Some call it a ping pong game, some call it table tennis and in most countries where it is popular, it has simply been shortened to TT. It's a great game to play, one where you can hone your skills with practice and it can be played all year round as it is an indoor game. If you've been fascinated by this game and would like a few tips on how and where to begin, let's give you an introductory tour into the world of the ping pong game. Just a bit of advice on what you need to get and how to play.

First, let's look at what you need to play the ping pong game. It's rather simple, actually. You'll need a bat and a ball and of course, you play it on a special table. The bat is very like a paddle and is called a table tennis racket. It has a short handle which you hold. Most sports stores stock them so you can take your pick. They come in an array of colors. The balls are white and small and made of celluloid. In ping pong game competitions, though, orange balls are used so they are more visible and can be picked up by cameras if the game is being telecast. You can buy balls for the ping pong game at any sports store or, if you are a member of a club, you could get them there. They have a 40mm diameter and these are the ones used today though earlier 38mm diameter balls were used.

The table looks very much like a large, rectangular dining table and has a little net propped up in the middle. The object of the ping pong game is for each player to get the ball over the net and hit it into the opponent's side so that he finds it difficult to take a shot. You miss a shot and you lose a point. If you win 11 points first, you win the game and have to go on to play an odd number of games and win in order to be declared the winner.

Though it looks very easy, the ping pong game can progress to very high levels of skill and can be very tiring because it is a game in which you are constantly moving around. Your reflexes have to be very sharp and you have to have a great deal of concentration. If you feel you need a great workout, the ping pong game is just the thing for you!

Copyright 2006 Ngullen Rivera