What is Basement Ping-Pong? by Greg Letts

While you can ask 10 different players and probably get 10 different opinions, I'm going to start this article by explaining exactly what I mean when I talk about basement ping-pong. While originally deriving from the simple fact that many people play at home, often in their basement, some players now use that term in a derogatory sense, implying that basement players aren't "real" table tennis players. I don't mean that at all, although it is true that most basement players are much more casual about the sport than serious players.

For me, the distinction between basement ping-pong and serious play is marked by several factors, none of which are the single defining issue. Here's what I consider to be the main differences:

1. Equipment - the first thing that will give other players a clue about whether you are a basement or serious player is your table tennis bat. I'll explain more about this in another article, but as a rule of thumb the racket used by basement players is generally going to be different to rackets used by more serious players in 2 ways:
• it's going to have less power, especially when trying to spin the ball, and
• it's going to provide much less spin.
While both are important for advanced play, it's the lack of spin that prevents basement players from being able to consistently play the advanced strokes used by serious players (such as theloop, powerloop, chop, and flick).

Note also that you can be a new player and buy an expensive custom racket and still play basement table tennis since you won't be able to use it properly, or you could buy a cheap racket and play advanced table tennis - it's just that it is much easier to perform the advanced techniques with a custom racket that is designed to provide extra power and spin. But these custom rackets are harder to control if you have not been taught how to handle them.

2. Technique - more than anything else, I would say that this is the real difference between basement and advanced players. There are a handful of advanced strokes that serious players use that basement players don't. These techniques require a great deal of extra time and effort to master, and are much easier (but still not easy) to perform with custom rackets that provide extra power and spin. An experienced player can look at an unfamiliar player and estimate his level by watching the person's technique when playing different strokes, and more importantly by how he puts those strokes together during a rally.

The above two points make up the bulk of the differences between basement and advanced players, but there are some other factors to consider as well, including:

3. Training - most serious players will train on a regular basis, usually once or twice a week at a minimum. Some advanced players no longer train regularly, preferring to perhaps just play games at their local club once a week. But it's a good bet that they didn't get to that standard without a lot of training hours under their belt. In contrast, basement players tend to just play endless games against each other, or even just enjoy rallying with each other for those who aren't looking for competition. Which leads us to:
4. Competition - while I know that beating your family, friends and work buddies can sometimes be the fiercest of battles, that is usually where the competition stops for basement players. Most serious players seek out other opponents to conquer (and socialize with!), attending clubs and organized competitions on a regular basis.
5. Conditions - playing at home or at work can be a bit of a crap shoot in terms of playing conditions. Sometimes you have to work around the lack of space or pieces of furniture in the way. Sometimes the furniture can be useful, allowing you to cramp your opponent's swing, or maybe lean against the furniture yourself when you are off-balance. Sometimes the table has dents or drink rings that you can aim for. But for serious play, good lighting, quality tables and plenty of space are needed.
6. Rules - competition play has rules laid out by the ITTF that are supposed to be followed strictly, although in practice you will often find that some of these rules are bent or broken due to the lack of umpires available to control matches. In basement play, "house rules" are common, such as the skunk rule or even playing matches up to 21 points instead of the modern 11 points. At home, you can play any rules you like, as long as you are having fun!

And speaking of fun, that should be at least one thing that both basement players and serious players have in common. Regardless of rackets, rules or time spent training, no matter whether you play once a month or five times a week, you should be having fun while playing ping-pong. Whether in the basement or the stadium, table tennis is a great sport to be enjoyed by all.