole.
Natural rubber has been used for several years to make winter tires for cars in order to achieve better traction on wet roads. The same principle is used to make sneakers for professional players, so that during a jump he could not slip and get injured.
The second property of shoes is the cushioning. With any sudden movement the athlete is at risk of injuring the ankle, and to avoid this, in the back of sneakers sewn special wave-like inserts, which provide enhanced cushioning.
The table tennis ball is made of celluloid, its diameter is exactly 4 centimeters and its weight is almost 3 grams. Celluloid is a light, hard and elastic substance derived from cellulose and used to make cinematic tapes and photographic plates. Flat celluloid blanks are first degreased in an alcohol solution, then they are made into hemispheres on a special machine, which are glued together to make the finished ball.
The next manufacturing step is careful sanding to give the ball a perfectly smooth surface. Only a thoroughly polished ball behaves predictably and thus contributes to a sporting victory. The balls are available in two colors: white and orange. That is actually all the basic rules of the game of table tennis.
Table tennis requires its players to have excellent physical development, coordination, dexterity and phenomenal reactions. Scientists have calculated that tennis players hit up to 120 strokes per minute, and the record pace of play, which has not yet been broken, is 180 strokes. Not surprisingly, during the game, the athlete’s heart rate varies from 150 to 200.
The initial flight speed of the ball can reach 200 km / h, and in the final stretch of about 150 km / h. Just imagine what kind of reaction is needed to play at this rate and at such speeds, because the untrained person is difficult even to keep track of the ball. In addition, the ball in flight also rotates.
It often happens that age restrictions for admission to one or another section prevent the dream from coming true. Somewhere it is too early to go, somewhere it is too late, but with table tennis it is different. Not without reason it is considered one of the most accessible games in the world and is suitable for people of all ages.
It is not difficult to find a place to play tennis, there are sections in every city. A table divided by a net can be found not only in a sports school, but also in an ordinary club. Professionals begin to practice quite early, at the age of 4, but not everyone becomes an Olympic athlete.
For most people table tennis is a fascinating hobby, and if you have the desire, good reactions and mobility, you can achieve good results without having to practice from diapers. Good luck with your games!
About table tennis
FAQs
What is table tennis?
Table tennis is a summer Olympic sport in which athletes use rubberized rackets to throw a small, hard ball across a tensioned net in the center of a table. The player or duo who can win three sets in a five-set match or four in a seven-set match wins the match. A set is played to 11 points, and each loss of the ball is scored 1 point.
What varieties of table tennis are there?
Table tennis is played in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. There are also team competitions for men 3 on 3 (three players from each team), and for women 2 on 2. Besides there are several varieties of the game: Ping-Pong (there are no age restrictions, racquets are covered with sandpaper), Mini Table Tennis (table size is reduced to half, and the victory depends on the reaction and dexterity of the player), T3 Ping Pong (the game is played by 6 players at once, 3 on 3, at a round table), Table Squash (right or left side of the table is moved to the wall, and the whole game is played with the obligatory bounce from it); Hedis (regular table is used in the game, but players play with a soccer head); Round-the-world (players line up on each side of the table behind each other, the player takes a shot and passes the racket to the player behind him and himself goes to the opposite side, losing a point means quitting the game), Ping-Pongo (played with obstacles on the table).
What is "snot" in table tennis?
"Snot" is the unexpected bouncing of a ball downward when it hits the edge of the table or touches the edge of the playing net. As a rule, players apologize for such a hit because the opponent lost without actually fighting.
