Also called Ping Pong, the Table Tennis sport originated in England in the 1880s. Back there it was an after-dinner amusement for upper-class Victorians. In those times, a line of books was used as a net and rounded top of a champagne cork or knot of strings as a ball.

In later years, table tennis evolved into the modern game that is now famous across the globe. ITTF now controls the game. Since 1988 table tennis had been an Olympic sport that includes a different event. These include; women’s singles, men’s singles, women’s team and men’s team. The game is played on a 9ft x 5ftx 30 inches high flat playing surface. Also, the International Table Tennis Federation demands an area of not less than 14m long, 7m wide and 5m high for competitive games. This table tennis table surface is uniformly dark coloured and matte. It is divided into two halves by a net of 6.0 inches in height.

Beginner’s guide to picking a table tennis table

If you are the first one in your family to play table tennis, it is better to go for the lower end of the market. Important is to forget the sky touching claims of the manufacturers. Being a beginner, start with a lower end of the market and tear out a normal quality table while learning how to play. Once you get enough skills and become serious about table tennis, replace the worn-out table with an excellent middle-range model of table tennis bats and balls along with an upgraded table. Moving up step by step will not only help you polish your game but will also save your money and gadgets. However, keep in mind that even the lowest quality table tennis table must have the following features.

Portability of table

It is important to decide whether you are going to keep the table set up permanently or not. Yes, you can choose to frequently pack it up and put it away when not needed. Also, if you are going to be taking it up and down regularly, you may need something easier to set up. Here you can consider a fold-up model. These models are easy to manage and handled by one person. They come with rollers and allow the users to move them from one place to another quickly. Moreover, you can find tables with brakes on the wheels that can help you stop the table from moving around while in use.

The thickness of the table

Table tennis tables come with varying thicknesses. Some players believe that only table tennis tables with a 1-inch thickness of top are worth buying. They are reasonable and help the players to enhance their game with a firm grip. Meanwhile, these tables also offer nicer and more even bounce as similar to 0.75-inch thickness. Technically a thicker top offers more bounce, consistency and truer throughout the surface area. The thickness also varies with the material. For example, the outdoor tables have an aluminium layer with wood on the top, bottoms and sides. A wooden top with at least 1/2 inches thickness is ideal for recreational play. Whereas institutional tables are about 5/8 to ¾ thick.

The net, legs and levelling of the table

The table must have strong support and legs. It is because they are going to take a considerable beating over the next few years. The table should also have leg levellers on the bottom. It comes in handy when the floor you are playing on isn’t level. You can screw them in and out to adjust the balance and height of the table as it stands above 30 inches. The third important thing is to look for the net with an attachment that has a soft covering where they grip the table. Also, make sure the clamps are used on the net don’t dig into the surface or the underside. Make sure you don’t need to drag the net clamps when you have to take the net on and off.

The budget for your table tennis table

The first thing to consider is that it is not the table only that will take money out of your pocket. So before deciding the budget for the table consider the cost of other essentials. Generally, ping pong tables range from a few hundred dollars to highly professional and premium models that can right away burn a thousand dollars in your pocket. Here the brand is pretty much a matter of choice, but mostly for functionality alone, there is an extensive collection of amazing tables out there. An average table, however, must not cost you more than $700 to give you some decent experience. This range is also ideal for those who want a ping pong table for occasional sporting activity.

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