Although training and technique play a bigger role, the type of ping pong ball used may also affect your table tennis game. Known casually as pingpong, table tennis is fast-paced Olympic sport that many Americans play recreationally in their own homes. While some differences among balls are only superficial, others affect a ball's movement and purpose.
Make
Since 2001, International Table Tennis Federation ping pong balls are 40 mm in diameter and weigh 2.7 grams. Ping pong balls are completely hollow on the inside. Prior to 2001, ITTF used slightly smaller balls, which were 38 mm in diameter. The Table Tennis Master website explains that ITTF changed its standards because the larger balls are slower in the air, making the game easier to follow on television. Currently, 44-mm balls are produced for an even slower game.
Quality
Ping pong balls are rated on a quality scale of no stars up to three stars. The International Table Tennis Federation, or ITTF, uses three star balls because they are supposed to be of the highest quality and meet the federation's standards. High quality balls should consistently bounce and fly the same, whereas low quality balls are less predictable. However, some three-tar balls do not carry the ITTF's stamp of approval. According to One of A Kind Trading Reviews, which specializes in table tennis equipment, one- and three-star balls are often three-star balls that did not meet the three-star standards upon inspection.
Colors
Orange and white are the only colors used by the ITTF, but other ping pong balls come in an array of colors, including glow-in-the-dark. The color of the ball should not affect its play unless the color does not stand out from its surroundings. A green ball may blend in with a green table, making it harder to track and hit. Printed with business logos, funny quotes or cartoon characters, customized ping pong balls are often given as gifts or promotional giveaways.
Cost
The cost of ping pong balls depends on the quality and brand of the balls. When sold in bulk, the cost per ball is generally cheaper, but the casual player likely does not have a need for 144 balls. Online retailers sell six-pack, three-star balls for as low as $7 in 2010. Brands that are used in international competition are more expensive than brands only sanctioned for club play, for example. Custom ping pong balls cost at least double a standard ball, in some cases. Generic, no star balls are the least expensive.
Purpose
The ping pong ball serves many purposes for the creative individual. Although generally used for a game of table tennis, ping pong balls are also commonly used in beer pong, a drinking game. In classrooms, ping pong balls are used in science experiments to demonstrate force, gravity and aerodynamics, among other properties. At carnivals, you can try your luck at tossing a ping pong ball into a fishbowl to win a goldfish. For purposes other than table tennis, low quality balls should suffice.
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