Evening star., 1947-06-18
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trace,UeH


In the old days people spoke of 1t as ping
pong, now they call it table tennis, but it is
a good game, whatever you call it.
It's best feature for the average oldster is
It's eye training.
The constant, easy movement Of the eyes
Is natural looking at its best, and some do
say that the eyes are always good when they
look naturally.
It is strain, combined with the poker face
so many adults adopt, that causes so much
eye trouble.
One school of thought has it that by using
the eyes as children use them constantly in
easy motion, even the eyes of older people
can be soothed and freed from many troubles.
Table tennis does 1t.
1t Is impossible to think about using the
eyes in this game. One just uses them, that
is all. The very size of the playing field secures
a constant movement of the eye muscles.
The ball must be followed, and followed
1t is, with every muscle of the eye system in
operation. All Is done without conscious
thought Now conscious thought is wonderful,
but here are some operations in which 1t
merely gets in the way.
Looking, one may believe, is one of them.
By taking thought 1t Is easy to learn how to
look, according to the system of central hxa-
ton, as 1t is called, but with many persons
certain nervousness is aroused If too much
direct thought is put on the matter.
some. just as a dog shakes of water, but with
others 1t seems to be impossible. They have
to give over the undertaking
The good thing about table tennis is that
1t enables one to go on with this training
without in the least thinking about it.
Too much reading in big books even by
famous authors, will do little for eye training
If the person is given case of the jitters by
his study. Since calming the nerves Is the
very essence of the work, any part of the body
so affected will react on the eyes.
1t will be found that many persons af-
ficted with eye difficulties are in the sedentary
class This Is only natural Even the most
sedentary will not dispute the need for physical
activity. The trouble is that so many modern
occupations and living habits take one so far
away from the life of the pioneers In time
one builds up habit of little physical mo-
tion. Thinking, here, often leads to little
results. 1t is not thinking one needs, but mo-
ton, and that is the very thing one finds so
hard to do. One is reminded of the honest
person who advises him who is afraid to mot
be afraid" Yes, but how?
Table tennis is good old game. We can
recall when it first came in, as ping pong that
delightfully."- alliterative manufactured name
, which SO pleased the people of the gay '90s.
1t was good game then, 1t is good game
now. Today it is played on elaborate tables,
made especially for the purpose, but the dining
room table can be reuuisitioned now as then.
Almost any fairly large rectangular table
may be used We know of one family which
uses very small maple table. 1t is not large
enough, but the experts stand away back from
the edge, anyway, so what difference does it
make?
The great advantage of this miniature tennis
over regular tennis and other sports, as far
as the eyes are concerned, lies in its smallness.
This confines the eyes and makes them fly
around But that is not all. The small size
of the field necessitates more careful watching
of the flying white pellet. The time is short,
very short, from tap OF the paddle to tap
on the table. One must look here. there and
everywhere, without thought and without wait
ing round of table tennis will give sur
prisingly good workout to the muscles, but its
chief benefit lies in eye exercise. If that is
what you need it can be secured easily and
pleasantly in a good game.
Outdoor table tennis ought to be played
more. Even badminton does not offer the eye
ease this sport does. The fact that the light
ball would be blown by the wind would add to
the fun. What workout the eyes would get.
then!