Sports

Tennis

2008-02-03T21:19:00.000+08:00

New Tennis Recquet

2008-02-03T21:14:00.000+08:00

Are you aware that you need a new tennis racquet, but afraid to make the choice? Maybe it's that frightening pro shop smell of stale palm sweat and tennis balls (you love it, though - admit it). Most likely, however, you're intimidated by the sheer number of racquet options. Choosing a tennis racquet can be tricky, whether you've been playing for three days, three weeks or three years. Are you a beginner? If you've only been playing for a few days or haven't played at all, you'll probably want a cheap racquet with an oversized head. The larger hitting area will likely make it easier for you to connect the ball with the strings instead of the racquet frame (or missing the ball entirely), and there's no point spending a hundred dollars on a racquet if you aren't yet sure you want to seriously pursue this sport. Give it a little time and then, if you desire, by all means buy a nicer racquet. At that point you'll probably want a smaller head, as opposed to the unwieldy oversize.

Intermediate and advanced players have a much better idea of their style of playing. Do you approach the net all the time and want a racquet that will respond quickly at the net? Do you prefer to play your game from the baseline with large, steady ground strokes? We hate all-around players. Here's the deal: you'll find a tennis racquet out there marketed toward every possible kind of player. Big spin racquets, power-enhancing racquets, racquets with more control, racquets best for serve-and-volley - you name it, you'll find it. How big is the head? The bigger the head, the more power you can generate. Also, your chances of hitting the sweet spot will increase because the sweet spot is simply larger. These are the reasons why an oversized racquet makes sense for a fresh beginner. But as you improve and gain strength in your swing, you'll likely want to graduate to a tennis racquet with a smaller head, as it will provide greater control and maneuverability.

How light is the tennis racquet? Perhaps you've developed the impression that a lighter racquet is a better one. Though counterintuitive, it's nevertheless true that a feather-light tennis racquet actually can stress your arm out more than one with greater substance and weight. You'll have to swing harder to achieve the power you took for granted with your heavier racquet. Think twice before you buy an inconceivably light racquet if you're used to one that's on the heavier side. If you're used to a light racquet, but feel constant elbow pain, you probably should seek the greater substance of a traditionally weighted tennis racquet.

How is the racquet's weight distributed? Is the racquet head-heavy or head-light?
As mentioned above, racquet weight can be a little deceiving; you may be surprised that a racquet could feel so light and yet have a heavier head than a traditional racquet. But that's the truth: some racquets are lighter, yet have heavier heads, the idea being to enhance power and spin. However, power tends to have an inverse relationship with control. Not only that, but you may find it more difficult, surprisingly, to maneuver this lighter racquet, because its weight rests more in its head. If your swing is abbreviated and you generate very little power, you might consider buying one of these racquets. If your racquet is head-light, that's probably good news for your arm, since it means the racquet as a whole is heavier and will not pass as much shock along to your arm. You'll enjoy greater maneuverability, enhanced net-play and recovery. Greater control is generally what you gain with this racquet - control of ball placement and of your own racquet movement. But these traditionally weighted racquets are designed for a comfortably skilled or advanced player who has no problem generating power and spin. If power is an issue for you, then you shouldn't buy the most light-headed racquet available. You'd probably feel like you were stuck in a nightmare out there on the court, swinging your tennis racquet fiercely at the ball but producing no power.

The flexibility of tennis racquets also helps you determine which one to purchase. Those head-heavy racquets usually are stiffer (they bend less upon impact with the ball), which also adds to your power when you use such a racquet. However, stiffness will detract from spin potential and control. Head-light racquets tend to be more flexible, catering to those players who are already powerful, but want to focus on control and speedy maneuverability.

Doubtful. I'm guessing that most people reading this article are beginners or players with intermediate skill. But take a look at the tennis racquets the pros use. You'll see a lot more head-heavy racquets and oversized heads.

Consider your skill level and style of play. If you are just starting to play and need lots of hitting area and power, then get an oversized or head-heavy racquet and use it until you feel that you've gained enough of your own power and technique to buy a smaller, more control-oriented one. If you're already an advanced, powerful player who wants to enhance control and still produce spin, then a head-light racquet with good flexibility should satisfy your needs.

But there is no rule that applies to all players when it's time to choose a tennis racquet. Racquets are made along the entire spectra of head-weight, overall weight and flexibility. The most valuable advice I can give you is to try the tennis racquets in play before you buy them, if at all possible. Tennis clubs have pro shops where you can rent demo racquets. Though the tension of the strings may not be tailored optimally to your play, these demos will still help you a great deal when choosing a tennis racquet.

How To Play Table Tennis

2008-02-03T20:54:00.000+08:00

The rules of table tennis will be different for a college table tennis tournament than they are in your basement during a raucous house party. For one thing, official games of table tennis don't involve beer bottles. Additionally, hitting the ball off the wall is against the rules (I know, I'm taking the fun out of it)... and the ball has to be completely spherical, too (the dented, warped ball you trampled won't work, I'm afraid). How you play table tennis in your basement is your business. The following are official rules for playing table tennis.

Duration. A table tennis match can be any odd number of games you want it to be, but the "best-of" format is the rule; you can make your match "best three games out of five," "five games out of seven," seven of nine," or any odd-numbered "best-of" length you choose. When a player wins that designated majority, the match ends.

A game consists of however many rallies it takes a player or doubles team to score 11points. In the event that the score is tied at 10-10, the first player or team to pull ahead by two points wins the game.

Scoring. Many people mistakenly think that table tennis is scored like volleyball, where you must be serving in order to add a point to your score. A player or team can score on any point they win, regardless of who's serving.

The serve. During a game, players or teams take turns of two serves. The server must begin by holding the ball in the flat upward palm of his free hand. That way, the server can't give the ball any wild spin while tossing the ball.

The ball must remain behind the server's end line until the ball is hit. The ball must never be below table-level. In fact, the ball has to be in plain sight of the returner during the entire serve. Neither the server's clothing nor body can prevent the opponent from seeing the ball. The server must hit the ball so that it bounces once on his side of the table, passes either over or around the net, and lands on his opponent's side of the table.

If the ball touches the net during serve, it is considered a "let," which basically means a non-scored "do-over." In a doubles game, the server must hit the ball cross-court to the opponent diagonal from him, so that the ball bounces in both the right-half of the server's court and the right-half of the returner's court.

The return. Now it's the returner's job to send the ball back to the server's court. The returner must hit the ball so that it doesn't bounce on her side of the table, but rather flies over or around the net to bounce on her opponent's side.

In the event that her return touches the net, the point continues as long as the ball makes its first bounce on her opponent's side after touching the net.

The rally. Subtle spins, delicate touches, fierce cross-court angles - and did I mention fast pace? There are, however, some basic rules about how a player can use the racquet and hit a ball. The thin edge of a racquet can't be used to hit a ball, and no matter how funny you think it'll look, trying to hit the ball with your racquet handle is against the rules, too.

One of the most basic rules of table tennis is that the ball must only bounce once on your side of the table. You will also lose the point if you hit the ball into the net or hit the ball so that it misses your opponent's side of the table. The server hits cross-court to the returner, who in turn hits it to the server's partner. At this point, the server's partner has to hit the ball over the net to the returner's partner.

Coin toss and the order of serves. Whether singles or doubles, a coin toss or something similar determines which person or team serves first in the first game of the match. In the next game, the person or team who returned first now gets to serve first.

In doubles, the team that wins the right to first serve must decide which of the two players serves first. The receiving player becomes the server next.

Sky Sports News

2008-02-04T09:03:00.000+08:00

Sky Sports News is a 24-hour sports news channel operated by Sky Sports. Sky Sports News launched on the 1 October 1998, with Sky Digital becoming BSkyB's first digital only channel. On 10 April 2000, Sky Sports News relaunched as Sky Sports.com TV, a move to bring it tie in to the launch of the skysports.com website. However, the name was soon reverted back to Sky Sports News.

The channel replaced Sky Sports Centre, a news show at 6pm, devoted to the key events in the sporting world. Presenters on the channel include Ian Payne, Simon Thomas and Georgie Thompson. On 5 August 2007 the channel was "refreshed" in line with the Sky Sports new look.

At the Races At The Races was originally founded by the Go Racing consortium, a partnership of Channel 4, British Sky Broadcasting, and Arena Leisure plc (owner of Ascot Racecourse, and acting on behalf of a further 27 out of the 59 UK racecourses) in July 2004.

Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It has played a major role in the increased commercialisation of British sport since 1990, sometimes playing a large role in inducing organisational changes in the sports it broadcasts, most notably when it encouraged the FA Premier League to break away from the Football League in 1992.

Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, and Xtra are available as a premium package on top of the basic package. Unlike the other channels, Sky Sports News is provided as part of the basic package and also broadcasts on Freeview. Sky Sports is perhaps best known for its football coverage, due to this it suffers a loss of viewers in the summer when no football is played.

Sky Digital (1998 - present)

October 1998 saw BSkyB launch Sky Digital. The move to Sky Digital saw the launch of two new sports channels in quick succession. First Sky Sports News, a 24-hour rolling sports news channel launched. This was followed by Sky Sports Xtra, in March 1999. The channel was initially available exclusively on Sky Digital. However, by summer 2003, the channel had launched on Virgin Media.

On 22 August 1999, Sky utilised a feature of, the then new, Sky Digital system to allow an interactive football match to be shown. The concept proved popular and soon Sky used the new interactive service, known as Sky Sports Active, for other sports. Around 2001, a cross-branding deal ensured that a quiz version of Championship Manager would be produced with the Sky Sports name on it.

In 2004, Sky signed an exclusive deal to broadcast live English cricket matches for four seasons from 2006 to 2009 for a fee of £55 million a year. At The Races was insolvent, and despite being promoted as part of the Sky Sports line up, had failed to turn a profit. It remains a provider of live coverage to betting shops, however. Prior to the start of the 2004-05 season, Football First, an interactive football programme was launched. The show typically airs at 8.25pm and replays full coverage of the day's featured Premier League match, followed through the night by highlights from every Premier League match played on the day, which gives the viewer a choice to see a match of their choice. Sky Sports won the rights to air 'near-live' coverage of the Barclays Premier League, permitting Football First to air for another three years.

Sky Sports also snapped up the rights for the A1 Grand Prix and has won the rights to Speedway, for the next five years. The channel also has the rights to American sports, including NFL and WWE. In 2007 a rival pay television operator, the Irish network Setanta Sports, acquired a share in the British rights to live Premier League matches, breaking Sky's long-standing monopoly. Setanta is expanding its range of high profile live events, for example offering PGA Tour golf and some top boxing matches, giving Sky a significant rival in the pay television sports market for the first time, but Sky remains the market leader by a wide margin.

Following its earlier collapse, Sky purchased the majority of Channel 4's stake in horse racing channel, At The Races the remainder of the stake went to Arena Leisure, the other partner in the channel and owner of Ascot Racecourse. In 2007 Sky secured a licence for 'Sky Sports 4' from TV regulator Ofcom which is planned to launch in 2008 to cater for the demand of live sporting rights Sky have.

Fox Sports

2008-02-04T10:41:00.000+08:00

Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Networks

Table Tennis DVDs Review

2008-02-04T10:57:00.000+08:00

At the time of writing this article (28th January 2008), it's the Australia Day long weekend and I've spent much of the day relaxing and watching some of my favorite table tennis videos - in particular the 1995 and 2004 World Table Tennis Championships videos. So when trying to cudgel my brain for something to write about, the subject of the Reflex Sports table tennis DVDs sprung to mind.

It's never been easier to watch top class table tennis than it is today - simply hop on to YouTube and there are a number of matches between world class players there for the viewing. The downside of viewing videos over the Internet is generally that the length of the clips is generally 10 minutes or less, and the quality of the video often leaves a lot to be desired. Plus you had better have broadband!

If you are like me, and want to be able to sit back, relax and absorb the best in the world at your leisure - and on your big screen - then I'd recommend trying some of the Reflex Sports World Championships DVDs. I've been a fan of Reflex Sports videos ever since 1990, when I first saw their 4 videotape production of the 1989 World Table Tennis Championships from Germany, where Sweden finally toppled the might of the Chinese table tennis machine. To someone who hadn't seen world class table tennis before, it was incredible to watch.

Since then, I've owned or borrowed a number of Reflex Sports videos - today I was watching one of my favorite sets - the 1995 World Championships where Ding Song (a defender, naturally!) was wreaking havoc all through the teams matches and individual events, until he ran into a fresh faced Kong Linghui in the semifinals. I dig these videos out every couple of months just to marvel at Ding's tremendous defence and superb counterattack. As a defender, it's inspiring stuff.

The Reflex Sports DVDS have never been exactly cheap - you aren't going to be paying $10 per DVD or anything like that. Not bad for 16 hours worth of elite table tennis. Multi-camera angles - from both low and high perspectives, slow motion replays, and lots of action - without all the boring bits between points of watching players walk back to pick up the ball, towel off and the like. Bottom line - every table tennis fan should own at least one set of Reflex Sports World Championships DVDs - for purely inspirational purposes if nothing else. There's nothing better on a lazy afternoon than settling back in your lounge chair with a refreshing drink and having best of the world showcasing their talents for you to watch, study and learn at the press of a remote. Now where's that bottle opener?

Boxing News

2008-02-13T16:01:00.002+08:00

From just about any type of information that is available today through the media and from online sources, sport news about boxing is the best way to stay on top of the happenings in the wide and varied world of professional and amateur boxing.

It is interesting to note that professional boxing has evolved into one of the very few sports that has definitely been instrumental in the development of what is now known as sports entertainment. And in some cases, the boxing sport news reports and media hype is partly entertainment in and of itself as well.

Just a quick look at the amount of attention and hype that swirls around any major professional event of this sport makes it clear that this is a powerful and popular spectator sport franchise. And, the boxing news helps to keep the interest high with its own versions of hype and gossip.

Interestingly, this professional sport is one of the sports that enjoys some of the most intense coverage. And, with an array of colorful characters, intriguing anecdotes and bazaar incidents, this sport news rarely lacks in sensationalism. And, it seems the sports fans of this professional sport just cannot get enough of the boxing related trivia and other interesting tidbits. They love to read and watch anything they can get from the boxing news.

For fans who want to know the full inside scoop about their favorite professional boxer, match-ups, bouts, its history or statistics, there is a wide range of news publications such as boxing magazines, that are available in the marketplace. Such magazines delve into the personal lives of the boxers in addition to the extensive coverage they give to the sport and events. Some of the boxing news magazines are primarily devoted to those fans who are most interested in keeping up-to-date on the upcoming fights, results of recent matches and the current ratings for the various fighters and their statistical information.

Other focused magazines on this sport news provide more regarding trends in the sport, reviews of different venues and professional boxer interviews, sometimes going into great depth. Still, other magazines concentrate more on the analysis aspect after the fights, boxing trivia and on introducing the new personalities who are emerging into the sport.

Tag : sport news|sport

Sport Shoes

2008-02-14T09:13:00.001+08:00

Comfortable Men's Or Women Sport Shoes

2008-02-14T09:06:00.004+08:00

Have you been looking for a comfortable men's or women's sport shoes but having a hard time finding them? Is the only thing stopping you from getting good sport shoes the cost? There are a lot of shoe choices, but which is right for you? The great thing about shopping on the internet is the wealth of information the sites provide you with to make the perfect choice.

With all your choices available it can be overwhelming. When you are looking for the shoe that is best for you, remember that it must support your foot, for your needs. Find the style of sport shoe that appeals to you, then review the way the shoe is designed to support your foot.

When you look online for mens sport shoes you should check out the product guarantee and return policy. Make sure that the company you deal with for your sport shoes has a phone number and a physical address in case you need to return something. Start planning for more comfortable feet today. When you are in the market for mens or womens quality sport shoes to purchase, check online. Look for the sport shoes that will give you the support and comfort you require.

Tag : sport shoes

Sports Massage Techniques

2008-02-15T08:47:00.002+08:00

Sport massage techniques relieve musculo-skeletal stress and help bring back the muscles to a relaxed state. The various massage styles involve a complete conditioning program for sports persons, as they offer immense benefits to athletes. The predominantly used sport massage techniques are effleurage, petrissage and friction, depending upon the requirement of the athlete. The pressure strokes are mainly directed towards the heart to increase lymphatic flow. Smaller strokes are given to stretch the muscle fibers.

1. Effleurage
Effleurage is the initiation of a sport massage and is carried out with increasing deep pressures using the whole palm. The strokes are directed towards the heart to improve lymphatic drainage and blood circulation. Effleurage is also used to finish a massage session, to remove waste and increase oxygen flow to the area. Benefits include...

Improved blood circulation
Helps find out any tissue abnormalities
Warming up tissues
Muscle relaxation
Stimulation of nerve endings

2. Petrissage
The strokes of petrissage include kneading and movements, such as lifting, skin rolling, wringing, knuckling, pressing, and freeing of the muscle tissue. This massage technique is mainly used on deep tissues to improve flow of fluids, break down any type of adhesions or nodules, stretch the muscle fibers, and finally relax the muscles.

Quick warm up of the major muscles
Pain reduction
Helps repair damaged tissue
Improves muscle elasticity
Preventative massage improves lymphatic drainage and blood circulation

3. Friction
It helps reduce hypersensitivity and any type of muscle spasm on the tissue. Friction also helps stretch the tissue that cannot be stretched in normal course.
Benefits of A Sport Massage
This type of massage is normally used before, during, and after a performance. The purpose of such techniques is to prepare the sport person for peak performance, to eliminate fatigue and muscle stress, and also prevent injuries. It tones the body gradually for extreme overuse during a performance.

Helps prevent injuries, caused by overuse and wear-and-tear.
Helps get in good shape faster and maintains general body health.
Ensures faster recovery from intense workouts.
Improves muscle power and stamina.
Helps release any kind of lactic acid build-up in the overworked muscles.
Boosts performance.
Helps lessen pain by increased release of the body's natural endorphins.

Warnings
Athletes suffering from any of the following conditions should definitely consult a physician before undertaking any kind of sport massage technique:

Infectious skin disease such as herpes
Heavy bruising
Hemophilia
Cancer
Hernia
Inflammation due to tissue damage
Osteoporosis
Tumors
Varicose veins
High blood pressure
Traumas such as open wounds, muscle tears, sprained ligaments, burns

Tag : sport massage|sport

Sport Massage

2008-02-15T09:04:00.000+08:00

Sport Massage Techniques

How to Bet on Sports

2008-02-17T09:03:00.002+08:00

The Wall Street Journal estimates that 100 million Americans wager close to $100 billion on sporting events each year. The first ever sports betting probably happened a long time ago. We’ll call them Grok and Akk. You see Grok once told Akk that he could run faster than a charging Saber Tooth Tiger. Akk scoffed at this notion but Grok was adamant. Akk relented with the prospect of Grok’s new spearhead if he wasn’t fast enough. Akk won the makeshift wager and Grok, well, he became a belch.

As competition and man evolved we have continued to bet. We humans still have that innate desire for competition and risk. Sport wagering is yet another outlet for that intrinsic need. We all love sports but not all of us can compete at a high level. We invest in stocks and we compete for partnerships, raises and promotions. We participate in office pools.

Today, the stakes aren’t as high as the day Grok became Meow Mix, but that action has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. This article is designed to guide the beginning bettor through all the betting basics and terminology they will need to place that first bet, start wining and get back in the big game. Wining in sports betting is like the icing on the cake and we’ll help get you ready for that first big slice.

THE FIRST STEP - FIND A PLACE TO WAGER
To get started you will want to decide on a sport to bet on and a sport book to make your wager. Selecting a wager outlet used to be a very secretive mission and your sports betting options were limited to what an individual “bookie,” or “book maker,” was capable of covering. These limited choices resulted in odds stacked against the bettor and a lingering apprehension when it came time for payouts.

As sports betting became a larger and more accepted practice, sportsbooks rose above their disreputable “bookie,” counterparts to enter the digital age. Online sportsbooks like Bodog, VIP and Sportsbook.com now have the security of being a large company ensuring the best benefits for many bettors.

Sportsbooks will take your bets in exchange for a commission - usually 10% of the wager. In theory, the sportsbooks don't care who you bet on - they simply take half of their bets on each "side" and make their 10% commission. You have the opportunity to place bets on just about any sport you would like. From boxing to basketball, baseball to football for both college and professional games or events, these online giants can cover them all.

ESTABLISH A BANKROLL AND BET SIZE
Many novice sports bettors don't even think about money management. They simply pick an arbitrary bet size and fire away. This strategy (or lack thereof) is very risky. It's always better to think about your bankroll and pick the right bet size based on your bankroll. Please read our article about bankroll management.

DEVELOP REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS
Expecting to win every bet? Most hit 55%-59% on a long term basis. Hitting anything above 52.38% is profitable and 55%-59% is very profitable. Please review our articles on Return on Investment (ROI) expectations and how to manage your own expectations. Successful sports bettors win by applying a disciplined approach over a long period of time.

MAKING THE WAGER
So now you are armed with the knowledge of the sportsbook, bankroll management and expectations, you are ready to place your first wager! Let’s say the San Diego Chargers are playing the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. You like the Chargers because they are having a great season, prolific offense, strong defense and they are racking up wins. Since the San Diego offense has been clicking, you also think that a lot of points will be scored during this game.

The line shows that San Diego is -3, with a total of 44-points. The reason why there is a line is because one team is going to be favored over another to win the game. This way the oddsmakers can level the playing field, making the bet attractive to both sides. This means that if you are placing your bet on San Diego, the Chargers will have to beat the Patriots by at least three points for you to win your bet. If they lose the game or win by less than three, you lose your bet.

By betting the OVER, you are putting money on the possibility that the sum of both team’s score will be greater than 44-points at the end of the game. Next to the line for each type of bet (ATS, OVER/UNDER), you will see the odds. The odds simply mean the chances of the team wining the bet and how much money you will win in relation to how much you bet.

The (-110) indicates that the sportsbook is charging a 10% "juice" on these bets. That means that you will have to risk $11 for every $10 you wish to win. Again, this is the sportsbook's profit. Now you would like to place your bet in the hopes of winning $100 from each wager. You would bet your $110 ATS on the Chargers to win and cover (win by three or more points), and $110 for a total score of 44-points for a total wager of $220. On Monday night, the Chargers roll to a 31-20 victory and you have won both of your bets!

The Chargers 11-point margin of victory was more than enough to cover the spread of three points needed to get the win for a cool 100 bucks. A total score of 51-points at the end of the game also means you have won your OVER/UNDER bet for another $100 stack. Not bad for your first bet.

Tag : sports betting|sport

Sports Betting

2008-02-14T09:16:00.003+08:00

How To Bet On Sports
Sports Betting Software
Sports Betting Online
Sports Betting Companies

Top 5 Sport Bra

2008-02-18T07:22:00.005+08:00

Sport bra do more than offer full support, they also stop the breasts from moving during athletic activity. Breast tissue is very delicate and the growing tissue of the teen breast needs to be protected during high impact exercise. Even girls with smaller breasts should invest in a good sport bra if they take physical education or participate in sport.

The two-ply frame provides added support for all sporting activities while eliminating embarassing show through. No cups means this bra can be worn alone or with workout clothes. Fabric helps keep you dry and comfortable. Fits cups AA –
Machine washable. Available in black.
Features include multi-section cups with a built in layer of support, cushioned straps and bust band, and airflow design, all made from the patented CoolMax® fabric that moves moisture away from the body to keep you dry duting exercise.
Made from Coolmax polyester, this bra not only offers support but helps keep you dry. The built in bra offers maximum motion control and support. Available in black, white, navy or grey. Sizes S, M, L and XL.
Champion® Inter-Shape Underwire Sport Bra. Built specifically for medium to larger busted women. Seamless cups, cushioned underwires and lined back closure offer superior comfort and support. Cups have mesh panels that provide extra ventilation. The bra is made from a special fabric that helps eliminate moisture.

Tag : sport bra|sport

Table Tennis Championships

2008-02-19T07:22:00.002+08:00

It's the middle of my second day at the United States National Table Tennis Championships, the sudden-death game of this best-of-five match between two pretty good players, top forty in the country, Tuan Le leads, 8-5. His opponent, Courtney Roberts, moves nimbly, but against Le, gravity isn't helping. Courtney stands six three; he's 220 pounds, a light-skinned black man with a jacked physique and shaved head. To train for elite table tennis, he benches 375, squats 565. Tuan Le weights 120 pounds, grazes five feet one. He plays without recognizable flourish, with no visible happiness, a tiny medical doctor with a cube-shaped head.

On the next point, he lets one float longishly; it hangs. Courtney bounces lightly on th balls of his feet, then smokes it down the line. Le dives, gets a racket on it. Tuan Le digs and lobs, and now they're trading full baseball swings, standing five paces back from the table, about forty feet apart, ka-pock, ka-pock, both guys backed to the rear barriers of the court, hitting big topspin, crushing backhands to forehands. The ball moves through the air as if it were solid rubber, it cuts sharply, drops suddenly, explodes off the table tennis table.

Tuan Le comes around late on maybe the ninth ball of the rally and frames one off the edge of his paddle, and the ball sprays thirty feet into the air, ten rows up into the stands, then disappears beneath the seats. Roger, the kid sitting next to me, the only other spectator at "center court," claps. If this were Europe, he tells me, and we were watching near-great players at a major championship, there would be hundreds, or more likely thousands, of paying customers howling, waving banners; if this were Sweden, where talented teens are sent to table tennis high schools, there'd be fans dressed like Vikings, with plastic helmets, plastic pigtails, face paint; if this were Austria, where the great Werner Schlager's likeness now appears on a postage stamp, or the big-money leagues of Germany, they'd be drunk on stadium beer, screaming these players' names, blowing trumpets. The match grinds on, the table game versus the power game. There's the infuriating, nauseating insolvability of Le's spin, the agonizing quickness, the sweet touch of his drop shot. Table Tennis has been around for at least a hundred years. One version of its origin has it that British soldiers overseas, bored witless, put sculpted champagne corks into play using cigar-box lids. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the sport had a brief boom in England and the United States as a parlor game played on a dining-room table, and maybe because of its addictive nature, it developed a reputation as something that mad you google-eyed. For a time, it was even banned in the Soviet Union.

I hadn't seen a table tennis table in years until the people I share an office with invested in one and we crammed it into a little table-sized room. We painted the walls green. I invited friends over. I'd been struggleing over a book about family and death, and the table tennis table became an object over which I could lord control. The babyish ease of hitting balls, the predictable plonk, it killed anxiety. During the day, I'd take breaks and spend time alone with this garbage can full of balls, practicing trick shots. If someone heard me practicing, he might appear, paddle in hand. The people who beat me the worst were a somewhat bald-headed dude who eats chicken wings with a knife and fork and is quick as a rabbit and happens to be a tremendous squash player, formerly top-five in the country; and a musician buddy, one of those scowling, obsessed geniuses with now girlfriend who wears sandalwood oil and needs a shower. The squash guy beat me 600 times in a row without ever seeming to feel guilty. I beat the crap out of a few people, too, but while I kept at it, I couldn't beat either of these guys and felt there was something wrong with me.

The place is run by Cheng and Jack, former Chinese National Team members. There were a dozen or so tournament-grade tables, a row of dusty couches, a shabby little office by the door, Chinese newspapers an magazines, and a television playing video of the 2001 Osaka World Championships. Fifteen or twenty people drilled intensely as a small thin man with a wispy mustache walked around picking u balls off the floor with a long-handled fishing net.

In studies on sports in America, table tennis is stuck in the "indoor games" section, with bowling and darts. While some vast part of the world considers it not just a valid athletic activity but in fact the athletic activity, Americans don't. I watched the warm-up of a microscopic boy who should've been home watching television in his Spider-Man pajamas but instead was snapping perfectly grooved crosscourt forehands at a woman who was either his mom or sister or coach. She wore high-heeled mules, no socks, a tight belly shirt, jeans, gold dangling earrings, metallic blue nail polish, and matching eye shadow. Her body rocked back and forth in metronomic rhythm, flicking machine-gun backhands. The ball stayed an inch or two above the net. They sped it up, really cranking on it, and kept the ball in play for fifty, then a hundred, then 200 hits. The sport I witnessed that night was definitely not the thing we played in my office, not the thing you play at home with a sandwich in one hand. It made me want badly to understand what had gone wrong with table tennis here, why it had never caught fire.

The number one leisure sport in America is bowling. Crash, boom. Football, baseball, basketball - these sports now live almost solely for the spectacles. Whatever else you want to call them, these are release sports. Elliptical training. Cripes. In this garage, though, in an industrial park in Gaithersburg, I found a small flourishing sports counterculture, like a band of rebels, determined to make American table tennis into something else. The Name of the tournament is a little misleading. Only a handful of players here are actually contending for the National Championships. I notice, among the participants, entrant number 785, an older man with a piece of electrical tape wrapped around his ear, catatonically plinking forehands to another geezer. In the far quadrant opposite the hot-dog cart, a man in a flesh-color hard-plastic body brace, Velcroed front and back, plays a guy with a long gray beard and a lumberjack shirt, in gym shorts, with two full-size black knee braces.

A potbellied guy with the ruddy face, distracted glare, and bowlegged walk of a high school calculus teacher, in a worn-out thick tracksuit; another man with muttonchops; many more flicking, snapping, cracking balls; others just hanging out with towels around their necks, gassing with Ping-Pong buddies from years past. Here's a guy seventy pounds overweight, his comb-over taking wing, floating an elegant underspin backhand chop. And past the toupeed guy who whines that the Vegas altitude "makes my balls float" and the father in anll white who tells his 10-year-old kid to "get back in there and take care of business" - just when you think you've seen it all - there's a dwarf, Mitch Seidenfeld, and he's kicking the normal guy's ass. Until recently, Mitch was the number one player in Minnesota. A full-time coach and family man, he has a whip-cracking forehand and twenty different kinds of serves. He turns out to be a really nice guy and used to rank in the top one hundred in the country. According to the guy he's beating, the book on Mitch is: "Compact strokes. Consider Eric Boggan, the best American player in the past fifty years. He played professionally in Europe for most of his career and peaked in the early '80s, ranking as high as eighteenth in the world. Boggan is lanky and shy and was known for smashing paddles and screaming at himself, "You play like dogmeat!" He'll be inducted tonight in to the USA Table Tennis (USATT) Hall of Fame, at a banquet in a rotating Stratosphere Hotel. Since 1991 he's been a postal carrier, plays no exhibitions, doesn't coach. Got a little bit of the Rain Man going. Mark Hazinski, seeded fifth here, is 18 years old and has a kid's scruffy goatee, a silver hoop earring halfway up his left ear, and purposely messy hair pushed into his eyes. Hazinski was raised in Mishawaka, Indiana, and is midwesternly polite and well liked. Hazinski's been home-schooled sin age 14 so he can train all day, and he has no other goal than to make it as a table tennis pro and attain Olympic glory. The time is now, if that's what he wants, because the lightning-fast reflexes drop off in a player's twenties. The only choice is to move overseas, to compete against young players whose whole world is table tennis.

Unlike Boggan, and maybe Hazinski, most studly American-bred players never make the trip; they accept the foregone conclusion that the game will never catch on here, will never be loved by crowds, and rather than move to some place where the food stinks, they wean themselves from this thankless game and find new obsessions - accounting, medicine - though they know they'll never re-create table tennis excitement. One guy who hasn't given up is Barney Reed, ranked fourth here and on a hot streak. Barney sees the shitty standing of Ping-Pong in America as a conspiracy of negative forces, most notably the table tennis establishment's crusty m.o. and its total inability to market the game. "You gotta stage exhibitions where you see guys running over the barrier, lobbing, getting back, smashing, the crowd going crazy. Americans need a show. "Every talk show across the nation mentioned it," he says. "A table tennis player being suspended for steroids? I got a full-page story in Sports Illustrated. I've won all these titles, four-time U.S. National Team member, but this is how you get ratings."

Unfortunately, the stars need more than ratings. Beyond the lack of seed programs and facilities and funding needed to inspire or support talent, I couldn't shake the feeling that the people who administer this tournament are somehow invested in keeping the sport to themselves. On the final day of the tournament, Marty will play an exhibition, still using his spongeless hard bat, to which Barney will respond, "This exhibition is disgusting. Marty Reisman and his hard bat. The old-timers will not release the sport. On top of everything else, there's his ex-girlfriend, Jasna Reed, formally Jasna Fazlic, whom he refers to as a "psycho Commie bitch." Jasna is the top-seeded women's player. Jasna has an adorable wooden-puppet's perfect upturned nose, large brown eyes set close together, a small mouth, shiny short brown hair, and a bouncy samurai ponytail. She plays every match in a different-color pastel miniskirt.

Whatever personal animus Barney might bear, he inadvertently tipped me off to what other players have voiced, an ugly little xenophobic current in the American table tennis world that becomes more and more detectable as the tournament goes on. The best players here - the ones who dominate year after year and who make up the bulk of our U.S. national teams and will play for us in the Olympics this month - have, for the most part, nothing to do with "American" table tennis. As one top-twenty American-bred player put it, "If you take away the foreigners, I'd be, uh, higher up." In the past nine years, exactly one guy from this country has won the U.S. National Championship. Two Chinese guys (they're Americans now, just like us, but you know what I mean) won it a combined seven times, and a guy from the former Yugoslavia, this year's number one seed, is the same guy who won it last year. Everybody hates him.

The first time I see Ilija Lupulesku, he's hitting with Jasna. Lupulesku doesn't look athletic. As the tournament progresses, Lupulesku will justify his ranking. He'll play with a mixture of big power and the most graceful touch. The tournament's number one seeds are both Yugoslav, former teen superstars, both medal winners in the '88 Olympics, raised in a nation that fostered young talent and treated its table tennis heroes to salaries and free apartments and cars. Jasna and Ilija were married a dozen years ago, but then the war broke out, and Jasna, being from Croatia, was now living with the enemy.

One guy sitting behind me explains that Lupulesku lost his doubles partner, Zoran Primorac (who is Croatian too and is still one of the best in the world), and that Jasna dragged Ilija all over Europe, and that their careers and their marriage fell apart. Then an umpire who has just finished a match overhears us and tells me that everyone loathes Lupulesku because this past August, when he was slated to play for the United States in the Pan-Am Games, he called and said he had thrown his back out playing soccer in the former Yugoslavia. The team went a man short and was destroyed. Lupulesku slides his paddle into a little zippered case and takes his bag and says something Slavic to Jasna, who cocks a hip and leans toward him. Jasna sees my tape recorder and sits beside me.

She explains that it's humiliating, sometimes, to play here. That table tennis is the fastest sport in the world, but also sometimes boring, and that you have to live inside it your whole life if you want to be a champion. How do I hit my serve better?' If this was a real sport here, they can't even talk to us. "You come to see great players," she says, watching her old boyfriend and a few of the higher-ranked Americans fight it out. Any real players can kill these guys." It's Saturday. I've been in this overgrown warehouse for four days, and I've seen enough table tennis up close for eight lifetimes. In the men's semifinals, Mark Hazinski faces a heavily favored David Zhuang, four-time national champion, two-time U.S. Olympian, and blows him off the table. Which makes this whole event even sadder and makes me want even more for Hazinski to beat Lupulesku once and for all, as if that could somehow make things right.

The national anthem is broadcast over the sound system. I'm dying for a trumpet, a drum, some face paint, anything to signal the moment at hand. It starts bad, and Lupulesku wins the first two games before Hazinski can play through his jitters. Down 3 to 5 in the third game of this best-of-seven series, Hazinski finally starts to wail. But Lupulesku is comfortable on the defensive; he's like a speedy lizard loping, bounding, fishing for smashes, trying to tire Hazinski out. These are big points, five or six in a row, where both players take up the full backcourt, Hazinski mostly bearing down, trying to crush it, Lupulesku practically falling into the front row of spectators as he chucks these honking lobs that boomerang around the net, then bounce dead. But then Hazinski cracks three whopping forehands, and for the first time in the tournament he utters a sound. He yells. He wins the game, and the crowd roars.

Lupulesku is 36. Mark Hazinski is currently ranked number 366 in the world. His favorite food is Taco Bell; his favorite movie is Happy Gilmore. He's a big, polite, dedicated kid, playing his guts out. As game 4 continues, it's a great match, but the audiences is wildly for Hazinski. Fore the moment, this match is about America, and the new kid busting out, and the end of Communist sports Gulags and old-would domination.

I hate Lupulesku like everyone else does. I hate him because I love Jasna and because Jasna wears pastel-color miniskirts and because an hour ago, when she won the women's finals, and before that, when she won the doubles and also the mixed doubles (with her ex-husband), I realized she still loves Lupi. "Lupi can return many balls far from table," she explained to me earlier. In the fourth game, Hazinski goes on an all-out offensive, driving Lupulesku into the weeds until he finally misses. Hazinski wins the game, and now it's even, we're in the fifth game, and the stands grow more and more noisy as Hazinski goes up, 5-2. Then somehow he loses five points in a row. At 5-7, Lupulesku moves in close and grunts and unleashes a perfectly grooved forehand hook. I think he's broken the ball as it rips past Hazinski and smacks the nylon tarp barrier behind him with a loud snap.

Lupulesku calls for time. It wasn't the ball. He smashed his hand during that point. He's busted his racket on the table tennis table edge, he's bleeding, his thumb may be broken. Jasna is up and running, glowing with excitement, and hands him her own racket. The match finally resumes, but now there's now hope for any of us. Lupulesku is a sort of monster, and woken up, the beast plays even meaner. He wins that game 11-8. The final game is worse. He rolls over Hazinski.

At match point for the championship, the entire hall is stunned silent. It's a weird moment. Maybe we won't be able to turn the Hoosier Thunderbolt into a Lupulesku. Maybe this country will never find room for a sport that's hard to televise, that doesn't require good looks or youth or even a sense of fashion, that just needs loads of mental energy. This game may never get more respect here than air hockey. One of the first guys I met this week, a veritable institution of the American sport had been kind enough to agree to his with me before the tournament's end. Larry is a typical table tennis nut: a middle-aged guy with great reflexes and a personality disorder stuck somewhere between high-functioning autism and dorky social misfit. He's a terrific athlete, has written more than 800 articles on table tennis, and is the winner of eighteen national titles.

If I can touch his serve - just get a racket on it -- I win the point. And if I can touch his return of my serve, I win the point. I have to go find the ball three courts away. The tape recorder is a trusty ten-year-old Sony. Sure, the powers of U.S. table tennis could market the sport better. Sure, Mark Hazinski and Barney Reed and all the other Barneys-in-waiting deserve to have someone bring their sport out of the closet. Maybe table tennis should remain in our basements, the balls covered in dust under our pullout couches, forever a haven for skid-mark nerds like Larry ... and me, I guess. The tape goes on. One time in college, he beat somebody with a gerbil in his pocket and a book balanced on his head. Crack. He's beaten people using a credit card - crack - a forty-pound cooking pot - crack - and ice cube (though he actually had to use three ice cubes, because they melted). He rallied once wielding a 3-year-old with a sheet of sponge stuck on the kid's forehead. "It's my life's dream," he says, "to beat someone with a frozen fish."

Tag : table tennis table|table tennis

History Of Table Tennis

2008-02-20T09:01:00.003+08:00

The origin of table tennis has never been exactly pinpointed, even though it's a relatively young sport, younger than lawn tennis and not much older than basketball. Other versions developed in England during the 1890s, known variously as "whiff whaff" and "gossima," and Parker Brothers began manufacturing an indoor tennis kit that included a portable net that could be set up on a table, a small ball covered with netting, and miniature paddles.

James Gibb, an Englishman who visited the United States in 1900, brought some hollow celluloid balls home and began playing indoor tennis with friends, using the new balls. Gibb apparently came up with the name "pingpong," representing the sounds of the ball hitting the paddle and then the table.

However, an English manufacturer of sporting goods, John Jacques, registered "Pingpong" as a trade name in 1901 and sold American rights to Parker Brothers, who came out with a new kit under that name.

Another Englishman, E. C. Goode, in 1902 covered his wooden pingpong paddle with pebbled rubber, which allowed him to put spin on the ball. A new Table Tennis Association was established in England in 1921. It was followed by the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation), founded at a 1926 meeting in Berlin by England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales.

From then until World War II, Hungary dominated the sport. The top players of that early period were two Hungarians: Maria Mednyanszky, who won seven women's championships, and Viktor Barna, a five-time men's champion. The American Ping Pong Association was organized in 1930, but its membership was limited because only Parker Brothers equipment could be used. Two rival organizations, the U. S. Amateur Table Tennis Association and the National Table Tennis Association, were founded in 1933. The three groups merged in 1935 into the U. S. Table Tennis Association, which was renamed U.S.A. Table Tennis in 1994.

Central European dominance continued for a time after World War II, but Asian players took over the sport beginning in 1953. Asian players also developed the "penholder" grip, in which the handle of the paddle is held between forefinger and thumb, which allows the player to strike the ball with the same face of the paddle on any stroke. Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and doubles competition for both men and women.

Tag : table tennis|tennis|pingpong

Spinny Pushed/Chopped Balls

2008-02-22T09:10:00.002+08:00

Quite often, your table tennis opponent will start with float balls to your antispin, and see how you handle them. Once you have shown him that you can deal with the float ball without any problems (by using the techniques mentioned above), the more advanced opponent will often then try using heavily spun pushes to the antispin in the hopes that he can make you put the ball in the net.

The techniques mentioned above for the float ball will still work with the backspin ball, with some minor changes. The up to down stroke with only a little forward movement now needs a lot more forward movement. The backspin from your table tennis opponent will be turned into topspin and cause the ball to drop a lot faster, so if you don't hit more forward, the ball will go into the bottom of the net.

You will end up with a quite fast push/block that drops quickly onto the opponent's side of the table tennis table. The chop return can be used more often now. The fast chop stroke with a brushing of the ball helps to return the ball with a little topspin, although it looks like chop. Again, you should find the unwary opponent popping up his return for you to hit with your normal side.

Hitting the ball now becomes a much more workable option. Your opponent's backspin will be converted to topspin, and will help bring the ball down onto the table faster. This means that you can hit the backspin ball with a lot more power than the float ball. Hitting the ball harder but failing to lift the ball will give you a fast ball that dives into the bottom of the net, or even on your side of the table tennis table. Lifting the ball but failing to hit hard enough will result in a ball that rises above the net on your side of the table, but falls into the bottom of the net or even on your half of the table.

A properly struck ball will rise a little above the net before dropping on the other side of the table. The more backspin the opponent puts on the ball, the harder you can actually hit it and still drop the ball onto the table.

Dealing With Topspin Balls
Here are your basic options when returning a topspin ball from close to the table:
Counterhitting the ball back is a viable option - the main thing to keep in mind is not to overhit - there will usually be a fair bit of pace on the ball from your opponent's shot, so you won't need to hit too hard. You actually won't be able to hit too hard and still get the ball on the table, since you won't be able to generate any meaningful topspin with your antispin.

The higher the ball bounces, the harder you can hit and still land the ball on the table. If the ball bounces well above the level of the net, you can pretty much hit the ball directly onto the opponent's half. As the ball gets lower in relation to the net, you will need to reduce your speed in order to allow gravity to drop the ball on the table.

Don't bother with brushing the ball when counterhitting - you won't generate enough topspin to make it worthwhile. Due to the nature of antispin, you will return a ball with a small to medium amount of backspin, depending on how much spin your opponent originally put on the ball.

Blocking or push/blocking is also very useful. You may also need to tilt the bat a little bit forward to adjust for the tendency of the ball to jump higher. Focus on placing the ball around the table rather than trying to hit winners. Allow the antispin to do its job in changing the pace and varying the spin compared to normal rubbers. After your block or push/block, get ready for a slower, weaker return from lower level opponents. Be prepared to step in and put the ball away with your normal rubber. Higher level opponents will be able to maintain their attack, so remember to keep moving the ball around and varying the type of return you use.

• Most antispins are a fair bit slower than normal rubber and can drop the ball shorter much more easily. Against less mobile opponents, take advantage of this by using extreme angles to move your opponent wide to the backhand, then wide to the forehand etc.
• Antispin is not designed to power the ball through your opponent. Unless you are very good with it, stick to playing safe and sure, moving the ball around the table, and changing your stroke for variation. Resist the temptation to try to hit winners with the antispin - get the ball on and let the opponent make mistakes in reading the spin and pace.
• In general, don't hit the ball twice in a row with the antispin. Hit once with the antispin and then look to use your normal rubber to put away the return. If the opponent manages to get the ball back to your antispin after you hit the first time, change to a push or push/block and move the ball around the table instead for your second shot - you can always try another hit later.

Don't get lazy and use the antispin as an excuse to not watch the ball and bat carefully when your opponent is serving - as you go up against better opponents being able to read the serve will be an important part of your game, antispin or not. Depending on what style of game you use (Modern Defender, Classic Defender, Push/Blocker, or Hitter), check out my tips for using long pimpled rubbers. Most of the tips will apply to antispin as well.

Finally, remember that the antispin is there to allow you to slow the game down and hopefully set up your attacks with your normal rubber. Don't get caught trying to hit every ball with the antispin.

Tag : table|ball

Carbohydrate

2008-02-24T18:20:00.000+08:00

Carbohydrate is arguably the most important source of energy for athletes. No matter what sport you play, carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions. Once eaten, carbohydrates breakdown into smaller sugars (glucose, fructose and galactose) that get absorbed and used as energy. Glycogen is the source of energy most often used for exercise. Glycogen also supplies energy during the first few minutes of any sport. During long, slow duration exercise, fat can help fuel activity, but glycogen is still needed to help breakdown the fat into something the muscles can use.

Adequate carbohydrate intake also helps prevent protein from being used as energy. If the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrate, protein is broken down to make glucose for energy. Because the primary role of protein is as the building blocks for muscles, bone, skin, hair, and other tissues, relying on protein for energy (by failing to take in adequate carbohydrate) can limit your ability to build and maintain tissues.

Storing Carbohydrate
One gram of carbohydrate provides four calories of energy. Athletes often talk about carbohydrate loading and carbohydrate depletion which refers to the amount of carbohydrate energy we can store in our muscles. During depletion (from diet, exercise or a combination) we use up the stored carbohydrate.

If we don’t replenish these stores, we can run out of fuel for immediate exercise. In the same way, eating large amounts of carbohydrates can increase these stores. This is often referred to as carbohydrate loading or carbo-loading. Our maximal carbohydrate storage is approximately 15 grams per kilogram of body weight [15 grams per 2.2 pounds]. So a 175-pound athlete could store up to 1200 grams of carbohydrate [4,800 calories]; enough energy to fuel high intensity exercise for quite some time.

How Carbohydrate Fuels Exercise
Carbohydrate stored as glycogen is an easily accessible source of energy for exercise. To avoid running out of energy during exercise, start with full glycogen stores, replenish them during exercise and refill them after exercise to be ready for the next workout.

Types of Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are also divided into simple and complex forms. Simple sugars (carbs) are absorbed and converted to energy very quickly and provide a rapid source of energy. Fruit and energy drinks are a good source of simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates take a bit longer to be digested and absorbed into the body. Examples of complex carbohydrates are breads, rice and pasta. Starch and fiber are also considered complex carbohydrates but fiber can not be digested or used for energy. Starch is probably the most important energy source in an athlete’s diet because it is broken down and stored as glycogen. Foods high in starch include whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and grains.

Tag : source energy

Sports Nutrition

2008-02-24T18:54:00.001+08:00

Carbohydrate

Table Tennis - Using Antispin

2008-02-25T18:25:00.002+08:00

Check Out Your Opponent
Study your future opponent carefully if you get the chance before the match, or even during your match if you have to, looking for such points as:

• Is he good at noticing when his opponent twiddles?
• Does he know how it works? Does he make a lot of mistakes or hesitate when playing against the antispin?
• Does it work well?
• Does he return the antispin balls with little spin, heavy spin, or varied?
• Does he play better against the antispin when you chop with it, or hit?

Dealing With Floated Balls
Many opponents try to nullify the antispin by hitting no-spin balls to it, so that there is no spin to reverse, thus helping them have less problem in reading the spin.
Others use a no-spin return in the hopes that the antispin user will pop the ball up high when attempting a normal chop with the antispin side (sound familiar?).

Here are some tips for dealing with floated balls to your antispin.

• The angle of the bat is slightly open, so the ball is lifted only a little. This results in a return from the antispin that will stay low over the net, and will be difficult to attack. Using more forward motion whilst keeping the amount of up to down movement the same will result in a return that is low and fast.

Be aware that there is a limit to how fast you can perform this shot, since there is a minimal amount of topspin on the ball. You are basically relying on gravity to pull the ball on to the table tennis table, so to much forward motion will push the ball too far off the end before gravity can do its thing.

• A second shot that can be made occasionally (don't overdo it) is a chop return with the antispin. There are two important things to note here: firstly, the swing must be reasonably fast, and secondly, the ball must be brushed, with the bat sliding under the ball.
o Forgetting to swing fast enough will result in a ball that doesn't reach the net.
o Forgetting to brush the ball will cause the ball to go high in the air, off the end of the table tennis table.
o The opponent will probably misread the spin and return the ball too high, and this return should be attacked with your normal rubber.

• Remember that there will be very little or no topspin on the ball, so you will be depending on gravity to bring the ball down on the table. This means that this attacking stroke cannot be performed at high speed, unless the ball is above the level of the net, in which case the ball can be hit directly onto the table. The higher the ball, the harder it can be hit.

Don't worry that you can't hit the ball very hard - against all but the best opponents the sheer change of pace and spin will be enough to prevent them from making a strong attack.

Tag : antispin|table|ball

Sports Events

2008-02-26T08:28:00.002+08:00

Sports days are annual events staged by many schools in which children participate in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes.

School Events

Primary school sports days are seen as light-hearted and informal occasions. They typically comprise activities such as the egg and spoon race and the sack race where the emphasis is on fun rather than sporting prowess. Other events may include the skipping race, where participants take a rope and skip along a course, and the three legged race.

In secondary schools, sports days are more likely to be based on conventional track and field athletic sports, and are more serious and competitive in nature than their primary school counterparts. This is especially the case in private schools, where different houses within the school may compete against one another.

Sports days may be attended by parents and other relatives of the participating pupils. In most cases, parents will sit on the sidelines as spectators; some schools, however, include "mothers and fathers" races in which parents may participate. Some schools hold intra-mural sports days in which competitions are between schools rather than between houses, though this is less common.

Adult events

There are now a number of organisations which offer sports days for adults, either as corporate team building exercises, or as nostalgic events in the same vein as the school disco theme nights held by many UK nightclubs. Actors may be hired to play teachers with comically exaggerated personalities and mannerisms.

Controversies

Some schools have abolished or heavily altered sports days on the grounds that they are too competitive and may damage pupils' self esteem - this often reflects the schools' attitude towards competitive sports or competitiveness in general. In June 2005, Country Life magazine published a report claiming that school sports days have become excessively competitive due to overbearing and "over-zealous" parents, who place too much pressure on their children to succeed. The report also revealed that many schools have banned "mothers and fathers" races due to fighting and cheating.

Since the mid 1990s, a number of schools and education authorities have banned photography and filming with video cameras at sports day and other school events. Some authorities cite general privacy issues as justification for the ban; others have raised concerns about paedophiles, which in turn has sparked accusations of hysteria and moral panic. Previously, sports day events were typically held in early September or late June (just after or just before the summer holiday), both particularly hot, humid months in many parts of Japan.

Sports days are often a week-long event at Japanese schools. During the week preceding the sports day, students have no regular classes, but practice their events throughout each day, culminating in a full dress-rehearsal the day before the event, which often includes performances by the school band and presentations by various school clubs as well as individual and group competitive events. These practices, and the sports days themselves, normally take place on the schools' fields, which provide little relief from the heat and sun. Some schools have responded by scheduling their sports day during cooler months and by encouraging their students to drink water regularly. In primary schools in Hokkaidō, the event is usually held between the latter part of May and the earlier part of June.

Tag ; sports day

Hendrefoilan School Sports Day

2008-02-27T18:55:00.002+08:00

This cine was taken at the Hendrefoilan School Sports Day, sometime between June 1978 and June 1980… ish.

I’m guessing it’s between these dates because (a) I look quite young (b) I think I can see Kath Williams before she went to Australia [confirmed, thanks Kath!] and (c) there was a distinct turnover in teachers around the time I went into J1 (September 1980 If my memory serves me well) and I can see several of the old-guard who I remember being teachers but who never taught me.

Organisation
The school was (originally) divided into four groups (Red, Yellow, Blue and Green) each with around fifty members of various equally distributed ages. When I was very little, I seem to recall Blue being dominant, but those of us in Green never gave up and I think I recall that either we won “the cup” (or the smart money was on us winning the cup) when, due to dwindling school attendance green house was disbanded and it’s members were redistributed, so I joined Blue house.

The Cast (Help please!)
If you spot people who are not on the list please leave a comment below containing their name, the time when they are visible (there’s a little clock in the video player), and what they are doing/wearing that will help others distinguish them.

Teachers
Mr. Lewis (officiating the turn-around point at 1:01)
Mr. Smith (at the start line, facing away from the camera at 1:10)
Mrs.Davies (at the start line, facing the camera in the background at 1:10)

Children
Richard Boakes (in many shots due to grandparent camera holding)
Paul Brooks
Christopher Cone (right hand line, infront of Nathalie at 1:21)
Darren Chetty (looking surprisingly tall in red shorts)
Anthony Evans
Alex Ferguson
Tom O’Kane
Jarrod Rees (with handy name-bearing T-Shirt and winning the eggand spoon race at 2:00)
Steven Sole (right hand line, behind of Nathalie at 1:21) - unsure of name spelling.
Mark Withy (very brief appearance bottom left at 1:46 - maybe?)
Nathalie Carter (blue stripey top)
Lisa Barrett (tall, tanned, dark pigtails)
Kathryn Gray
Fiona Thompson (bright blonde hair in bunches with red tracksuit top at 1:23 - maybe?)
Kathryn Williams (Bouncing irrepressably)

Parents / Grandparents / Guardians
Lesley Gowen (my mum)
Sarah O’Kane
Maureen Horsman
Elaine Williams (KathW to confirm)
Edna Breeze
Dai Vaughan (maybe?

Tag : sports day

Sports Day

2008-02-26T08:47:00.002+08:00

Hendrefoilan School Sports Day
Sports Events

Rules And Equipment

2008-03-05T09:29:00.003+08:00

Table Tennis, also known as Pingpong, fast-paced racket-and-ball game played on a table by two or four persons, usually indoors. Named for its resemblance to the outdoor game of tennis, the game is similarly popular both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport, especially in Asia.

Table tennis is played on a table measuring 9 ft by 5 ft (2.74 m by 1.52 m), with its upper surface 30 in (76 cm) above the floor. The resiliency of the surface is such that a standard table tennis ball, when dropped from a height of 1 ft (30.5 cm), will rebound to a height anywhere from 8.75 to 9.75 in (22.2 to 24.8 cm). Like tennis, table tennis involves hitting the ball back and forth over the net until one of the players misses the ball, or hits it into the net or off the table; in each of these cases the opponent scores a point. To make a legal serve a player holds the ball on the flat, outstretched palm of the hand anywhere behind the end of the table, then throws it up and strikes it as it falls. The server must move his or her free arm to the side as soon as the ball leaves the hand to ensure that the free arm does not block the opponent’s view of the serve. The ball must hit the table on the server’s side of the net first, then hit the table on the receiving side before being returned. When a serve touches the net but is otherwise a good serve, it is called a “let” and played over.

One player serves until 2 points have been scored, after which the opponent serves for the next 2 points. The player who reaches 11 points (formerly 21 points) first wins the game. If the score is tied at 10-all (known as deuce), the service changes after each point until one player gains a 2-point advantage to win the game. Players change ends after every game (and also when one player reaches 5 in the deciding game of the match). So-called net and edge balls—that is, shots that touch either the net or table edge—are valid shots. When a ball hits the side of the table instead of the edge, the player who made the shot loses the point. Matches may consist of any number of odd games. Best-of-five or best-of-seven game matches are common in tournament play.

Doubles play in table tennis differs from singles play in several ways. In these games, the service must be from the right-hand court into the opponent’s right-hand court, marked by the stripe running the length of the table. After a successful service and return, each player alternates hitting the ball until the point ends. Each player receives service for 2 points, then, as the opponents shift positions, serves for 2 points. Most authorities agree that table tennis is of English origin and that it was first played with improvised equipment on dining-room tables in the late 1800s. Around 1900, when celluloid balls began to replace rubber and cork balls, the game became very popular in England and the United States. A meeting held in 1926 in Berlin, Germany, resulted in the formation of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), still the international governing body for the sport. The USA Table Tennis Association (USATT—formerly known as the United States Table Tennis Association), founded in 1933, governs tournament competition in the United States. The annual national championships consist of matches in about 60 different classifications, such as men’s and women’s singles and doubles, junior and senior events (with players ranging from under the age of 10 to over 80), and wheelchair competition. The ITTF, composed of about 190 member nations, sponsors annual world championships that alternate individual and team play every other year. The ITTF also sponsors a professional tour with prize money. Chinese players have dominated tournament play since the 1960s, especially in women’s competition. Since table tennis was made an Olympic sport in 1988, however, South Korean and European players—most notably from Sweden—have emerged as strong contenders.

Tag : table tennis|pingpong

Table Tennis

2008-02-03T21:00:00.005+08:00

History Of Table Tennis
How To Play Table Tennis
Outdoor Table Tennis
Rules And Equipment
Spinny Pushed/Chopped Balls
Table Tennis Championships
Table Tennis DVDs Review
Table Tennis - Using Antispin