History of Table Tennis

Origin

• The precise beginnings of table tennis remain uncertain, it is a relatively young sport, predating lawn tennis and only slightly older than basketball.

Early Table Tennis

• The earliest form emerged in the 1880s, British army officers stationed in India and South Africa played "indoor tennis."
• Cigar box lids served as paddles.
• Wine bottle corks were used as balls.
• Books formed a makeshift net across a table.
• In England during the 1890s, other versions arose.
• The sport was referred to as "whiff whaff" and "gossima."
• Parker Brothers manufactured an indoor kit with a portable net, netting-covered ball, and miniature paddles.

Name and Popularity

• Englishman James Gibb introduced hollow celluloid balls after a visit to the United States in 1900.
• Gibb coined the term "ping pong", mimicking the sounds of the ball against the paddle and table.
• John Jacques, another Englishman, trademarked "Ping Pong" in 1901.
• He sold American rights to Parker Brothers, who then launched a kit under that name.
• E.C. Goode in 1902 covered his wooden paddle with pebbled rubber, enabling spin.
• A Ping Pong Association was established in England in 1902, but lasted less than 3 years due to equipment costs controlled by Parker Brothers.
• The sport became marketed as table tennis by other manufacturers and became more popular throughout England and Europe

Table Tennis Association

• A new Table Tennis Association was established in England in 1921.
• The Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation) was formed in 1926.
• Founding members at the Berlin meeting included England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales.

World Domination

• The first world championship tournament was held in London in 1927.
• Hungary dominated the championships up to World War II.
• Maria Mednyanszky, from Hungary, won seven women's championships.
• Viktor Barna, also from Hungary, was a five-time men's champion.
• Czechoslovakia and Romania produced many champions too!.
• The American Ping Pong Association formed in 1930, restricted to Parker Brothers equipment, also impacting membership
• Two rival organizations: the U. S. Amateur Table Tennis Association and the National Table Tennis Association, established in 1933.
• The three organizations merged to become the U. S. Table Tennis Association (1935); renamed U.S.A. Table Tennis in 1994.
• In 1952 Japan's Horoi Satoh introduced the foam rubber paddle, impacting the sport, also allowing play to become faster and more spin.
• Asian players developed the "penholder" grip, in which the paddle’s handle is held between their forefinger and thumb in order to allow players to strike the ball with that same face of paddle.
• Table tennis was instated as an Olympic sport in 1988, including both genders in singles and doubles competitions.

Equipment

• A table that is dark and matte for good ball visibility
• A blade of 85% wood
• The covering rubber has a maximum of 3.5mm
• The smooth style includes pips-out & pips-in
• The ball is made of lightweight plastic and is 40mm in diameter weighing 2.7g.
• The rubber is added to the blade and sponge
• The rubber can be pimples-out or pimples-in
• The sponge is generally pre-assembled as one piece and are made of rubber, blade, and sponge

Measurements

• TABLE
  • Net width: 1.83m
  • Width: 1.53m
  • Length: 2.74m
  • Height: 76cm
• NETS
  • Net Post: 106.7 cm (42")
  • Center: 91.4 cm (36")
  • Half: 6.4 m (21')
  • Full: 12.8 m (42')
• PADDLES
  • Pen-Hold: 140mm & 95mm
  • Horizontal: 150mm & 100mm
• BALL
  • 40 mm or 1.57" in diameter
  • 125.6 mm or 4.94" in circumference
  • The weight of a table tennis ball 2.7g or 0.095 Oz