TableTennisTableShop has just relased a new range of pro table tennis equipment in its accesories section we now stock blades, rubbers, glues, tapes, robots and more so go check it out.
October 23, 2008
Table Tennis vs Ping Pong.
Do you play ping pong or table tennis? Is there a difference? Does it really matter? Let’s have a closer look. I would tell you all about the old fashion meanings etc etc but do you really want to know all about that? Or do you want to know what it means in this day and age? The game seems to have split into two, on the one hand you have the professional players who only play table tennis, and those recreational players just having fun playing the game of ping pong (or as the professionals say the game that amateurs play) Yes that’s correct the professionals are ganging up on us here, for those of you who are like me and just enjoy playing the game, we apparently play Ping Pong. If that’s what they want to call it good for them I say. Does it really matter what it’s called, it’s fun, good exercise and addictive. All those playing Ping Pong, let’s take a step up, learn a few things, take a walk into the Table Tennis world and show those professionals a few new things.
Remember table tennis is all about control applied with the correct amount of power, learn how to manage that and you will take a step up to “where the air is Crisp”
Balance between control and power
People just starting to play table tennis usually have a difficult time finding a balance between control and power. Learn to hit the ball with enough power and you’ll see that it’s very effective. Always remember to hit the ball with the correct amount of power and control. Hitting the ball too hard will result in the ball over shooting the table. Try to hit the ball just right depending on what type of shot you’re trying to execute. Practice makes perfect.
October 17, 2008
Famous Ping Pong Star Is Disciplined
Olympic table tennis champion and world Number 1 table tennis star has been ordered to explain to team mates about his confrontation with a parking attendant who reportedly caught him urinating outside a karaoke hall.
25 year old Wang Hao was taken to a police station after allegedly kicking the attendant; however he denied the charges of abuse and was later released. Cleared, the young ping pong star went on to apologise to the attendant for verbally abusing him and supposedly paid him $290 to settle the matter.
“He needs to examine himself in front of the team, talk about his feelings and the lessons he’s learned and sound a warning for his other teammates,” men’s coach Liu Guanglie was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s edition of Xiandai Jinbao, a newspaper published by the official Xinhua News Agency.
“In addition to the sanitary repercussions, this story will forever be remembered for this quote. According to a witness, Wang said, “I am the famous Wang Hao! I am the world champion! Does it matter if I beat you?”
Wang Hao is Disciplined
Forget the Gym - Its Time For Table Tennis!
Now that winter is here the last thing many people want to do is exercise. But I believe I have found a great way to work out as well as have fun – Table Tennis!
So what makes Table Tennis so great?
Well for the weight conscious it’s a great way to shed the pounds. Table tennis is a fantastic way to exercise as you are continually working all the major muscles groups in the body. As you play your heart rate remains elevated, and your body is supplied with increased blood flow and oxygen at the same time, meaning you can get your heart pumping without feeling winded.
As well as all the cardiovascular benefits it is also great for improving reflexes. Due to the wide range of movements and joints used, your reflexes become stronger and quicker. Table tennis is so good at improving reflexes that professional NHL Hockey players participate in the sport when training.
Table tennis also gives you a great mental workout. The amount of focus and concentration needed in the game is immense, from focusing on the ball to planning your next move your mind needs to be constantly one step ahead. Although this sounds like hard work it is great for de-stressing after a busy day and the added bonus of the released endorphins means afterwards you fell great and have more energy than when you started.
But most importantly table tennis is FUN!
Not only do you have all the health benefits without being physically demanding but anyone can play. As the rules are so easy to learn you can get playing immediately, and with the huge range of tables out there you can play inside and out regardless of season.
But for me the most important thing is that I can train by myself or that I can play with friends. Easy to set up and cheap to play anyone can take part in this fantastic and popular sport. It’s a great way to combine socialising and keeping fit and with many health centres providing the equipment and venue – What are you waiting for???
October 15, 2008
Who Are The Worlds Leading Table Tennis Players?
The latest standings for the men have just been released. It has 6 Chinese men in the top 10.
The world number 1 is Wang Hao. He is 24 and has won silver in the last 2 Olympic games. In the Athens 2004 Olympics he was beaten by South Korean, Ryu Seung Min. In the 2008 Olympic final, he was beaten by fellow Chinese player, Ma Lin. The Bronze was won by Wang Liqin, completing a clean sweep of the medals for China.
| Rank | Name | Assoc. | |||
| 1 | (<<) | 12951.00 | WANG Hao | CHN | |
| 2 | (<<) | 12913.25 | MA Lin | CHN | |
| 3 | (<<) | 12751.75 | MA Long | CHN | |
| 4 | (<<) | 12589.25 | WANG Liqin | CHN | |
| 5 | (<<) | 12526.50 | SAMSONOV Vladimir | BLR | |
| 6 | (7) | 12483.00 | BOLL Timo | GER | |
| 7 | (6) | 12462.00 | CHEN Qi | CHN | |
| 8 | (<<) | 12255.50 | RYU Seung Min | KOR | |
| 9 | (<<) | 12223.50 | JOO Se Hyuk | KOR | |
| 10 | (20) | 12210.00 | HAO Shuai | CHN |
The highest ranked British player is Englishman Paul Drinkhall. The 18 year old is currently ranked 160th. He is the current European youth junior champion.
The latest standings have also been released for the women. Again the Chinese dominate holding the first 5 slots in the top 10.
The Chinese women dominated the medals at the Olympics winning all 3 medals in the Singles. Gold went to Zhang Yining, Silver to veteran Wang Nan and Bronze was won by Guo Yue.
Zhang has held the world number 1 position, almost entirely since January 2003. Only in January of this year did she slip to number 2 but, regained the top slot the following month.
| Rank | Name | Assoc. | |||
| 1 | (<<) | 12894.50 | ZHANG Yining | CHN | |
| 2 | (3) | 12866.75 | LI Xiaoxia | CHN | |
| 3 | (2) | 12806.75 | GUO Yue | CHN | |
| 4 | (<<) | 12666.25 | WANG Nan | CHN | |
| 5 | (<<) | 12661.25 | GUO Yan | CHN | |
| 6 | (<<) | 12486.75 | LI Jia Wei | SIN | |
| 7 | (9) | 12397.50 | FENG Tianwei | SIN | |
| 8 | (7) | 12381.25 | WANG Yue Gu | SIN | |
| 9 | (10) | 12347.75 | TIE Yana | HKG | |
| 10 | (8) | 12313.00 | JIANG Huajun | HKG |
The leading British player in women’s table tennis is Joanna Parker and she is ranked at 171 having climbed over 100 places this year alone.
Table tennis balls….How are they made and why are they white?
The ball is made from a plastic called Celluloid. It is easily shaped and moulded, and it was used, early on, as a replacement for ivory. It is also used to make guitar picks.
The ball is filled with a gas
Table Tennis is governed by the ITTF, International Table Tennis Federation. It has many regulations on table tennis balls and has approved only 64 ball type for this year. Each will be stamped with the ITTF logo and will be 40mm in size. It will also have a star rating on the ball, 3 stars indicate the highest rating. Prior to the 2000 Olympics, a ball of 38mm was the standard. This was then changed, to be the 40mm ball, as it was thought to slow the flight of the ball slightly, allowing spectators to be able to follow the game. The flight is slower as the ball spins less.
To be approved the ball goes through vigorous tests. One of which is to drop the ball from 30mm on to a metal plate. The ball must then bounce up by a minimum of 230mm.
There are now many different coloured ball on the market. It is up to the players to decide which they find easier to see, when playing. Other than white, you are able to purchase blue, green, brown, orange, yellow and pink coloured balls.
The usual ball to be used is a white one. This is because white is best against a blue or green background. If you have a grey table you may prefer to use an orange ball.
Cornilleaus 3D Models
Fresh onto our website are some nice modern 3D models. Good old Cornilleau has sent us over a CD with 3d rotating models of everyone of there tables if you go onto www.tabletennistableshop.co.uk you should be able to see them.
October 14, 2008
Table Tennis Facts
Table tennis became a medal Olympic sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Table tennis was banned in the Soviet Union from ca 1930 to 1950. The sport was believed to be harmful to the eyes.
Early table tennis paddles were normally made of cork, cardboard, or wood, and covered with cloth, leather or sandpaper.
Table tennis is the most popular racquet sport in the world and ranked second overall in terms of participation. Over 10 million players compete in sanctioned tournaments each year.
A modern table tennis match at the elite level lasts on the average about 30 minutes. Top players often smash the ball at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour.
How many balls can two players hit back and forth in 60 seconds? The current record is 173 set by Jackie Bellinger and Lisa Lomas in 1993.
A modern table is 9 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 2.5 feet high. The net is 6 inches high.
China, Sweden and South Korea are currently the world powers in table tennis
How Far Will Table Tennis Go
However people look at Table Tennis it has changed a lot since its former state as an after dinner lawn game in the 1890’s. Today there is big money involved as players buy and play with high-tech rackets and volley the ball at awesome speeds reaching up to 160 kilometers per hour. Table Tennis has now become one of the world’s top sports with schools teaching pupils how to play and the sport being held in the Olympic Games like the recent Beijing Olympics. With over 40 million players worldwide and thousands of millions playing casually, table tennis has reached an all time best. Table Tennis first hit the Olympic seems in 1988 at Seoul, where people used cigar-box lids for rackets and a carved champagne cork for a ball. Today players use unique rubber coated, fibre-glass bats, and a celluloid ball. The table tennis equipment industry is becoming more and more powerful, some glues are even banned from the Olympics, as they make the ball travel to fast