Table Tennis .com

Seven-year-old ping pong prodigy, Xin-Xue Feng, come to the U.S. for the first time to be on the Ellen Degeneres show.

She shows off her talent against U.S. table tennis star, Barney Reed, Jr., and she even helps Ellen play!

Popularity: 58%

Newgy Industries is a leading manufacturer of table tennis robots.  There are currently five models offered on the Newgy website, three are available now and two new digital models will be available to ship in fall 2009. One of the most beneficial features of the Newgy line of table tennis robots is that users can purchase a robot that will meet their current needs and have the option to purchase an upgrade kit for their robots once their skills advance. The upgraded robot will perform the same functions as the model it is intended to replicate. Newgy robot owners will never lose money on their initial investments because Newgy upgrade kits allow them to modify their first robot to continue meeting their needs.

The Robo-Pong 1040 is Newgy’s intermediate level robot. It is currently available for purchase with a price of $359. The 1040 is a valuable training tool for table tennis players who are ready for a challenging training program. The Robo-Pong 1040 features a ball thrower with oscillation for a more varied training program.

Newgy has plans to release the Robo-Pong 1050 later this fall. The 1050 will offer the same features as the 1040 plus several exciting advancements. New digital controls will add an easy means of controlling the exact training specifications users choose to set. Users are able to regulate ball speed, wait time, and the landing spot of each serve. The 1050 also features a PC Mode which enables the user to create and save drills to run from their PC. The intelligent design of this table tennis robot allows for drills to run adhering to specific settings for left-handed players or right-handed players. The 1050 also comes pre-programmed with 64 drills stored in memory. The Robo-Pong 1050 is priced at $395.

The Robo-Pong 2040 is Newgy’s creation for serious table tennis players. The 2040 can do everything the 1040 can and then some. The 2040 has a ball recycling feature which extends the time of each training session. The recycling net captures balls after your returns and restores them to the ball containment area to be served over and over again. Robo-Pong 2040 is priced at $695.

Newgy’s ultimate table tennis robot will be available for purchase in the fall of 2009 for a price of $795. Compared to other table tennis training robots on the market, this price is a true bargain considering all of the features that this robot offers. The Robo-Pong 2050 offers the same features as the 1050 in addition to other advancements. The 2050 features a recycling net system that catches your returns and recycles the balls for continuous play. By utilizing the digital controls users are able to set exact specifications for their training session. Normal Mode provides for manual control over each individual function.

Newgy Industries table tennis training robots can meet you where you are. Determine your training goals and your ideal budget, and then choose the best fit for you.

Popularity: 73%

American Table Tennis is a well-established and reputable company that specializes in providing professional table tennis equipment, clothing and accessories. Based in Southfield MI, they have been doing business for 30 years, and continue to be a popular choice for players who are serious about the game.

Equally well known are the brands that they have carefully chosen to stock. As stated on their website, American Table Tennis is “the exclusive US importer and distributor of Donic and Yasaka table tennis products.” The reason American Table Tennis chooses to focus on these brands is because of the quality of the equipment they produce. After all, both brands are internationally recognized and respected in table tennis networks. Donic is based in Germany, while Yasaka products are made in Japan- where the company originated- and Sweden. Yasaka has been in business for over 60 years, and Donic has been in operation since 1977; so it is clear that together, these two companies offer a wealth of expertise.

Both brands focus on quality, innovation and new technology, pushing the traditional boundaries of the game ever further. It is not just these companies’ histories that make them what they are today, but also their continual desire to make progress, setting the ever-raising standards of the modern game. Both Donic and Yasaka strive to be the first on the market with new products, and American Table Tennis ensures that these leading innovations reach the American market swiftly, making them available directly from their website.

Whether it’s dynamic clothing, rubber production or blade technology, they have indeed been ‘The Source For The Best Since 1979.’ Everything a table tennis player could want is stocked. Bats/rackets/paddles, balls, blades, covers, rubbers and cleaners, glue, clothes, bags, net sets, shoes and even table tennis training robots. Instructional and informative books, DVDs and videos are also available. There is such great variety.  You could spend hours perusing their selection of top-quality merchandise. It’s not only limited to Donic and Yasaka either; you will no doubt come across products by other eminent brands, such as Butterfly, Killerspin, and Newgy, the creator of the Robo-Pong robots.

At American Table Tennis, it’s simple to create an account online, and a variety of payment options are available if you choose to make an order. Look out for promotional codes, which are occasionally offered on the website and can be applied to certain orders.

You should also know that American Table Tennis’s website is more than a store. It’s a hub of interest for table tennis enthusiasts. You can access news and player information, including photos and relevant statistics- short articles about who won which tournament and when. There is information about clubs, rules and world rankings. Equipment tips can also be found, detailing common problems such as rubber wear and tear. There is even advice about choosing a new type of blade or rubber, with the necessary instructions outlining how to remove old rubbers and replace them with new ones.

Testimonials are also accessible online, just in case you want to check them out for yourself before making your first order. Full shipping details, a best price guarantee and return policy can be found on the website. Whatever your table tennis needs, American Table Tennis seeks to provide for you!

American Table Tennis can be found at 29393 Murray Crescent, Southfield MI 48076-1679. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. For an updated catalogue, call 800-825-7664, or 248-356-1073 from outside the USA. Fax 248-356-5871. You can also download a mail order form online.

Popularity: 78%

The basic rules of casual table tennis are quite simple; two or four players hit a ball back and forth over a net. Points are earned when an opponent fails to return the ball. The first side to score eleven points, with a two point lead, is declared the winner. Once players decide to play at a more competitive level, the rules become more complex and are enforced with more consistency. In an effort to keep the game fair, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) constantly reviews and makes changes to the rules. For the most up-to-date guidelines be sure the visit the ITTF website.

A player’s racket must be black on one side and red on the other. This is true whether the player is using rubber on one side or both sides of their blade. Rubber sheets must be approved by the ITTF. These are authenticated by having both the ITTF logo and the manufacturer’s logo or trademark visible on the blade, typically above the handle. The rubber must be free of tears and chips that could significantly affect game play. Tears and chips may be acceptable as long as they do not impact the way the ball plays after it hits the imperfection in question. The umpire of the match has the discretion to determine if a rubber is legal or illegal. If you challenge his ruling the referee will make the final decision about eligibility. Once your table tennis racket is selected for a match, you cannot change rackets unless it becomes badly damaged, at which point you will need permission to make a substitution. When a change is made after a game has started, you will be required to present the new racket for review by your opponent and the umpire.

The net used for a match must consistently measure 15.25 cm above the playing surface from one end of the net to the other. The bottom of the net should be as close to the playing surface as possible. The ends of the net should be as close to the supporting posts as possible. The playing surface is to be rectangular and measure 2.74m long and 1.525m wide. It is to be positioned horizontally 76cm above the floor. The playing surface can be constructed of any material as long as it yields a uniform bounce of approximately 23cm when a table tennis ball is dropped onto the table from a height of 30cm. The playing surface must be uniformly dark colored with white side lines and must have a matte finish.

A regulation table tennis ball must be a sphere with a diameter of 40mm. It must weigh 2.7g. Balls are to be constructed of celluloid or similar plastic material. They can be orange or white but must have a matte finish.

Official rules specify that the winner of a match is the player who wins three out of five games. To be proclaimed the winner of a game, a player must score eleven points and have a two point lead. A point is awarded if a player’s opponent does not make a good service or a good return; if after a good service or good return, the ball touches anything other than the net assembly before being hit by the opponent; if the ball goes beyond his end line and does not touch the court after being hit by the opponent; if the opponent obstructs the ball or double hits the or hits with a side of the racket with a surface that does not meet requirements; if the opponent or anything the opponent wears or carries moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly; if the opponent’s free hand touches the playing surface while the ball is in play; or if the doubles opponent strikes the ball out of the sequence that was established by the first server and first receiver. No point is awarded if the rally results in a let. A let results when a ball is served and the other player and his partner, if playing doubles, are not ready and do not attempt to hit the ball; a ball that is served well hits the net assembly; if failure to successfully complete a service or return is the result of a disturbance which is outside of the player’s control; or if play is interrupted by the umpire or referee.

Each player serves two points in a row before serving position changes. If a game is tied with a score of 10-10, each player will serve one point before serving position changes. After each game the players change table sides. In the final game, players rotate sides when the first player earns five points. For a serve to be considered legal the ball must remain above the level of the playing surface and in view of the server’s opponent. The ball must rest in the server’s stationary palm and be tossed in the air at least six inches before being struck. The ball can only be struck when it is on the way down from the toss and must be struck so that it first bounces on the server’s side and then the opponent’s side. If a serve is not legal the umpire can call a fault against the server. The umpire is not required to issue a warning but if they do, they will only issue one.

Want to train to be the best table tennis player you can be?  Consider adding a table tennis robot to your table tennis training regimen.  When you have a robot to practice with, you will always have a partner, and your partner will always challenge you to be a better player.  View our videos to the right and visit Table Tennis Bargains for more information on how to take your training to the next level!

Popularity: 84%

Table tennis is a sport that can be played by people of all ages and abilities. While the game is believed to have originated in England in the early 1880s, it has become a sport embraced around the world.

The earliest date on record of a game resembling table tennis is 1884. British army officers used available materials to create a game where players would hit a small object back and forth over a divider, reminiscent of lawn tennis. The officers would use balls of twine, rounded corks from bottles, or other small objects as their “ball”. Lids from cigar boxes became paddles and books lined across a table created a divided playing field. The game eventually became a popular after-dinner social activity and was given nicknames such as “Whiff Whaff”, “Gossima”, and “Ping Pong”; the latter due to the sound the ball made during game play. As popularity grew, a company named Parker Brothers began marketing an indoor tennis set consisting of a net that could be attached to a table, two miniature rackets, and a ball covered in netting.

In 1898 a company called John Jaques & Son began to promote their version of indoor tennis using the name “Ping Pong”. Although the name had been widely used for several years, the company filed for, and received, a trademark of the name in 1901. This established their exclusive right to use the name for marketing purposes. They sold partial rights of the trademark to Parker Brothers, giving them permission to use the name for marketing in the United States. Parker Brothers re-released their indoor tennis set under the “Ping Pong” title. Due to the trademark, other companies were no longer able to use the term “ping pong” to promote their products. They began to use the term “table tennis” instead. Items labeled “Ping Pong” were typically more expensive than the products marketed as generic table tennis equipment.

As the game matured and gained popularity, advancements continued to occur. An Englishman named James Gibb discovered a different type of ball while on a trip to the United States. This new ball was hollow and made of celluloid. He brought several back to England and began using them to play table tennis with his friends. The new table tennis balls made the game faster and more sport-like. The next advancement was quick to follow. Originally, paddles were manufactured by stretching parchment over frames. In 1901, E.C. Good invented an updated version of the paddle by attaching a sheet of rubber to a wooden blade. This modification further increased the speed of the game and continues to be the basis for the paddles we use today.

Table tennis was extremely popular until 1904 when interest began to fade. It was not until the early 1920s that people began to invest energy in table tennis once again. The Table Tennis Association was formed in England in 1921 in an effort to return attention to the game. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in 1926 by the countries of England, Denmark, Hungary, Sweden, India, Germany, Austria, Wales, and Czechoslovakia. The ITTF hosted the first world championship tournament in London the following year.  In 1930, The American Ping Pong Association was formed. Membership was limited due to the monopoly established by Parker Brothers and the requirement that only their official “Ping Pong” equipment be used. The U.S. Amateur Table Tennis Association and the National Table Tennis Association were formed in 1933 in order to enable people to apply for membership, regardless of the brand of equipment they preferred. All three groups agreed to merge together as one in 1935 and became known as the U.S. Table Tennis Association.  In 1994 the group was renamed U.S.A. Table Tennis (USATT). The USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation and the United States Olympic Committee.

The sport of table tennis has been introduced to countries around the world. It has been played at the Paralympics Games since 1960 and the Olympic Games since 1988. In the early years of competition Central European countries, especially Hungary, dominated the sport. A shift occurred in the early 1950s when Asian countries began to gain momentum to take over the top spot. Several key factors contributed to the success of the Asian players. The first was the introduction of the foam rubber paddle by Japan. This type of rubber coating allowed players to create more spin in the ball and increased the speed of the game. A second factor was the type of grip Asian players used during game play. They were known for holding the handle of their paddle between their thumb and forefinger, allowing them to strike the ball with the same face of the paddle on every stroke. It has since been named the “penholder” grip and has become the most widely used grip among all top international players.

If  table tennis history shows us anything, it’s that the game of table tennis will continue to grow in popularity around the world, and the future of table tennis promises to be an exciting one!

Popularity: 61%