Table Tennis / Ping-Pong: Most Popular Articles

Important Rules for Ping-Pong
A comprehensive list of the important basic table tennis rules for beginners, with full explanations. Learn which basic ping-pong rules you really need to know.

Play the Basic Strokes
How to Play the Basic Strokes of Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong - a guide with photos and explanations. Learn about serving and returning serve, counterhitting, pushing, driving, chopping, smashing, looping and more!

Choosing a Table Tennis Table
Advice and information about how to choose the right ping-pong table for you. Includes advice on mini ping-pong tables, outdoor table tennis tables, and table tennis table conversion tops.

Improve Your Footwork Speed
Want to improve your footwork speed for table tennis, and increase your court coverage? Find out how to get faster for ping-pong.

Spin
Spin in table tennis/ ping-pong - what is it, why is it important, how it works, how to do it, when to use it, how to read it, and how to handle it.

Grip Types in Ping-Pong
A comprehensive list of grip types in table tennis/ ping-pong, with explanations and photographs.

The Laws of Table Tennis
Read the Laws of Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong rules. Settle those table tennis rules arguments once and for all!

Choose Your First Paddle
Ready to buy your first table tennis bat? Get information, advice and recommendations about what to look for in your first ping-pong paddle.

Beginner's Guide
New to table tennis / ping-pong? Get started the right way with expert advice on what equipment you will need, how to play the basic strokes, choosing your first racket, finding places to play, and the important rules you need to know first.

How to Keep Score
A comprehensive guide for beginners on how to keep score in table tennis.

Start of the Service
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

The Ball Toss
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

Hitting the Ball Over the Net
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

Serving in Doubles
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

Forehand Counterhit
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a forehand counterhit in table tennis.

Understand and Create Spin
Find out about how spin works in table tennis/ ping-pong, and how to create your own spinny strokes.

The Ball Toss Part 2
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

Ball Location During Service
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

The Service and the Return
Read the ITTF laws table tennis regarding the service and the return.

Top 10 Beginner Blades
The top ten table tennis blades for beginners, as recommended by the About.com Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong Forum.

Beginner Ping-Pong Rubbers
The top ten beginner ping-pong rubbers, as recommended by the About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Forum. Find which ping-pong rubbers have stood the test of time, and why.

Hiding the Ball
Learn how to serve legally in table tennis. The service rules explained, along with diagrams and video explanations.

Shakehand Shallow Grip
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ ping-pong shakehand shallow grip.

Traditional Chinese Penhold
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ ping-pong traditional Chinese penhold grip.

Physics/Maths of Ping-Pong
About.com guest author Jonathan Roberts explains how the Newtonian laws of physics apply to table tennis. Find out about the mathematics and physics of ping-pong!

Beginning Equipment
A comprehensive list of the equipment you will need to get started in Table Tennis (Ping-Pong).

A Brief History of Ping-Pong
A brief history of the sport of table tennis (or ping-pong), from its early origins in Victorian England, through the use of pimpled rubber, the introduction of sponge, the dominance of the Chinese, the introduction of speed glue, and the sweeping rule changes of 2000, into the future.

Table Tennis / Ping-Pong - HowTos
An index of HowTos for the Table Tennis / Ping-Pong guide site.

How to Use Spin
Information and advice on how to use spin properly in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Japanese/Korean Penhold
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ping-pong Japanese/Korean penhold grip.

Shakehand Deep Grip
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ ping-pong shakehand deep grip.

Serving for Beginners
Learn all about the serve in table tennis/ ping-pong, with theoretical and practical tips and advice on how to improve your serve and troubleshoot any problems.

Top 10 Classic Rubbers
The top ten classic table tennis rubbers, as recommended by the About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Forum. Find which table tennis rubbers have stood the test of time, and why.

Forehand Topspin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand topspin serve in table tennis.

RPB Grip
Explanations and photographs of the table tennnis/ping-pong reverse penhold backhand (rpb) grip.

How to Read Spin
Information and advice on how to read spin in table tennis

Greg's Table Tennis Blog
About.com Guide Greg Letts' personal table tennis/ping-pong blog.

Forehand Backspin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand backspin serve in table tennis.

How to Beat Jan-Ove Waldner
Sean P. O'Neill, 2-time Olympian and 5-time US National Champion, explains how to defeat 2-time Table Tennis World Champion Jan-Ove Waldner. Find out how to beat a ping-pong legend!

Seemiller Grip
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ping-pong Seemiller grip.

Improve Your Serve - Practical
Tips and advice for beginners on how to practice the serve in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Build Your Own Ping-Pong Table
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.

How to Handle Spin
Information and advice on how to handle spin in table tennis.

Backhand Chop Against Loop
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a backhand chop against a looped or driven ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Yasaka Mark V PP Rubber
An in depth review of Yasaka Mark V ping-pong rubber from your guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, Greg Letts, including the advantages and disadvantages of this table tennis rubber.

Basic Concepts of Ping-Pong
Learn the basic concepts of table tennis. Find out about spin, the basic strokes, important rules of ping-pong, how to score, choosing your first racket and more!

Ping-Pong Paddle Cleaning
Advice on how to clean your table tennis rubbers properly.

Top 10 Classic Blades
The top ten classic table tennis blades, as recommended by the About.com Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong Forum. Find which ping-pong blades have stood the test of time, and why.

Top Table Tennis Shoes
Here are ten top table tennis shoes, as recommended by the About.com Table Tennis forum and your Guide, Greg Letts. Find out which table tennis shoes are the right ones for you.

FH Pendulum BS/SS Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Choose Table Tennis Rubbers
You can play better table tennis by choosing the right rubbers for your game. Get information, advice, and recommendations on how to choose the best rubbers for your style.

Top 10 Mistakes by Beginners
New to ping-pong? Find out about the most common ten mistakes made by table tennis beginners, and how to avoid them.

V Grip
Explanations and photographs of the table tennis/ping-pong V grip.

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

Training for Beginners
Get expert advice on how to begin training for table tennis. Improve your ping-pong game faster!

Backhand Counterhit
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a backhand counterhit in table tennis.

loop
Description of what is a loop stroke in table tennis / ping-pong.

Butterfly Sriver TT Rubber
An in depth review of Butterfly Sriver table tennis rubber from your guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, Greg Letts, including the advantages and disadvantages of this ping-pong rubber.

TT Camcorder Tips
Planning to use a camcorder to video tape table tennis matches? Greg Letts, your About.com Guide to Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, has a number of tips to help you get the best video camera footage of your ping-pong matches.

Choose Your Table Tennis Blade
You can play better table tennis by choosing the right blade for your game. Get information, advice, and recommendations on how to choose the best table tennis blade for your style.

Learn Ping-Pong by Looking?
Is it possible to learn how to play table tennis strokes by watching other ping-pong players?

topspin
Explanation of what topspin is in table tennis/ping-pong.

Footwork for Beginners
Learn about the basics of footwork in table tennis, including what makes good footwork, your basic ready position, shuffle steps and crossover footwork, and serve and serve return footwork.

Improve Your Serve - Theory
Tips and advice for beginners on the theory of serving in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Advanced Guide to Serving
An advanced discussion of how to improve your serves in table tennis, including the topics of why the serve is important, what makes a good serve, and other factors to consider when serving.

Forehand Flick/Flip
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand flick return of serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Backhand Push
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a backhand push in table tennis.

Playing With Short Pips
Advice on tactics and strategies for players using short pimples in table tennis. Find out how to make the most of your short pips.

Newgy Robo-Pong 2040
A comprehensive review of the features of the Newgy Robo-Pong 2040 table tennis robot by About.com forum member MarcoHere (Marco Borrillo).

Video Analysis
How to use video analysis to improve your table tennis/ping-pong when you don't have a partner to practice with.

Why Play Ping-Pong?
A summary of the reasons to play ping pong (or table tennis), including health and fitness, a great mental workout, it's inexpensive and fun!

Forehand Loop Against Push
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a forehand loop against a pushed ball in table tennis.

Ping-Pong or Table Tennis?
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.

Forehand Push
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a backhand push in table tennis.

Recommended Ping-Pong Balls
Lamenting the poor quality of table tennis balls these days, and recommending a few ping-pong balls that are better than the rest.

Improve Serve Returns - Theory
Tips and advice for beginners on the theory of returning serve in table tennis.

Individual Footwork Drills
How to use footwork drills to improve your table tennis/ping-pong when you don't have a partner to practice with.

Beginning Training
Advice on table tennis training for new players.

Training By Yourself
Learn how to improve your table tennis game when you don't have a ping-pong partner available to practice with.

Antispin - Pros and Cons
Get advice on what tactics and techniques to use when playing with antispin in table tennis.

Pre-Made vs Custom Setups
Are you trying to decide whether to buy a pre-made table tennis bat from a sports store, or assemble a custom built racket? Guest author Alex Vanderklugt has some good advice on which choice is right for you.

Point, Game and Match
Read the ITTF laws of table tennis regarding points, games and matches.

blade
Description of what a table tennis blade is, and what it is made of.

Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit
An in depth review of the Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit table tennis blade, both from an attacking and defensive viewpoint.

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

Shakehand Serving Grips
Want to improve your serving in table tennis? There are three basic shakehand grip variations to choose from when serving, all with different strengths and weaknesses. Find out which ping-pong grip is best for you.

speed glue
Description of speed glue in table tennis.

Playing Styles
Want to know what style you play? Learn about the different categories of playing styles in table tennis. Read a comprehensive list and explanations of the many different styles used in modern table tennis.

Hardbat vs Sponge
Was the hardbat era truly the peak of ping-pong? Or is the modern sport of table tennis the pinnacle of the game? Scott Gordon, both a sponge rubber player and hardbat devotee, presents his point of view about the past and present of ping-pong.

Forehand No Spin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand float serve in table tennis.

Physical Fitness
How to get fitter and improve your table tennis/ping-pong when you don't have a partner to practice with.

Forehand Chop Against Loop
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a forehand chop against a looped or driven ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Forehand Smash vs Lob
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a forehand smash against a lobbed ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Guide to Using Long Pips
An in-depth guide to playing with long pimples in table tennis. Includes advice on who should use long pimples, what styles are suited to use long pimples, what type of long pimples should be used, how to twiddle, tactics and strategies, how to wobble the ball and how to use frictionless long pips.

FH Reverse Pendulum BS/SS
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Shadow Play Training
How to use shadow play to improve your table tennis/ping-pong when you don't have a partner to practice with.

Butterfly Amicus 3000
A comprehensive review of the features of the Butterfly Amicus 3000 table tennis robot. Includes discussion of the price, set up, the manual, ease of use, main controls and remote, ball return and capacity, mobility, maintenance, noise, number of heads, feeder height and placement, and sidespin.

Forehand Loop Serve Return
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand loop return of serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

bat
Description of what a table tennis bat is, and what it is made of.

umpire
Description of the role of the umpire in table tennis.

antispin
Explanation of what antispin rubber is.

backspin
Explanation of what backspin is in table tennis / ping-pong

Individual Serving Practice
How to get the most out of your ping-pong serving practice when practicing table tennis on your own.

The Order of Play
Read the ITTF laws of table tennis regarding the order of play.

How to Use Long Pips Rubbers
Looking to get the most out of your long pips rubbers? Watch videos and read explanations of the basic long pimpled techniques that you need to master.

Praktissmate's TT Robot
A comprehensive review of the features of the Prakttismate table tennis robots by About.com forum member MarcoHere (Marco Borrillo).

Forehand Loop vs Block
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a forehand loop against a blocked ball in table tennis.

Put Your Strokes Together
Learn how to improve your table tennis by putting your strokes together properly during rallies.

How To Speed Glue
A step by step guide on how to speed glue your table tennis bat.

rubber
Description of what a table tennis rubber is.

FH Pendulum Sidespin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Buy a Table for Home Use?
Advice on whether to buy a table tennis/ ping-pong table for use by your children at home.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Find out how to work out your strengths and weaknesses in table tennis, in order to help you choose better match tactics.

Seal a Table Tennis Blade
Find out how to seal your table tennis blade, with written explanations and a video demonstrating the process.

Glue Sponge Rubbers
Learn how to easily glue sponge table tennis rubbers to your ping-pong blade. Step by step explanations and video tutorial show exactly how to do it yourself.

Why Serving is Important
Learn why the serve is so important in table tennis/ ping-pong.

BH Topspin/Sidespin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a backhand topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

push
Explanation of what a push is in table tennis.

Top Ping-Pong Myths
A list of the most popular myths and misconceptions about table tennis/ping-pong.

Time to Learn a TT Serve
About.com Table Tennis/Ping-Pong Guide Greg Letts investigates exactly how long it takes to learn a new serve in table tennis.

Backhand Flick/Flip
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a backhand flick return of serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

TTmatic 302 Ping-Pong Robot
A comprehensive review of the features of the TTmatic 302 table tennis robot by About.com forum member David Chu.

Joola Tango Defensive 1.2mm
A Hall of Shame image gallery of poor quality table tennis rubbers - find out which ping-pong rubbers tend to bubble, rip, chip and tear easily.

Doubles Tips for Beginners
Are you are star at singles but a dud at doubles in table tennis? Then learn how to improve your ping-pong doubles play with these simple but effective tips and tactics.

Backhand Backspin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand backspin serve in table tennis.

Backhand Topspin Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand topspin serve in table tennis.

drive
Description of what is a drive in table tennis.

chop
Explanation of what a chop is in table tennis.

Forehand Drop Shot vs Chop
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a forehand drop shot against a chopped ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

ITTF
Explanation of what the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) is.

Serve Return for Beginners
Learn all about returning serve in table tennis, with theoretical and practical tips and advice on how to improve your service return and troubleshoot any problems.

Playing Against Antispin
Get expert advice on how to play against antispin rubbers, including theory and practical explanations of how they work and how to counter their effects.

XuShaoFa
A comprehensive review of the features of the XuShaoFa table tennis robot. Includes discussion of the price, set up, the manual, ease of use, main controls and remote, ball return and capacity, mobility, maintenance, noise, number of heads, feeder height and placement, and sidespin.

Forehand Loop vs Loop
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a forehand loop against a looped ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

Objective of Table Tennis
The objective of the game of Table Tennis (Ping-Pong) - what's the point(!)?

Improve Serve Returns - Prac
Practical tips and advice for beginners on returning serve in table tennis.

Barney Reed Jr
Learn from photographs of the top USA table tennis players, and learn about the players as well.

Table Tennis Safety
Stay safe while playing table tennis by following these simple tips for avoiding injuries while playing ping-pong.

Y&T V988, V989, V989D Robots
A comprehensive review of the features of the Paddle Palace Y&T V988, V989, and V989D table tennis robots by About.com forum member MarcoHere (Marco Borrillo).

Backhand Loop vs Block
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a backhand loop against a blocked ball in table tennis.

Forehand Lob vs Smash
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to hit a forehand lob against a smashed ball in table tennis/ ping-pong.

The Double Bounce Serve
Diagrams and explanations of the double bounce serve in table tennis, and why it is so effective.

Backhand Loop vs Push
Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to hit a backhand push against a blocked ball in table tennis.

The Racket
Read the ITTF laws of table tennis regarding the racket.

FH Pendulum TS/SS Serve
Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

crossover footwork
Description of crossover footwork in table tennis.

inverted rubber
Description of what inverted rubber is in table tennis / ping-pong.

Antispin vs Topspin
A detailed explanation of what happens when your opponent returns your topspin ball with antispin.

Learn TT Skills Quickly
Why do many Chinese table tennis coaches insist on their students learning one stroke at a time? Is there a scientific reason behind it? As it turns out, science supports the idea of mastering one technique at a time.

Spin in Table Tennis
About.com guest author Jonathan Roberts explains how the Newtonian laws of physics apply to spin in table tennis. Find out about the mathematics and physics of ping-pong!