The ping-pong ball bounces once. Then, with a relaxed but controlled , a paddle strikes it, sending it back over the net. It bounces . Another paddle connects with it, and the is shot forward once more. Eventually, the ball collide with the net, overshoot the , or miss the paddle. The game played is table tennis, also called , and it is a fun sport for ages.
Ping-pong is played on a that is longere than it is . The table is divided in half by the , which runs across the table like a fence. Players stand on either end of the and hit the ball to each . The ball is small, hollow, and light, and it is hit with paddles with short wooden handles. Casual may simply tap the ball gently to their . More competitive players slam the ball across with and topspin to try to make it to hit back.
Watching a ping-pong may make you dizzy, as the zooms back and forth rapidly across the many times during the game. A is divided into a series of , each of which begins with a . The serving player tosses the ball in the and then hits it so that it on the near side of the table, over the net, and then hits the side. If the ball does not it through all these steps, the opponent wins the point. The server trying to hit the ball to it difficult to return. If the is successful, then the returning player's must strike the ball before it a second time.
The returning ball touch the returner's side of the table, but sale across the net to hit the side. If the return is not , the server wins the point. If it a legal return, the server must return the ball. Play continues until player makes an error, and the wins the point.
Since 2001, official of ping-pong have been won by the player to win eleven points. In these , players serve twice in a row before . Before 2001, matches were played to twenty-one . In these longer games, the person who switches every five points. Many recreational prefer to follow the older rules. In version, the winner must win by points.
Ping-pong requires quick reflexes and coordination. Since strength does not provide of an advantage in ping-pong, it a game in which players of ages and sizes can challenge each fairly. All over the world, people ping-pong, concentrating intently on shooting the over the net, onto the table, and, they , out of reach.