Table Tennis Review Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the history, equipment, rules, and basic skills of table tennis as presented in the lecture notes.

Whiff-whaff and Gossima

Early alternative names for the sport of table tennis, which was invented in England in the 1880s.

Celluloids

A tough, flexible, and moldable material resistant to water that was used to make table tennis balls during the early 1900s.

Parker Bros.

The company that opted to use the name 'ping-pong' when they introduced the game to the United States.

1988

The year table tennis was officially included as an Olympic sport after being around for more than a century.

40mm Ball

The increased size of the plastic ball introduced in late 2000, changed from $38\,mm$ to slow down the speed of the game.

11 point system

The current scoring system for table tennis sets, which replaced the traditional 21 points in the year 2000.

Freehand

The hand not carrying the racket, which must hold the ball on an open palm during the commencement of a serve.

Serve Toss Height

The ball must be tossed directly upward without spin at least $16\,cm$ (approximately $6\,inches$) high before being struck.

Playing Surface

The upper surface of the table, which must remain below or level with the ball and end line during a service.

Table Dimensions

A standard table measuring $9\,ft$ in length by $5\,ft$ in width, with the surface positioned $30\,inches$ ($2\,ft\,6\,in$) from the floor.

Net Assembly

The equipment that stands $6\,inches$ high and stretches across the middle of the table, overhanging by $6\,inches$ on each side.

Blade

The wooden part of the racket without a covering; it may also contain a small amount of carbon fiber or similar fibrous material.

Shakehand Grip

A hold achieved by literally shaking hands with the handle, with the forefinger on the backhand side and the thumb on the forehand side near the neck.

Penhold Grip

A grip favored by Asian players where the handle is held in an upright position as if holding chopsticks.

Backhand Block

A stroke used to catch an opponent out of position and reduce their available reaction time.

Push Shot

A basic skill in table tennis categorized as a common defensive stroke.

The Loop

A shot featuring faster topspin used by top players to play aggressively and minimize the opponent's attacking opportunities.

High Toss Serve

A serving technique where the ball's falling speed onto the racket assists the player in imparting extra spin and speed.