A Closer Look at the Ping Pong History & Equipment

Posted by marryvoges on March 21st, 2017

What started as a genteel, after-dinner game is now a fast, high-tech sport with the most participants of any sport in the world. Originating in Victorian England, the game of table tennis (a.k.a ping pong) was played by the British upper class as an after-dinner parlor game as an alternative to lawn tennis, using whatever they could find as equipment. 

The formation of the International Table Tennis Federation took place in 1926 after a round of meetings in Berlin and London. The first World Championships were held in London in 1926 but the sport had to wait a long time before it was given its Olympic debut at the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul. 

There have been myriad developments in the sport since it was first invented, leading among those is the use of specially developed rubber-coated wooden and carbon-fiber rackets and a lightweight, hollow celluloid ball. The high-tech rackets allow the players to smash the ball at over 150 kmph. Here’s a look at different kinds of ping pong equipment :

Racket: Also known as paddles (U.S.A) and bats (Europe and India), the official term ITTF is racket. It is made from laminated wood covered with pimpled or inverted rubber with a thin layer of sponge in between. The high speed of ball is attributed to the combination of sponge, pimpled rubber and plywood which is also conducive to adding spin to the ball. Today, many players prefer inverted rubber allowing them a strong defense against ball-spin.
 
Ping Pong Ball: The official ball used is made of hollow celluloid, 40mm in diameter. The required diameter was changed from 38 mm in 2003 in an attempt to slow the ball down for the benefit of the spectators. The quality of ball is denoted by a number of stars: one, two or three in the increasing order of quality and thus, the expense.

Ping Pong Table: The official table tennis tables are made from a manufactured timber and their official measurements stand at 2.74 m in length, 1.525 m width and 0.7 m height. The tables are covered in a smooth coating to reduce friction, allowing the ball to have maximum bounce. 

Net: A net divides the table in two halves. It is stretched across the middle of the table and should be 15.25 cm high. 

Considering the enthusiasm people show in this sport, myriad online retailer sell customized equipment such as Victas table tennis to suit the needs of the players worldwide.

Author’s Bio : The author is a blogger. He has written about ping pong history and the equipment used in the sport.