Ping-Pong, or Table Tennis - the Name May Change, but the Game Stays the Same

Did someone say, "Ping-Pong"? I think you meant "Table Tennis". It's not just another recreational game anymore. Table Tennis is a sport, a game that is highly competitive and very much alive. It is one of the most popular sports in China and Japan.

I grew up with Ping-Pong as a rec room activity. During the summer, I spent most of my time fishing, boating, swimming, girl watching and almost everything else a typical teenager does for fun. If it rained for days, suddenly we would remember the Ping-Pong table in the basement. It always seemed as if, the moment we thought about it, the rain would subside and that green table, that sat so alone and isolated, took a back seat.

Come winter, look out. Ping-Pong came alive! I was always the reigning champ, of the family. If someone were to tell me, this game was officially called "Table Tennis", well..I think, I would have laughed. I had no idea, at the time, this game was a serious sport; and a highly competitive one.

Generally speaking, table tennis is classified as a sport. Many believe the origins of the game come from Japan, but this is a myth.

Table Tennis originated in England in the 1880s. By the early 1900s, "Ping-Pong" may not have been the official name it was called, yet this was the name everyone referred to it as.

The game went through a few changes over the years, until the "Table Tennis Association" was founded in 1921, then followed by the "Table Tennis Federation" a few short years later in 1926. Finally, in 1988 table tennis got very serious. It had become an Olympic sport.

The final frosting was put on the cake in 2000, by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ITTF changed a few of the rules. The balls were replaced from smaller, faster ball, to a 40mm larger ball for slower speeds, so we could watch better action on the TV. To make up for a slower ball, the ITTF changed the scoring, from a game of 21, down to 11 points per game. This was supposed to make table tennis, faster paced.

As a note, the ITTF is the governing body over all other national table tennis associations. All noted, there are 25 national Table Tennis associations, worldwide that fall under ITTF's rule.

In the U.S. there are two Table Tennis associations. The USA Table Tennis (USATT) and the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA).

How is table tennis played? Very fast! So fast, back in the early 1900s, this game was banned in Russia. It was believed, playing the game would permanently, screw up your eye sight, from trying to keep your eyes on the ball.

Think of a tennis court, shrunk to the size of a large, green table, with a net, paddles and ball. Two or four players smack a small, light weight ball back and forth to each other, over the net, that is stretched out and divides the table through the middle.

The game of table tennis is very easy to learn to play, but becoming a proficient player does take time and a certain skill-set, with unwavering focus on the ball, at all times.

There are "sports heroes" within the table tennis circle. If you have ever seen the movie, "Forest Gump", Tom Hanks character, Forest, becomes the world champion of Table Tennis, for the U.S. The scenes of Forest competing in Table Tennis matches, are about what you would expect the professional playing level to be at.

Competitive table tennis is very popular in Europe and Asia. The largest competitions are the World Championship, the World Cup and the ITTF Pro Tour. Their are also several more continental competitions that are very popular within the regions and with enthusiasts, world wide.

If table tennis is a game you wish to pursue, all major sporting good stores carry tables, nets, balls and paddles. But, if you wish to purchase officially sanctioned, table tennis equipment and gear, go to USATT for their resources.

Is table tennis still played in households and recreation centers throughout the world? You bet it is. You do not have to be a pro to enjoy the game. Every winter, I take the cover off of our green ping-pong table in the basement.

Table tennis is not a game that will disappear very quickly, it only seems to grow more popular as time moves on.