Ping pong is also an exciting table tennis game that can be played with two or four players. Even beginners and recreational players can become professional and highly skilled, and ping pong is a sight to behold on a professional level.
So, you can be played competitively or just for fun, and can provide a great workout while improving hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
In this guide, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the rules, equipment, and techniques needed to play ping pong. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this guide will help you master the basics and take your game to the next level.
Tips and Guide to Playing the Ping Pong Game
Before you go into the process, how to play ping pong? One must know the ping pong game rules and what equipment one will need.
Ping Pong Equipment Includes:
- The International competition rules restrict that the game of Ping Pong should play with the weight of a 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter high bouncing, and hollow celluloid ball.
- The ping pong table should be 2.74m long, with a width of 1.525 m, and at a height of 76m.
- Measurement of the ping pong net is always 15.2 cm.
- The ping pong bat is a racket or a paddle, as the racket has a rubber layer on one or both sides.
How to Play Ping Pong – Step-By-Step Guide
To become a professional gamer of Ping pong from the beginner level, you have to follow the below-mentioned rules step by step.
Step 1 – Search for Someone to play with
You will most probably want to start playing this game to see who should be at your beginner level, skill level, or trim level and, most preferably, who is not more aggressive.
You can play either with one to one way or with two teams, also called doubles. It will help if you play with someone who has paddles, balls, and table tennis.
Step 2 – You should be aware of how to grip the racket
Two well-known styles are commonly used to grip the rackets: the shakehand grip and the pen hold grip. No matter the style of gripping the racket, it is essential to hold it loose to allow your wrist to move freely. With the pen hold grip, you have to hold the racket just like the pen.
If you hold the racket with the shake-hand grip, you will put your hand on the racket’s handle in a way that you are shaking hands with it. It would help if you adopted such a way to feel more natural.
Step 3 – Plan who will serve first
According to the rules prescribed by the official international Table tennis Federation, the right to choose who will serve first is defined by the LOT or flipping the coin or drawing the straws with the winner selecting whether to serve first or which side they want to play with.
In most recreational games, that person will serve first, standing behind the table and holding the ball in the left or right hand. Then they will ask the opponent player about the ball in which he is holding. If he tells correctly, then they will serve first and vice versa.
Step 4 – Serve the Ball
The ball should be in your free hand beside the end line at a minimum of 16 cm in the vertical direction. You then have to hit the racket to hit your side of the table at once across the net and hit your opponent’s side.
Step 5 – Return the ball.
When the ball is served or returned, it can return over or around the net at any point on the opposite side of the table. The ball should return after its bounces on your side before it bounces twice or hits the floor or anything off the table.
Step 6 – Score Points
For each rally, a point is rewarded, which is not a lot, and either the other player can score a point instead of who is served if your serve passes into the net and goes through the table without hitting the opponent’s side. If he hits the second player’s wrong half, the receiving opponent or team will score a point.
As described above, if you do not make a legal return, the ball will hit the net and will not go on the side of the opponent player, and then the point will be awarded to your opponent.
If you hit the ball with your racket and touch it with your body more than once after receiving the legal serve or return, the point will go to your opponent. It is noticeable that if the serve or return of your opponent does not hit the side of the table tennis, you will be rewarded with the point even if you hit the ball and catch it when it passes the end of the table.
However, if you touch or move the table with your hand, the point will go to your opponent.
Step 7 – Win the Game
Most people like to play to 21 or 15 points for a recreational game. According to the official rules, the player should be ahead by two points compared to the opponent player to win the ping pong game.
Step 8 – Play Again
According to the rules, the player wins three out of five games. The players have to change sides after each game. After every five games, they will also change sides when the team or player wins five points. The player or team serving first can also change each game, as no player has the advantage.
What are the rules for ping pong serve?
For serving ping pong, you are free. Yes, you can serve it straight or diagonally in any location. However, it won’t fall off the table when you serve the ball. You must bounce the ball twice, or it must fall off the end but not the side.
Conclusion
Knowing how to play ping pong is not difficult when the player is aware of the rules and regulations of the game. Therefore, if someone is ambitious and passionate about the game, they can become a professional player from the beginner level if they keep practicing.
An alternative to becoming a professional player of ping pong is to join a club and learn the game’s basic rules in a good manner.
FAQs
What are 5 rules of ping pong?
Here are 5 basic rules of ping pong:
- Service: The ball must be tossed vertically at least 6 inches before being hit by the paddle. The serve must be diagonal and land on the opponent’s side of the table.
- Scoring: A point is awarded to the player who successfully hits the ball over the net and onto the opponent’s side of the table, and the opponent is unable to return the ball.
- Let: If the ball hits the net during service, the serve is considered a let and the player gets another chance to serve.
- Double Bounce: After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the server’s side of the table and once on the opponent’s side of the table before either player can hit the ball.
- Game Play: The game is played for up to 11 points, and the winner must be ahead by at least 2 points. Players switch serves every 2 points. In doubles play, players must alternate hitting the ball and cannot hit the ball twice in a row.
How do you play table ping pong?
To play table tennis, also known as ping pong, two or four players stand on opposite sides of a table and hit a small lightweight ball back and forth over a net using a paddle. The game is won by reaching 11 points, with a margin of two points or more. The game involves serving, returning serves, and hitting the ball in a way that the opponent is unable to return the ball. A point is awarded when the opponent is unable to make a legal return, and the game continues until one player wins.
How do you win pong?
To win a game of pong, also known as table tennis or ping pong, a player must score 11 points while having a lead of at least two points over their opponent. Players earn points by hitting the ball over the net and onto their opponent’s side of the table in such a way that the opponent is unable to return the ball. The game continues until one player reaches the required number of points and has a lead of at least two points over their opponent.
