Table Tennis

Table tennis seems like one of those sports that are literally too simple not to be able to play without learning or looking at a guide. However, when you actually start and especially when you play against an intermediate-level player, you quickly learn that there's more to it than meets the eye. If that is the case for you, you've come to the right place! Today, we're going to look at the best ways to learn the table tennis rules, start playing table tennis and improve as you go along.   The Grip This is the first part you must familiarize yourself with, as it defines how you will hold the racket in your hand. While this may seem like a trivial part of the learning process, it builds the base for the entirety of your table tennis learning path and is a fundamental aspect of your game. Along with your grip, you also need to master your footwork and stance, enhancing your movement and positioning and enabling you to get the best possible shot in every play. To get your grip perfect, start by holding the racket with three fingers pointing inwards (towards yourself), your index finger on the backside of the racket (away from you) and your thumb wrapping around to meet your three fingers. This is similar to a ‘shakehands’ grip and is one of the most natural yet effective ways to hold a table tennis racket.   Hitting the Ball This part will make up the majority of your gameplay as it defines how accurately and how fast you hit the ball. There are four different types of shots in table tennis: forehand drive and push, backhand drive and push. The forehand shots are when you hit the ball with the side of the racket that has your thumb and fingers on it; your forehand. As you might have guessed, the backhand shots are when you hit the ball with the back side of the racket; with your index finger on it. The forehand shots are generally going to be easier to learn as the motion is a lot more natural than the backhand shots, which require you to flip the racket around and make the motion in reverse. However, with enough practice, you'll find that even your backhand shots are as good as your forehand ones.   The Serve Learning table tennis good serve is the key to making sure you have an advantage right from the start of the play. While some serves can be really complicated and difficult to learn, a more basic one that gets you started should be easy enough to learn and even compete with intermediate players! At the same time, being able to return the serve in a match is key to keeping up with your opponent; some serves can really throw you off! Practice playing against various kinds of serves from different players at your local play area to get the hang of how they work. With that said, we're going to wrap up our guide on starting table tennis. We hope this has been helpful and wish you good luck!

Sports are an essential part of student life and have countless benefits for both their mental and physical well-being. Most schools often offer a wide range of sports to students so they can choose the one they love and have fun with while also benefiting from the advantages. With that said, it can be helpful to look at some of the best options that schools typically offer and how they can be more fun than others! So, let's get into it:   Football This is a childhood favorite of mine and a sport that I've played all my life! Football involves teams of 11 or 5 (depending on the size of the pitch), and the objective is to put the ball in the opposing team's net. Players can use any part of their body to score beside their hands and forearms. Each goal equals one point, and the team with the most goals wins at the end. In case of a tie, the teams go to extra time. If the game remains goalless even after that, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out! Football is one of the most accessible and widely offered sports at school and is a great option, especially for students.   Cricket More popular in Asia and Europe, cricket is a sport similar to baseball, where two teams compete to get the most runs. Runs are scored by whichever team is batting at that time, with no more than two batsmen on the pitch at a time. The bowling team can have all eleven players out on the pitch, with one bowler and ten fielders. The team with the most runs in each of their batting performances (known as innings). To play cricket, you'll need at least one bat, a cricket ball, wickets, and a pitch to play on.   Table Tennis Some of my best memories were formed around a table tennis game. All you need is a pair of rackets, a table tennis ball, and a table to play on, which most schools often have. The game requires very little setup and effort to play and packs hours of fun and exercise! The objective is to hit the ball past the other player's half without letting it bounce in your half. At the same time, the ball must bounce in the other player's half at least once, or it will count as a point against you!   Basketball Basketball is another game where you can get full body exercise while having lots of fun and building your teamwork skills simultaneously. The game involves five players on each side who must coordinate to throw the ball into the other team's hoop. If the points are scored from outside the 3-point arc, the team is rewarded with 3 points, while points inside the arc are counted as 2 points. The team with the most points at the end wins! All you need to get started is a basketball court and a basketball.

Life can be fun if you give a slightly sporty touch to it. Imagine you plan to play badminton, and your friends are over, but suddenly, it starts raining. You would surely be in need of some game to entertain you. If that's your situation and you're looking for good indoor games to try out, you're at the perfect place.  Here, we'll discuss the top five sports you can play indoors while keeping your boredom at bay.   Chess Chess is the most popular indoor game, which involves two players. All you need is a chess board, chess pieces, and of course, a friend. Chess is not simply a game or a source of amusement; instead, it requires excellent mental capability and intellect to play the game. It is the best indoor game to improve your brain functionality. It helps boost memory, develops decision-making skills, and improves creativity. Chess can also help with several health conditions, including dementia, ADHD, and panic attacks.   Carrom The second most popular indoor game is Carrom. It is a tabletop game that originated from the Indian Subcontinent. At a time, a maximum of four players can be involved in the game. If you're wondering how Carrom can help with your health, you'd be surprised to find out its significant impact on your logical thinking power, visual perception, and hand-eye coordination. Studies show that involving your brain in such kinds of metal games can improve your brain and also help reduce stress.   Snooker Snooker is another cue sport that can easily be played indoors. It consists of a rectangular table covered with a green cloth, a cue stick, and twenty-two cue balls. Though it requires great focus, skill, and determination, it is one of the best mentally relaxing activities. People who play snooker have the potential to develop better cognitive and teamwork skills, good strategizing, and better planning. Due to continuous bending and stretching, snooker can help tone your muscles and strengthens body balance. Snooker also helps develop self-control and reduce panic in case of a crisis.   Table tennis Table tennis, or whiff-whaff, is a sport that consists of two or four players hitting a lightweight ping-pong ball back and forth with small rackets. This sport simultaneously stimulates different parts of the human brain and also helps to improve one's hand-eye coordination and body balance.   Cards The cards game includes a wide range of games that can be played using a single deck of cards. Cards game plays a vital role in boosting one's memory, improving logical reasoning and decision-making skills, and also relieves mental pressure. It also helps one's ability to integrate socially and communicate in a better way.  So when you are stuck in your house, unable to go out, and severely hit by boredom, you can certainly opt for any of these indoor games. These games will help you spend quality time while staying at home and also leave a pleasing impact on your mind and memory.

Getting into sports is one of the best decisions you can make for your physical and mental well-being. However, starting is often simpler than deciding which specific sport you should get into, as there are so many of them to choose from! Well, there's no need to worry, as we have the answer right here in this article; let's get started!   Define Your Goals Before deciding on a sport, think about why you’re starting sports. There can be a plethora of reasons, but the two broad categories are starting for fun or starting to get physically fit (in a fun way, of course!). If you’re starting just for fun, you can choose more or less anything that appeals to you! However, if physical fitness is the primary goal, some options will be better for you than others. Luckily, it just so happens that they are all as fun as the other, so you're not missing out on anything! With that said, let's move on to the list of sports:   Table Tennis Compared to some other sports, table tennis is not as physically intense; however, it still packs a workout! This is an ideal sport if physical fitness is a secondary goal and you mostly just want to have fun. The sport relies mostly on your upper body and requires hand-eye coordination more than it requires strength. So, if you're looking for a fun time without putting too much effort in, ping pong is the way to go!   Football Football is a sport where you must constantly be moving around, whether walking or jogging or running, or else you'll be out of position! Moreover, when you have the ball or contest an opponent for it, you will need upper body strength to shield against them. Accordingly, football is ideal for when you want to prioritize physical fitness along with the fun! The constant running paired with jostling with opponents makes for a full-body workout and builds both upper and lower body strength.   Basketball Similar to football, you're going to be moving around a lot here, so a lower-body workout is provided here. Another benefit of this is cardio; your heart rate remains elevated throughout, leading to excess fat and calorie burning. Along with moving around, you'll need upper body strength here as well! Basketball is also a contact sport; you'll be shielding from opponents while also throwing the ball with your arms; more strength means faster passes and longer-distance throws.   Esports This is another pick for people who are looking for fun and not necessarily physical exercise but mental exercise! Competitive video games are one of the best ways to improve your hand-eye coordination, teamwork, coordination decision-making, and critical thinking skills, among other things. While esports is still an unorthodox concept for a lot of people today, we assure you that you will not be disappointed if you give it a shot! We hope this has been a helpful guide and until next time, take care and good luck with whichever sport you choose!

The world of sports is an incredibly diverse and dense one. Each sport, from football and basketball to curling and ice skating, has an unfathomable amount of depth to it. It can be a truly magical journey going from learning the ropes to becoming a semi-pro or even professional-level player! With that said, let's get into the five sports we think you need to try because they're way too much fun:   1. Football I may be partial in this case because football is a sport really close to my heart and something I've played since I was a kid, but I can assure you that you'll have just as much fun with it as I have all my life! The fundamentals are simple; you have to kick the ball into the other team's net, and you can only use your feet (kind of) to do it.   2. Basketball It's no secret that you need to be tall if you want to make it big in basketball, but that doesn't mean you can't pick it up as a fun game to play on the weekends. The feeling of getting a three-pointer for the first time is unmatched by anything and gives you a high that you will be chasing for the rest of your basketball-playing career! All you need to get started is a basketball, a hoop, and a basic rundown of the rules.   3. Table Tennis Ping pong, you've probably seen Forrest Gump go crazy for it, and there's a good reason that happened! Table tennis is one of the most fun sports and is really simple to start. The rules are similar to tennis; the ball has to go over the net and bounce twice in the opponent's half or fall off the other side. Unlike tennis, it involves much less effort and is much easier to learn, so pick up a racket today and give it a shot!   4. Squash Think tennis, but against a wall. Squash is one of those sports where you really get to unleash all your frustration with a racket in your hand and a tennis ball in front of you. Jokes aside, squash is another somewhat niche but really fun sport that is best played with a friend and makes for a really good workout in the process! You'll probably need a squash court to get started, but you can also get away with just a horizontal line on a wall (acting as the net), and a racket and ball are essential.   5. Volleyball We’ve all seen the movie scenes of beach volleyball and wondered what it would be like to make a diving hit at the last second to get it over the net. Well, it’s time to stop wondering and go try it for yourself! Volleyball is essentially badminton with a football-like ball that is much lighter. The rules are to hit it with your hands and get the ball to drop in their half for a point. We hope we've been helpful, and until next time, goodbye!