Backhand |
A shot done with the racquet to the left of the elbow for a
righthander, the reverse for a lefthander. |
Backspin |
A type of spin used mostly on defensive shots. When you chop
the ball, you produce backspin. The bottom of the ball will move away from
you. |
Blade |
The racquet, usually without covering. |
Block |
A quick, off the bounce return of an aggressive drive done
by just holding the racquet in the ball’s path. |
Blocker |
A style of play where blocking is the primary shot. |
Chop |
A defensive return of a drive with backspin, usually done
from well away from the table. Also known as backspin (see backspin). |
Chopper |
A style of play where chopping is the primary shot. |
Closed |
If the racquet’s hitting surface is aimed downward, with the
top edge leaning away from you, it is closed. |
Counter-Drive |
A drive made against a drive. Some players specialize in
counter-driving. |
Cross-Court |
A ball that is hit diagonally from corner to corner. |
Dead |
A ball with no spin. |
Deep |
A ball that lands deep on the table. A serve that will not
bounce twice on the opponent’s side of the table if given the chance is also
considered deep. |
Default |
Being disqualified from a match. |
Double Bounce |
A ball that hits the same side of the table twice. The
person on that side loses the point. |
Down the Line |
A ball that is hit along the side of the table, parallel to
the sidelines, is hit down the line. |
Drop Shot |
Putting the ball so short that the opponent has trouble
reaching the ball. Done when the opponent is away from the table. |
Flat |
A ball that has no spin, usually traveling with good pace. |
Footwork |
How a person moves to make a shot. |
Forehand |
Any shot done with the racquet to the right of the elbow for
a righthander, to the left for a lefthander. |
Handicap Events |
An event in a tournament where points are spotted to make
the match even. Can be singles or doubles. |
Hard Rubber |
A type of racquet covering with pips out rubber but no
sponge underneath. It was the most common covering for many years until the
development of sponge rubber. |
Hitter |
A style of play where hitting is the primary shot. |
Inverted Sponge |
The most common racquet covering. It consists of a sheet of
pips out rubber on top of a layer of sponge. The pips point inward, so the
surface is smooth. This is the opposite of pips out sponge, where the pips
point outward. |
ITTF |
International Table Tennis Federation. The governing body
for table tennis in the world. |
Kill Shot |
See smash. |
Let |
If play is interrupted for any reason during a rally, a let
is called and the point does not count. See rules for more details. |
Loop |
A heavy topspin shot usually considered the most important
shot in the game. Most players either specialize in looping or in handling
the loop. |
Looper |
A style of play where the primary shot is the loop. |
Match |
A two out of three or three out of five games contest. |
Open |
If the hitting surface of the racquet is aimed upwards, with
the top edge leaning towards you, it is open. |
Penholder |
A type of grip giving the best possible forehand but the
most awkward backhand of the conventional grips. |
Pips |
The small conical bits of rubber that cover a sheet of table
tennis rubber. |
Pips Out |
A type of racquet covering. It consists of a sheet of pips
out rubber on top of a layer of sponge. The pips point outward, the opposite
of inverted. |
Playing Surface |
The top of the table, include the edges. |
Push |
A backspin return of backspin. Usually defensive. |
Racquet |
What you hit the ball with. The blade plus covering. |
Rally |
The hitting of the ball back and forth, commencing with the
serve and ending when a point is won. |
Rating |
A number that is assigned to all tournament players after
their first tournament. The better the player the higher the rating should
be. The range is from about 200 to about 2800. |
Rating Events |
An event in a tournament where to be eligible you must be
rated under a specified amount. |
Receive |
The return of a serve. |
Rubber |
The racquet covering. Sometimes refers only to the rubber on
top of a sponge base. |
Rubber Cleaner |
used to keep the surface of inverted rubber clean. |
Serve |
The first shot, done by the server. It begins with the ball
being thrown up from palm of hand and struck by the racquet. |
Shakehands Grip |
The most popular grip. It gives the best balance of forehand
and backhand. |
Short |
A ball that lands close to the net. A serve that would
bounce twice on the opponent’s side of the table if given the chance is also
considered short. |
Smash |
A putaway shot. Ball is hit with enough speed so opponent
cannot make a return. |
Spin |
The rotation of the ball. |
Sponge |
The bouncy rubber material used in sandwich covering. It is
used under a sheet of rubber with pips. It revolutionized the game and ended
the hard rubber age in the 1950’s. |
Stroke |
Any shot used in the game, including the serve. |
Topspin |
A type of spin used on most aggressive shots, with an
extreme amount being used in the loop shot. When you topspin the ball, the
top of the ball moves away from you. |
Umpire |
The official who keeps score and enforces rules during a
match. |
Underspin |
See backspin. |
USATT |
USA Table Tennis, the governing body for table tennis in the
United States. |