Important Characteristic Of Table Tennis

Ajay Datta
International Umpire
Table Tennis

Every game has its own characteristics for which the game is important. Table Tennis also bears some important characteristics, which have been made it modernized. The characteristics are,
a) It is a quickest game. 
b) It is a most difficult game.
c) It is requires utmost intelligence in a limited time calls for maximum speed or thinking.
d) It requires utmost endurance from a sportsman.
e) It requires utmost concentration of the player. 
The above characteristics may be observed in any class tournament. Briefing of the characteristics has given below for easily understanding.
The quickness of the game means - quickness of reaction and quickness of action. To start with reaction, a player will have to focus his eyes on moment the ball and then after talking a quick decision within a moment by his cerebral brains, an order will be passed to the muscle. Next part is the implementation of muscle i.e. speed of action.
Speed of action depends upon the strength of the muscle of the player. It is not to raise or to move heavy materials but to move his body and racket with maximum speed. So weight control is more important. When a player is dashing sideways to smash the ball and twisting the body and swinging the arm, the weight he is to control more than three times of his normal weight.
It is very much difficult game. Due to modernization of Table Tennis, now it is a speedy and fast game along with the different types of spin. Sometimes, the bounces of the ball different types of spin. Sometimes the bounces of the ball differs unknowingly due to variety of racket surface which gives lots of troubles to the opponent and only perfect regular training only can met the challenge with these type of verities of game.
For the players of women category it is not so much tough as they cannot produce high type of spin. A though nowadays ITTF is trying to reduce the speed and spin of the game.
As the speed of thinking, quickness of reaction, action and fastness is the main characteristics of Table Tennis, the intelligence of the players and administrator is more important. Without intelligence of the player, the playing and perfection of a competitive match will be useless. So the finding out of an intelligent boy and girl who has an interest in Table Tennis or any sports and who has the capacity or physical condition to by a very good sportsman's will be the most important work for the organizers.
The character of Table Tennis as a game always involves a short distance maximum speed shit. That may by twisting of the body and swinging of the arms in the minimum time. So during any competition (8 A.M. to 10 P.M. everyday) a player will have to be in the best physical condition for continuous several days up to the last moment of the competition which is not required for any other game. So a player need good physical condition to recover from tiredness with very well trained lungs, heart, liver and kidneys i.e. all the internal organs.
Last of all concentration is the most important characteristic. On average the ball goes at 0.2 second a meter, reaction starts only after 0.1 second. So after that, action will be started and ultimately brain will pass an order to muscle for implementing the action.
Finally high standard of the game may be attainable with the help of joint study programme of players, officials, organizers and scientists in spite of its various characteristics/aspects.

Ref. Important Characteristics of Modern Table Tennis - ICHIRO OGUMURA (World Champion, 1954 and 1956)

 

 

 

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