COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Course Code BPED 9

Course Title Individual and Dual Sports
Module Number 4
Module Title Table Tennis
Lesson Number 4
Lesson Title Table Tennis
Week Number & Dates Week 7

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the session the students should be able to:

 Discuss the history of Table Tennis
 Identify the equipment of table tennis
 Apply the rules and regulations of table tennis
 Demonstrate the techniques and skills in table tennis
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
Discussion about badminton
In-person Performance Task
INTRODUCTION
Table tennis, predominantly known as Ping Pong, is a fast-moving racquet sport
requiring exceptional hand-eye coordination. Men and Women play either as individuals or
in pairs and win points by hitting a lightweight ball over a net so that their opponents can't
return it or are forced into an error. The game came into existence in the early 1900s in
England where it was played among the upper-class people as an after-dinner game. The
global governing body of Table Tennis is International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
which was founded in 1926. Table Tennis (called ping pong in the USA) is one of the most
popular indoor sports around the world. The sport originated in England, and is currently
played by almost all countries around the world. The Chinese have dominated the sport for
the last two decades.
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VALUES INTEGRATION

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Loving God with our entire existence includes our bodies. It is worth noting that this
verse does not specify how to love God with all you might. That will become apparent as you
progress. There is freedom to move in love!

READ

TABLE TENNIS
Objective
To hit the ball over and across the net on the opponent’s side of
the table so that the opponent can’t return the ball and score a point.

History of Table Tennis

The roots of table tennis originate from Victorian England and go to British India
where British officials played similar variants of the modern sport by stacking up a row of
books as nets and using two more books as rackets to hit a golf ball.
The name ping pong and table tennis were synonymous until 1901 when a trademark
made it brand specific for J. Jaques & Son Ltd (who later sold it to parker brothers). Thus,
several companies, manufacturers, and associations were forced to change their names from
"ping pong" to "table tennis".
Another revolutionary change in the sport of table tennis came 1901, when James W
Gibb, a British sports enthusiast, invented and introduced the celluloid balls.

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The first table tennis governing body, called the Table Tennis Association, was
founded in 1921, while the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in
1926.
Equipment History
 Celluloid balls were introduced in 1990; hence replacing the less efficient rubber and
cork balls.
 The classic hard bat era lingered in between 1920 and 1950, marking the period of
European dominance in the sports.
 The 1950s became the age of sponge bat and technology; henceforth marking the
beginning of Asian dominance in the game.
 After the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the standard ball size was increased to 40 mm as to
provide better and enhanced visibility of the ball during a live telecast.
 Plastic balls were first used in world championships and Olympics in 2016.
Equipment
Balls
 Table tennis balls are spherical solids having a mass of 2.7 grams and a diameter of
1.57 inches (40 mm).
 They are generally made white or orange, but the colour is chosen in contrast to the
table to enhance its visibility for players and audiences. The ITTF rates table tennis
balls (or ping pong balls) from one to three, with the third-star rating indicating a ball
being the finest among others.
Table
 A ping pong table is (9 by 5 feet) 2.74 meters long, 1.525 meters wide, and 76
centimeters high (30 inches). The IITF approves tables only made from wood or any
other similar material.

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 A ping pong table consists of a net in its middle, which divides the table into two
equal parts.
Net
 According to the ITTF's rules and regulations, a net that is placed in the middle of a
ping pong table should be six feet long and six inches wide and have an overhead
white tape which is not more than 15mm wide.
Rackets
 A table tennis racket is strikingly similar to a regular tennis racket (except the fact
that it is smaller in size) and is used to hit the ball back and forth on the table.
 It is made up of two parts - handle and blade - both made up of high-quality wood and
laminated with rubber. The average size of a racket blade in table tennis is 6.7 inches
long and 5.9 inches wide.
Events
 Singles
Men’s Singles or Women’s Singles events
 Doubles
Men’s Doubles or Women’s Doubles events
 Mixed Doubles
Pair of one male and one female player each side

Participants
 Table tennis is played by men and women as individuals (one player each side) or as
pairs (two players each side).

Officials

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 Referee
He is responsible for the entire organization of the table tennis event.
 Umpire
He controls the match, announces points and makes the call during the match.
 Assistant Umpire
In international competitions, assistant umpire shares the umpire’s duties. Signals out
of bound balls and can declare an illegal serve.

Table Tennis Rules

Service And Return Rules
 The server must hold the ball in the open palm of his free hand and toss it upward at
least 6.3 inches and then hits it so that it first bounces on the server’s side of the table
and then to the receiver’s side.
 The ball must bounce once on the table on the player’s (receiver) side before he hits it
back.
 The ball must not bounce twice on the same side and must not hit twice by the same
side before its return.

Scoring
 A match is usually the best of five or seven games. However, it can be of any odd
number of games.
 The first side to win 11 points wins the game, but he/she must be at least 2 points
ahead of his/her opponent. If the score is tied at 10 points, then the side that first gets
ahead by 2 points wins the game.
 Expedite System- It is put into effect if the game exceeds 10 minutes and a total of at
least 18 points have not been scored. After this system is initiated, the serve alternates
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after each point. If the receiver makes 13 consecutive returns including the serve, the
receiver wins a point.

LET
Let occurs in the following situation-
 The ball during the serve touches the net.
 When a serve is made before the receiving side is ready.
 When a disturbance occurs that is out of the player’s control.

FUN FACT
1. Table tennis is the national sport of China.
2. Table tennis is scientifically proven to be a better brain game than chess. In fact, the
majority of doctors and physicians recommend table tennis to the elderly who suffer from
Alzheimers or Dementia. It helps in strengthening the memory.
3. Anyone, no matter what the age, can compete in the official table tennis tournaments
like Olympics etc.
4. Table tennis also called 'ping-pong' and ‘whiff-whaff’.
5. E.C. Goode invented the modern pimpled-rubber racket in 1901.
6. James W. Gibb, a British supporter of table tennis, created fancy celluloid balls
during his trip to the US in 1901 and found them befitting for the game.
7. The table tennis association was found in 1921, while the international association of
table tennis (ITTF) was found in 1926.
8. S.W. Hancock Ltd., a Britain-based sports goods manufacturing company, introduced
rubber coated paddles with an underlying sponge layer in the 1950s. These paddles
dramatically increased the ball's spin and speed.

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9. The table tennis ball is made up of coloured celluloid plastic. The ball colour is
chosen according to the table and the surrounding colour (preferably a contrasting colour
to enhance the visibility).
10. Some topmost table tennis professionals of the world have smashed the ball at speeds
exceeding 100 mph.
11. Jackie and Lisa Bellinger, a sister duo, held a new world record in 1993 when they hit
the table tennis ball back and forth 173 times in one minute.
12. ITTF identifies a total of 350 table tennis tournaments across the globe.
13. Jan-Ove-Waldner, the greatest table tennis player in this world, has won 16 world
championships and two Olympic medals in his 30-year long career, therefore earning the
name - 'the Mozart of Table Tennis'.
14. Father and son duo, Peter and Daniel Ives, hold the world record for the longest table
tennis rally, i.e. 32,000 total hits in 8 hours and 40 minutes.
15. The US and China mended up their messed political relations in 1971 by playing a
friendly table tennis game. This was regarded as 'The Ping Pong Diplomacy' by the
media.
16. China pays its 40,000 professional table tennis players to practice full time.

TECHNIQUES & BASIC SKILLS

1. Grips -Arguably the most foundational of all skills, how you grip your paddle can
significantly influence your gameplay.
 Penhold grip- It is a grip in which the player holds the racquet handle in the same
manner as holding a pen by clasping the handle between the thumb and the forefinger.
 Shakehand- It is the most common and easier grip in which the player holds the
racquet handle in a way that he/she is performing a handshake.

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Pro Tip: Whatever your preferred style, ensure your grip is firm yet relaxed to allow for
wrist movement, which is crucial for spins.

2. Serve -A game of table tennis begins with a serve, and having a strong, unpredictable
serve can be a considerable advantage.
High Toss Serve: By tossing the ball high, players can generate extra spin,

making it harder for the opponent to predict the ball's trajectory.
 Short Serve: Keeping serving in table tennis short and close to the net can
disrupt an opponent's rhythm and prepare you for an attacking return.
 Side Spin Serve: By striking the ball on the sides, you can make it curve,
creating challenges for your opponent.
Pro Tip: Mix up your serves during the game to keep your opponent guessing and off-
balance.

3. Forehand and Backhand Drives - Drives form the core of table tennis rallies
and are essential for maintaining an offensive stance in the game.

 Forehand Drive: Performed from the player's dominant side, this stroke is
powerful and can be used both defensively and offensively.
 Backhand Drive: Executed from the non-dominant side, the backhand drive
is crucial for balls coming to the player's left (for right-handers) or right (for
left-handers).

Pro Tip: Ensure you're rotating your torso and using your waist's twist to power the
drives, rather than just relying on your arm.

4. Spin - Introducing spin to the ball can make your shots unpredictable and
challenging to return.

 Topspin: By brushing the ball's upper surface, players can make the ball dive
down faster, ideal for aggressive shots.
 Backspin: Striking the ball's lower surface, this spin makes the ball bounce
back towards the player after landing, often used in defensive shots.

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 Side Spin: As the name suggests, brushing the ball on its sides will make it
curve to the left or right.
Pro Tip: Mastering spin requires understanding the angle of your paddle and the
point of contact on the ball. Practice consistently to perfect this skill.

5. Blocking and Counter-Driving - Basic skills and techniques in table tennis that
focus on defense are just as vital as offensive tactics. They allow a player to
not only return aggressive shots but also transition seamlessly from defense
to offense.
 Blocking: This is the ability to absorb the speed and spin from an opponent's
shot and return the ball with minimal motion. It's most effective against top-
spin attacks. A well-executed block can reduce the opponent's time to react,
putting them on the defensive.
 Counter-Driving: This involves returning an aggressive top-spin shot with
another top-spin shot. The aim is to use the speed and spin from the
opponent's shot against them, creating a rapid counter-attack.

Pro Tip: The key to effective blocking and counter-driving lies in proper paddle
angle and timely reaction. A slight misjudgment can lead to the ball going off the
table or into the net. Practice by asking a partner to play continuous top-spin shots
while you focus solely on blocking and counter-driving.

6. Footwork - Last but certainly not least, proper footwork ensures you're
always in the right position to make your next shot.

 Side-to-Side Movement: This helps in reaching balls played wide to your

forehand or backhand.
 In-and-Out Movement: Crucial for adjusting to short balls or those that are
deep on the table.
 Pivoting: Useful when you need to use a powerful forehand shot from the
backhand side.

Pro Tip: Good footwork is not just about speed but also about anticipation. Reading
your opponent's moves and predicting the ball's trajectory will put you in an
advantageous position.

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THINK and SHARE

 Discuss the importance of learning the basic rules in
playing table tennis.

 Share your experience while playing table tennis.

READ, LEARN, and DISCUSS

Research and read the following:
1. Meaning/description of Table Tennis.
2. History of Table Tennis.
3. Rules and regulations.

PERFORMANCE TASK
 In-person demonstration of skills in Table tennis.
SUMMARY/ CONCLUSION

Table Tennis (called ping pong in the USA) is one of the most popular indoor sports
around the world. The sport originated in England, and is currently played by almost all
countries around the world. The Chinese have dominated the sport for the last two decades.
Table Tennis is played on a rectangular table with a net in the middle that splits the
table into two halves. Each half has a vertical marker line in the middle that splits the half

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into two boxes. A table tennis table is 2.74m long and 1.525m wide, it is raised 76cm above
the floor. Players hit a lightweight plastic ball back and forth across a table using a small
racket (also called a bat or paddle). Since 1902 table tennis balls were made of celluloid, but
these have now been phased out. Since July 1 2014, all international events use balls made
out of plastic. The hollow plastic balls weigh just 2.7g. The game is played in a single or
doubles format.
REFERENCES

https://sportsmatik.com/sports-corner/sports-know-how/table-tennis/about
https://www.topendsports.com/sport/list/table-tennis.htm
https://www.joyfulhealth.co/blog/exerciseverses

Prepared by: MR. ALLAN J. TUMAYAO III

Course Facilitator

Checked by: PROF. JHON CARLO S. VILLA

Program Head

Noted by: DR, JOHN MARK F. BONDOC

Dean

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