Table Tennis
Graeme Ramsey
Table Tennis originated in the 1880s in England.
At the time it was an amusement for upperclass Victorians
rather than the sport that it is turned into in current times.
Surprisingly enough, table tennis is one of the most popular
sports in the world, with more people playing it than most
other sports.
It is particularly popular in China, Japan and Korea.
As the popularity of table tennis grew, more more manufacturers
started making equipment that became increasingly sophisticated.
Many people know table tennis by the name of ping-pong which
was a phrase coined from the sound of the original paddles as
they hit the ball.
The name ping-pong was later trade marked by an English
manufacturer and the game of ping-pong was specifically for
people who used that manufacturers equipment.
All other games were still called table tennis.
While the original paddles were made from parchment stretched
over a frame, they were later developed into wooden blades with
stippled rubber glued to them.
Another major development is the change to lightweight
celluloid balls that were discovered in the United States.
The other major change that occurred was in the 1950s, when
rackets gained an underlying sheet of sponge which dramatically
changed the way the game was played.
This allowed for a much faster game and the ability to spin the
ball.
In 1988, table tennis was introduced as a sport into the
Olympics.
With the increasing popularity the International Table Tennis
Federation decided to slow the sport down to make it more
spectator friendly.
This was achieved by increasing the size of the balls from 30mm
to 40 mm.
There are ongoing developments in the sport, and in some
instances people are using a 44 mm ball to slow the game down
yet again.
There's also a push by some people to return to the origins of
the sport by using hardbat table tennis rackets.
Whether this gains in popularity is yet to be seen, but many
people are finding it difficult to keep up the speed of the
sport both as spectators and as participants.
About The Author: Graeme Ramsey is a freelance writer on many
different subjects.
http://table-tennis-information.info
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