Last Updated on August 6, 2024
It is a common myth that some sports resemble each other. Most people consider basketball and football to be in the same category; some are confused between baseball and cricket. However, it is notable that all sports differ based on some integral differences in rules, equipment, playing surface, and player numbers. Racquet sports are a family; they have one thing in common: racquets.
Different Table Tennis from any other Racquet Sports
The famous Table Tennis, or Ping Pong, sometimes merged into Tennis, Badminton, and even Squash.
These sports involve two players on both sides holding racquets and smashing a ball on a specific surface.
However, this does not make these games the same.
Here are some of the basic and core differences among all sports that distinguish them from each other and specify Table Tennis as an independent sport.
Court
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about racquet sports is the court or playing area. All racquet sports, such as badminton, lawn tennis, and squash, have a designated court.
For badminton, there is a solid surface court with a net aligned in between, while for squash, there is a glass-enclosed room like the court.
For lawn tennis, the specific lawn based courts are there to play lawn tennis. Compared to these sports, table tennis does not require a particular area to play; it is just an appropriate table tennis table.
It is a remote and easy-to-manage sport played on a rectangular table with a center divider.
There is no need for a ground or court to play table tennis; it can be played indoors or outdoors.
You need to set up a table, and then you can go with it.
It is a low-maintenance, easy-to-setup racquet sport that does not require a heavy investment or a designated place.
RACQUETS
Another big difference among all the racquet sports is the racquet itself.
The racquets are commonly internally hollow and filled with a string net for squash, badminton, and lawn tennis. The stretch of the strings varies by sport.
For badminton, racquets are lighter and come with soft but tight strings.
For law tennis and squash, racquets are a bit heavy and solid, and their strings are even more vital to handle the ball.
In table tennis, the racquet is termed a paddle. It is very different from the rest. It is a 17cm long and 15cm wide paddle made of wooden blades and covered with rubber on both sides.
There are no strings in it, and the rubber coverings provide the bounce to a ball on the table.
Sometimes, rubber elasticity on both sides is different to provide a player with a variation of bounce in the game.
BALLS
For table tennis, the ball used is comparatively lighter and smaller than the other sports balls.
It can resemble the size of the squash ball, but its texture and material are very different.
It weighs just 2.7 grams, is internally hollow, and is made of plastic fiber. It is not bouncy that keeps it on the table, but the table, paddle and the ball make a bounce during the game combine.
On the other hand, a heavy ball made of vulcanized rubber is used for lawn tennis, and the case is similar to squash.
In badminton, there is no ball but a shuttle made of feathers and foam. It is lighter in weight but flies high when hit with the badminton racquet.
SPEED
The most crucial difference between racquet sports is the speed of the game and the players. In table tennis, the players must also be fast and responsive.
The playing surface area is limited and small; the ball is not bouncy but light in weight and quick with movements, so the players must take turns fast to get scores.
Squash comes on the second number in the speed; it involves a great fight from the players on both sides.
They have to continue the walls but not the floor, requiring precision and practice.
In the case of lawn tennis, the game is relatively slow, but players struggle.
In the last, we have badminton, which is comparatively slower but an exciting game.
PLAYER’S SKILLSET
One of the major differences in all the racquet games is the player’s skill set.
All the players from these sports need to have practice and skills of their kind.
Handling the ball, covering the court or table, and gripping the racquet or paddle are different in all these games.
Players need practice and precision in their respective games to succeed.
