Beginners' FAQs

Is it wrong to use a shakehand grip in table tennis with two fingers on the backhand rubber?

Are hollow pimples legal in table tennis rubbers?

Is There a Difference Between Red and Black Table Tennis Rubbers? Are red rubbers faster, and black rubbers spinnier?

How much court space do you need to play table tennis? What is the minimum size of a family room to play ping-pong in?

Find out how the clock face method of hitting the ball works, and why the swing direction must also be considered in order to hit the ball properly.

Is there a simple rule of thumb for how far away you should stand from the table when playing table tennis?

Why do ping-pong players wipe their hands on the table during a match?

What's the easiest way to remove any old illegal glue from your table tennis sponges and rubbers, and do you really have to do so in order to make your ping-pong paddle legal under the new ITTF laws?

Is it a good idea to change your grip during a table tennis rally?

Looking to buy a new ping-pong paddle, with separate blade and rubbers? Then get some advice on what table tennis bat to buy from Greg Letts, the About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Guide.

Are you planning to buy a table tennis table? Greg Letts, the About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Guide, has some recommendations to help you choose the perfect ping-pong table.

Want to compete at table tennis? Find out where you can play in local ping-pong tournaments.

Wondering why Greg (your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong) hasn't reviewed a particular bit of table tennis equipment? Find out the reasons here.

Have you recently bought an expensive new ping-pong paddle and find that you can't control the darn thing? Are you thinking of going back to you old cheap table tennis bat. Read this advice on what to do first before you make a final decision.

How to stop your table tennis opponent from breaking the rules during a match, without getting into a fight!

Are you trying to find a place to purchase 38mm table tennis balls? Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, has some suggestions on where to buy these increasingly rare ping-pong balls.

What materials are used to build high quality ping-pong tables, and where can you buy table tennis table paint?

Should table tennis beginners use junk rubbers right away? Or should you wait a while before trying to play ping-pong with long pips or antispin?

Is it legal to hit your table tennis bat on the table during a point?

How often can your opponent bounce the ball before serving? What about other annoying pre-service rituals?

Under the laws of table tennis, is the server the only one who can win a point and get it added to his score? Or can the receiver win a point as well?

Should you play safe and push the ball long and deep, or take the risk and attempt to push the ball short? Which is better, and why?

Wondering when you should start using specialist table tennis blades and ping-pong rubbers. Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, discusses when a player should think about using specialist equipment.

How often should you replace your table tennis rubbers, and how do you know when they need changing?

Are offset handles common in table tennis, and can you remove the rubbers from any ping-pong paddle, including the premade ones bought from a sports store?

Will playing other racket sports help your table tennis, or cause problems with your ping-pong?

Is ping-pong the preferred phrase, or is table tennis the true term? Which is correct? Does it matter? About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Guide Greg Letts investigates what's in a name.

Ever walked off the table tennis court wondering what the heck just happened? Want to know why you lose to ping-pong players that you should beat easily, and want to do something about it? Here's the reasons, and some suggested solutions.

Get advice on whether you should get lessons from a coach before you start to play table tennis/ ping-pong.

How to improve your table tennis/ping-pong when you don't have a coach.

What are your options when you win the toss in table tennis? Do you have any choices to make if you lose the toss?

Why don't the top table tennis players serve the ball wide, far away from their opponents? Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, explains the reasons why most high level serves don't cut the sidelines on the first bounce.

Looking for information or pictures of the old and classic table tennis blades. Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, shows you where to go to find those old ping-pong paddles.

Is it legal to change your racket hand during a rally? Or between points?And is it legal to drop your racket and hit the ball with your hand instead? Or to throw your racket in order to hit the ball? Your guide to About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, Greg Letts, explains the official answers to these questions.

Are thin sponge table tennis rubbers better to chop with, or are thicker ping-pong rubbers better for defending?

Should you use the same brand for your table tennis blade and your ping-pong rubbers?

Should defensive table tennis players use a combination bat with funny / junk rubber, or normal rubbers?

Which long pip rubber produces the most spin reversal, but will still be legal after the ITTF friction testing starts in 2008?

Does a ping-pong ball travel faster in a warm room or a cold room? Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, investigates the matter.

Do you like to play ping-pong using both the shakehand style and the penhold style at different times? Do you need a blade for each style, or can you use the same blade for both styles?

How often should you replace your table tennis rubbers? How can you tell when your ping-pong rubbers are worn out?

Will the sweat from your hands damage the handle of your table tennis bat? Should you varnish or coat your ping-pong paddle handle to protect it?

Is it more important to have strong wrists or flexible wrists when playing table tennis / ping-pong?

Advice on how to improve your serve, return of serve, and blocking in table tennis / ping-pong matches.

If you try to serve in table tennis and the ball sticks to your free hand, is that a let or a fault?

Want to build your own ping-pong table, but not sure it is worth the hassle? Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, investigates whether you can build a competition quality table tennis table quickly and easily.

According to the table tennis rules, is it legal to volley the ball onto your side of the table, then your opponent's, so that the ball does touch your side of the table as required by the laws of ping-pong?

What happens when a ping-pong player serves the ball with so much backspin that it comes back over the net by itself without being touched by the opponent? Who wins the point?

Should you use different parts of your table tennis bat to get the maximum amount of spin?

How many calories do you burn off while playing table tennis? Does playing ping-pong use up a lot of kilojoules? Do table tennis players have special nutritional needs?

Find out how to stop your table tennis rubbers from peeling off the edges of your ping-pong blade.

Do you have to glue your table tennis rubbers on to your blade every time you play ping-pong?

Is it legal to use a ping-pong racket in each hand when playing table tennis?