Table Tennis Training with a Robot

Table Tennis was introduced to the people of China in 1901 by the Westerners who settled in their country. The Chinese people enjoyed the recreational game immensely and played regularly. Their natural ability and dedication to training would eventually lead them to dominate the sport. China entered the World Championships for the first time in 1953. Six years later, Rong Guotuan became the first Chinese athlete to win a World Championship title in any sport. The country enjoyed the recognition of being at the top and began to dedicate extensive resources to training other potential champions and to experiment with equipment modifications.  In 1961, with extensive training, Zhuang Zedong won the Men’s Singles Title for China at the World Championships and returned to defend and retain his title three consecutive years. Chinese athlete Xhang Xi Lin further cemented his country’s reputation as table tennis leaders when he became the first athlete to use a combination bat during play. Dedication and innovation are two words used often when describing the Chinese table tennis system.

During a difficult time in China, from around 1965 to 1971, while under the rule of Ma Tse-Tung, China disappeared from the table tennis world stage. They continued to train, but did not compete in international competitions. China was essentially shut off from most of the world during this time. In 1971, the sport of table tennis acted as an equalizer to help mend broken bridges.  Love of the game  enabled teams from several countries to come together in China for a series of friendship matches. These matches acted as a catalyst to re-open communication between the United States and China.  Chinese Premier, Zhou Enlai, proclaimed that the USA table tennis team’s visit to China had opened the door for people- to- people exchanges between China and the United States.

When China returned to the table tennis scene they made their presence felt. In 1981, the Chinese athletes won all seven gold medals at the World Championships held in Yugoslavia. The Chinese athletes dominated the field from this point forward, with few exceptions. In 1995, Chinese athletes once again won all seven gold medals at the World Championships, this time held in China. They repeated this feat time and time again: at the World Championships in Japan in 2001, in 2005 at the World Championships in China, 2007 in Croatia, and at the championship of all championships, China won all of the Gold Medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The table tennis community acknowledges that China is a formidable opponent. They also recognize the high level of skill achieved by the average Chinese player who lives and trains in China. Athletes from around the world flock to China to train with the exceptional coaches who train the Chinese team.  The level of talent in China is so great that athletes who are ranked as some of the best players in the world are not able to earn a spot on their own national team. In the past these players have left China and become citizens of other countries where they would be able to play on a national team. The ITTF has decided this is not a fair practice and has implemented changes to prevent Chinese players from moving to a new country for the sole purpose of being able to play on a national team.

Thank you for visiting TableTennis.com!  We encourage you to continue browsing through our site for more articles about table tennis games and table tennis clubs and for lots of great table tennis videos.  For more information on how to improve your table tennis game (whether you’re playing indoor table tennis or outdoor table tennis), visit our eBay Table Tennis Store where you can learn about the Newgy Robo-Pong table tennis robot.  Visit Newgy.com for more information straight from the manufacturer on how to play table tennis with this robot.

Popularity: 100%

Compulsive about truth, accuracy, and combating injustice, and consistently in command of witty responses, Larry Hodges is a natural born journalist and author. Larry has written and sold more than 35 science fiction and fantasy stories. His delight in writing could have steered him toward a path of success solely as a science fiction author.  Luckily for the table tennis community, a chance discovery at a local library when he was a sixteen year old high school athlete provided a different focus. Larry was a track and field kid. He had stopped by the library in search of a book to help him improve his skills as a mile runner. A cursory look at a nearby shelf and he happened upon a book about table tennis titled “The Money Player,” by Marty Reisman. The book peaked his interest and sent him searching for a table tennis club in his area. According to Larry, he was hooked instantly and while it took time for him to begin winning matches, he eventually became one of the best players at the club. Larry maintains his reputation as one of the most knowledgeable guys in the US table tennis community. He has experience in nearly all aspects of table tennis. He began as a recreational player and has spent more than a quarter-century dedicating his time and efforts to promoting the sport.

Larry has earned 18 national table tennis titles during his years as a player. He has earned the USATT’s highest level of certification as a Certified National Coach.  In addition to playing and coaching, he is also an advocate for the sport through organizational efforts and journalistic contributions. Larry has penned more than 1200 articles in 98 different publications. He has written several table tennis books and manuals.  In addition to these endeavors, Larry has served the USATT in many capacities; Vice President of the organization, Editor of the USATT magazine, Founder and Director of the USATT League, Director of Club Programs, Webmaster, Coach, Umpire, and any other position of leadership that needed to be filled. He is a man who has worn many different hats for the table tennis movement.  His efforts and dedication have earned him a bounty of awards including the USATT Developmental Coach of the Year in 2002, an induction into the USATT Hall of Fame as a Contributor in 2003, and the USA Table Tennis President’s Award in 2007, to name a few

Larry calls himself a semi-retired player, he points to injuries and lackluster performance as his reasons for not signing up for more tournaments. While his racket may not be on the court as often, his heart is still 100 percent in the game. Larry has a passion for promoting table tennis to Junior players. He has often stated his belief that the more clubs and programs in existence, the better the USATT will function and grow. He practices what he preaches and can be found on the front lines coaching and promoting the sport he loves.  He has founded numerous clubs and programs and is a tireless promoter of the programs and the players who participate in them. Larry uses his quick wit and sense of humor to draw people in and hold their attention. Aside from the humorous slant to many articles he has written, he has also been known to garner attention by playing matches using random items such as a clipboard and even an ice cube in place of a standard racket! He is a genius when it comes to grabbing the spotlight and once he has it, he uses it to continue promoting the adventure of his sport. Larry Hodges is a name that will go down in history as someone who lived and breathed the game of table tennis.

Thank you for visiting TableTennis.com!  We encourage you to continue browsing through our site for more articles about table tennis games and table tennis clubs and for lots of great table tennis videos.  For more information on how to improve your table tennis game (whether you’re playing indoor table tennis or outdoor table tennis), visit our eBay Table Tennis Store where you can learn about the Newgy Robo-Pong table tennis robot.  Visit Newgy.com for more information straight from the manufacturer on how to play table tennis with this robot.

Popularity: 86%

Table tennis is a sport that can be played by people of all ages and abilities. While the game is believed to have originated in England in the early 1880s, it has become a sport embraced around the world.

The earliest date on record of a game resembling table tennis is 1884. British army officers used available materials to create a game where players would hit a small object back and forth over a divider, reminiscent of lawn tennis. The officers would use balls of twine, rounded corks from bottles, or other small objects as their “ball”. Lids from cigar boxes became paddles and books lined across a table created a divided playing field. The game eventually became a popular after-dinner social activity and was given nicknames such as “Whiff Whaff”, “Gossima”, and “Ping Pong”; the latter due to the sound the ball made during game play. As popularity grew, a company named Parker Brothers began marketing an indoor tennis set consisting of a net that could be attached to a table, two miniature rackets, and a ball covered in netting.

In 1898 a company called John Jaques & Son began to promote their version of indoor tennis using the name “Ping Pong”. Although the name had been widely used for several years, the company filed for, and received, a trademark of the name in 1901. This established their exclusive right to use the name for marketing purposes. They sold partial rights of the trademark to Parker Brothers, giving them permission to use the name for marketing in the United States. Parker Brothers re-released their indoor tennis set under the “Ping Pong” title. Due to the trademark, other companies were no longer able to use the term “ping pong” to promote their products. They began to use the term “table tennis” instead. Items labeled “Ping Pong” were typically more expensive than the products marketed as generic table tennis equipment.

As the game matured and gained popularity, advancements continued to occur. An Englishman named James Gibb discovered a different type of ball while on a trip to the United States. This new ball was hollow and made of celluloid. He brought several back to England and began using them to play table tennis with his friends. The new table tennis balls made the game faster and more sport-like. The next advancement was quick to follow. Originally, paddles were manufactured by stretching parchment over frames. In 1901, E.C. Good invented an updated version of the paddle by attaching a sheet of rubber to a wooden blade. This modification further increased the speed of the game and continues to be the basis for the paddles we use today.

Table tennis was extremely popular until 1904 when interest began to fade. It was not until the early 1920s that people began to invest energy in table tennis once again. The Table Tennis Association was formed in England in 1921 in an effort to return attention to the game. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in 1926 by the countries of England, Denmark, Hungary, Sweden, India, Germany, Austria, Wales, and Czechoslovakia. The ITTF hosted the first world championship tournament in London the following year.  In 1930, The American Ping Pong Association was formed. Membership was limited due to the monopoly established by Parker Brothers and the requirement that only their official “Ping Pong” equipment be used. The U.S. Amateur Table Tennis Association and the National Table Tennis Association were formed in 1933 in order to enable people to apply for membership, regardless of the brand of equipment they preferred. All three groups agreed to merge together as one in 1935 and became known as the U.S. Table Tennis Association.  In 1994 the group was renamed U.S.A. Table Tennis (USATT). The USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation and the United States Olympic Committee.

The sport of table tennis has been introduced to countries around the world. It has been played at the Paralympics Games since 1960 and the Olympic Games since 1988. In the early years of competition Central European countries, especially Hungary, dominated the sport. A shift occurred in the early 1950s when Asian countries began to gain momentum to take over the top spot. Several key factors contributed to the success of the Asian players. The first was the introduction of the foam rubber paddle by Japan. This type of rubber coating allowed players to create more spin in the ball and increased the speed of the game. A second factor was the type of grip Asian players used during game play. They were known for holding the handle of their paddle between their thumb and forefinger, allowing them to strike the ball with the same face of the paddle on every stroke. It has since been named the “penholder” grip and has become the most widely used grip among all top international players.

If  table tennis history shows us anything, it’s that the game of table tennis will continue to grow in popularity around the world, and the future of table tennis promises to be an exciting one!

Popularity: 39%

Welcome to TableTennis.com, a place for all who love to play table tennis.

Why are we here?  We are here thanks to one of the biggest supporters of table tennis, Mr. Joe Newgarden, Jr.  We are dedicating this site to Joe Newgarden, Jr., the inventor of the Newgy Robo-Pong table tennis training robots, because not only has he supported and devoted himself to the sport of table tennis, but he has also given us one-of-a-kind table tennis equipment of the highest quality in his table tennis training robots.  Thanks to Joe Newgarden, Jr., we can bring the table tennis game to the next level in the US, from basements and garages to a recognized national sport that can be enjoyed by players of all levels.

First, we want to tell you a little bit about the man behind the robot.  Joe Newgarden, Jr. developed a passion for the game of table tennis at the age of 12, and that passion has stayed strong throughout his life.  Although he made a career out of his talent for photography, even developing his own portrait studio business, Joe’s love for the game of ping pong led him to found Miami’s first permanent table tennis club, aptly-named, Newgy’s.

One of the many benefits of playing and training at Newgy’s Table Tennis club in Miami was the chance to play against a brand new table tennis training robot.  Joe had been tinkering with the design for a table tennis robot for many years, and after observing players train with the robots, Joe’s determination to improve the design of the robots grew.  In the 1970’s, the robots could only shoot the balls out at the players; they were not able to catch and recycle the balls, and control over the spin and speed of the ball was very limited.  Joe diligently worked for years on a new design for a robot that was “inexpensive, compact, lightweight, easy to install, essentially maintenance-free, and could catch & recycle the balls” (Billy Neely).

In 1975, Joe founded Newgy Industries, and after years of research and development, in 1988, Joe had designed and commercially released his Newgy Robo-Pong model 1929.  Many more Robo-Pong models followed over the next 20 years, and Newgy became the largest manufacturer of table tennis robots in the world.  Here is an excerpt from Newgy’s website explaining Joe’s belief in the benefits of the robot:

“Joe believes the robot, if properly used, can revolutionize the way someone practices table tennis and learns the game. … The robot provides a means for everyone, from the beginner to national champion, to have a practice partner of equal ability that’s available for practice anytime.  Joe intentionally designed the robot to be simple to use and store, to be reliable and virtually maintenance free, and to be easy to set up, take down, and transport.  By having such an inexpensive, high performance, hassle free practice partner available, Joe believes the robot can have a tremendous impact on raising the skill level of the average American player and help us catch up with the rest of the world.  He dreams of seeing a robot in every household where there’s a table in the rec-room, garage, or basement. “

To this day, Joe Newgarden, Jr. continues to make improvements to his Newgy Robo-Pong robots, and players of all ages continue to find fun times, great exercise, and quality training with these unique robots.   The world of Table Tennis (and we here at TableTennis.com) will continue to be grateful to one of the biggest Table Tennis supporters: Joe Newgarden, Jr.

Joe Newgarden, Jr. was inducted into the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007

Information Courtesy of USATT Historian Tim Boggan from USATT Hall of Fame – http://www.usatt.org, and the History section of Newgy’s website: http://newgy.com/AboutNewgy/NewgyHistory.html.

Popularity: 36%

Ping-Pong is not just an old fashioned game, played in basements and garages. Around the world Ping-Pong is also known as the International Olympic sport of Table Tennis. Table Tennis is alive and well throughout the world. It is a major sport in China, Germany, Sweden, France and many other countries. It is also growing in popularity here in the United States.
Most everyone loves Ping-Pong and those who have never played, once they do their passion for the game grows quickly. It is estimated that there are over 8 million Ping-Pong tables in American homes today.
Ping-Pong is great for the whole family. It is a wonderful alternative family sport. If you add a Newgy Ping–Pong robot, Robo-Pong model 2040, to the table the whole family can enjoy a new entertainment system. Families that play together stay together. With the Newgy Robo-Pong 2040 you can play anytime. It is great fun and excellent exercise.
Famous athletes from different professional sports boast of their passion for the game. It has great physical and physiological training value. Football great Bo Jackson and Basketball icon Michael Jordan were known to warm up playing Ping-Pong right in the locker room. Tiger Woods stats he enjoys playing Ping-Pong whenever he can find a good game.
A recent published psychology report finds Ping-Pong is a productive fitness exercise that works out the mind and body. The study discovered how the game promotes the use of both sides of your brain simultaneously. Ping-Pong training increases hand speed and eye coordination. This is the main benefit most athletes realize through their zeal for the game.
Table Tennis or Ping-Pong is a great sport and a wholesome activity for any family. Parents looking for a way to get their kids away from the TV or computer games, they have a great old-fashioned remedy at their disposal. Play Table Tennis or Ping-Pong and improve your skill with the Newgy Robo-Pong model 2040 or 1040.

Popularity: 20%