What Is Ping Pong?- Amazing History of Ping Pong

What is ping pong? What are the differences between ping pong and table tennis? These are the very first questions when a new person comes to know about the game. Ping pong is another name of table tennis is a game where two or four people can play who are interested in playing this game.

Ping pong is an indoor game, but people love to play it outdoor as well. It is played over a table which is called the ping pong table. Apart from that, a ball, paddle, and net are necessary to play the game. 

The net stands just inside the table looks like it has divided the table into two pieces. Initially, if I consider two players are playing the game, then the first player serves the ball to pass his side to the opposition.

The ball must touch this court of the table then cross the net. After that, the second player tries to hit the ball so that the ball can pass the net without touching the 2nd player’s court of the table. 

As this game plays based on points, so if a player can not return the ball opposition player got the point. Considering other games, ping pong is a high-speed game. Because of the game situation.

If we explain it a little bit, as this game took place over a table and the space is not big like other games, court or game area, so after hitting the ball by the player, the ball passes the table very fast.

Another essential thing is considerable when the players play the game, their intention becomes clear to achieve the point, so they hit the ball very hard. 

Like all other games, table tennis is also governed by the federation, and the name of this federation is the International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF). ITTF was established in 1926, and the current member is around 226 throughout the world.

Ping pong is an Olympic game from 1988 as selected for specific categories like men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s doubles till 2004. 

History of ping pong 

High-class people in Victorian England used to play ping pong as an after-dinner indoor game. It is being said that the updated version of the game is developed by the British military in India around the 1880s, and they took that back with them.

They used a row of books instead of the net in the middle of the table and used the golf ball in exchange for a ping pong ball. 

How the name ping pong came?

“Ping pong is the related equipment and the trademark name of table tennis. Ping pong name was first invented by a firm named J. Jaques and Son around the 1800s, while in the United States, it was trademarked by Parker Brothers, which was a board game company. 

At the beginning of the tournaments of this game, there were 300 participants in early 1901, which was a clear indication of the popularity of the game.

Though the association of ping pong was formed lately, the name was changed in 1922 at the table tennis association. 

What is ping pong was a common question among people around the world in the beginning? But in 1902, a professor from Japan took table tennis to Japan for the students of the university.

Apart from that, it has evolved to the people of Vienna and Budapest by Edward Shires, who was a businessman, and now this is one of the most popular games in the world.

People of all ages love ping pong nowadays. Revolutionary spread out was in Britain as the middle class started playing the game. Tournaments in the provinces and the leagues had the most powerful impact on it. 

In 1917 the first world championships were arranged that was a historical moment for the sports world as the legendary players participated there, and the winner of the tournament was Dr. Jacobi. He was not that famous at that time. 

The sponge rubber of the paddle was discovered in the 1950s, and the mood of the game changed dramatically with that sandwich rubber(another name). 

Earlier, the spin could not play a significant role in the game of attacking mode. But after the invention of the rackets or paddles by the Japanese, the hitting style of the ball has been changed.

A player can show their magic by hitting the ball. In general, the spin balls are tough to return for the opposition players. So as the sponge rubber was invented for the paddle, the governing body has approved that with legislation. 

So now, the game has a new look with all the innovations and changes.  

What are the differences between ping pong and table tennis?

Jackie Rigley, Ilkeston Derbyshire, said ping pong is where after hitting a ball by a player, the ball must touch his side first before reaching the other side.

This extra bounce of the ball provides the name of ping pong. On the contrary, the game is unlike table tennis. 

Geoff Badgerton, Howtown England said ping pong name came when the gentleman and gentlewomen have started playing the game.

But now it has a competitive version in the sports arena and the rules have not changed much from the beginning. 

Jack Hills said in table tennis they have to touch both sides of the net only in the service. On the other hand, the ball needs to reach the sides for every shoot in ping pong. 

Well,  we have seen some quotes from some famous people, and they gave their opinion about what is the difference between ping pong and table tennis.

But in general, there is no difference between these games. Only the names are different from each other. Ping pong name is widely used in the United States, whereas table tennis is used in Asian countries like China, Japan. 

Ping Pong tables, Balls, and Paddles

In every game, it needs some equipment, and the table is one of them in ping pong. There are many kinds of tables on the market. All of them are not suitable for everyone.

So before buying a ping pong table, you must know which one is best for you. To help you, we have reviewed the best ping pong table, best ping pong paddles, best ping pong balls, best ping pong machine in our other articles.

The table is the leading platform to perform the game. Without the tables, it is not possible to play the game.

There are two types of tables one is an indoor ping pong table, and the other is an outdoor ping pong table. Ping pong balls are another vital part of the game.

When we talk about a game that can not be played without something, another name that comes to mind is the ping pong racket or ping pong paddle. 

Benefits of Ping Pong

There are a lot of things you can get from the game. None other than the health benefits comes first.

Further mental benefits, improve relationships with others,  and not last but the least your name and fame with success will be spread out over the globe by this game.

If you look around, you will see the legends of ping pong.  Who used to know their names before becoming the superstar of ping pong. So it could be everything for the people who take it seriously.

On the other hand, there are injuries in ping pong as well. So you need to be careful because common injuries of ping pong can end your career.

Are ping pong and table tennis the same sport?

In general, there are no major differences between ping pong and table tennis. But people of different locations call them in different names. A tiny thing can be counted for beer pong because of its violations in some cases.

Why is table tennis called ping pong?

Table tennis is called ping pong because the game originated in England in the late 1800s as an indoor version of lawn tennis. At that time, the game was commonly known as “whiff whaff” or “gossima.” However, in the early 1900s, the game’s name was changed to “ping pong” after the sound that the ball made when it was hit back and forth across the table.

The name “ping pong” was trademarked in 1901 by the British firm J. Jaques and Son Ltd, which manufactured the equipment used to play the game. The company later sold the trademark to Parker Brothers, a US toy company, which helped popularize the game in the United States in the 1920s.

Today, the terms “table tennis” and “ping pong” are used interchangeably to refer to the same game, although “table tennis” is the official name recognized by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

What is ping pong in computer?

In the context of computers, “ping pong” can refer to a basic programming exercise or game that involves sending data packets back and forth between two networked devices. The objective of the exercise is to test the reliability and speed of the connection between the devices.

The ping-pong game typically works by sending a packet of data (called a ping) from one device to the other. The receiving device then responds with another packet of data (called a pong), which confirms that the connection is working properly. This process continues back and forth between the two devices, with each packet of data recording the time it took to travel from one device to the other and back again.

The term “ping pong” is also used more broadly to describe any situation where two or more devices or programs are exchanging data or messages back and forth in a rapid and repetitive manner. For example, in some computer programming languages, a “ping pong buffer” is a type of memory buffer that allows two programs to exchange data quickly and efficiently.

What is ping pong in football?

“ping pong” is a term used in football to refer to a type of pass that involves hitting the ball with a curved trajectory to create a bouncing effect.

A ping pong pass typically involves hitting the ball with the inside of the foot or the instep, using a quick and controlled motion to create a spin on the ball. This spin causes the ball to bounce unpredictably, making it more difficult for the defending team to intercept or control.

The term “ping pong” in this context can also refer to a quick exchange of passes between two or more players on the same team, with each pass being hit with a similar curved trajectory to keep the ball moving quickly and disrupt the opposing defense.

Overall, “ping pong” in football can refer to a chaotic passing sequence between both teams, or a specific type of pass that involves hitting the ball with a curved trajectory to create a bouncing effect.

What is ping pong in Thailand?

In Thailand, ping pong can refer to two different things depending on the context.

The first is the game of table tennis, which is commonly played in Thailand both recreationally and competitively. Table tennis is a popular sport in Thailand, and the country has produced several world-class players over the years, including Chanoknan Ruinroeng, Rungroj Thainiyom, and Suthasini Sawettabut.

The second meaning of ping pong in Thailand is a type of live sex show that is unfortunately associated with the country’s red-light districts. These shows involve women performing various sexual acts with ping pong balls, darts, or other objects, often to the shock and disgust of Western tourists.

It’s important to note that this second meaning of ping pong is not representative of Thai culture as a whole and is considered illegal and immoral by many Thai people. The Thai government has taken steps to crack down on these types of shows and discourage their promotion as a tourist attraction.

Final Verdict

What is ping pong? If we want to know the answer, we have to go back and have to find out how it came, what was the first name of the game, who invented the game, and when it was developed.

So these questions we have answered in our article, we have tried to answer the question of what is ping pong? And the fantastic differences between ping pong and table tennis.

When you are passionate about any game you must know the amazing history of that game and ping pong has a fantastic past which made the game popular and well known over the world.

One must admit after reading this masterpiece that they have learned very new and optimistic things about the history of ping pong or table tennis.