Being good in doing something doesn’t just fall on you knowing the practical aspect which is key for most sports, but you need to know some theory like knowing terms that are related to that sport. This not only gives you that feeling of a professional player, but also helps you in understanding the rules of the game. As well as knowing your Table and Paddle, you should know these.
Anti-topspin – a rubber type that deactivates spin and speed, returning a “dead” ball
Backhand – a stroke done directly in front of the body, with the racket turned so that the back of the hand faces the opponent
Backspin – a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the ball would not make it over the net
Block – a defensive shot done mostly against loops and smashes, where the racket is in a closed position to keep the ball on the table
Chop – a defensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of backspin
Closed – a racket angle that allows the top of the ball to be struck
Dead ball – a ball returned without any spin. Very difficult to execute, read, and return
Doubles – a format in table tennis where two people play on each side and must alternate turns at striking the ball
Drive – an offensive shot used mostly as a setup or in rallies, where the racket is in a normal position and the ball is struck at a medium pace
Drop shot – a surprise shot where the ball is placed precisely near the net
Expedite rule – after a time limit (10 minutes) has expired during a single game, the receiver automatically wins the point if he/she returns the ball successfully 13 times in a row. This forces the server to change his rallying tactics.
Forehand – a stroke done to the right-front (for right-handers) of the body, with the racket in a normal position (palm of hand facing opponent)
International Table Tennis Federation – the international governing body for the sport of table tennis
Inverted – See pips-in
Let – a stoppage of play as a result of a serve hitting the net or interference from outside the playing court
Lob – a defensive shot used against high-speed balls, where the ball (usually with unpredictable spin) is returned very high in the air, causing difficulty in timing and technique
Long pips – a rubber type whose surface consists of fairly long pimples. Produces unpredictable spin.
Loop – an offensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of topspin
Match – a competition format with the winner winning two of three or three of five games
Medium-long – a serve whose second bounce, given the opportunity, would bounce near the very end or just off the table. Difficult because the opponent cannot execute a good attacking stroke
Open – a racket angle that allows the bottom of the ball to be struck
Pen hold – a grip where the racket is held exactly as it sounds, with the racket handle held straight up and down
Pips-in – a rubber type whose surface is smooth yet gripping. Produces much spin and in many cases better speed. Also known as inverted rubber
Pips-out – a rubber type whose surface consists of many tiny pimples. Produces much control and speed, but little spin
Push – a defensive shot used to successfully return backspin shots, where the racket is open to lift the backspin over the net
Receive – return of service, usually done tactically to set up an attack
Seemiller – Name of 5 time US champion Dan Seemiller. Also the name of a table tennis grip
Serve – the beginning of a point where one player strikes the ball after tossing it. Usually used tactically to set up a strong attack
Set – one game to 21 points in a match
Shakehands – a grip where the racket is held exactly as it sounds but with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers wrapped around the handle
Short – a serve that, given the opportunity, would bounce at least twice on the table. Difficult because the opponent cannot execute a good attacking stroke
Sidespin – a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the ball would travel either to the right or left without landing on the table
Skunk – an informal rule in table tennis that says that a player wins a game at a score of 7-0 or 11-1
Smash – an offensive, high-speed shot used against high balls, where the racket is in a normal position to generate the most speed possible. Also called a kill
Topspin – a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the ball would travel over the opposite side of the table without hitting the surface.
