The pace can be fast and furious or slow and easy. The white ball is sometimes nothing more than a blur as it zips from one side of the table to the other.
The UW table tennis club caters both to players seeking competitive play and those who want some light-hearted fun. With around 30 members total, the club always has games going on.
This semester, the club practices in the Skylight Lounge of the Union from 6-9 p.m. on Mondays and 2 – 5 p.m. on Saturdays, club secretary Jason Lai said.
With both recreational and competitive players, the club reaches out to all types of interested table tennis players. At their club meetings, they tend to reserve one table for competitive play while the other two tables are used for recreational and relaxed play, Lai said.
Although the membership is made up mostly of males, the club is coed with several female players.
“Despite the extreme ratio though, one of our top players (and current club president) is female,” Lai said.
Meetings tend to be open and members come and play when it is convenient. Members come at different times during different sessions; and meetings are open play, Lai said.
During these meetings, open play follows king of the hill rules.
“People can challenge any of the three tables by placing their paddles on the side of the table. When the table is challenged, the players on the table start a match within five minutes. The winner of the game is given the option to play the next challenger.” Lai said.
Friendships within the club often extend outside of the table tennis realm. Club members will often meet together outside the club, despite not having official non-table tennis gatherings, Lai said.
There are many misconceptions about table tennis. Newcomers generally do not realize that table tennis is a really tough sport, Lai said.
Competitive play requires a strong set of abs, quads, and claves to generate speed and spin in their strokes as well as fast reflexes for reaction, Lai said.
“The ball can easily reach over 40 miles per hour, which is very difficult to follow over the short distance of a table tennis table,” Lai said.
China idolizes professional table tennis players the same way Americans idolize National Basketball Association and National Football League players. Americans in general consider table tennis to be a light-hearted game to play for fun, Lai said.
Some club members seek to play in competitive tournaments; however, these tournaments are not directly affiliated with the club, said Lai. The club does provide information about outside tournaments if members are interested. Lai said the club likes to go down to Fort Collins to participate in a local tournament once a month.
“Every meeting is a good memory in the club. It’s hard to pick out one specific event,” Lai said.
