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TABLE TENNIS OVERVIEW
History: Table tennis was invented in the late nineteenth century in England and was originally called
Ping Pong. It acquired worldwide popularity as an after-dinner pastime thanks to the widespread
influence of the British Empire at that time. The craze was rather short-lived, however, and the game was
played little between 1904 and 1922. New interest in the activity, coupled with improvements in paddle
design, led a group of Englishmen in the 1920s to unify the rules and to adopt the name of table tennis.
The first international championships were held in 1926, the same year the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) was founded. Lady Swaythling organized this first international tournament for the
cup that still bears her name.
Table tennis today rates as one of the world’s largest and most popular participant sports. It is not too
surprising considering it is usually played indoors, it is played by both sexes and the equipment is
relatively inexpensive, except for the table. Also, the game remains essentially simple in spite of the
technology of spins, paddle surfaces and padding, etc.
The historical game started with champagne corks for balls and cigar boxes for paddles. Then they
progressed to rubber balls and wood surface paddles (bats) by the late nineteenth century. Finally, these
gave way to the light celluloid ball and the rubber-pimpled paddles that gave table tennis a new
dimension of speed and spin.
Synopsis: Table tennis is an indoor ball game for two players (singles) or four (doubles). The players use
paddles to hit a small resilient hollow ball back and forth across a table divided by a low net. The object
is to win points by making shots that an opponent is unable to return.
Play commences with a service, after which each player hits the ball directly over or around the net so
that it bounces in the opponent’s court. Volleying is not permitted. The rallying ends, and the point is
won by the opponent, when one player fails to return the ball after the first bounce. The first to score 21
points, or to have an advantage of two points if the score reaches 20 points each, wins. Service alternates
after every five points. In doubles, the service is made from the right-hand half-court to the half-court
diagonally opposite, after which the four players hit the ball alternately. After five points, the receiver
serves to the previous server’s partner.
Other background sources:
See the Rand McNally Illustrated Dictionary of Sports, pages 60-1, for some table, paddle and ball
dimensions and technicalities. There are some good illustrations and most definitions of terms
characteristic of this sport are also included.
See The Rule Book, pages 362-7, for the best review of the technical rules of table tennis, equipment
specifications, etc.
See Rules of the Game: The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of All the Sports of the World, pages 1201, for more good illustrations, rules, and technical information.
See the Guinness Book of Sports Records, Winners and Champions, pages 306-8 for some interesting
history, facts, and a roster of the game’s greatest players.
TABLE TENNIS DICTIONARY OF TERMS
See the Rand McNally Illustrated Dictionary of Sports, pages 60-1, for most basic definitions.
VISUAL SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR TABLE TENNIS
Visual Acuity: Both static and dynamic visual acuity are important in the fast-moving visual sport of
table tennis.
Peripheral Vision: This is important in table tennis. Although most play is directed fairly straight ahead,
the player must be peripherally aware of boundary lines, the ball at all times, the location of the table and
net while returning a difficult shot that has him/her stretching to the sides of the playing area. Also, in
doubles, the player has to be aware of the partner’s body and paddle to avoid interfering with their shots
or even injury. Many eye fakes are done in table tennis where the player will be looking at one part of the
opponent’s side of the table to get him thinking the shot will be going to that location, while in reality, the
plan is to hit the ball to the opposite side of the table. Proper placement of shots like these requires good
peripheral vision.
Depth Perception: Necessary for table tennis in that most good players stand five feet or more beyond
their end of the table. They must judge depth for proper placement of their shots onto their opponent’s
side of the table. It is also critical for proper defense in that it helps in determining the velocity of
oncoming shots from the opponent.
Eye Motility: Eye tracking ability is critical in table tennis. Quick, accurate saccades help survey the
playing area for potential weaknesses in the opponent’s defensive position, relative relationships between
the ball, paddle, boundary lines, net, etc. Obviously, there can be considerable convergence and
divergence eye motility work during the course of a table tennis match and all this is at a high speed. For
example, in the Guinness Book of Sports Records, Winners and Champions, page 306, it discusses the
world’s fastest rally. This was 162 hits in 60 seconds! Although you would certainly have a slower pace
during a normal game, it still involves a lot of converging and diverging fine eye movement control.
Eye-Hand/Body/Foot Coordination: All are helpful to a table tennis player’s performance. Most good
players are not only quick with their hand and wrist, they are usually very fast on their feet and have
excellent balance.
Visualization: This could be useful in practice workouts for serious competitors and as a pre-match
warm-up and post-match cool down. However, during actual rallies, table tennis is such a fast-moving
sport, the player doesn’t have time to think and visualize using the normal five-step technique. He/She
must simply react. The service might be a possible exception.
Speed of Recognition Time: This is an important visual skill for a table tennis player to possess. A kill
shot in table tennis might attain speeds of up to almost 106 m.p.h. This does not leave much time for the
defensive player to respond. It is also useful in picking up directions of spin on the ball.
Speed of Focusing: This is also important in table tennis because the ball and other players (especially in
doubles matches) move quickly. One has to be able to shift focus from near to far or intermediate targets
rapidly throughout the contest while general body stamina is running down due to heavy exertion.
Glare Recovery Speed: This visual skill can be of some use in table tennis because the ball is white,
small, and moving at high rates of speed and with tricky spins. The actual international rules try to
prevent players from having glare recovery problems in the following ways:
1. The playing surface is specified to be dark in color, preferably green, and with a matte finish. This
improves contrast with the white ball and reduces glare off the table from overhead lighting.
2. Dress code for players specifies no white clothing, though white edging on playing shirts is
permitted. Match uniforms usually consist of a dark shirt, shorts or skirt. This helps the defensive
player not lose the white ball momentarily against the background of the white shirt of the offensive
player. Because of these considerations and rules, glare recovery is not as important a problem in
this sport as it could be.
Ability to See in Dim Illumination: Not a big factor in table tennis because most games are played
indoors with pretty good lighting.
Ability to Withstand Eye Fatigue Without Decreased Performance: This can be important in table tennis,
especially during long tournaments with up to five games per match. Even under the expedite system,
which keeps matches from dragging on and on, players can become quite fatigued.
Color Perception: Color is used in table tennis mainly as a dark background for the white or yellow ball.
This is true for table colors, paddle colors and clothing allowed on the players. Otherwise it isn’t terribly
critical to a table tennis player’s performance.
Eye Dominance: Of some interest probably, but not as critical a factor in this sport as in baseball hitting,
rifle shooting or archery.
Fixation Ability: This needs to be very quick and accurate in table tennis. It can also help in placing
shots in the opponent’s court accurately during the follow-through stage of a shot. The player should be
taught to fine-center on the smallest possible detail on the table surface when placing these shots.
Visual Memory: Past experience and the number of proper shots, spins, fakes, serves, etc., on file in the
visual memory, combined with some good visualization techniques, for serves particularly, could be a
factor in the steadiness and consistency of a table tennis player.
Central/Peripheral Awareness: This is an essential visual skill for a good table tennis player. On offense
or defense, you have to be aware of the ball particularly; but you also have to be aware of where on the
table you want to place your next shot, where your paddle is, and in doubles, where your partner is while
playing a shot.
Spatial Localization: Knowing where you are relative to other objects is very important for good table
tennis. This is such a fast-moving sport, the athletes, ball, paddles, and in doubles, the teammates are all
in motion at once. Although the table and net are stationary, the table tennis player is often running or
leaning to reach the ball and return it properly relative to that stationary table and net.
VISION SCREENING/TESTING PROCEDURES INDICATED FOR TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS
Visual Acuity (Static and Dynamic)
1.
Normal Snellen
2.
Vectographic
3.
Autorefractor
4.
Record player with visual acuity disk at three speeds (33, 45, 75 rpm)
5.
Tachistoscopic Acuity
Peripheral Vision
Dicon, Synamed Fieldmaster, etc.
Depth Perception
1.
Randot - distance
2.
Stereo Circles - projected at distance
3.
Stereo Fly - near
4.
Randot - near
5.
Consider timing the testing on the Randots
Eye Motility
1.
Eye Track
a. This quantifies graphs on paper
b. Good for before/after studies
c. Athletes and coaches can see if progress has been made
2.
Wayne Saccadic Fixator
a. Pursuits
b. Saccades
c. Rotations
Eye-Hand/Body/Foot Coordination
1.
Wayne Saccadic Fixator
a. Normal use with the hands
b. Footboard use, which brings in the table tennis player’s balance.
2.
Strobe Light - Creates more visual noise, so the athlete has to learn to concentrate more
Visualization
1.
No specific testing
2.
The principles can be taught and trained, however.
Speed of Recognition Time
1.
Tachistoscope
2.
Computerized Anaglyphic Trainer
Speed of Focusing
1.
Wayne’s near/far fixation module (in 30 seconds, a good score = 15)
2.
Flippers (for near only) +/- 2.00 D (2 seconds = normal response)
Ability to Withstand Eye Fatigue Without Decreased Performance
1. Ask the table tennis player (or their coach) whether he/she is a consistent performer throughout the
game.
2. Do a complete evaluation of all pertinent visual skills before and immediately after a match or hard
practice session to compare.
Fixation Ability
1.
Eye Track
2.
Dicon perimeter, which beeps when the subject loses fixation.
Visual Memory
1.
No specific testing
2.
The principles can be taught and trained, however.
Central/Peripheral Awareness
1.
Wayne Saccadic Fixator with “stick-ups” and gun you fire at the light
a. Mode 1 = 15 or greater = good
b. Mode 2 = 5 is pretty good
2.
Dicon or Synamed Fieldmaster
Spatial Localization
1.
Phorias
a. Base-In
2.
3.
b. Base-Out
Brock String
Computerized Anaglyphic Trainer
VISION TRAINING TECHNIQUES INDICATED FOR TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS
1.
Visual Acuity
Keep the athlete in current glasses/contact lenses for best visual acuity if an Rx is needed. Soft
contact lenses are usually the lens of choice for this sport, but firm lenses and glasses are also used
quite frequently when soft contacts are ruled out for some reason.
2.
Peripheral Vision
a. Awareness of peripheral vision can be enhanced (see under central/peripheral awareness).
b. If a visual field defect is present, the table tennis player can be counseled as to how to
compensate by orienting his/her game toward negating the weak point.
3.
Depth Perception
Stereopsis is the ultimate of good binocularity. So train binocularity (BI and BO reserves) and
stereo should improve with enhanced visual functions.
b. Red/Green Sports Tranaglyphs from Bernell can help build ranges.
a.
4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Eye Motility
Peg board rotators
Arneson Corrector (Audio Feedback mechanism)
Computerized Anaglyphic Trainer
Wayne Saccadic Fixator
5.
Eye-Hand/Body/Foot Coordination
a. Wayne Saccadic Fixator
1)
Normal use with the hands.
2) Footboard use helps train the table tennis player’s balance system in response to the visual
signals he/she is getting off the board.
b. Strobe Light - A table tennis player trying to rally under strobe light practice conditions has to
concentrate more due to the increased visual noise.
6.
Visualization
An example will be given as to how to use the principles of visualization for enhancing a table tennis
player’s serve.
a. Analyze: Look at the opponent’s defensive position and scan the table for the spot you would
like to place your serve to score your ace.
b. Visualize: Precede your performance with a visual picture of the desired action. Fine tune
visually (center) on the spot on the table you want your serve to hit. Don’t stare. Just pick it
out and see it in your mind’s eye. Follow the trajectory of your serve from the ball being tossed
up from its starting position on your flat palm. Visualize the type of spin you want to put on the
ball as it begins to fall (top spin, backspin, low-flight chop, etc.). Try to see all the components
of a good serve in slow motion in your mind. This is visualization. Follow the trajectory of the
ball across the net to the predetermined position in the receiver’s court that you wanted. See the
ball hit the table and the effect of whatever type spin you put on it alter its direction past the
opponent for the ace. All these steps would be visualized quite rapidly.
c. Center: Fine center on the smallest detail of the receiver’s court you can use for your target.
Develop a solid awareness of the target, but don’t stare at it for a long time before serving.
d.
e.
Make the fine centering a very brief concentration on your target.
Execute: Perform your serve first, watching the ball as you toss it in the air. Then, as the
paddle is making contact with the ball, shift your focus to your target on the receiver’s court.
Follow through with arm, wrist, leg and body thrust to develop power in the shot. Direct all that
energy toward that tiny, fine focus point you are centering on for that particular serve.
Playback: This can be done after each serve in practice sessions (both good and bad). It would
be pretty difficult to do after every serve in a match because of the speed of these games once
the rally begins. But good servers are made in practice — not games. And the playback portion
of the visualization sequence can be used extensively in practice sessions to develop one’s
serving. Playback is visualizing the complete sequence of steps in making or missing your
serve again and reviewing all the visual images you centered on. This will help to reinforce
whatever there was to learn from that shot (good or bad) for future visual memory.
7.
Speed of Recognition Time
a. Train this visual skill with the same instruments used to measure or test this skill.
b. Instruments
1)
Tachistoscope (Targets = shapes, tic-tac-toe, numbers, letters, etc.)
2)
Computerized Anaglyphic Trainer
3)
Make progressions for your table tennis athletes from easy toward most difficult.
8.
Speed of Focusing
a. Red/Green anaglyphic accommodative rock
b. Wayne Saccadic Fixator
c. Flippers
9.
Ability to Withstand Eye Fatigue Without Decreased Performance
Use the five steps of visualization on all serves to enhance concentration and give the table tennis
player a definite plan of attack for at least that part of his/her game when fatigue is becoming a
factor. This is very helpful in pulling the athletes through a match even when they are tired and at a
low emotional level. It should help establish consistency so the table tennis player won’t be so
erratic.
10.
Fixation Ability
Counsel the table tennis player to fine focus (center) on the smallest possible targets on the
receiver’s court whether serving or just returning shots during a rally.
b. The shorter the amount of time the player fine focuses on the target, the more intense the
focusing ability will be.
a.
11.
Visual Memory
This is where the playback phase of visualization (Step 6e) pays big dividends. It helps you
build his/her frame of reference.
b. Later they can use this frame of reference to visualize the things they have done to succeed in
the past under similar circumstances.
c. The Memory Book by Jerry Lucas is a good reference book for understanding and applying
principles of visual memory more fully.
a.
12.
Central/Peripheral Awareness
a. Wayne “stick-ups” are good for training.
b. As you go about your day, just concentrating on how much detail you can gather from your
periphery without actually looking over at the details directly (with central vision) is great
training for this visual skill.
3.
13.
This skill isn’t something that is developed overnight. You have to work at it daily until you’re
good at it. The skill should transfer well to your table tennis game, however.
Spatial Localization
a. Train with the same instruments and equipment you use to measure and test this skill.
b. Instruments
1)
Brock String (in all 9 positions of gaze)
2)
Computerized Anaglyphic Trainer
SPORTS VISION PROBLEMS/SOLUTIONS RELATED TO TABLE TENNIS
Problems
Solutions
Safety Risks: Probably a ball in the eye from an
opponent’s kill shot, an elbow from a doubles
partner or a partner’s paddle in the eye are the most
serious eye-related injuries likely in table tennis.
Protective goggles could be used as the ultimate
protection against corneal abrasion and most
trauma. Even a soft contact lens could be a
protection in the event of a ball in the eye (as the
ball is so light weight). Eye injuries aren’t as
serious or numerous in this sport as in racquetball,
mainly because of the weight of the ball.
Vision Correction Needed: Playing table tennis
with blurry vision could decrease performance.
Contact lenses are best for table tennis, although
many players requiring an Rx wear glasses. Soft
contacts would be the lens of choice, if possible.
High Velocity Projectiles: A table tennis ball can
travel at speeds of almost 106 m.p.h. Because the
table tennis ball is “eyeball size,” the orbit doesn’t
protect from trauma.
The speed of this game is just part of the risk.
Fortunately, the ball is very light weight.
Fogging Of Glasses: This is a vigorous sport and
drops of sweat on the back of a player’s glasses can
be a problem.
A sweatband around the forehead can be helpful.
Anti-fogging compounds are also useful. Contact
lenses can solve this problem.
Playing with Only One Usable Eye: Some visual
skills will be reduced in a monocular or amblyopic
player. The chance of losing the other eye in table
tennis isn’t a high risk.
The player and his parents should be advised that
there is some risk, although not great.
PROTECTIVE/CORRECTIVE EYEWEAR FOR TABLE TENNIS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Polycarbonate glasses and/or goggles
Sports straps for glasses
Firm contact lenses - preferably gas permeable if the player cannot be fit with soft lenses; also
colored lenses for easier location if they are dislodged during a game.
Soft contact lenses - the corrective method of choice for most table tennis players
MOST COMMON OCULAR INJURIES SUSTAINED IN TABLE TENNIS
Corneal abrasion
Trauma to the globe from the ball, a doubles partner’s paddle or body, with subsequent secondary
complications
Lacerations around the orbit, lids, or globe itself
EMERGENCY FIRST-AID FOR OCULAR INJURIES SUSTAINED IN TABLE TENNIS
Trainers should be taught how to perform the following:
1.
Proper lavage and rinsing of an eye with a foreign body
2.
Instillation of ophthalmic drops
3.
Application of a proper lubricant to an injured eye prior to application of a pressure bandage
4.
Handling of contact lenses (hard and soft) and removal of them from the eyes
OCULAR SUPPLIES FOR THE TABLE TENNIS TRAINER’S FIRST-AID KIT
Sterile saline eyewash
Artificial tears
Q-tips
DMV (hard contact lens remover)
Fluorescein strips
Black light penlight
Regular penlight
Polysporin ointment
Oval eye pads
Dermacel tape 1”
Spare contact lenses for all players wearing
contact lenses (properly labeled)
Trial size bottles of storage/disinfectant solution
for contact lenses
Some butterfly tape strips to hold lacerated skin
areas together
Small mirror
TABLE TENNIS
2
MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS
1. If you knew your athletic income could be over a million dollars over the next 10 years, would you be
willing to remove any obstacles to improve your performance?
2. Vision is the dominant sense for table tennis and most other sports.
3. Five times as much brain cortex is related to vision as all other senses combined.
4. As much as 80% of all information reaches the human brain through the eye gate.
5. 80% of the optic nerve fibers connect directly to the cortex.
6. 20% of the optic nerve fibers connect to balance and posture control centers in the brain.
REFERENCES
1.
Diagram Group. Rules of the Game: The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of All the Sports of the
World. New York, NY: Paddington Press Ltd, 1974:120-1.
2.
Wright G. Rand McNally Illustrated Dictionary of Sports. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally & Co.,
1978:60-1.
3.
Diagram Group. The Rule Book. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1983:362-7.
4.
McWhirter N. Guinness Book of Sports Records, Winners and Champions. New York, NY:
Sterling Publishing Co., 1980:306-8.
5.
Barnes C. Advanced Table Tennis Techniques. New York, NY: Arco Publishing Co., Inc., 1977.
6.
De DS, et al. The Chinese Book of Table Tennis. New York, NY: Atheneum Publishers, Inc., 1981.
7.
Harrover G. Table Tennis. London, England: The English Universities Press, LTD, 1966.
8.
Leach J. Table Tennis for the Seventies. Cranbury, NJ: A.S. Barnes & Company, 1971.
9.
Miles D. The Game of Table Tennis. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1968.
10.
Philip D. Table Tennis. New York, NY: Atheneum Books, 1975.
11.
Squires D. The Other Racquet Sports. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1978
12. Elmurr P, Cornell E, Heard R. Quantitative analyses of horizontal saccadic eye movement:
Reaction times to table tennis players and non-athletes. Int J Sports Vision 1996;3:46-53.
13. Elmurr P, Cornell E, Heard R, Kenny F. Do table tennis players have better eye movements?
Australian Orthoptic Journal 1994;30:49-54.
14. Hughes PK, Blundell NL, Walters JM. Visual and psychomotor performance of elite, intermediate
and novice table tennis competitors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 3993;76:51-60.
15. Ripoll H. Uncertainty and visual strategies in table tennis. Percept Mot Skills 1989;68:507-12.
©1998 American Optometric Association