Facts/Trivia/Information

A new robot enters…

Watch Google’s Ping-Pong robot pull off a 340-hit rally

I realize these type of stories appear on a frequent basis, but it is always a good reminder.

“I’m a Longevity Doctor, and I Always Recommend This Game for a Longer, Healthier Life”

I’ve posted similar articles before, but this is a good collection of health advantages of ping pong.

A couple years ago, I posted a comparison of the weight of table tennis balls. Now that we have a new generation of balls, I figured I’d generate a new comparison. These are the four most recent balls I’ve purchased. I used a professional scale to weigh two balls of each type and find the mean.

First, the ITTF requirements

The official rules state that the ball shall weigh 2.7g, but any weight between 2.67 and 2.77g is acceptable for any one ball. No more than 1 ball out of the 24 sampled may be outside this range. The sample mean must be between 2.69 and 2.76g.

Second, the data

My data is based on weighing 2 balls of each variety, then doing a mean. So, yes, I have a smaller quantity sample (ITTF requirements are based on 24 balls), but I’m guessing that my random two balls measurement is representative. All balls were within the mean, so the weight difference between the balls is pretty damn small. All 40+.

Results

Nittaku 40+ Premium White
2.714g

Nittaku 40+ Orange Nexcel
2.761g

Butterfly R40+
2.725g

DHS DJ40+
2.750g

Not really a big difference, but once again, the Nittaku 40+ Premium are the lightest. Weight isn’t the only variable that makes a great ball, but it is the only one I can measure.

I recently updated the list of places to play with a few more Bay Area options I should have added long ago.

Though I knew there were many public places to play table tennis around the world, I recently discovered there is a new twist: organized amateur competitions. It started in Barcelona and has spread to London and other European cities and towns. In addition, there is a StreetTT app and website which is helping to organize amateurs who want to compete without all the usual training and stress. Seems like a fun idea though I’m not sure the Santa Cruz area has enough public tables to put us on the map. As of last check, the towns involved were all in Europe, but I can see this spreading throughout the world.

Check out The Street Table Tennis Phenomenon for more information.

No exciting news. Just a reminder for anyone 12 and over: go get vaccinated! Then, go play some table tennis!

All the info you need.

There may not be the number of songs inspired by table tennis that there are about soccer/football, but here’s a playlist I made on YouTube. In this case, some of the songs just have the sounds of table tennis, some of them just use it for the video, and some are just dumb. There are jazz songs going way back to the 1920s and 1930s which have yet to make an appearance on YouTube. I will keep adding to the playlist and if you have any suggestions that I missed, please send me a message or post a comment below. I can’t guarantee these are all safe for work, but most of us are home at the moment.

Hope everyone is staying safe. I know we’re all craving a return to normal life and playing at the club.