Table Tennis: Then and now

Table Tennis began as an after-dinner game, played by upper-class English families. It is now the world’s biggest participation sport, with 40 million competitive players.

Table Tennis has come a long way from its beginnings in the 19th century, when cigar boxes and carved champagne corks were used as bats and balls. Today’s top players use high-tech rackets, hitting the ball at speeds of more than 100mph (160kph).

How to play – and win

Table Tennis, as its name suggests, is based on the same idea as Tennis. In place of a court, it is played on a table that measures 2.75m (9ft) by 1.525m (5ft), with a 15.24cm (6in) - high net.

Players hit the ball across the table, to bounce on the other side of the net. They score a point if their opponent is unable to get the ball back in play, or allows it to bounce more than once.

At the Olympic Games, matches are played over a maximum of five sets, with 11 points required to win a set. Players progress through knock-out rounds in four events: Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles, Women’s Team and Men’s Team.

Table Tennis at the Games

Table Tennis entered the Olympic programme at Seoul 1988, and has featured in every Games since. The sport was an instant hit with television viewers, especially in Asia, where most of the world's top players are based.

China has dominated Olympic Table Tennis, but challengers are emerging from other countries, including Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in time for London 2012.

Facts about Table Tennis

• Other names for Table Tennis include ‘Ping Pong’, ‘Whiff Whaff’ and ‘Flim Flam’, reflecting the sound of the ball being struck and bouncing off the table.
• Table Tennis balls are hollow and weigh approximately 2.5 grams (0.88 oz). They are made of celluloid.
• The first Table Tennis rulebook was produced by a Cambridge University Student called Ivor Montagu in 1922.
• Table Tennis has a strict code of conduct that forbids ‘staring out’ an opponent or causing delays in play by re-tying a shoelace.
• Top players use sophisticated rubbers and apply special glues to their rackets to help them put spin and speed on the ball.
• Table Tennis was banned in the former Soviet Union from 1930 to 1950 because the sport was believed to be harmful to the eyes.

Jargon buster

• Penholder: A type of grip where the racket is held as if it were a pen.
• Chop: A downward stroke producing backspin.
• Loop: A long upward stroke that puts heavy topspin on the ball, making it dip and bounce higher.
• Push: A gentle stroke that is not designed to win the point.
• Shakehands: A very popular type of grip that gives a player the best balance of forehand and backhand shots.

Get involved

Table Tennis is fast, fun and easy to learn. If you want to start playing, the chances are there is a club or league near you. Find out more by contacting your home nation’s federation (see 'related websites'):