History

The game originated in England during the 1880s, where it was played among the upper-class as an
after-dinner parlour game.It has been suggested that the game was first developed by ritish military
officers in India or !outh "frica who brought it bac# with them. " row of boo#s were stood up along the
center of the table as a net, two more boo#s served as rac#ets and were used to continuously hit a golf-
ball from one end of the table to the other. "lternatively table tennis was played with paddles made of
cigar bo$ lids and balls made of champagne cor#s. The popularity of the game led game manufacturers to
sell e%uipment commercially. Early rac#ets were often pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, and
the sound generated in play gave the game its first nic#names of &wiff-waff& and &ping-pong&. " number of
sources indicate that the game was first brought to the attention of 'amley(s of )egent !treet under the
name &*ossima&. The name &ping-pong& was in wide use before ritish manufacturer +. +a%ues , !on
-td trademar#ed it in 1.01. The name &ping-pong& then came to be used for the game played by the
rather e$pensive +a%ues(s e%uipment, with other manufacturers calling it table tennis. " similar situation
arose in the /nited !tates, where +a%ues sold the rights to the &ping-pong& name to 0ar#er rothers.
0ar#er rothers then enforced their copyright on the term in the 1.10s ma#ing the various associations
change their names to &table tennis& instead of the more common, but copyrighted, term.
The ne$t ma2or innovation was by +ames 3 *ibb, a ritish enthusiast of table tennis, who discovered
novelty celluloid balls on a trip to the /! in 1.01 and found them to be ideal for the game. This was
followed by E.4. *oode who, in 1.01, invented the modern version of the rac#et by fi$ing a sheet of
pimpled, or stippled, rubber to the wooden blade. Table tennis was growing in popularity by 1.01 to the
e$tent that tournaments were being organi5ed, boo#s being written on the sub2ect, and an unofficial world
championship was held in 1.01. 6uring the early 1.00s, the game was banned in )ussia because the
rulers at the time believed that playing the game had an adverse effect on players( eyesight.
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In 1.11, the Table Tennis "ssociation was founded in ritain, and the International Table Tennis
9ederation followed in 1.1:.
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-ondon hosted the first official 3orld 4hampionships in 1.1:. In 1.<<,
the /nited !tates Table Tennis "ssociation, now called /!" Table Tennis, was formed.
In the 1.<0s, Edgar !now commented in Red Star Over China that the 4ommunist forces in the 4hinese
4ivil 3ar had a &passion for the English game of table tennis& which he found &bi5arre&.
In the 1.=0s, rac#ets that used a rubber sheet combined with an underlying sponge layer changed the
game dramatically, introducing greater spin and speed. These were introduced to ritain by sports goods
manufacturer !.3. 'ancoc# -td. The use of speed glue increased the spin and speed even further,
resulting in changes to the e%uipment to &slow the game down&. Table tennis was introduced as an
>lympic sport at the >lympics in 1.88.
"fter the 1000 !ummer >lympics in !ydney, the International Table Tennis 9ederation instituted several
rules changes aimed at ma#ing table tennis more viable as a televised spectator sport. 9irst, the older
<8 mm balls were officially replaced by ;0 mm balls in 1000. This increased the ball(s air resistance and
effectively slowed down the game. y that time, players had begun increasing the thic#ness of the fast
sponge layer on their rac#ets, which made the game e$cessively fast and difficult to watch on television.
!econd, the ITT9 changed from a 11-point to an 11-point scoring system in 1001. This was intended to
ma#e games more fast-paced and e$citing. The ITT9 also changed the rules on service to prevent a
player from hiding the ball during service, in order to increase the average length of rallies and to reduce
the server(s advantage.
?ariants of the sport have recently emerged. &-arge-ball& table tennis uses a ;; mm ball, which slows
down the game significantly. This has seen some acceptance by players who have a hard time with the
e$treme spins and speeds of the ;0 mm game.
There is a move towards reviving the table tennis game that e$isted prior to the introduction of sponge
rubber. &'ardbat& table tennis players re2ect the speed and spin of reversed sponge rubber, preferring the
1.;0@:0s play style with no sponge and short-pimpled rubber. 6efense is less difficult by decreasing the
speed and eliminating any meaningful magnus effect of spin. ecause hardbat #iller shots are almost
impossible to hit against a s#illed player, hardbat matches focus on the strategic side of table tennis,
re%uiring s#illful maneuvering of the opponent before an attac# can become successful.
Timeline Brief History
The history of table tennis Aor ping-pong as it is also commonly #nownB is a long and interesting se%uence
of events, which would re%uire a boo# to do it 2ustice. In this article I(m going to give a brief overview of
the origins of the game, as well as what are generally ac#nowledged as many of the important highlights
of the game(s development.
There is often conflicting information available regarding the early days of table tennis, and since I am not
a historian of merit I(ll settle for simply mentioning the differing opinions for completeness.
Note: If you are a fan of older table tennis photographs, I've put together an Illustrated History of Table
Tennis / ing!ong, "ith the sa#e infor#ation and so#e ni$e histori$al photos%
Early Origins of Table Tennis/Ping-Pong
12th Century AD - The game of table tennis probably descended from the the game of &)oyal
Tennis& Aalso #nown as )eal Tennis or 4ourt TennisB, which was played in the medieval era.
1880's - !ome sources claim that the sport was once #nown as indoor tennis, and was played in
the early 1880(s by ritish army officers stationed in India and !outh "frica. These officers are
supposed to have used cigar bo$ lids as paddles, rounded wine bottle cor#s as balls, and boo#s
for an improvised net.
1880's - The game had become fashionable among the upper classes in England.
1887 - "ccording to the ITT9 website, the first use of the name &Table Tennis& appeared on a
board and dice game made by +.'.!inger of Cew Dor#.
1890 - The earliest e$isting evidence of a table tennis game is a set made by 6avid 9oster,
patented in England, which included table versions of -awn Tennis, 4ric#et and 9ootball.
1891 - +ohn +ac%ues of -ondon introduce their &*ossima& game, which used drum-type paddles,
a =0mm web wrapped cor# ball, and a <0cm high net.
1890's - y this time, several patents with basic rules had been registered.
1890's - 0ar#er rothers begin ma#ing an indoor tennis #it which included a portable net, a small
ball covered in netting, and paddles.
1900 - Englishman +ames *ibb is credited with bringing hollow celluloid balls bac# to England
from the /!", although some other sources claim they were plastic balls. 0reviously most balls
were solid rubber or cor#, often covered in material. !ome sources also credit *ibb with inventing
the name &ping pong&, which was supposed to have been derived from the sound of the ball
bouncing off the drum battledores ApaddlesB, each of which had a different sound.
1901 - +ohn +ac%ues register &0ing 0ong& as a trade name in England. The "merican rights to
the name are sold to 0ar#er rothers.
1901 - >n the 11th 6ecember 1.01, &The Table Tennis "ssociation& is formed in England. 9our
days later, &The 0ing 0ong "ssociation& is also formed in England.
1901 - Table tennis is first brought to 4hina via western settlements. &'uide note ! Than(s guys !
no" loo( "hat you've done)*
1902 - Englishman E.4.*oode is credited with putting pebbled rubber on his wooden blade,
allowing him to put more spin on the ball. This is the forerunner of the ordinary pimpled rubber
rac#et, which will dominate table tennis until 1.=1.
1903 - >n the 1st Eay 1.0<, &The Table Tennis "ssociation& and &The 0ing 0ong "ssociation&
amalgamate, forming &The /nited Table Tennis and 0ing 0ong "ssociation&. This association will
later revert its name to &The Table Tennis "ssociation&, before becoming defunct in 1.0;.
1920's - 1950's - Classi Har! Bat Era - E"ro#e $ominates t%e &#ort
1920's - In the early 1.10(s the game began to revive in England and Europe.
1922 - &The Table Tennis "ssociation& is reconstituted, with the name &English Table Tennis
"ssociation& being adopted in 1.1F.
1926 - The International Table Tennis 9ederation is formed.
1926-1931 - Earia Eednyans5#y of 'ungary wins the 3omen(s !ingles event at the 3orld
4hampionships five times in a row.
1930-1935 - ?ictor arna of 'ungary wins five of the si$ Een(s !ingles events at the 3orld
4hampionships Aand was runner up in 1.<1B.
1935 - The "merican 0ing 0ong "ssociation, /! "mateur Table Tennis "ssociation, and
Cational Table Tennis "ssociation merge to form the /! Table Tennis "ssociation Awhich was
renamed /!" Table Tennis in 1..;B.
1936 - )epainted tables Awhich made the playing surface very slowB and a high net A:G inches
highB combine to ma#e attac#ing play very difficult at the 3orld 4hampionships in 0rague,
45echoslova#ia. This results in the longest rally ever in a 3orld 4hampionships ta#ing place,
lasting over two hours.
1938 - The ITT9 lowers the net from :G inches to : inches, and bans the fingerspin serves which
had been used with devasting effect by "merican players.
1940-1946 - Co 3orld 4hampionships held due to 3orld 3ar II.
1950-1955 "ngelica )o5eanu-"delstein of )omania wins si$ 3omen(s !ingles titles in a row at
the 3orld 4hampionships. !ince her last title win in 1.==, every 3orld 4hampion in 3omen(s
!ingles has been an "sian player.
1950's - 19'0's - &#onge Bat Era( )ise of *a#an an! C%ina
1952 - 'iro2i !atoh of +apan becomes notorious for his use of a wooden rac#et covered in thic#
foam sponge rubber, which produces much more speed and spin than conventional pimpled
rubber rac#ets. 'e wins the 1.=1 3orld 4hampionships over +o5sef Hoc5ian of 'ungary, and
begins a period of "sian male domination in the sport which will last until !weden rises to
supremacy from 1.8. into the early 1..0(s.
1957 - The 3orld 4hampionships changes to a biennial event Aonce every two yearsB, due to the
logistics of hosting an event of such si5e, and difficulty in finding suitable venues.
1958 - The first European 4hampionships is conducted in udapest, 'ungary, and sees the
/!!)(s debut in international table tennis.
1959-1960 - The ITT9 standardi5es the thic#ness of ordinary pimpled rubber and sponge rubber.
1960's - In the early 1.:0(s, the loop drive was invented and become popular around the world.
1960's - 9rom around 1.:= to 1.F1, 4hina under the rule of Ea Tse-Tung disappears from world
table tennis events.
1961-1965 - Ihuang Iedong of 4hina wins < Een(s !ingles titles in a row at the 3orld
4hampionships, each time over compatriot -i 9urong.
1960's - In the early 1.:0(s, Jhang Ji -in of 4hina uses a &Din-Dan& bat with normal rubber on
one side, and long pimples on the other - the first recorded instance of successful combination
bat play.
1971 - 4hina returns to International 4ompetition at the 1.F1 3orld 4hampionships.
1971 - The /! Table Tennis Team ta#es a &0ing-0ong 6iplomacy& trip to 4hina, in a world first
effort to use sport to establish and improve diplomatic relations.
1971 - +ean-0aul 3eber of 9rance uses the first anti-spin rubber in the 3orld 4hampionships in
Cagoya, +apan, and en2oys some success with its use.
1971 - The first 4ommonwealth 4hampionships are held in !ingapore.
19'0's - 2000's - t%e +ge of &#ee! ,l"e - Te%nology
1970's - Table tennis players discover that using bicycle tyre repair glue to put rubber on a blade
dramatically increases the speed and spin that can be produced. This discovery is often credited
to 6ragutin !urbe# of Dugoslavia, and Tibor Hlampar of 'ungary. This discovery is called speed
glue.
1970's-1989 - 4hina is the dominant force in both men(s and women(s events on the world scene,
winning multiple events at all world championships.
1980 - +ohn 'ilton of England wins the European 4hampionships using a combination bat of
normal rubber and antispin, twiddling the rac#et and playing aggressively.
1980 - The first 3orld 4up event is held in 'ong Hong.
1982 - The initial 3orld ?eteran(s 4hampionships is conducted in *othenburg, !weden.
1980's - In 1.8=, the two color rule is adopted to reduce the effectiveness of combination rac#ets.
1988 - Table Tennis becomes an >lympic sport, in !eoul, !outh Horea.
1989-1993 - !weden brea#s the 4hinese stranglehold in Een(s 3orld 4hampionships, winning
the 1.8., 1..1, and 1..< Teams Events, and producing the 1.8. and 1..1 3orld Een(s
4hampions A+an->ve 3aldner and +orgen 0ersson respectivelyB. 4hina continues its dominance
in female ran#s.
1995-present - 4hina reasserts its control over the Eens Team and Eens !ingles events at the
3orld 4hampionships.
1997 - +an->ve 3aldner wins the Eens !ingles title at the 3orld 4hampionships for the second
time, this time without the loss of a single gameK
2000 - " brief blip in the 4hinese men(s dominance occurs when the aging !wedish trio of +an-
>ve 3aldner, +orgen 0ersson and 0eter Harlsson combine to steal the Eens Team title in a
thrilling final.
2000 - The ITT9 increases the ball diameter to ;0mm.
2001 - The ITT9 changes the scoring system, moving to 11 point games, and using a best of =
games or best of F games match.
2002 - Table Tennis becomes a 4ommonwealth *ames !port, at Eanchester, England.
2003 - 3erner !chlager of "ustria brea#s the 4hinese stranglehold on the Een(s !ingles 3orld
4hampionship title, saving several match points along the way against opponents in 3ang -i%in
and Hong -inghui. 'e meets +oo !e 'yu# of !outh Horea in the final - +oo is the first defensive
player to ma#e the Eens !ingles final since the Eberhard !choler of *ermany in 1.:. A!choler
also lost in his final, to +apan(s !higeo ItohB.
2000's - In the early 1000(s, frictionless long pimples become popular among many players, in an
attempt to negate the the power and spin produced by modern technology and speed glue.
2006 - The intended banning of frictionless long pips and speed glues with to$ic organic solvents
is announced by the ITT9.
2007 - The ITT9 withdraws its approval of all table tennis glues, following a health incident
involving a speed glue user in +apan.
2008 - The use of speed glues with illegal ?>4s is banned for all ITT9 2unior competitions as of
+anuary 1. Eachines that test for illegal ?>4s are introduced to chec# for rules infractions.
0ing 0ong "nyoneL
History of Ping-Pong
The sport got its start in England towards the end of the 1.th century when, after dinner, some
upper-middle class ?ictorians decided to turn their dining room tables into miniature versions of
the traditional lawn tennis playing field. !everal different every-day ob2ects were employed in
constructing the sport. They used a line of boo#s as the net. )ac#ets were lids from empty cigar
bo$es, and a little later, parchment paper stretched around a frame. The ball would be either a
ball of string, or perhaps more commonly, a champagne cor# or rubber ball.
efore MTable Tennis.N
3hen the game first started it was called by a number of different names. M3hif whaf,N
Mgossamer,N and Mflim flamN were commonly used to describe it. The words, as can be assumed,
were derived from the sound that the ball made when hit bac# and forth on the table. In 1.01
though, English manufacturer +. +a%ues , !on -td registered one of the more popular names,
0ing-0ong, as a copyright. 'e later sold the trademar# to the 0ar#er rothers in the /nited
!tates. Then in the 1.10(s the name and the sport were revived in Europe as table tennis.
Evolution
The turn of the century brought many other refinements to the sport. 0layers started using
celluloid balls after the English man +ames *ibb discovered them during a trip to the /nited
!tates in 1.01 and proved them to be perfect for 0ing-0ong. In 1.0<, E.4 *oode replaced
parchment paper and cigar bo$ lids with pimpled rubber on light wooden MbladesN as rac#ets. "nd
after the world championships in 0rague in 1.<:, where two defensive players too# over an hour
to contest one point, the net was lowered to ma#e the pace of the game-play faster. AIn another
effort to ma#e the game more fast paced and entertaining, rules were again changed in 1001-
see )ulesB.
It !preads
"lso around this time, the sport spread to other European countries and to the /nited !tates.
"sian countries li#e 4hina, Horea and +apan are understood to have learnt about it from ritish
"rmy officers who held posts in those places. There was an unofficial world championship held in
1.01, but the first official world championship was held in -ondon in 1.1F by the International
Table Tennis 9ederation. The ITT9 was founded in erlin in 1.1: by England, !weden, 'ungary,
India, 6enmar#, *ermany, 45echoslova#ia, "ustria, and 3ales.
"sian 9actor
"lthough it may seem today that the sport, in the professional realm, is dominated by "sian
countries li#e 4hina and Horea, it wasnOt always that way. efore the late 1.=0Os and early :0Os,
European players from 'ungary especially, but also from 9rance and !weden seemed without
competition. ut in 1.=1, +apanese player 'oroi !atoh introduced the foam rubber paddle. The
paddle made the game faster and spinning the ball became an even greater factor. +apan
became the main winner in the world competitions in 1.:0, and by the mid 1.:0Os 4hina too#
over the reigns through to the early 1.80Os. Their absolute domination of the sport was finally
subdued with the entering of table tennis into the >lympic *ames in 1.88 and the participation of
players from Horea and !weden.
Table Tennis and the 4old 3ar
>n "pril :th, 1.F1, the /! table tennis team was invited on an all-e$penses-paid trip to play in
4hina. 9our days later, nine players, four officials and two spouses crossed the bridge from 'ong
Hong to the 4hinese mainland. They were the first group of "mericans to be allowed into the
country since the communist ta#e-over in 1.;.. >ne of the first signs during the 4old war of
improved relations between the /nited !tates and 4hina, Time maga5ine called it Mthe pong
heard throughout the world.N It was shortly followed with a visit to 4hina by 0resident Ci$on.