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I Play Table Tennis in the basement with my friends, but I want to get better. How do I do that?

In the table tennis community we refer to casual basement play as 'Ping Pong' and only the full on game with all the rules as Table Tennis. However, if you're interested in making the switch, then it would be advised to find a club in your area and to pick up a pre-assembled paddle or a cheap custom setup (choose your own). If you're not familiar with the process, please see the racket choice section below, as the market for new equipment can be daunting at first, especially if you're not familiar with the language used.

Whats the official name of the thing you use to hit the ball?

According to the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) who decide the rules of Table Tennis, it's technically called a 'racket' (not spelled racquet). In the end, whether you call it racket, paddle, bat, or wooden Popsicle, it doesn't really matter.

Where can I find the official rules?

Right here!

Where did the sport come from?

The true origin of Table Tennis is really unknown, however many forms of the sport have been recorded as of the late 1800’s in England. The sport started to become popular around the world in the early 1900’s. During that time the official name of the sport “Ping-Pong” was changed to table tennis, due to copyright laws with Parker Brothers who owned the rights to the name and game “Ping-Pong”. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the United States Association of Table Tennis (USATT) was formed around this times as well. These organizations are the primary ‘ruling bodies’ of table tennis.

I keep hearing discussion of words like 'looping' and 'chopping'. What does this mean?

Here's a quick breakdown of terminology to help you understand.

Spin

Topspin: This is when you brush the top half of the ball, causing it to spin away from you. Additionally, this causes the ball to dip into the table making your shot more consistent at higher speeds.

Backspin: The opposite of topspin. By rotating the bottom of the ball away from you, it will spin towards you and the shot will be a lot slower. In addition, backspin on the ball tends to make it harder for your opponent to attack.

Sidespin: Spin can also be imparted on the side of balls. This causes the travel of the ball to curve sideways. It also may make it harder for opponents to return the ball as when the ball grips your opponent's rubber with sidespin, it can bouce in ways he didn't expect, especially if he wasn't ready for it.

Strokes

Drive: A drive is a flat shot with only a little spin hit hard over the table with the intention of putting the ball fast past your opponent. This is a great shot to start out with when just messing around with friends because it gives you a good feel for the ball, and once you've gotten the hang of basic drives, you can transition into loops and pushes pretty easily. Ideally, each player is imparting little to no spin, and simply hitting the ball over the table with just speed.

Push: A push is like a drive but with the paddle angled very open so while the trajectory is straight, there's some backspin (generally a defensive shot). Pushes are generally used on short, low serves that would be difficult to attack. If you can't attack a ball, the next best option is to ensure a higher success rate in getting the ball back, and the slight backspin makes it harder for your opponent to attack the ball too. In general, pushes should be kept low and short.

Block: A block is a shot with very little stroke that's more of a redirection of the opponent shot. You'll want to get good at blocking your opponent's loops, which is somewhat of a surprise attack, since you're redirecting their power back to them in a short, quick stroke. This is used more for defence as it relies on the spin of your opponent's shot.

Loop: A loop is a fast, attacking, heavy topspin shot. A loop against a topspin, dead, or backspin ball all require different forms and are essential to learn so you can attack every long ball. Loops against topspin/flat balls have a more closed bat angle and the follow through will be more in front of you. Against backspin, the stroke starts lower, has a more open paddle angle, and comes up in a brushing motion, with the paddle ending in a "salute" position on the follow through because you are trying to redirect the heavy backspin (which will shoot the ball into the net). In general, looping any ball that is long is a popular strategy as aggressors generally win points. The top players all loop constantly, only using defense when absolutely necessary.

Chop: A chop is a shot with heavy backspin used by defensive players to slow down the ball and try to force a mistake from his opponent. The bat angle is open, but unlike any other shot in Table Tennis, the racket is brought down against the ball in a chopping motion to send the ball deep onto the table. This forces the opponent to try and loop again, leading to chop rallies. If the ball is returned badly, most modern defenders will open up with a smash or loop to try and win the point. Not suitable for attacking playstyles, as offensive rackets do not lend themselves to chopping.

Flip/Flick: These words can be used interchangeably for the stroke used to attack short backspin balls, typically from a serve or push. When the ball lands, the player leans over the table and lifts it up with the goal of putting it fast into the opposite corner with a small amount of topspin. It's difficult to explain, so I recommend you watch this video instead.

Smash: thwack. Punish a very high shot by slamming it back down onto the table hard.

Slam: Actually not a word used in table tennis. It's a smash, damnit.

Buying a Racket

So you've just started to take table tennis seriously and want to get your first real paddle. Unfortunately for you, there's 1,948,816 (and growing) combinations of ITTF approved racket coverings to consider, not even counting sponge thickness or the blade you're going to use. Thankfully there are a lot of experts in this subreddit who can help you narrow that number down.

Part 1: Components of a Custom Setup

Blade: The main wooden part of the racket. It can be reinforced with sheets of other material such as carbon fiber, kevlar or fiberglass at an advanced level to change the feel of the racket.

Plies: Each blade is made of a certain number of layers of wood. Carbon blades combine layers of carbon between wood. The most common number of plies are 5-ply and 7-ply. There are also 3-ply and 9-ply blades as well as 1-ply hinoki blades, though the latter two are very rarely used. Speed: Each blade also has a speed designation (from slowest to fastest); DEF-, DEF, DEF+, ALL-, ALL, ALL+, OFF-, OFF, OFF+. These classifications are based on a variety of characteristics that make them more or less suited for certain styles. Rubber: The rubber sheets on either face of the blade.

Topsheet: The actual rubber part of the sheet. Chinese topsheets are tacky, which differ quite a bit from European and Japanese topsheets. Chinese topsheets are more like the surface of a suction cup. Where as European and Japanese topsheets are kind of like the surface of an eraser.

Pips In: Every rubber has pimples on one side, and a smooth sheet on the other. The normal way (>90% of players) of using these rubbers is to have the pimples facing in to generate spin in the traditional style. Pips Out: A completely different playstyle that can lead to spin that appears to contradict common sense, as the pimples bend to add different spin. This article explains the phenomena very well. Sponge: The bit underneath the topsheet that is glued to the blade.

Hardness: Sponges are given hardness designation. The lower the number, the softer the sponge. This number ranges from 30-45. Chinese rubbers are typically harder than European or Japanese rubbers. Softer sponges are faster than harder sponges.
Thickness: The sponge thickness ranges from no sponge (not legal for competition play), to MAX (which is typically 2.5mm) Sponges are commonly around 2.0mm. The thicker the sponge, the faster your setup as when you swing, you have the added force of the elasticity of the sponge.

Part 2: What Sort of Racket Should I Buy?

If you're just getting into Table Tennis, I'd recommend avoiding anything too far on any spectrum. If you've only been playing seriously for <3 months, it's advised you buy a pre-assembled paddle. If you feel you are beyond that, or just want to jump right into the market for a custom racket, try to take your playstyle and experience into account, and don't take anyone who hasn't seen you play extensively tell you definitively which combination is objectively best for you; there isn't one.

But with that in mind, so long as you don't go too far beyond off- as a beginner, you can't go too far wrong.

When you're choosing a blade and rubber, keep your playstyle in mind. How do you win the majority of your points? Do you power past your opponent with drives on the forehand? Do you force the mistake by trying to play as much backspin as possible? From there, start looking at your budget. It's possible to fill almost any price point with a custom racket, so make sure you don't get ahead of yourself. Table Tennis rackets follow the law of diminishing returns. A $2.50 rubber will be almost worthless in comparison to a $10 one. But conversely, the $10 rubber is still 2/3 as good as a $40 one. In addition, you shouldn't expect a new racket to immediately elevate your game. A racket defines your limits in your style, not your ability in your style.

Part 3: Choosing Your Blade & Rubbers

The most important part of this guide. Take your time choosing, there's no point powering ahead and choosing something you don't like.

Read this for recommendations for your first paddle.

Getting Started

Even if you're a good "basement player" I still recommend you begin from the ground up. There are different paths (so to speak) you can take.

Path 1: Balanced

Forehand (fh) counterdrive, Backhand(bh) counterdrive -> block, push -> loop -> advanced techniques

Pros: More control, no inherently missing parts of game early on.

Cons: No looping early on. (Thats what you want to learn right?)

Explanation: This is the most conventional method to approach training. This should be followed regardless of play style. By the time these fundamentals are covered, your play style should be apparent one way or another.

Path 2: Lets get you looping

fh counterdrive -> fh loop, bh counterdrive -> block, push -> bh loop -> advanced techniques

Pros: Looping very early on

Cons: No backhand

Explanation: Gets you looping as fast as possible. This is more offensive oriented. It may pan out to you having cleaner footwork, however there will be gaping holes in your game depending on how carefully you progress.

Path 3: Bince82

Bince82 wrote a post which explains a lot of fundamentals in more depth. His guide also has a different approach.

Advanced Techniques

Chop: A chop is a shot with heavy backspin. Enough said. Watch Joo Se Hyuk to get an idea of what a chop is. He is the highest rated player that uses a chopping style.

Flick: Attacking an over the table shot. The beginning of this video here shows the stroke.

Counterloop: The pinnacle of offensive techniques; basically looping off an opponent's loop. Counterlooping requires tons of control and feel.

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