Table tennis is a worldwide popular sport today and that was first originated in Victorian England. It was popular by the name “Ping pong” but later changed the name to “Table tennis,” and since then, it has been carried forward. It was a game practiced after dinner for the Victorians, but today it is a world-class Olympic game. It is governed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
In the year 1926, this worldwide organization, ITTF, was founded and today it includes 226 member associations. The ITTF set up all the Table Tennis rules in the handbook.
Table tennis is played on a tabletop within a table tennis court involving two or four players. If played in singles, then it is two players. If played in doubles, it is 4 players. Unlike tennis, it is played on a table and it is more challenging. The rules of Table Tennis and the playing method are quite different than Tennis. To play table tennis well, comprehending the rule is essential. And beyond it, the measurement of table tennis and its parts are equally essential. To find it out, check the content. They have been thoroughly described in the content below.
[adinserter block=”3″]What are the Different Types of Equipment for Table Tennis?
Players use certain equipment to play table tennis. It is not only the Tennis paddle and the ball, it includes various other things as well. Let us take a look at them.
A. Tennis Racket.
The tennis racket is the foremost piece of equipment that comes to our mind when we think about Tennis. It is a wooden paddle covered with rubber. It has an overall dimension of 24cm-26cm x 15cm at the maximum. The tennis bat can be categorized into two-part- The Blade and the handle.
[adinserter block=”3″]The Blade.
The Blade is the upper portion of the tennis racket used to hit the tennis ball. It is made of wood. According to the rules of ITTF, 85% of the Tennis blade must be built with natural wood. Nearly one and ten layers of wood go in a tennis blade. Only a certain kind of wood is used to build the Tennis blade. Either Limba, balsa, Cypress, or Hinoki are used to build the Blade of the table tennis racket. Besides these, other materials like glass fiber, aluminum fiber, Carbon fiber, and kevlar are also used.
The top coating of the tennis racket blade is rubber. Under the rubber area, a layer of foam is seated. It creates a great impact on the kind of hit and strike. Like if a player hits with a blade with the rubber top, it would provide more spin than the regular. Henceforth, the topcoat of the racket helps the players adopt different defense and hit styles.
Dimension of the tennis racket blade.
The Blade of the tennis racket has a length of 17 cm and a width of 15 cm. Therefore, it has an area of 17cm x 15cm.
The Handle.
The handle of the tennis racket is the part of it that provides the grip. It is where the players hold the racket in different ways. Usually, two different types of grip are used to grab the handle. The one is the penhold style and the other one is the shake hand style.
Different kinds of handles used in Table Tennis have different dimensions that affect the game. Sometimes it is the Classic Playard, the rounded straight, the anatomic, the conical one, and the squared straight.
Table Tennis Racket/Paddle Size & Measurements Illustration
Dimension of the handle.
The handle of the tennis racket has a length of 10 cm and a width of 33 cm.
[adinserter block=”3″]B. The Table.
The table of tennis table is the platform on which the game is actually played. It is the table on which the ball is dropped on one side of the court and then again hit back by the opponent player. It is a dark matte-colored table, also known as a playing surface. Whether you call it a playing surface or upper surface it would mean the same. It is topped with a net and bordered bya white sideline.
The table is divided into two equal portions with a vertical white line. It is a 3 mm wide line that runs parallel to the sidelines. It is only done when the Doubles play. During the singles play, the net is enough to distribute the court but when it is 4 players that play on the single table, it is divided into four.
[adinserter block=”3″]Table Tennis Table Measurements Illustration With Net Overhang Height
Dimension of the table or playing surface.
The length and breadth of the table are 274 cm and 152.5 cm respectively. The height of the table from the ground measures to be 76 cm. It is the standard dimension of table tennis.
C. Net Assembly.
A 6 feet long net is mounted at the height of 15.25 cm. It divides the tabletop into two equal proportions. On either side of the table, the two players stand and strike the ball at each other. The table tennis net is attached to the supporting post of the table in an upright position. There are clamps given on the two sides of the table on which the net is fastened.
It is mounted quite close to the tabletop, but it doesn’t touch the upper surface.
There exist different variations of the table tennis net. Some kinds of Table Tennis nets are used for professional use and some for recreational games. The variations are professional clamp net, clip-on net, and retractable net.
Table Tennis Net Measurements & Heights and mounting Guide Illustration
Dimension of the net.
The net is 183 cm long and 15.25 cm wide. According to the rule of ITTF, the net can stand outside the tabletop up to 15.25 cm.
D. Table Tennis Ball.
The table tennis ball or the Ping Pong ball is a spherical object made of Celluloid or plastic. It is colored in either Orange or white. Previously it was only manufactured with Celluloid. But today it is replaced with plastic. In 2014, the plastic tennis world came into being and was named Poly balls.
[adinserter block=”3″]The International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF) observed that many countries that used to supply the table tennis ball made of Celluloid had denied it. It is because their country’s governing body has prohibited the usage of Celluloid as the raw materials used to make the ball is harmful to health. For this cause, the ITTF declared that a tennis ball would be used. But the governing body has not banned the use of Celluloid balls. It is just that the plastic balls are now used to more.
You might wonder if every tennis ball is the same but it isn’t true. According to the price, quality and rating of the tennis ball vary. The best way to judge whether or not the tennis ball is appropriate is if you see It written. Whenever you purchase a ball there would be stars printed on the ball.
If it has one star, it is the most inexpensive and less durable ball. It is better to be used for regular practice in either House or in clubs.
If the table tennis ball has two-star, it means it is a medium-level ball. It is neither too expensive nor too cheap and is more durable than the one-star ball and less durable than the three-star ball. In academic clubs, sports clubs, a recreational games, the two-star table tennis ball is used.
If it is a 3-star table tennis ball, then it is for professional use. It is the best quality and expensive ball and is definitely more durable than the above two. These are used for professional purposes and for the Olympics.
Table Tennis Ball Dimension & Weight Illustration
Dimension of a table tennis ball.
The official standard size of the table tennis ball is 20 mm diameter which is 4 cm. And the standard weight is 2.7 g.