Twin brothers Mike and Mitch belong to an indoor table tennis league where they play for fun with people of similar talents. While these seniors aren’t overly competitive, winning is a bonus. Joining a local league post-retirement gave the duo a place to practice and play in a professional-looking environment. They enjoy the benefits of belonging to a league. The brothers also feel especially good knowing that the club supports the community by offering local scholarships and funding area youth and senior table tennis programs.
What is table tennis?
Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a fast game in which opponents return a light hollow ball over a table’s net onto the opposing half of the court using small paddles. The game may be played by individuals or teams of two. Players must pay attention and have quick reaction times. In addition to being fast on their feet, they must use a range of specialized motions to apply strategies like topspin, block, and chop. They must also employ principles of trajectory. Rules for professional players are governed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), with USA Table Tennis (USATT) as a member of the ITTF. This applies to details like legal serving, scoring, and games. Professionals also adhere to basic regulations on equipment, such as the dimensions of an approved table for the sport at 9 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, and 2.5 ft. high, use of an officially approved 40mm+ plastic ball, and a table tennis racket with one side black.
How is the game played?
A match begins with the umpire performing a coin toss. The winner can serve the ball first, receive it, or select the side of the table from which to play. Each player serves twice in a row. Servers hold the ball with an open palm, toss it upward, and strike the ball with the paddle to hit it on the server’s side first before bouncing it over the net to the opponent’s side. If a player returns the ball before it bounces, a foul is declared.
Varying rules
The rules from single competition to doubles vary. Servers in single competition can serve to any part of the table on the opposite side, whereas in doubles one must serve diagonally across the table. Play becomes challenging in doubles where players must alternate to get the ball on the opponent’s side of the table. To win, a player or pair must score 11 points and the first to do so is the winner. If a game is tied at 10-10, players must win by two points, with one alternating serve each. Typically, a match is won by winning games, with singles being the best of seven and doubles the best of five. Social games can be the best of three, or the first to win two games.
Competition vs. just for fun
Ping pong is a competitive and recreational sport. It has been played in the Olympics since the summer Seoul games in 1988 but has a long history as a popular form of home entertainment. Per Gamequarium, the origins of ping pong lie in Victorian England where it began as a parlor game that evolved from lawn tennis. It fast became a leisure activity for the upper class and replaced lawn tennis during inclement weather. This led to the improvisation of various versions of the game using items on hand, such as a cork for a ball, cigar boxes as paddles, and stacks of books for a net.
Who invented table tennis?
The sport is attributed to David Foster who filed for a patent on a version of the game in 1890. This evolved to Foster’s creation of a cloth-covered rubber ball, string rackets, and solid wood fence with side nets instead of a traditional net. One year later, an American patent using a mesh net was filed by Emma Barker. From this, table tennis grew in popularity, with game makers getting in on the action. Hamley Brothers would trademark the ping pong name in 1900. Whiff-whaff was similarly registered as a new game in London that same year by Slazenger and Sons.
What is clip-clap?
In addition to ping pong and whiff-whaff, other names for table tennis include pim-pam, pom-pom, clip-clap. Regardless of these silly sounding names, table tennis is a serious Olympic sport. Table tennis is also widely embraced as a leisure activity by people of most ages across the world.
Seniors particularly enjoy ping-pong for the following reasons:
- Playing requires minimal equipment to include a ping-pong table, a paddle, a ball, and an opponent.
- Senior recreational centers generally provide game supplies, making it an affordable game.
- It is played indoors so one may play regardless of weather conditions.
- Table tennis provides exercise for the body as one must shift weight back and forth and keep up with the movement of the ball.
- Playing requires good hand-eye coordination and the ability to perform strokes such as serve, forehand, and backhand.
- Ping pong exercises the mind. In this fast-paced game, players incorporate mental strategies to help win.
- Whether playing competitively or for fun, it is enjoyable to challenge others and one’s own skill.
- Playing with others is fun from the social aspect.
- Playing in pairs requires partnership and team player capabilities.
- Rapport and inner communication are part of the positive experience.
- The game supports rules and requires fairness and sportsmanship, principles that seniors proudly uphold.
The fun of indoor table tennis
Twin brothers Mike and Mitch began playing indoor table tennis later in their lives upon retirement. Mitch, who wished to sharpen his mental acuity and physical strength, was encouraged by his doctor to engage in a no-to-low impact sport. Mitch’s twin brother was happy to join him on the health journey. The team quickly discovered a love indoor tennis table. Mike quips, “Playing table tennis with my brother is one of the greatest pleasures of my life. And defeating him frequently is too!”
This article is for general purposes only. Before beginning any new exercise routine, seek the advice of a doctor. Interested in learning about more no-to-low impact sports for seniors? Click here.