Introduction
Most of us grew up playing Table Tennis, also known as Ping Pong in our homes. What started as a fun activity in our homes, became a hobby in school and a passion in college, and with each game we honed our skills in table tennis, hoping to be the best among our friends and classmates alike.
For the rest of you, who are just starting the game do not worry for we have compiled a guide that will teach you the basic skills in table tennis and help you master the game in no time. This guide is not only for beginners but also for those who want to improve their table tennis skills.
Brief History
What we know as Table Tennis or Ping Pong, originated as a parlor game Victorian. But the game was still in its primitive form. It took years for the rules and equipment to develop and with each improvement, players also developed their skills in table tennis.
In 1926 the International Table Tennis Federation was formed and the first world championship of Table Tennis was held in London. Eventually, in 1988 the game was added to the Olympics. For a long time, the game was dominated by the Europeans, but in the 1950s China took over the title of producing the best players in the world, whose skills in table tennis have been unmatched to this day. This is the more likely played indoor game in Philipines.
Skills
When we talk about skills in Table Tennis there are a variety of different things that you need to learn. It involves what kind of equipment you choose, your stance when playing the game, how you hold the racket, and how you choose to serve among other things. Today we will look at the following.
- Stance
Mobility is very important in Table Tennis. You should be able to quickly change your position to defend and attack, all the while generating a decent amount of energy for each serve. There are several things you need to focus on.
- Make sure your feet are apart and you are slightly bent down. Your dominant feet should be slightly behind your other feet. This posture will give you good stability and maximum mobility.
- You should bend your waist slightly downwards, allowing your shoulders to be forward from the rest of your body. This will greatly help your reaction time.
- Overall keep a relaxed posture to allow for maximum flexibility and movement in every direction and to best utilize your table tennis skills.
- Grip
The way you hold your racket is one of the most basic skills in table tennis that you need to master before moving forward in the game. There are two main grips that most players like to play with, they are as follows.
- The Shakehand Grip is the easiest and most basic grip and the grip of choice for most Western players. As the name suggests, you wrap your thumb and three fingers around the grip of the racket as if you are shaking a hand. While your index finger stays on the base of the racket.
- The Penhold Grip however is a bit more complex grip. Not in terms of how you grip the racket but in terms of playing style. However, it is highly effective and favored by most professional players, particularly in Asia. As the name suggests you hold the racket as if you are holding a pen and the base of the racket is slightly tilted downwards.
There are a few other grips that you can also look into as you increase your skills in table tennis. But for beginners, these are the most recommended grips.
- Drive
There are two ways you can hit the ball, both when serving and the rest of the game. Either with a forehand drive or backhand drive. This simply means from which side of the racket you choose to hit the ball.
- Forehand Drive is one of the most basic skills in table tennis that you need to master if you are going to play the game effectively. In this technique, your thumb is facing the opponent when holding the racket in a Shakehand grip and you make the motion as if you are going to hit the ball with the palm of your hand, but instead, you hit it with the base of the racket.
- Backhand Drive involves the dorsal side of your hand facing the opponent and your racket is at a downward angle from your hand. This technique primarily involves the movement of your wrist to generate the power to hit the ball.
- Serve
Each game starts with one player serving the ball. Knowing how to effectively serve the ball is an extremely important skill in table tennis that you need to learn from the very beginning. For beginners, it is important to make sure that the ball lands near the net as it will make it difficult for the opponent to return the serve with an attacking shot.
Once you know how to serve properly you can move towards spinning the ball when serving. While not a part of table tennis basic skills, it is easy to learn. There are three effective ways to do this.
- Top Spin is where you hit the ball from the top while swinging the paddle from low to high.
- Back Spin is the opposite and you bring the paddle high to low while hitting the ball.
- Side Spin can make the ball go both right and left depending on from which side you hit the ball.
Spinning the ball and making it land at a place of your choosing takes considerable skills in table tennis and will require a lot of practice.
Conclusion
Once you have mastered these basic skills of table tennis, you are ready to take on most beginner-level players like yourself. But to move up in the game will require that you keep on practicing and learning more about the game.
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