Table Tennis Balls

Millions of people play table tennis, also known as ping pong. The sport is popular around the world, and with good reason. It offers entertainment, good cardiovascular exercise and health benefits to players of different ages and fitness levels. The risk of injury is low and the intensity is manageable for most people. If you play table tennis to lose weight, you can avail of several social, mental and health benefits.

Low Risk of Injury: In table tennis, players use table tennis bats to toss the ball to the opponent on the other side of the table. There is no heavy playing equipment in use and there is minimal risk of collisions or falls. Table tennis is one of the few competitive sports that offer players an opportunity to indulge in fast movements without straining the joints. It is perfect for people who are recovering from sports injuries or those having joint problems that prohibit them from participating in other high-speed sports.

Well Being and Obesity: A 2006 report in the Los Angeles Times says that a 150-pound person can burn 272 calories by playing table tennis for an hour. Considering the fact that the sport is entertaining and addictive, it can be a fun and easy way to burn calories. While the calorie exemption is lower than in singles tennis, the risk of injury and falls is also significantly lower. A high-speed game of table tennis can burn a significant amount of calories and improve your concentration and reflexes. It also helps your cardiovascular system and improves your overall fitness level. Important medical research from university medical schools illustrates health benefits to those who have suffered or are suffering from strokes, brain injury, Alzheimer's and in their recovery.

Social Bonding: Whether you play in the community centre or at home with friends, table tennis offers a great way to bond with other people while you lose weight. Because young and old people can play the game, it can help improve communication and build relationships, irrespective of age. Playing at home with siblings or parents can bring family members closer and enable them to spend more quality time with each other.

Beneficial for Older People: Table tennis improves reflex, eye-hand co-ordination, mental alertness and speed of movement. It also improves balance and lowers the chances of falls and injuries, especially among older people. Table tennis can slow the process of cognitive decline that occurs with aging. The social skills and bonds you develop are also beneficial in lengthening lifespan, according to Dr. Gary Small from the Centre of Aging at the University of California.

Table Tennis Equipment: Table Tennis is a relatively inexpensive sport to play as you only really need a Table Tennis Ball and either indoor or outdoor table tennis bats.

Table Tennis Balls: The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball. The rules also say that the ball shall bounce up 24-26 cm when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm on to a standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Olympic Games. However, this created some controversy as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance of winning since the new type of balls has a slower speed, while at that time most Chinese players were playing with fast attack and smashes. A 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than the original 38 mm (1.5 inch) one. The ball is made of a high-bouncing air-filled celluloid or similar plastics material, coloured white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball colour is made according to the table colour and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Stars on the ball indicate the quality of the ball. Three stars indicate that it is of the highest quality, and is used in official competition.

Indoor Table Tennis Bats: Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player. The official ITTF term is "racket", but "bat" is common in Australia, and "paddle" in the U.S.

The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly features anywhere between one and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fibre, carbon fibre, aluminium fibre, and Kevlar are sometimes used. According to the ITTF regulations, at least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood. Common wood types include Balsa, Limba, and Cypress or "Hinoki," which is popular in Japan. The average size of the blade is about 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) long and 6 inches (15 cm) wide. Although the official restrictions only focus on the flatness and rigidness of the blade itself, these dimensions are optimal for most play styles.

Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket. Various types of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of his racket, and one that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between the rubbers used by his opposing player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black. The player has the right to inspect his opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber used and what colour it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any time during a match.

Outdoor Table Tennis Bats: Outdoor table tennis bats are getting better and more and more popular. Cornilleau from France have an excellent range of patented outdoor table tennis bats (Tacteo 30, Tacteo 50, Nexeo X70 and Nexeo X90). These bats are excellent for home use as they are virtually indestructible and still have great playing features.

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