Table Tennis: A Brief History of the Sport

The sport of table tennis has been encouraging new players, creating Olympic champions, and inspiring crowds of eager spectators for many many years, though few know the true history of the how the sport began, developed, and became what it is today. Below, is a brief digestible history of the sport of table tennis, that will hopefully inspire a better appreciation for it.

Though there are many variations on the initial beginnings of table tennis or ping pong, most scholars and sources concur that table tennis began in England in the late 1800s as a fun after-dinner diversion. Some rumors say it was enacted on the dinner tables themselves, while others stick to the more popular assumption that it began as a lawn and garden game, closely tied to badminton. At this time, they didn’t yet have ping pong paddles, and so English socialites used vellum bats to play. In the 1890s, Parker Brothers began work on an indoor version of the popular lawn tennis, which included the net, paddles, and ball.

In the very beginnings-though table tennis was very very popular in England-it was still looked at as solely casual, certainly not as a sport. It was not until much later-approximately 1905-1910, when table tennis/ping pong started becoming popular in other countries, such as: Japan, China, and Korea. Meanwhile, England created the first official Table Tennis Association for the purpose of finally recognizing the pastime as a sport, but it was the Asian countries who had adopted table tennis to their own national hobbies, that made it the highly competitive and respected sport it now is. These countries took on the pastime as a full-fledged sport to be mastered, and is still a highly popular sport there. Today, millions of people in these countries play; and consider table tennis a highly competitive sport to be respected and perfected.

After a brief period, England took up the sport again in the 1920s as a popular diversion. This is truly when the standardization of the game, i.e. rules, organizations, and competitions were begun. Since then, table tennis has become a popular worldwide sport, and even an Olympic event; with competitive players outnumbering 30 million worldwide and millions non-competitive. It was during this time that table tennis-through a series of adjustments-truly transformed. In 1926, the International atble tennis Federation was formed. In 1935, the three major table tennis organizations: The American Ping Pong Association, The Amateur Table Tennis Association, and the National Table Tennis Association combined to form the U.S. Table Tennis Association. In 1957, with the overwhelming worldwide popularity the once annual worldwide table tennis championships, becomes biennial. Finally, in 1988, table tennis becomes an Olympic sport at that year’s Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Today, the game of competitive table tennis has been preserved to almost the same rules, measurements, etc that it began with; it’s most avid competitors and the International Table Tennis Federation ensuring that the human skill and capacity for the sport is not changed with the introduction of new technology.

Kenneth Branagh
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Tennis Resorts in Europe with Indoor Tennis Courts

Indoor Tennis resorts in Europe

In order to play tennis in the winter, rain or cold days , you have to play tennis indoors if you are not in a warm country. To find a resort or hotel which has these indoor tennis courts is hard to find. That is why we have selected the best resorts we could find which are suitable for winter tennis.

Starting in Austria, we have the following resorts;

1) Kanisfluh tennis hotel in the city of Mellau. The resort has 5 indoor courts. The hotel has it’s own tennis school, where you can improve your skills even more.     This hotel, 30 kilometers from Lake Bodensee in Austria, focuses on tennis and wellness. Its tennis center features 5 indoor and 3 outdoor courts, 5 hitting lanes, and its own tennis school, one honored with the “Austrian Seal of Approval.

2) Bio Hotel Stanglwirt in Tirol. The resort has 6 indoor tennis courts.  Luxurious ecologically-friendly Biohotel Staglwirt, surrounded by the stunning Austrian Alps, drinking in the super-clean air, starring at the beautiful blue sky, and contemplating your next Alpine treatment at the 13 treatment room spa, fitness centre.

3) Warmbaderhof in the city of Villach. This resort has 5 indoor courts.Warmbad Villach – this hot springs resort is located at the entrance to a 20-hectare nature park. It has 10 outdoor and 5 indoor courts as well as a tennis camp.

In the United Kingdom we have the following resorts;

1) Chewton Glen in New Milton. It has 2 indoor tennis courts.

New Milton, Hampshire, England, an English Original…Chewton Glen is a Luxury Country House Hotel.
In the hotel grounds we have a dedicated tennis centre with two indoor and two outdoor tennis courts and on-site tennis professional.

In Switserland we have:

1) Gstaad Palace in Gstaad. It does not have it’s own indoor tennis courts, but they are near the hotel. The hotel itself dates to 1913. At 150 rooms, it is Switzerland’s largest pension.

Among its amenities are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa and fitness center, an indoor squash court, and mountain bike rentals. Golf, horseback riding, clay-pigeon shooting, and river rafting are all nearby.

All these hotels can be booked directly on Tennis Resorts.

Do you know how to choose tennis racket

Do you play tennis? You are a tennis fans? Do you know which famous brand of tennis racket? Do you know how to choose tennis racket?

Now, we will introduce how to select your tennis racket:

The single most important piece of equipment a tennis player will purchase is a tennis racket. With the wide variety of tennis racket brands, models, types, and specifications on the market, selecting a tennis racket can be a daunting task. However, how to choose a best tennis racket? Now, I will introduce some aspects that you should consider in selecting a tennis player.

Style of Playing:

More than likely if you are an advanced player, you have your own particular style of playing. Your tennis playing style will also influence what you will need in a good tennis racket. If you like to use a great deal of topspin in your game, then a racket that is head heavy can help you improve your spin and your style.

Racket Materials:

When you are trying to pick out the best tennis racket, you will also need to consider the various materials that they are made of as well. The most common materials that are used to buy tennis racket today include graphite, aluminum, and boron and Kevlar. Graphite rackets are probably the most popular, since it provides great hitting power and both beginners and even advanced players will find that this type of a racket will perform nicely for them. Aluminum rackets are cheaper than graphite ones, and they will provide you with excellent feel. The Boron and Kevlar rackets are very stiff and can cause shoulder problems due to the shock, so this type of racket should be avoided by a beginning player.

Racket Weight:

To avoid injury, taking a look at the weight of the tennis rackets is important before you purchase it. While you may be inclined to head for the lighter rackets, actually you will want to choose a racket that is a bit heavier; however, the head should be fairly light. While it may sound a bit crazy to purchase a racket that is a bit on the heavy side, a lighter racket can also lead to injury, such as tennis elbow and shoulder problems. Also, a racket that is a bit heavier can also improve your serves as well as your groundstroke.

If you want to know about the tennis racket, please visit http://www.my-tennis-rackets.com/

Let’s be acquaintance with Tennis Strings??

Tennis has become the most preferred sports among youngsters. Some take tennis as their passions as well as profession. For playing or practicing any game, the most significant thing to be remembered is having the perfect sports equipment for the particular game. The single most vital piece of equipment in tennis is a tennis racquet. The quality of a tennis racket depends upon its strings, weight, material used, etc.
Having the perfect tennis racquet is dependent upon the tennis strings. The superiority in the quality of the tennis strings matters a lot, so you should choose a tennis racquet with the best quality tennis strings. While selecting string for a tennis racquet, there are four factors which should be considered. These four factors are string construction, string tension, string material and string gauge.
These strings of a tennis racquet are responsible for the contact with the ball. The strings are woven inside the hoop or the head of the racquet. Strings are made of various materials and hold diverse properties which can be measured; such as properties which include dynamic stiffness, tension retention, thickness (gauge), and rebound efficiency. Tennis strings are available in different thicknesses to give different levels of power and control.
There are various brands of tennis strings such as ASHAWAY strings, BABOLAT strings, DUNLOP strings, GAMMA strings, FISCHER strings, GOSEN strings, HEAD strings, KRISCHBAUM strings, LUXILON strings, PRINCE strings, TECNIFIBRE strings, VOLKL strings, WILSON strings and YONEX strings. On the basis of material, tennis strings can be classified into various types like Natural Gut, Synthetic Gut, Multi-filament, or “Multi” Nylon, Polyester, Kevlar, Vectran, Zyex Polyolefin, Metal wire, Reading the gauge.
A few qualities of these materials are:- Natural gut: the most costly as it is constructed from animal intestines. These strings are best for tour tennis professionals but they can simply get worse with humidity and water. Nylon: quite reasonable and appropriate for frivolous or sporty players. Polyester: long-lasting in comparison of natural gut but have lesser performance, and fewer power Kevlar: tough and inflexible. Usually strung with at a 10% reduction in tension A tennis string can be constructed in different ways like Mono, Ribbon, Multifilament, CWW and CW. The gauge thickness also matters in the quality of the tennis string. The 15-gauge thickness is the thickest string available in the market. You can also grab all these types of tennis strings on the internet.

The Inner Workings Of The Table Tennis Game

As tempting as it may be to believe the table tennis game works in the same fashion as ordinary tennis played on a big court, this is actually not the truth.

 

Not only is the point awarding system different for table tennis, but the total amount of points a player can potentially earn to win a match is also not at all similar to regular tennis.

However, there are some parallels in both the tennis game and the table tennis game.

 

For starters, both sports use a racket and a ball to initiate and keep said ball in play.

 

Second, a net divides the tennis court into two equal playing surface halves, which is the same function the net on a table tennis table holds as well.

 

Third, points are awarded in both games for serves that cannot be returned by the opposing player (i.e. an “ace” serve), or when a player misses the ball altogether thereby allowing his opponent to gain a point.

 

Fourth, each sport accommodates both singles and doubles play for those who are interested in playing by themselves or cooperating as a team with a partner.

 

How does the table tennis game itself work?

 

The Three Game-Starting Methods

 

The game starts in one of three differing ways: one, a coin can be tossed to determine who will win the right to serve for the match opening point.

 

Second, the umpire may hold the ball hidden under the table in one of his two hands, and ask a player to take a guess which hand the ball is in – and the right guess affords the serving privilege.

The third starting mechanism for a table tennis game is for one player to simply hit the ball to the other, thereby initiating a series of four hits back and forth before the two players continue rallying it out for the serve. This startup method is commonly referred to as “rally to serve” or “play to serve.”

 

And, whoever wins at whichever of the three methods used is rewarded with the chance to do two things: choose which side of the table he would like to start the match at, and make the decision of whether or not he’d like to serve the game or be on the receiving end instead.

 

Serving And Returning The Table Tennis Ball

 

The player who serves the ball initiates play of the table tennis game.

As the two competitors play, the ball must remain on the upper table surface, or playing surface, at all times as well as remain behind the endline while the ball is in rally mode.

The individual who is serving for the table tennis game is not permitted to use his body or any item of clothing to block sight of the ball, either from the game’s umpire or from the opposing player.

 

If the umpire scoring the game feels that a player’s serve borders on “illegal” he may then issue the serving player a warning. Should the player fail a second time or cause umpire doubt with his serve, a point will be awarded to the opposing competitor as a penalty.

 

A table tennis ball is only allowed to bounce one time on each side of the table’s playing surface before the player on that side hits it back for a return shot. The rally continues in the same back and forth motion until it is over, either because a player missed the ball or hit it out of bounds altogether.

 

The effort to return a serve is one of the most difficult parts to the table tennis game, as the serving player can have very quick and unpredictable serving moves combined with the most numerous choices for speed and spin on the ball in order to throw off the other player and score a quick point or two.

 

Another part to the table tennis game is the “let.” A let is defined as a table tennis rally where the event does not receive a score.

 

Lets can be called for the following reasons: the receiving player was not ready for the serve when the serving player hit the ball toward him; the ball winds up touching a portion of the net while it is being served; and finally, a let is called as a result of the player being interrupted by either the main umpire or the assistant umpire.

 

Thought it may sound complicated, the table tennis game is anything but so go play a game or two!

Alan Douglas Play Your Best Tennis – Playing Tennis Guide Review

Tennis is indeed one great sport to learn and master. But of course, as a novice player or an aspiring professional, there are various weaknesses that you want to improve as well as, strategies and tactics that you need to learn. All of this and more can be very well achieved through Play Your Best Tennis ebook created by Alan Douglas.

Click Here For Tennis For Beginners Instant Access Now!

Inside this very helpful guide, you will easily overcome different problems with strategies, tactics and easy ways to win matches. You will be able to be more confident and gain more focus in playing the game. In addition to that, this ebook also include information about excellent tips for speeding up your footwork in order to get you perfectly balance and positioned for your shots. It also contains practices that will technically improve your game and prevent you from getting an injury. Plus, the tools that will effectively increase your strength, stamina and ability.

The Play Your Best Tennis ebook pages cover a particular topic which is color coordinated to allow you to quickly find the part of the book you are looking for. It is presented in a unique and easy to understand format to help you make quick improvement within all areas of your game.

This innovative tennis guide will lead you to being an expert tennis player with its numerous tips at the end of every chapter. You will be able to learn about the latest sports psychology and NLP techniques that will help you develop excellent mental control and the winning edge. All the texts included in this guide are all cross referenced to help you lead towards the direction of other related areas of your game.

So if you really want to excel in this game and be able to learn about the important tips, strategies and tactics in playing this game, then all you have to do is to get yourself a copy of the Play Your Best Tennis ebook. Please visit their website for more information.

Click Here For Tennis For Beginners Instant Access Now!

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Tennis Elbow Symptoms and Treatment Methods to Get Rid of the Condition Naturally

Here is some useful information on tennis elbow symptoms and treatment methods to cure tennis elbow naturally.Tennis elbow is a general term for the condition known as lateral epicondylitis. This is an injury caused by overusing the elbow joint. It happens to people who play like tennis or racquetball. Sometimes any repetitive elbow movement, such as when gardening, doing housework or using hand tools may also cause tennis elbow. Basically any activity which required you to constantly bend and straighten the elbow or excessively use your forearm and hand can cause tennis elbow.

As soon as you notice the first signs or symptoms of this condition see your doctor. Please do not delay consulting a doctor- if left untreated this condition can become chronic.

What are the common symptoms of tennis elbow?

Pain

The pain associated with tennis elbow is normally felt on the outer part of the elbow and the top of the forearm. Initially it may begin as a dull ache which you may notice when you use your arm and then subsides with rest. If you ignore this pain in the initial stages, with passage of time it will only worsen and become more frequent.  Many a times the pain is accompanied by a burning sensation which may radiate into the wrists and hands.

Stiffness and swelling

The elbow and forearm may start to feel stiff and be hard to move over a period of time. If left untreated for long and you continue using the affected arm you may eventually not be unable to bend or straighten your elbow at all.

Loss of strength

Tennis elbow affects the arm which you use the most. As this condition advances it may become difficult for you to hold items in your hands or perform certain tasks. Often there is strength along with tingling or numbness in the forearm or hand.

How to treat tennis elbow with simple exercises?

Here are 2 simple tennis elbow exercises which you can practice yourself. These exercises are aimed at increasing the range of motion, decreasing the stiffness, improving mobility and strength of the injured muscles and tendons.

1.Wrist Extension

For this exercise, you will need a can of soup or a 1 liter of soda. Place a soup can or 1 liter of soda in hand with your palm facing downward towards the floor. Support your forearm at the edge of a table or on your knee so that only your hand can move. Let the wrist down slowly go past parallel to almost 90 degrees with your forearm and then slowly come back up to parallel with the floor.

2 – Finger Extension

Interweave a thick rubber band around all five fingers. Keeping your elbow as straight as possible (do not overdo) try to straighten and spread your fingers outwards as if you were going to catch a softball. Hold for three seconds, then let your fingers relax naturally; do not close your hand completely. Repeat for 25 repetitions for 3 sets.

In the current digital age there is plenty of help available online too. To cure tennis elbow I made use of an online guide that is available on the internet for immediate download. This guide provides natural remedies to cure tennis elbow in matter of days. To get complete relief from tennis elbow symptoms and treatment of this condition once and for all natural remedies are the best.

Discover how to treat tennis elbow pain in as little as 72 hours and cure it completely within 30 days by CLIKING Here

Tennis Elbow Pain Relief and Some Great Herbal Remedies for Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a condition caused by irritation of the tendons on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow at a bony fame (lateral epicondyle) of the upper arm. Certain repetitive movements of the wrist can cause this condition. It is not limited to tennis players.

Tennis elbow, one of the most ordinary stress injuries of the arm, is a type of tendinitis that at some point afflicts almost one-third of all Americans who play tennis.

For more Information please visit herbalcureindia.com

Read more on Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow and Bursitis Pain and Home Remedies for Gout

Yet tennis players are not the only people at risk, since any activity that calls for forceful, repeated contraction of the arm muscles can bring on tennis elbow.

There is more than one joint occupied in movements at your elbow. The joint utilises three articulations (how the three bones of the arm move against each other) to allow movement at the elbow joint.

The three bones in problem are the humerus (upper arm) and the radius and ulna (bones of the forearm).

The radio-ulnar joint is most crucial in this injury as it plays a role in pronation (turning the palm of your hand towards the floor) and supination (turning the palm of your hand away from the floor.

The humerus’s two condyles (found at the far end of the humerus) give articulating surfaces at your elbow joint (Noteboom et al, 1994). Above the condyles are the medial and lateral epicondyles.

Tennis Elbow Treatment

Too many so called resources out there are charitable you misinformation about how to cure tennis elbow. Traditional medicine will tell you that the only way to get rid of elbow tendonitis is to stop the action which is not really an answer.

http://www.herbalcureindia.com/home-remedies/tennis-elbow.html

Others may suggest expensive equipment, medicines, or therapy that will only address the immediate symptoms and not supply a long term solution. Even more may be promising “miracle” tennis elbow cures that cannot be trusted.

With this kind of advice, it is no wonder you are feeling dubious, but it is now time to get a positive outlook. On this site, you are going to learn a different solution to your problem.

Home Remedies for Tennis Elbow

1.    A dry potato poultice is a expensive natural remedy used to cure this ailment. Use baked and hot potatoes for this purpose.

2.    Hydrotherapy is considered as one of the most successful natural home remedies for Tennis Elbow. For this, just dip the sore elbow in a whirlpool for about 10-15 minutes to improve the circulation of blood in the affected area.

3.    The therapeutic properties of avocado and calendula oil are highly beneficial for healing Tennis Elbow related inflammation. Regularly massage the affected area moderately with the help of any of these oils to get rid of this painful condition.

4.    Taking a celery decoction at the time of meals is one of the best natural home remedies for Tennis Elbow. For this, add a few drops of celery extract (prepared from celery seeds) in warm water.

5.    Alternatively, taking a celery leaves take out is yet another tried and tested home remedy for Tennis Elbow Treatment. For this, boil a cup of water mixed with 10 to 15 celery leaves for about half an hour and then strain it.

Daily consume this solution about two times per day for regarding a month. This remedy is sure to give encouraging results within a week of its adoption.

A rare funny tv appearance of the cream from around 1968!
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Fundamentals Of Tennis

Fundamentals Of Tennis

The fundamentals of tennis are fairly easy to grasp and can have a person on the court and having fun in no time. May I turn to the novice at my opening and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player? The best tennis equipment is not too good for the beginner who seeks to get a feel for the fundamentals of tennis and succeed. One of the starting fundamentals of tennis, besides technique, is one’s apparel. Always dress to impress in tennis clothes when engaging in tennis. Makes sense, right? The question of choosing a racquet to learn the fundamentals of tennis is a different matter. I do not advocate forcing a certain racquet upon any player who wishes to learn the fundamentals of tennis. All the standard makes are excellent. It is in weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is, essential to obtain the best results.

After you have acquired your racquet, to better leand the fundamentals of tennis make a firm resolve to use good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a “dead” ball is no practice at all. If you really desire to succeed at the game and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the fundamentals of tennis instruction books you can find. They are a great assistance. More tennis can be learned off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the best players in action, than can ever be learned in actual play. I do not mean miss opportunities to play. Far from it. Play whenever possible, but strive when playing to put in practice the theories you have read or the strokes you have watched.

Never be discouraged at slow progress when learning the fundamentals. You will be up to speed in no time. Perhaps a grand slam tour is in your future. The trick over some stroke you have worked over for weeks unsuccessfully will suddenly come to you when least expected. Tennis players are the product of hard work. Very few are born geniuses at the game. When learning the fundamentals of tennis, keep this in mind – tennis is a sport that pays you dividends all your life, not only on the court. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any town. The brotherhood and sisterhood of the game is universal, for none but a good sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period. The next time you are watching a tennis tournament on TV, your friends will envy you as speak with knowledge and authority. But let’s keep a cool head at all times and never pull a McEnroe, shall we? The fundamentals of tennis provide relaxation, excitement, exercise, and firms one’s thighs, buttocks, chest and abs, and provides pure enjoyment to the enthusiast who is tied hard and fast to their business until late afternoon. Age is not a drawback.

To learn more about the fundamentals of tennis and take advantage of a special offer for the highest rated tennis instructional video series, click here.

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Watch Heineken Open Tennis 2011 Online

“What do you say to an invitation to watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online at WatchTennisOnline.net?”

“I say, what is a Heineken Open Tennis?”

“Uh, that would be more of an ‘ask’ but your point is taken.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind. Accurate language usage is not the point here. World class tennis is. And the Heineken Open is a world class tennis tournament to be played in Auckland, New Zealand in the second week of January. So, when I invite you to watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online with me, I am inviting___”

“Okay. I get it. You don’t have to belabor the point.”

“Well, actually, I do.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“That’s what I get paid to do. Make a point over and over again.”

“And what point would that be?”

“Actually, there’s more than one point to be made.”

“Will you please just get on with it? Or them, as the case may be.”

“Okay, but that is going to entail a degree of belaboring. Be warned.”

“I’m warning you. Get. On. With. It.”

“Okay. The first point is that you can watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online. Followed by the rather more important point that you can watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online by logging on to WatchTennisOnline.net. The third point, and one that requires the emphasis of verbiage if not repetition, is that it will behoove you to logon to that particular website because of the advantages that accrue to you, the logger onner, so to speak.”

“Oh? What sorts of advantages?”

“The one that comes most readily to mind is the one where registering with the site allows you, the registered, access, free and untrammeled access, to upcoming Tennis Matches Online.”

“Why the upper case Tennis Matches Online?”

“Because that is one of the points that has to be made.”

“I see. And are you going to have to belabor that point?”

“A point belabored can hardly remain a point, can it? I wish I could get my paymasters to see that. But, to answer your question. No. That point, he said gratefully, can be allowed to exist in unbeaten splendor. But the point about being able to watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online? That one, I’m afraid will have to be beaten on a few more times.”

“So go ahead and do it. Just repeat the phrase a few time until your quota is met.”

“I will. But before I do allow me to specify that if you want to watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online, then you should make sure that you have access to your PC on the dates January 10th through to the 15th, 2011.”

“I take it those are the tournament dates.”

“You take it right.”

“Okay. What else? Wait. Before you do; you never did tell me what any other advantages there might be to my logging on to WatchTennisOnline.net.”

“Aw, gee, I wish you had brought that up earlier. Now it looks like I have just enough space to mention that you can watch Heineken Open tennis 2011 online at WatchTennisOnline.net. Thank you for calling and good night.”

“But, you called me.”

“In that case, thanks for listening.”

 

 

Watch Heineken Open Tennis 2011 Online now by visiting WatchTennisOnline.net

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