Quite a bit like real tennis, the game of table tennis uses pretty much the same basic rules as its larger brother. If you spent a lot of time watching sports on TV, then it is quite probable that you have watched at least a couple of table tennis games.

Table tennis, which is normally played on a wooden table that is green in color, and is most often referred to as ping-pong, gets its name from the sound of the ball makes when it goes back and forth. Unlike real tennis, which makes use of large rackets to knock a green bouncy ball back and forth over the net, ping-pong is a smaller version of the game which utilizes small wooden paddles with rubber surfaces to knock a small plastic ball back and forth across the net.

Some of the reasons that table tennis has become so popular, is because it is very easy to play and it is very fun, but those aren’t the only reasons, it also takes very little room to set up and play. Unlike regular tennis, you can set up a ping-pong table in a garage and have plenty of room for entertainment.

Simply having a ping-pong table and some paddles is enough to play the game, you don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of fancy and expensive equipment to play. The table is the only thing that requires a little bit of investment, but compared to the costs of other sports it isn’t much. After you have the table all you need is a set of paddles and some balls and you’re ready to go.

Little Bit of History behind Ping-Pong

It was in the late 1880s that table tennis first started. It began by some affluent Victorians from England who were looking for something that they could play inside. These affluent Englanders came up with the idea from watching tennis, and started out by making some paddles on the lids of some cigarette boxes and a ball made of twine. They just used a normal table for a table and the craze began.

As soon as the 1900s hit, the game was growing in popularity, and they were soon manufacturers of table tennis tables making really large improvements on the original table design, and started making them for sale. The paddles and balls were also improved along with the tables. They started adding a rubber face on the paddles which help to slow the game down and they improved the ball structure so that they were rounder and bounced better.

Over time with the increase of manufacturing and commerciality of the equipment, more people became introduced to it and were able to enjoy it. The year 1902 was the start of the table tennis tournament era. This year the first official tournament was played and by the year 1921 the Table Tennis Association was formed in England. It wasn’t but a short 10 years later that the first ever world championship table tennistournament was played in England as well.

With the test of time, the game has become a universal craze that has survived generations. It has become a permanent pasttime for friends and family to love and enjoy as well a burning craze for those who love to compete. All of this adds up to a lot of fun time with friends and family and a good reason to get together and fellowship.