Table tennis at home
A bat, a ball and a table; at first a wall, or a table with a row of books as the net.
What should we practise today?
Tell us where you are and who is playing. You get one card and the reason.
New to table tennis? The game in a minute
Read this once before the first card.- The sport in short
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Two players (or two pairs) hit a light ball back and forth over a low net on a table, using small bats. The ball must bounce once on the other player's half before they hit it back. Speed and spin, not strength, win points.
- How a point is played
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The server tosses the ball up from an open hand, hits it behind the end of the table so it bounces once on their own side and then on the other side. After that, players hit it straight onto the other half. A point is lost when the ball goes into the net, misses the table, or bounces twice.
- How scoring works
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Every rally scores a point. A game is the first to 11 points, and at 10 all you need two clear points. Each player serves two points in a row, then the other serves. A match is the best of 3, 5 or 7 games.
- Rules children break first
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- Serve from behind the end of the table, with the ball tossed up, not dropped.
- The serve bounces on your own side first.
- Do not touch the table with your free hand or move it during a rally.
- Clear stray balls off the floor before playing, so nobody slips.
- At home and in the park you start with
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Balloons and big balls, the grip and tapping the ball, hitting against a wall, the push and the drive to targets, the serve and a game to 11, then topspin, footwork and reading spin. Patterns, style and match play come with a coach.
Words you will hear (22, in plain language)
- Bat
- The racket; the wooden part is the blade, the sticky surface the rubber.
- Shakehand grip
- Holding the bat as if shaking hands, the first finger along the back of the blade.
- Ready position
- Standing an arm's length from the table, feet wide, knees bent, bat in front.
- Forehand
- Hitting on your bat-hand side, or across the body on the other side.
- Keepy-uppies
- Bouncing the ball up on the bat again and again.
- End line
- The back edge of the table, behind which you serve.
- Toss
- Throwing the ball up from an open hand before serving.
- Push
- A short, gentle stroke under the ball that sends it back low with backspin.
- Drive
- A straight, firm forward stroke.
- Block
- Holding the bat still in the ball's path to send a fast ball back.
- Topspin
- Brushing up the back of the ball so it spins forward and dips; a loop is a big topspin stroke.
- Underspin
- Brushing under the ball so it spins backward and stays low.
- Sidespin
- Brushing the side of the ball so it curves.
- Gearing
- Playing topspin at different speeds.
- Flick
- A quick wrist attack against a short ball over the table.
- Drop shot
- A soft ball that lands just over the net.
- Third ball
- The server's next hit after the return; the planned run of serve, return, attack, defence, attack.
- Footwork
- Moving the feet to reach each ball; stepping sideways without crossing the feet.
- Shadow play
- Making the strokes and steps without a ball.
- Rally
- Hitting the ball back and forth.
- Doubles
- Two against two, where partners take turns to hit.
- Style
- A player's way of playing, such as attacking or defending.
Try it, nothing to buy
Mark the space once. Every card starts from it.- Base setup Mark your space Terrace, hall, club, wall. 3 marks, in order
- b1 · Basic Grip, ready position and bat control Game: Keepy-uppies 8 min · 1 player · one room
- b2 · Basic Wall and hit-over games Game: Over the books 10 min · 1 to 2 players · one room
- b5 · Basic Balloons and big balls first Game: Over the chairs 10 min · 1 to 2 players · one room, yard or lane
The cards, level by level
Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.Ticks and stars are saved in this browser only. Clearing the browser's data, or another browser, starts from zero. Carry them into the app
Basic 5 cards · show· hide A proper grip and ready position, then forehand and backhand push, block, drive and a basic topspin with a basic serve, one- and two-step footwork, simple consistency drills. Keep competition in perspective and write technical goals (for example, 8 of 10 forehand drives to the wide forehand). Children of about 5 to 7 can start with balloons, light paddles and big balls over a high net (b5) before a real bat.
- b1✓ Grip, ready position and bat control At home
- b2✓ Wall and hit-over games At home
- b3✓ Push, drive and placement Park or court
- b4✓ Serve and rules Park or court
- b5✓ Balloons and big balls first At home
Move on when the child meets the self-checks on b1 to b4.
Intermediate 4 cards · show· hide Topspin at different speeds ("gearing"), loops against both spins, drop shots and flicks against short serves, the five-ball sequence (serve, return, third-ball attack, fourth-ball defence or counter, fifth-ball attack), personal style, and the four ways to win a point (power, deception, special techniques, time pressure).
- i1✓ Topspin and combinations Park or court
- i2✓ Footwork Park or court
- i4✓ Feel and read the spin Park or court
- i3✓ Patterns and style, with a coach At a club
Move on when the player can rally with consistency and attack a third ball.
Advanced 1 cards · show· hide Advanced techniques for the player's own style, tactics against different styles, managing nerves and excitement, and peaking for big events. By now the basic technique is complete.
Teaching this at home
More space and a second person. A grown-up can run every card.
You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at. Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal. End every session on one that works.
Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.
How to warm up before playing is at workonfitness.com. The rules of the game are at sportsmaze.com.