For the first and hopefully not the last time this year, I was asked out for a sport. Kayleigh’s uncle Steve, suggested a game of ping pong, and as it was still freezing outside, I took up the challenge. I was tempted by the Bounce bar in London, but unlike bowling, pool or darts, I don’t think consuming alcohol would improve my game at all, so we went for the Basingstoke Sports Centre, to play on a table set up in a dance studio.
In my opinion, table tennis is the best of the four main racket/paddle sports; it doesn’t take long before you can start playing reasonably quick rallies and feel like you’ve reached a good standard. My tactic is normally just to keep returning everything, almost as if the opponent had folded up my half of the table, and wait until they hit one out, which often seems to work. The longer you play though, the more confident you get with trying different shots like the slice backhand ones and really going for the smashes when you have the chance.
The game was a best of five, and I ended up narrowly taking a 3-2 win after being down 2-1. There were a few decent rallies, and Steve was consistently finding the back edge of the table in the second and third games, playing some unreturnable shots, but his radar deserted him in games four and five and I claimed the inagural and probably only Man vs Sport Table Tennis Shield.
First timer's recommendation – A good one to play on holiday, even the permanent outdoor tables can be decent if it’s not too windy. You look much better to anyone watching if you stand really far back from the table, and do one of those serves where you hide the ball in you palm before hitting it.
Enjoyment - 85%
Success - 70%
Will try again - Yes
