The Table Tennis Table and Table Tennis Equipment History

The equipment used in table tennis has changed quite dramatically since table tennis tables were first played on as a parlour or after dinner game in the late 1800's. Table tennis first began with players constructing a table tennis table 'net' out of books stacked across the table tennis table playing surface to form the division. At the time though, table tennis tables didn't exist so a regular dining table was used to play table tennis on. Initially the game that was played was known as “Wiff Waff”, which was the sound of the table tennis ball being hit across the table tennis table from side to side.

Players have been reported as using first a golf ball as a table tennis ball and then later a wine cork in place of a table tennis ball. This led to the table tennis ball being constructed from cork and then later when James Gibb, who happened to be a table tennis fan, went to America, he came home with a celluloid table tennis ball changing the ball that is used for playing table tennis for good. Today table tennis balls are made from an air filled celluloid or other similar plastic and table tennis regulations state that these can be either white or orange depending on the colour of the table tennis table that you are playing your game of table tennis upon.

The table tennis balls as they first began, or corks we should say, had no regular size, it was whatever was to hand, but as the game of table tennis developed a regular size of 38mm evolved. This became the standard size of table tennis balls that you would see across any table tennis table, both for professional and amateur players. These weight of these table tennis balls provided slightly too much of a challenge for the players plus the spin on them was such that watchers or spectators at a table tennis table could not see much of the match. A way was needed to slow the table tennis game down and make it more enjoyable for both players at the table tennis table and those watching. This resulted in table tennis balls being developed to the modern standard of 40mm with a weight of 2.7g

The way to test whether a table tennis ball is up to international regulations as set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is to bounce the 40mm table tennis ball on a standard steel block from a height of 30.5cm and the table tennis ball should bounce up 24–26 cm. Today's modern table tennis ball is a far cry from an old cork left over from dinner!

Table tennis bats have also changed significantly from the book or cigar tin lid that they started out as. They first developed very quickly into recognisable mini tennis bats with a parchment stretched over the blade area instead of strings. This resulted in the ping pong sound which was licensed as a version of table tennis by John Jacques & Sons in an attempt to patent the game. Other manufacturers got around this by selling their wiff waff, or ping pong equipment as table tennis table equipment and so the name caught on.

It wasn't until the 1950's that table tennis bats got their injection of modernity and started being manufactured with a layer of rubber and sponge which improved the game of table tennis immensely.  Both stippled rubber or smooth rubber blades can be found on table tennis bats which are also called paddles in America or table tennis rackets by the International Table Tennis Federation.

The only main difference in the table tennis table over time has been the introduction of low friction coatings onto a hardboard dedicated table for playing table tennis and the marking out of the table tennis table court. These markings on the table tennis table (the four quarters of the table tennis table) allow for extra rules and complications to be introduced regarding serving and the scoring process. For example when you are serving you must make sure that the ball bounces in the quarter of the table tennis table that is diagonally opposite to you. Plus each time a point in finished you should serve from the alternate half of your side of the table tennis table. This means that you cannot constantly serve to one spot on the table tennis table which you know is an opponent’s weakness but you have to be more clever about your strategy. The quality of the top used to make the table tennis table top has also meant that the bounce and speed of the ball has become more and more consistent. This allows players to judge more accurately how the ball in going to bounce of the table tennis table top which means that they can be more skilful and exact with their tactics and their shots. Thicker table tennis top playing surfaces mean the speed and accuracy of the game at the highest levels is really quite amazing to watch!

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