Table tennis is a fast, precise game on a small table. The ball is light and spin is everything: the way the ball turns changes its flight and its bounce. You can start at any age and the equipment is cheap. Here is what you need, where to play and how to find an opponent at your level in Estonia.
What you need
- Racket. A ready-made racket (blade and rubbers together) is fine for a beginner. When you get more serious, build one from a separate blade and rubbers. One side is black and the other a bright colour, so your opponent sees which side you hit with.
- Balls. A 40 mm plastic ball, white or orange. A three-star ball is the competition ball, a cheaper one is fine for practice.
- Shoes and clothes. Indoor shoes that grip. Your shirt should not be the same colour as the ball.
Tables and places
Table tennis is played in sports halls, table tennis clubs and more and more in schools and offices. A club has several tables and usually fixed times for recreational players. Outdoor tables work too, but wind changes the ball's flight.
Your first time at the table
- Warm up. Hit the ball back and forth, forehand to forehand, then backhand to backhand.
- Serve. The ball rests on your open palm, toss it at least 16 cm up and hit it as it falls. It bounces first on your side and then on your opponent's.
- Scoring. A game goes to 11 points, at 10-all you play on until one player leads by two. The serve passes to the opponent every two points. A match is usually the best of five games.
- Spin. If your opponent's ball jumps up or down off your racket, it had spin. Angle the racket the other way and the ball goes back onto the table.
The full rules are on the official International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) website. The Estonian version is on our table tennis rules page.
Finding an opponent at your level
- Club nights. A club night has several tables and opponents change. You play several short games during the evening, each against someone at your level, and you can come alone. Kahur.ee club nights are on the town pages and on each club's page.
- A coach. A few lessons at the start teach the right grip and the basic strokes. A wrong grip is hard to unlearn in table tennis.
- A club ranking. Once you play regularly, a ranking table and a box league are good ways to find opponents who are a little stronger than you.
How your level grows
At club nights and kahur.ee competitions your level is worked out after every game. A win against a stronger player counts for more than a win against a weaker one, and a loss to a stronger player costs little.
Questions beginners ask
Is table tennis at home the same? The game is the same, but at a club the table has the right height, there is more room and the ball bounces evenly. Your first club night feels faster than you are used to.
What age? Children start at 6 or 7 and people play past 80. You choose the pace.