Ping Pong and Tennis: What Do They Have in Common

Ping Pong and Tennis: The Differences and Similarities

When talking about ping pong and tennis, almost all people would mention their unique appeal from both the balls and athletes. Though they are two different sports, there always have been much debate about their relation when comparing ping pong and tennis. To be honest, there are plenty of similarities as well as some very big differences between these two attractive sports.

As ping pong is also known as table tennis, ping pong and tennis must have many traits in common.

Typically, they are both popular sports worldwide becuase nothing is easier than fiding a tennis court or a ping pong table in any gym. Besides, the equipments in both sports is very similar in appearance and function. Both two games involve balls and rackets of different sizes; moreover, the tennis court and ping pong table look almost identical from a bird’s eye view. With a net lying in the center of the field, it is divided into two separate sections.

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Likewise, ping pong and tennis have several similar rules, especially when it comes to the aspect of scoring. No matter ping pong ball or tennis ball, it is meant to be bounced off from the opponent’s side of the field; therefore, players standing in or behind their respective section is responsible for making sure the ball does not hit the ground twice before they make a good return. In short, if the ball from a player goes out of bounds or the ball hits his own ground twice before he can catch it, his opponent will score.

Also, both two types of sports include singles and doubles and most players are well-known. In the game of tennis Novak Djokovic is considered to be the most skillful player in the world; one who also has reached the total domination is the NO.1 ping pong player, Ma Long. Athletes from both games show common attitudes in the fact that they are so competitive and are perfectionists when it comes to execution.

However, there exists some clear differences between tennis and ping pong when paying close attention to them. Though tennis and ping pong feature similar equipments, both ping pong bat and ball are much smaller and lighter than tennis’s. Besides, the tennis racket consists of nets while ping pong paddle is made of wood covered with rubber and sponge. Additionally, a tennis court is almost as 20 times large as a ping pong table, which means tennis needs players with top physical condition. Nervertheless, ping pong players don’t need to have extreme requirment in shape because they do not have to move around as much as tennis players do. There are also some differences in rules, to some extent. For instance, in pong pong game the ball must bounce on one’s own side of table before hitting back; on the contrary, tennis doesn’t need that extra bounce. Apart from that, tennis consists of the best of three sets for female and the best of five sets for male, as opposed to the best of seven sets in ping pong game. Last but not least, the biggest difference between the two games can be learned by asking a simple question--- what makes a great tennis or ping pong player? As mentioned earlier, ping pong uses a smaller ball, paddle, and playing field, which indicates that players have to rely less on their athletic abilities and more on their reflexes. That is not the same case in tennis game, where tennis players must put a great amount of force behind their swings if they want to deal a powerful return. It’s not hard to find that most tennis players, especially seeded players in the Grand Slam, are from western contries because they have much better physical condions than Asians. In contrast, Asians, particularly Chinese, has dominated ping pong games in last 10 years due to their quick reflexes.

All in all, both tennis and ping pong have their own unique charm and that’s why they can appeal to a great mumber of fans.