Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-03-28
HOMEMADE PING PONG.
Some Directions for Making Complete Outfit
for Table Tennis.

for Table Tennis.
OF all the indoor games that the
writer has tried-and he has tackled
about all of them-none have proved
such jolly good fun as table tennis, or,
as the English call it, Ping Pong"
A first'class ping pong outfit, with
two rackets that are perfect little ten
mis- rackets on a small scale. will cost
about 81 at the shop. When it comes
to very cheap set you can probably
make at home just as good an outfit
and maybe better.
First, as to the rackets: In Eng
land the kind most favored have GEN.
ters of parchment like a drumhead,
from which the ball rebounds with
that humming, ping.pong sound
which gives the game its name.
The writer prefers the string racket.
Pieces of rattan soaked a while in
steaming hot water to make them
supple, make good racket frames. A
wooden handle, followed out at the end
with grooves for the rattan frame to
fit in is simply constructed. In
stringing. the string used on banjo
would be about right. Two strings for
each racket should be enough.
These strings should be thoroughly
soaked and then used while still wet.
Do not string too tightly, for if you do
when the strings dry and shrink they
will pull the frame all out of shape.
String first across and then up and
down exactly as in regulation
racket. In making a support for
your net couple Of yards of heavy
telegraph wire will answer. Take
each length and double and bend.
This of itself may not be quite stanch
enough to hold the net taut, but BY
running q cord from the top of one
wire support down and under the
table to the top of the other support
you should be able to obtain the nec-
essary amount of rigidity. The net
itself should be about six inches high
from the table, and should clear the
table enough to allow the ball to pass
easily under it. Any material will do
for the net, though a gauze or netting
OF some kind bound at the top with
an inch or two of white tape is best.
As to the table itself, it should be
simply q smooth and fiat surface about
5xlO feet or say 4x8 feet.
The game is played exactly as ten.
mis- is played, except that there is but
one court on either side of the net.
If the ball strikes the very edge OF
the table and so bounces off in such
way that return is impossible, call it
an ledger" and serve over again.
The method OF securing is the same
as in tennis. One rule of the old game
which is barred because OF the narrow
bounds volleying. A ball can never
be returned except on the bounce.
Pickups, however, are allowable. An.
other strict ruling of ping pong is that
no overland strokes are allowed; the
hand must never be raised above the
height of the elbow. Also, the serve
must be delivered from a point beyond
the end OF the table.
The tennis experts and all-round
athletes have devised new sort OF
racket that makes of this parlor game
. rather strenuous and exciting affair.
The racket is simply a wooden pad.
die OF about the same outside dimen.
sions as the ping pong strung racket;
that is, about six inches in diameter
roughly speakfng-the handle being
of any desired length.
The paddle part is not of one piece
with the handle, as it would break or
split too easily. The handle is spliced
on. The paddle-on one side or both
according to how you play, is COW
cred with emery cloth or paper glued
on carefully. With this rough sur
face you can cut the ball or give the
Lawford" stroke in splendid fashion.
AS to balls, the best are those made
of cellulOid, which can be bought at
any sporting or toy store for q few
cents apiece.
This ping pong is really a great
game, and we think it has come to
stay.