Welcome to the 'Terms' section of this website, over here, you will get to know of most of the table tennis terms. Beginners are advised to look through the whole list. You may want to use TiAn's Search Machine to search for terms too. If the term you are looking for is not in my Terms list, you can send me an email. Rest assured I will add it asap! (You can also enter a single alphabet to look at the terms starting with this letter.)
American grip - a.k.a. Seemiller grip (refer to Seemiller grip)
Antispin - An inverted rubber sheet that stops the spin when in contact with a ball. It is very effective against spin. It is mostly used by defensive players.
Attack - A style of play that is usually associated with players who drive and spin the ball at speed.
Backhand - A shot done with the bat to the left of the left elbow for right handers and right of the right elbow for left handers. It is usually done with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke.
Backspin - One of the 4 main types of spin. Backspin balls spins away from you when it touches the table. Chopping the ball produces this spin.
Back-step - An effective way of moving backwards.
Best of three - A match is won when either sides has 2 games (or sets).
Best of five - A match is won when either side has 3 games (or sets). E.g. 21-14, 11-21, 21-19, 19-21, 22-20
Blade - The wooden part of the bat made of several layers of plywood.
Block - A quick return of an aggressive drive done by holding the bat in the ball's path.
Blocker - A style of play where the player's primary shot is blocking.
Centre line - A thin line of about 3mm wide running down the middle of the table. It is used to indicate the service area during a doubles match.
Chop - A defensive return imparting a high degree of backspin, usually done away from the table.
Chop block - A block where the bat is chopped down to counter a topspin shot.
Chopping - A style of play where the player's primary shot is chopping.
Closed racket - The racket position in which the hitting surface is aimed downward with the top edge leaning away from you.
Counter topspin - A stroke played that imparts the ball with topspin, played in response to the same stroke by an opponent.
Crossover - A style of footwork for covering the wide forehand.
Deep - 1. A ball that bounces on the opponents side if the table very close to the endline. 2. A serve or backspin shot so low that it would not bounce twice on the opponent's side of the table if given the chance.
Default - Being disqualified from a match for any reason.
Double bounce - A ball bounces twice before the player hits the ball. The receiver loses the point.
Drive - A stroke that imparts the ball with heavy topspin. It can be delivered from both backhand and forehand sides.
Down the line - A ball that is hit along one side of the table, parallel to the sidelines. It is usually used to describe services that are parallel to sidelines of the table.
Drop shot - A shot that is placed very near the net.
Expedite rule - refer to RuLeS Forehand - A stroke delivered with the bat on the right of the elbow for right handers and left of the elbow for left handers.
Freehand - Opposite of playing hand. (i.e. the hand not holding that bat.)
Flat - A fast ball that has no spin. To return this shot, the bat is held perpendicular to the table.
Flick - striking the ball with an open bat using a swift movement of the wrist.
Half volley - A ball played very early in its bounce.
Inverted sponge - a.k.a. Smooth rubber. A sheet of pimpled rubber on top of a layer of sponge. The pimples (or pips) point inward, toward the sponge.
ITTF - International Table Tennis Federation. The governing body for world table tennis.
Kill - a.k.a. smash. A shot designed to win the rally by hitting the ball as hard as possible.
Let - If play is interrupted for any reason during a rally, a let is called and the point does not count.
Let serve - A 'let' called during a serve when the ball touches the net.
Loop - A heavy topspin shot that dips in its flight. Looper - A style of play where the primary shot is the loop.
Long service - A service which the ball, having bounced on the opponent's court bounces outside of the opponent's court.
Match - A two of three or three out of five games contest.
Neutral position - A position of the bat held in such a way that allows the fastest response to play a forehand or backhand.
Net - refer to let.
Open racket - A racket position in which the hitting surface is aimed up upward, with the top edge of the bat leaning toward you.
Penhold grip - otherwise known as the "Oriental" grip is a style of holding the bat.
Playing the first - playing the ball from the opponent's service or from the return of the player's own service.
Pips - Small conical bits of rubber that cover a sheet of table tennis rubber.
Pips-out - Opposite of inverted.
Playing surface - The top of the table including the edges.
Push - A short basic stroke used to contain and control play, often during the early part of a rally.
Robot - A ball throwing machine used to practise a certain stroke. The user can set the frequencies, spins and directions.
Rally - To and fro hitting of a ball, starting with a serve and ending when a point is won.
Rating - A number assigned to all players on the competitive level. The better the player, the smaller the number.
Receive - The return of a serve.
Rubber - The racket covering. Service - The first stroke that begins a rally.
Seemiller grip - The kind of grip often used in the United States. It is named after a 5 time U.S. National Champion Dan Seemiller, who developed it. (This kind of grip is not mentioned in my website, but click here to find out more.)
Smash - Ball hit with great deal of strength and speed such that the opponent is unable to make a return. Sidespin - A type of spin most effectively used in services.
Spin - Rotation of a ball around its own axis while in motion. The 4 different types of spins include topspin, backspin, left and right side spins.
Side step - It is the most effective way of moving parallel to the end line of the table.
Stop block - A method of returning a heavy topspin shot by receiving close the net. Stop block alters the spin of the ball and the momentum of play.
STTA - Singapore Table Tennis Association
Short service - A service that crosses the net and bounces on the opponent's court without leaving the opponent's court.
Sponge - A bouncy material between the rubber and the blade.
Topspin - A form of spin which makes the ball rotate away from you.
Two step footwork - The most popular kind of footwork style. Click here to find out more…
Twiddle - A technique used during match play. It involves turning the bat so that both surfaces are used.
Volley - To hit the ball before it bounces on your side of the table. This results in immediate loss of point.
