Ping-Pong Techniques

Ping-pong is one of the fastest sports in the world. Ping-pong strengthens the arm muscles and reflex skills and improves hand-eye coordination. An hour-long game of table tennis burns almost 300 calories. That is equivalent to a 27 minute power walk on the treadmill or 32 minutes of light gymnastics. Because of the speed and rapidity of movements in ping-pong, the heart rate is kept elevated, giving effective cardiovascular and aerobic exercise.

Basics of Ping-Pong

To master the game, command over basic moves such as the racquet grip, the ping-pong stroke and the basic serve is essential. The grip is crucial because it controls the angle of the paddle, which determines your game. The stroke refers to your treatment of the ball and the way it is hit. The serve is very important because it is the only stage of the game where you have total control of how and where you are going to place the ball. Serve should ensure that the ball bounces on either side of the table.

Ping-Pong Techniques

There are several techniques that players use in ping-pong. Knowledge of the right techniques is essential to ensure overall success of your game. The basic techniques are the drive, the push and the basic serve. Advanced techniques include the loop, the chop and advanced service.

Basic Ping-Pong Techniques

The drive is a basic offensive technique in the game to force errors on the part of the opponent. 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 used to respond to the opponent's very low and close shots. The push incorporates a light backspin. Properly executed, this technique enables placement of the ball anywhere on the table where it is difficult for the opponent to attack. The basic service rules require the ball to be held high enough to be visible to the opponent and the umpire. The ball must be tossed vertically at least six inches and struck only on the way down. The service must cause the ball to bounce once on either side of the table.

Advanced Ping-Pong Techniques

The loop is an advanced variation of the drive stroke. It incorporates considerable top spin on the ball, giving it a strong forward and upward motion. The loop drive is the primary attacking stroke of serious players today. The chop is a stroke favored by players using defensive techniques that attempts to negate the attacking strokes of the opponent. Hit with extreme backspin, the chop causes the ball to bounce very low and move forwards in a flat path. Advanced serve differs from the basic serve in that it has a degree of spin to it. The spin may be top spin, back spin or side spin. By varying the angle of the paddle and point of contact with the ball, a variety of advanced serve techniques can be played. The opponent is unable to anticipate your serve, thus giving advantage to your game.