Table tennis or ping pong is one of the fastest sports in the world. Table tennis strengthens your arm muscles and reflex skills and also improves your hand eye coordination. Playing table tennis for an hour burns almost 300 calories that is the equivalent to a 27 minute power walk on the treadmill.
To master the game of ping pong, you must be able to perform basic moves such as the perfect racquet grip, ping pong stroke and serve. Having the perfect grip is important because it controls the angle of the paddle which will determine your game. The stroke refers to the way you hit the ball. The serve is extremely important because it is the only stage in the game where you have total control of how and where you are going to place the ball. Your serve should ensure that the ball bounces on either side of the table.
The drive is a basic offensive table tennis technique which forces your opponent to make errors. The drive is a light top spin stroke that produces an upwards and forwards movement of the ball. The push is generally a defensive shot which is used to respond to the opponent’s low and close shots. The push incorporates a light backspin. This technique (if properly executed) enables the ball to be placed anywhere on the table where it is difficult for your opponent to attack.
If you are an advanced player, you can try out the loop. The loop incorporates top spin on the ball giving it a strong forward and upward motion. The loop drive is the primary attacking stroke used by serious players today. The chop is also a favoured defensive technique. This is where you hit the ball with extreme backspin and the chop causes the ball to bounce very low and move forward in a flat path. The advanced serve differs from the basic serve in that it has a degree of spin to it. The spin can be top, back or side. By changing up the angle of the paddle and point of contact with the ball a variety of techniques can be played. Therefore your opponent will be unable to predict your serve which will give you an advantage in the game.