Basics About Utah Table Tennis

By Sonya Riley


In Utah table tennis is also referred to as ping pong like it is referred to in many other places around the world. The game involves 4 or 2 participants who hit a sphere back and forth rackets. The ball is normally small and lightweight specifically meant for the game. The sport can be played indoors or in an outdoor environment on a hard-top playing platform.

The origin of this game is England during 1880s. At that time it was only played by members of the upper class after dinner. Suggestions have it that the game was originally developed by officers of the British military in either South Africa or India. After the officers developed it, they took it back to their home country. During that time, books were placed at the middle of the playing platform to serve as a net.

This game has undergone a lot of enhancements and development since its first invention. As it continued to gain more popularity, companies began manufacturing equipment for the sport. The initial rackets were parchments stretched on frames. The sound generated by the rackets led to the first nick-names of the game, that is, wiff waff and ping pong. The broad popularity of the sport led to the establishment of an organization in Britain that oversaw standards and practices in the sport.

The equipment utilized in playing comprise a playing platform, racket, and ball. Specifications of the playing ball are specified by international laws. It must be a light-weight ball of precisely 2.7 grams with the diameter measuring 40mm. According to international rules, balls should bounce to an altitude of between 24 to 26 centimeters when released from an altitude of 30.5cm on a standardized block of steel. This means that it must have coefficient of restitution lying between 0.89 and 0.92.

The balls produced from high bouncing celluloids that are filled with air or plastics with similar qualities. The color might be either white or orange relying on factors like surroundings and playing platform color. The balls are decorated with star marks to show their quality. Three stars indicate highest quality and the ball may be utilized for official competitions.

The platform has measurements of 9 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 30 inches high. The gaming surfaces are evenly colored and partitioned into 2 equal halves using a net with a height of 6 inches. Players bear rackets, which might be wooden on one side or at times both. Commonly utilized wood types in making the rackets include cypress, hinoki, limba, and balsa. The blades must have an average measurement of 6.5 inches.

The first serves in the game are usually decided by lot, usually a coin toss. Besides initial serves, in all other serves, the balls must be let to spring back once only on the playing platform. If the ball goes off the playing platform or bounces on the playing platform more than once, serving players get a point.

Utah table tennis is played on a professional level. There are also many training facilities in which learners can get trained by people who have the training and experience in the game. Charges for registering in a training facility are friendly and affordable.




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