Last Updated on October 20, 2023
It is a common myth that all sports resemble each other, is it?
Most people consider basketball and football to be of the same category and some are confused between baseball and cricket.
It is a notable fact that all sports are different from each other based on some integral differences.
The racquet-based sports are a family, they have one thing in common and it is racquet.
In reality, this one common factor is far more different in each racquet-based sport.
Different of Table Tennis from any other Racquet Sports
The famous Table Tennis also is known as Ping Pong sometimes merged to Tennis, Badminton, and even Squash.
Apparently, 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 in fact similar.
Here are some of the basic and core differences among all sports that make them different from each other and specify the Table Tennis as an independent sport.
Court
The very first thing that comes in racquet sports is the court or the playing area. All the racquet sports like 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 is designed.
For the lawn tennis, the specific lawn based courts are there to play lawn tennis. In comparison to these sports for table tennis, there is no proper court required.
It is one of the remote and easy to manage sport that is played on a rectangular table with a center divider.
There is no need for ground, or court to play table tennis, it can be played indoors as well as outdoors as well.
You need to just set up a table and then you are good to go with it.
It is one of the low maintenance and easy to setup racquet sport that does not require much of heavy investment or designated place.
RACQUETS
Another big difference among all the racquet sports is the racquet itself.
For squash, badminton and lawn tennis, the racquets are commonly internal hollow and filled with a string net. The stretch of the strings is based on the sport.
For badminton, racquets are lighter in weight and come with soft but tight strings.
For law tennis and squash, racquets are a bit heavy, solid and their strings are even stronger to handle the ball.
In the case of table tennis, the racquet is termed as a paddle. It is very different from the rest, it is a 17cm long and 15cm wide paddle make of wooden blade and covered with rubber from both sides.
There are no strings in it and the rubber coverings provide the bounce to a ball on the table.
Rubber elasticity on both sides is different sometimes to provide a player with a variation of bounce in the game.
BALLS
For table tennis, the ball used is comparatively lighter and smaller to the other sports balls.
It can resemble the size of the squash ball but its texture and material are very different.
It just weighs 2.7 grams, internally hollow and makes of fiber plastic. It is not bouncy that keeps it on the table but the table, paddle and the ball makes a bounce during the game combine.
While on the other hand for lawn tennis there is a heavy ball used made of vulcanized rubber and in squash, the case is next to similar.
While in badminton, there is no ball but a shuttle made of feathers and foam. It is lighter in weight but flies high when got a hit with the badminton racquet.
SPEED
The most important thing that matters is the difference between the racquet-based sports is the speed of the game and player as well. In table tennis, the players need to be fast and responsive too.
The playing surface area is limited and small; the ball is not bouncy but light in weight and quick with movements so the players have to take their turns fast so they can 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 and it requires precision and practice.
On the case of lawn tennis, the game is quite slow but there is a struggle of players.
In the last, we have badminton that is comparatively slower but an interesting game in it.
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 own kind.
Handling the ball, covering the court or table and grip on racquet or paddle is different in all these games.
Players need practice and precision in their respective game to success.
