The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-05
PING PO.NG.
The Latest Graz In Indoor Games.

There il a brand new game in town.
In England, where il has been in vogue
rome time, it is known as ping-pong; over
here II is called table tennis Table tennis
is not particularly new, but his table tennis
is so new here that il is jet being taken
up in this city and Is scarcely known outside
OF New York, which gets all good things
first. In England ping pong is a craze
Old people play Il, their sens and daughters
play it and their sons and daughters sons
and daughters play il. From old age to
childhood hundreds have suocrmbod to
its destinations II is a winter gome-an
indoor game-but may be played in any
season and the utensils for playing II re-
| quire but a small outlay of money. The
Harvard Club has just put in two sets. 1t
has been prophesied that the gone VIII
sweep the country here az 1t has in England,
and that interest in II will become as wide
spread as in golf. Whether II has the wear
ing qualities of golf remains 70 be seen,
So far, the game here has been confined
largely TO the fashionable set, that set which
when II takes up a thing has many ioi-
lowers. A big sporting goods concern
here sold about sl50,000 worth OF table
tennis paraphernalia between Ihanksgiv-
ing and Christmas. and the game was not
introduced hero till this fall.
The game Is simplicity itself. 1t is play
able on an ordinary dining room table
II is lawn tennis in miniature with a few
notifications. Anet supported by movable
posts Is stretched across the table and the
ball is batted back and forth across the net
The PLAYING surface ia not subdivided into
courts as in lawn tennis. All you have
to do is to knock the ball back and forth
over the net. The implement OF propulsion
Is much the same as a tennis racquet, II
is smaller, and instead Of gut strings a single
piece of vellum is used, tightly stretched,
as a drumhead. When the ball strikes,
his there is a musical ring, a clear, bell-hke
ping-pong sound which gave the game
its English name. You hit the ball with a
ping, IL comes flying back with a pong and
b tween the music Of the contract and the
spryness required to ratu n the ball, your
ears, ewes and mn; cles are kept busy.
The ball is an important factor In the
game, The nature Of its construction has
had much TO do with making the game
possible and popular, The ball Is hollow
and made OF celluloid. 1t is a very lively
ball. as full OF bouncing qualities as q rubber
ball. and moreover Is 80 light that 1t will
net break glass. Being paratively
harmless when 1t hits anything. It's light
ness is It's chief recommendation. The
rules Of the new table tennis say tn at a
dining room table about nine TO seven feet
long and half the width is the best to play
on: also that warming the battledores OF
racuuets slightly before the fire will
improve their elasticity The warming
course cannot be recommended for the
hills since the latter are made Of oelluloid
and heat might result in their speedy van
ishment.
Two persons play the game. One Is the
server, the other the striker out. After
tho first game the server becomes the
striker-out and vice versa. Only under
hand service is permitted and there Is nc
second service as In lawn tennis. On the
whole the rules are much the same as lawn
tennis. One important exception. how
ever. is that no volleying is allowed. There
are deuce" and love" and sets and all
that sort Of thing. The London Field In
an exhaustive article on ping-pong says:
More than one cxc.lisrt samc has failed
already nrnly establi'hed f~avorite. but In
ehIle S' for OF 1 RtNG rrSiic ye nH iSGn ,o sa' bbilhIliGsrd..
is by no means TO be rauged by the number
o. PEOPLE rl9yiRs GiySn the fnGllttl"s and
hut u billiard room in every semi-detGch ed
villa l. a. impossible ne n private theltre.
Without suggesting that ~ping-ponr, rs O
gaw~, l. En- the rcmotest manner comparable
to billiards, il is. ncverthaless. tho fact that,
billiards. bong impossible n the ordinary
household. the new game steps in 70 satisfy
q l~org-frlt craving for m evening Amuse-
mott T~rtHiirg physical exercise OF an mex
acting nHturc
Wherever human h'inrs assemble there
the pi0r and the pong ~ the vellum racket
is hard and no place - now deemed inap-
pror-iytH for n pi1~-ponr table No longer
T. m question rsk"d. DO you play ping
porEF" for. not being lnme. halt. or blind.
you 90 - o mHttnr 81 course perhaps merely
~ 70 Sa'f-p-ot"Ctlvo measure In many casrs
Earnest bridge players are dolichtad with
tho piuC-unng crHZ". we believe, for IL has
r'lio,rd n m Of tho butterfly element Tint
affected Itirp merely because IL WAS the
Fashionable thing to DO These play ping
pong with much r%rest"r ycst. and certainly
Win mt los sLill, because that would be
irr's-il il
There is talk % an association 10 formu-
late universal rules Tor tho game IN Eng
land also - allowing the volley On this
point the Fidd tlys
patA,p. q D. tauH INT that hy This MEANS
IrDt-1stsd pot, NUl nauze 90 be- Rsfts
~ IU1 md even 200 strokr~ oc'Ir with eau
uuu, ulgy,r-. N'o somehow Triumph Over
'IH hrlllrrf ONES, hni those nTc fscid'dly
wprutlfuu- - .I.,f.fur. hut ~. oLly
r.s o. nov. Hur .HrH u.s. Z. tho Am Z. ~
tls rruo 30. vuii'v Ul INT be- sn.,tuaI
H.f u D.. e. rfH.H o. D." f"f.l e. fIn b0ll-, ur-
.n u..,. ! I- irtrHHu..d NhHt tbn ,oysr,d
hHh 90 frr Dr. 800 t.rrls rr" oliulpid boil
aUt ualu fuf o.. E-l"IE