I recently took up ping-pong as a pastime to kill some hours off each day. It was intended to be more of a distraction, but it turned out to be a productive way to spend my time. My brother apparently has been playing while I was away at college and developed a semblance of a game, which I, as an older brother, could not let slip past me unchallenged. So I started playing more often and consequently getting a sound beating more times than I cared for, but I also started to pick up skills and tricks in this game.
One fundamental aspect of ping-pong to practice on is spacing. Having a small space to play on can be deceptive. Even though both sides of the table are within arm’s reach, the speed of the ball demands sharp reflexes and hyper-quick movements. The small space also leaves a small margin for error so one of the first lessons I learned in ping-pong is spacial awareness.
The second fundamental lesson in ping-pong is the hitting technique. I found out that there is a specific way to hit the ball so as to not overshoot the table top. Like in tennis, you need to swing the paddle in an upward motion. This allows some of the impact of the shot to dissipate which keeps the ball from going past the table. Same goes for the backhand swing, which is a little harder because of its unnatural hand movement. The key is to swing up and away from your body to ensure that the ball doesn’t overshoot the table.
Another trick to keep in mind when playing is to move your feet. I learned that the side-to-side movement is just as important as any other skill in ping-pong. I was surprised at the amount of movement involved in this game. I made plenty of dives at the ground to save an edge ball, and that requires quick foot response
The last lesson I learned was to be level-headed. As with any good thing, you need patience and a few deep breaths to keep yourself from decking the person across the ping-pong table. It definitely takes time to learn the tricks and skills. It’s a frustratingly difficult sport despite its only equipment being an unassuming table and paddle.
Ping-pong is a multi-faceted game that actually requires skill and effort. You’ll have your fair share of screaming and paddle-throwing. But stick with it like I did, and you might just find yourself raising that same paddle in a hard-fought victory.
