Are there differences between ping pong and table tennis? Or are they the same sport?

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Posted on: 04/21/2023
 

The most common is that ping pong and table tennis used interchangeably to refer to the same sport. But are they really the same?

The beginning of Ping Pong as a registered trademark

To understand the subtle differences between ping pong and table tennis, we will go back to the beginnings of ping pong, which we talk about in this other article about the table tennis history.

This sport became popular at the end of the 19th century, under the name of ping pong, referring to the sound that the ping pong ball makes when it is hit by the racket and bounces off the table. Back then, ping pong and table tennis were two different words for the same sport. In fact, there were many other terms to talk about table tennis, including Whiff Waff or Pim-Pam.

The "problem" is that in 1901, the English sporting goods manufacturer J.Jaques & Son Ltd., bought the commercial rights to the ping pong name. So this name should only be used to refer to materials manufactured by them.

Until then, the terms ping pong and table tennis were used interchangeably, but for fear of a dispute over the trademark of the ping-pong name, to write the standardized rules of this sport, the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) chose the term table tennis to refer to this game.

In the US, another company, in this case Parket Brothers, also bought the rights to the Ping Pong brand. So they prevented other companies from using the Ping Pong name. Although despite this, ping pong remains the informal term to refer to table tennis in the United States.

Differences between ping pong and table tennis

Both sports are very similar regarding the rules. The main difference is the way points are counted.

According to the rules of table tennis, the best of 11 points is played in 7 games. While in ping pong, the best of 15 points is played in 3 games with a sudden death point at 14 points. And in the semifinals and the final, the best of 5 games is played.

World Ping Pong Championship

It was in 2011 when ping pong and table tennis definitely became two different sports. This was furthered by the introduction of the World Ping Pong Championship, different from the World Table Tennis Championship.

In addition to the fact that the rules and materials are different in these two competitions, each sport has its own governing body. Table tennis is governed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and ping pong by the World Ping Pong Championships.

On the other hand, table tennis is an Olympic sport, while ping pong is not.

Another difference between ping pong and table tennis is the material, and more specifically the blade. In table tennis, players can customize their table tennis rackets, with different woods and types of rubber to adapt the racket to each person's style of play. You can find all this in our online table tennis store. While in ping pong all the paddles are the same, with a 5-layer sandpaper that generates a slower game and less spin on the ball.

Conclusion: Ping pong or table tennis

Although there are two different competitions for each of these sports, there is not a great differentiation at a general level.

Typically, when a player practices this sport at an amateur level at home, or with friends, they use the term ping pong, even though the game is table tennis. While when the player practices a more advanced level of this sport, he will most likely use the term table tennis.

And you, what word do you use to refer to this sport?

 
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Comments

  • Tenis de mesa o Ping pong,
    By: Augusto León Cubillos Ortiz On 09/15/2023
    Rating:
    ★★★★★ (5.0)

    Comentario sobre tenis de mesa o ping pong interesante, no sabia que eran deportes diferentes. Me gustaría recibir información sobre el reglamento internacional de tenis de mesa y en particular aclarar los temas (1) de la devolución correcta de la bola según la posición (área de mi campo antes de la malla, área después de la red (campo del adversario), a altura superior de la malla o por debajo de ella, etc) y (2) sobre la regla de aceleración- Gracias.

  • Trabajo práctico
    By: Dante On 08/22/2023
    Rating:
    ★★★★★ (5.0)

    Me encantó no lo sabía

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