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Table Tennis Information
Table Tennis Terms
- Anti-topspin - a rubber type that deactivates spin and speed,
returning a "dead" ball
- Backhand - a stroke done directly in front of the body, with
the racket turned so that the back of the hand faces the opponent
- Backspin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket
position, the ball would not make it over the net
- Block - a defensive shot done mostly against loops and smashes,
where the racket is in a closed position to keep the ball on the table
- Chop - a defensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of
backspin
- Closed - a racket angle that allows the top of the ball to
be struck
- Dead ball - a ball returned without any spin. Very difficult
to execute, read, and return
- Doubles - a format in table tennis where two people play on
each side and must alternate turns at striking the ball
- Drive - an offensive shot used mostly as a setup or in rallies,
where the racket is in a normal position and the ball is struck at a
medium pace
- Drop shot - a surprise shot where the ball is placed precisely
near the net
- Expedite rule - after a time limit(about 10 minutes) has expired
during a single point, the receiver automatically wins the point if
he/she returns the ball successfully 13 times in a row. This forces
the server to change his rallying tactics.
- Forehand - a stroke done to the right-front (for right-handers)
of the body, with the racket in a normal position (palm of hand facing
opponent)
- International Table Tennis Federation - the international governing
body for the sport of table tennis
- Inverted - See pips-in
- Let - a stoppage of play as a result of a serve hitting the
net or interference from outside the playing court
- Lob - a defensive shot used against high-speed balls, where
the ball (usually with unpredictable spin) is returned very high in
the air, causing difficulty in timing and technique
- Long pips - a rubber type whose surface consists of fairly
long pimples. Produces unpredictable spin.
- Loop - an offensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of
topspin
- Match - a competition format with the winner winning two of
three or three of five games
- Medium-long - a serve whose second bounce, given the opportunity,
would bounce near the very end or just off the table. Difficult because
the opponent cannot execute a good attacking stroke
- Open - a racket angle that allows the bottom of the ball to
be struck
- Penhold - a grip where the racket is held exactly as it sounds,
with the racket handle held straight up and down
- Pips-in - a rubber type whose surface is smooth yet gripping.
Produces much spin and in many cases better speed. Also known as inverted
rubber
- Pips-out - a rubber type whose surface consists of many tiny
pimples. Produces much control and speed, but little spin
- Push - a defensive shot used to successfully return backspin
shots, where the racket is open to lift the backspin over the net
- Receive - return of service, usually done tactically to set
up an attack
- Seemiller - Name of 5 time US champion Dan Seemiller. Also
the name of a table tennis grip
- Serve - the beginning of a point where one player strikes the
ball after tossing it. Usually used tactically to set up a strong attack
- Set - one game to 21 points in a match
- Shakehands - a grip where the racket is held exactly as it
sounds but with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers wrapped around the
handle
- Short - a serve that, given the opportunity, would bounce at
least twice on the table. Difficult because the opponent cannot execute
a good attacking stroke
- Sidespin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket
position, the ball would travel either to the right or left without
landing on the table
- Skunk - an informal rule in table tennis that says that a player
wins a game at a score of 7-0 or 11-1
- Smash - an offensive, high-speed shot used against high balls,
where the racket is in a normal position to generate the most speed
possible. Also called a kill
- Topspin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket
position, the ball would travel over the opposite side of the table
without hitting the surface
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