Table tennis players utilize a table tennis racket (also called as a "paddle," "bat," or "club"). It does not have strings spread over an open frame like a traditional "racket." The name "paddle" is often used in the United States, whereas "bat" is used in Europe and Asia, and "racket" is the official ITTF term. However, all these terms mean the same thing: a club with a flat face used for hitting a ball. The word "paddle" comes from the French word "pied-de-nez," which means "foot stick." This refers to the fact that when playing foot volleyball, if you want to get the ball away from your partner, you use your feet to hit it back toward them. Paddle tennis was originally known as "foot tennis" too. In this sport, you use your feet to hit the ball instead of a paddle. In 1755, an Englishman named John Hoadly invented the first rackets for golf. These were made out of wood and had pegs along one side to help hold the balls while they were being hit. But it wasn't until about 70 years later that the modern table tennis racket came into existence. In 1872, a German named Gottlieb Daimler invented a rackettized table for use in a public park named Berlin City Park. It was this table that started the table tennis boom in Germany!