How to Play Ping Pong

Table tennis—ping pong—is fast, fun, and easy to learn but takes real finesse to master. These tips will sharpen your control and help you win more rallies.

1. Choose Your Grip

The two main grips are shakehand (like shaking hands with the handle) and penhold (pinching the blade like a pen). Pick the one that feels natural; both are used at the highest levels.

2. Set Your Stance

Stand sideways with knees bent and weight on the balls of your feet. Stay light so you can pivot and step into every shot.

3. Serve with Variety

A good serve sets the tone. Vary spin, speed, and placement—short serves pull opponents in, while long, fast serves push them back. Keep your contact low and brush the ball to generate spin.

4. Forehand and Backhand

Brush upward on contact for topspin, flat for speed, and slice underneath for backspin. Keep your racket angle controlled and let your whole body rotate into the shot rather than just your arm.

5. Move Your Feet

Most rally errors come from poor positioning. Step to the ball early so you can play it in front of your body, and recover to the center after each shot.

Ping pong is a great warm-up or a heated showdown—grab a paddle at Happy Billiard and challenge a friend to a match.