TABLE TENNIS TERMINOLOGY
* BACKSPIN – Under-spin.
* BAT - Racket, paddle.
* BLADE – Wooden part of the racket.
* BLOCK – A stroke executed very close to the table, often before the top of the bounce of the ball. The blocker angles the racket so the ball bounces back fast to the other side of the table.
* CHOP – A heavy under-spin shot. A chop forces the ball to drop downwards when it hits the opponent’s racket.
* DRIVE – Also called a counter, counter-drive or smash.
* DROP SHOT – Short placement, very close to the net.
* DUECE - When a game’s score is 10-10, or even at any point after 10, such as 11-11, 12-12, 13-13, etc.
* FLICK – A topspin or flat shot generated with speed and power close to the net using wrist action.
* GAME – Each game is played to 11 points, unless a deuce occurs. There are usually "2 out of 3" games, "3 out of 5" or "4 out of 7 " games per match. (Games are NO longer played to 21 points.)
* GAME POINT – The determining point in a game.
* ITTF – International Table Tennis Federation and the governing body of Table Tennis around the world.
* JUNK RUBBER – Rubber that produces no spin, such as anti-spin or long-pips.
* LET – An interference in the game, such as a serve hitting the net or a distraction, which causes the point to be played over.
* LOB – A particular shot used when a player is far back from the table in a defensive situation and the ball is lobbed high into the air as a return.
* LOOP – An extreme topspin shot, when executed properly can curve in the air before it hits the table. The spin of the ball causes the ball to dive down onto the table and will "skip" taking sharp changes in direction. The ball, if retrieved by the opponent’s racket, will jump off unpredictably. It can be delivered above, below, close to or far from the table.
* MATCH - A match consists of "2 out of 3" or "3 out of 5" games.
* PADDLE – Racket, bat.
* PIMPLED RUBBER – A type of single layer rubber with a pimpled surface facing upwards and outwards.
* PING PONG – The general public’s reference to the game of Table Tennis or an American Table Tennis equipment trademark.
* POINT – When an opponent or the other gets a score.
* PUSH – An under-spin shot where the ball is literally pushed over or towards the net, close to the net. It is a passive shot used when it is impossible to attack the ball or used when trying to set up for a more aggressive shot.
* RACKET – Paddle, bat.
* RALLY – The period in which the ball is in play.
* REGLUE – To reapply new rubber or speed glue new or existing rubber to the blade.
* RUBBER – The rubber sheet portion of the racket.
* SANDWICH RUBBER –Cellular rubber with a "sponge" layer, usually 1mm, 1.5mm or 2.0mm.
* SIDESPIN – A spin placed on the ball to allow it to curve left or right.
* SPEED GLUE – A fast drying adhesive used to secure the rubber to the blade. When newly applied and wet, the glue penetrates the rubber, causing it to have more bounce and spin.
* SPIN – Rotation of the ball.
* TOPSPIN – Spin placed on the ball that makes the ball curve down into the table.
* TWIRL – Turning the racket, usually in the middle of a serve or while the ball is in play, to confuse the opponent as to which type of rubber is being used at a specific time. Not as deceptive as it once was, because of the "two color rubber" law.
* TWO COLOR RUBBER LAW – A table tennis law put into effect, namely using red rubber on one side of the racket and black rubber on the other side, so opponents will not be so confused and deceived.
* UMPIRE – The appointed person that controls and oversees a match, used during tournament play.
* USATT – The "United States of America Table Tennis" association, which is the ITTF-affiliated, governing body of the sport in America.
Now that you’ve learned about the game, it’s only right to now learn about the “Dark Side” of the game:
Handy Alibi Sheet
Created by Paddle Palace
This list is intended to simplify the problem of selecting a proper alibi to suit the occasion. While some table tennis players are so bad that they don’t need an alibi, most will at some time feel in need of some explanation to account for their performance, so this handy checklist may prove helpful.
This list can also be helpful in saving time. Instead of reciting the entire alibi you can simply recite the number listed at the left of your current alibi or alibis. (Yes, you may use more than one excuse.) Please remember, however, that it is completely against the spirit of the sport to use the following alibi: “My opponent was better!”
1.not enough sleep
2.tired
3.hungry
4.bursitis
5.just goofing around
6.had some wine
7.clumsy
8.wasn’t concentrating
9.wasn’t reading spin right
10. just ate dinner
11. lack of experience
12. too nervous
13. out of shape
14. didn’t feel like playing
15. can’t play weaker player
16. pushed too much
17. didn’t get warmed up
18. warmed up too much
19. haven’t been playing
20. lack of practice
21. can’t get up for the game
22. feet hurt
23. pulled muscle (name location)
24. blister (name location)
25. dirty eye glasses
26. lost my contacts
27. could have beat him
28. always ease up when ahead
29. always ease up against weaker player
30. didn’t have my shorts on
31. no touch tonight
32. cramp in (name of location)
33. chicken
34. snowblindness
35. can’t play when ahead
36. can’t play when ahead
37. no competition
38. nobody rooted for me
39. only play for the exercise
40. only play for the fun of it
41. worried about (fill in)
42. girl friend unfriendly last night
43. girl friend friendly last night
44. I didn’t think
45. I thought too much
46. didn’t have my table tennis shoes
47. felt great & that’s a bad sign
48. can’t stand too much success
49. I have emotional problems
50. can’t play against that type of player
51. I played lousy
52. I didn’t try
53. forgot my Gator-Aide
54. forgot sweat band
55. underrated
56. overrated
57. couldn’t concentrate
58. glasses fogged up
59. I’m better than him
60. I’m only a girl
61. too tense
62. can’t play that style
63. not enough training
64. overtrained
65. don’t want to improve too rapidly
66. saving myself for (name of girl, event, etc.)
67. other guy lucky
68. he changed the score
69. shouting
70. swearing
71. hit side & said edge
72. called too many lets
73. too long between points
74. called too many lets
75. lobs too much
76. pushes too much
77. tricky spin serves
78. too much warm-up
79. illegal serve
a.doesn’t throw it up
b.drops hand
c.hit on way up
d.cups hand
e.hides ball
80. serves when I’m not ready
81. funny spin on ball
82. too much underspin
83. she’s only a girl
84. hit too hard
85. too many nets
86. too many edges
87. too much garbage
88. too experienced\
89. too much time between matches
90. interference by others
91. doubles match on next table
92. spectators razzed my ______
93. people talked to opponent
94. opponent was coached during game
95. lights too bright
96. lights too poor
97. T.V. lights turned on
98. table too slippery
99. table too fast
100. table too slow
101. table legs in wrong lace
102. table was uneven
103. can’t play on end table
104. net too loose, low, high, tight, etc.
105. not enough room in back of table
106. not enough room between tables
107. ceiling too low
108. room too hot
109. room too cold
110. room was drafty
111. bad draw
112. not enough matches
113. too many matches
114. bad referee
a.too many lets
b.too few lets
c.partial
d.cheated
e.can’t keep score
f.doesn’t like me
115. seeded too low
116. ball soft
117. ball bounced funny
118. crud on ball
119. name your own ball excuse
120. new paddle
121. old paddle
122. new rubber
123. old rubber
124. wrong kind of rubber
125. name your own _________
