Being good in doing something does not just fall on you knowing the practical element that’s key for most sports, but you need to know some theory like understanding terms which are related to that sport. This not only gives you that feeling of a professional player, but also can help you in understanding the rules of the sport. As well as understanding your Table and Paddle, you should know these.
Anti-topspin – a rubber type that deactivates speed and twist, returning a”dead” ball
Backhand – a stroke done right 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 by a normal racket position, the ball would not make it over the Web
Block – a defensive shot done largely against loops and smashes, where the racket is in a closed position to keep the ball on the table
Chop – a defensive shot which 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.
Doubles – a format in table tennis where two people play on each side and must alternate turns at striking the ball
Push – 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 moderate pace
Drop shot – a surprise shot where the ball is placed precisely near the Web
Expedite rule – following a time limit (10 minutes) has died during one game, the receiver automatically wins the stage if he/she returns the ball 13 times in a row. This forces the server to modify his rallying tactics.
Forehand – a stroke completed to the right-front (for right-handers) of the body, with the racket in a normal position (palm of hand facing opponent)
Permit – a stoppage of play for a result of a serve hitting the Web 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 quite high in the air, causing difficulty in timing and procedure
Long pips – a rubber kind whose surface consists of fairly long pimples. Produces unpredictable spin.
Match – a competition format with the winner winning two of three or three of five matches
Medium-long – a serve whose next bounce, given the chance, would bounce near the very end or just off the table. Difficult because the opponent Can’t 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 just 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 instances better speed. Also Called inverted rubber
Pips-out – a rubber type whose surface consists of many tiny pimples. Produces much speed and control, but little spin
Push – a defensive shot utilized to successfully return backspin shots, where the racket is open to lift the backspin over the Web
Receive – return of support, usually done tactically to set up an attack
Houston Wildlife Removal– Also the name of a table tennis traction
Serve – the beginning of a stage where a single 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 clasp 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 chance, would bounce at least twice on the table. Difficult because the opponent Can’t execute a great attacking stroke
Sidespin – a type of spin where, if struck by a normal racket position, the ball would travel either to the left or right without landing on the table
Skunk – an informal rule in table tennis that says that a player wins a game in a score of 7-0 or 11-1
Smash – an offensive, high-speed shooter used against large balls, where the racket is in a normal position to generate the maximum speed possible. Also called a kill
Topspin – a kind of spin where, if struck with a regular racket position, the ball will travel over the other side of the table without hitting the surface.