Table Tennis Racket 101
Stephen wanted to learn a new sport. This person wanted to sweat but not run too far. Given there were not that many options, a friend suggested to try table tennis instead.
Table tennis is one game that is played on a very small space. Each player is 9 to 10 feet apart from each other on opposite sites of the table and the key to win will be to outsmart the opponent. Making some good plays both defensively and offensively can achieve this by using a racket.
The racket for table tennis is small. It is just a little bigger than palm of someone’s hand. Some might be able to get a cheap version while those who take this sport seriously will have to the parts and assemble it all together.
Another term for racket is the paddle. This is made up of three things namely the handle, the blade and the rubber. The price for each will vary depending on who is the manufacturer. Some people are known to use the cheaper brands since the person is able to do well using these items.
When the individual has assembled everything, it is time to try it out. Someone can serve a few balls and the person can just hit with little effort. After the warm-up, people like Stephen should begin learning the various techniques.
There are two ways to hold the paddle. The first is called the pen hold. The player will literally hold the racket similar to how this is done with a pen.
The pinky, ring and middle fingers will go to one end of the handle while the thumb and the index will form a V shape with the blade pointed toward the floor. The person will then extend the arm or move it to the side when serving or receiving the ball from the opponent.
The second is called the shake hands grip. The term for this technique is again literal as the first. The individual is holding the paddle as if to shake someone’s hand. The blade most of the time is pointed to the side which is very common in beginners and veterans who have played this game.
When the hold has been chosen, it is time to learn the various drives.
The forehand drive is the used often in table tennis. The player will move into a side way position and then use the hips to create the force that will hit the ball. The individual should be careful not to stay too much because the ball could go outside the targeted area giving the opponent a point.
The backhand drive is another common technique. The blade is pointed towards the chest and then the player will release as the hand as the ball comes forward.
The spend drive is developed by building momentum before the final slam. Both players will trade the ball to each other and as the exchange gets faster, the person can end it by hitting this to the side of the table where the opponent will not have that much time to react.
There are a lot of techniques in playing table tennis. People like Stephen should first buy a racket so that the instructor can teach and the lesson can be applied at the same time.
