Let's Go Watch...Table Tennis?
Table Tennis. A sport where quick reactions and fast body movement are combined.
The rubber on the paddles generates spin, making the ball harder to receive. Players have to
read the spin, choose how to receive the ball, place it where they want, and reset their bodies to do it again.
This requires a reaction time second only to F1.
Table tennis all started when two British tennis players got bored and decided to create a bite-sized version of tennis on a table. It was originally played with cigar box lids and wine bottle corks. Later in its creation, James Gibb traveled to America and discovered the ball we all know and love today. The name we all recognize it by was created by the sound the ball made when it hit the table.
The International Table Tennis Federation ITTF started in Berlin and London, making the table size rules and the paddle rules. There are many table tennis leagues around the world.
There are also many tournaments. Collegiate players play against each other in college tournaments hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association.
And soon in our area you'll have the opportunity to watch it live. The Chicago Wind from Major League Table Tennis play hosts to teams from across the nation in week two of the 2026-2027 season. The games take place at Compass Arena in Willowbrook on September 25, 26 and 27. For more information and tickets, visit the MLTT ticket page by clicking here.
Take a sneak peek at what you might see with these highlights from week one of the 2026-2027 in Fremont, California.
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