We’ve all played in someone’s basement, attic, or “rec-room.” If the word “rec-room” means something to you, there’s probably a great slam or spin in your past, but you tend to hit too hard and out-of-bounds. If not, you probably dropped your paddle and left in a huff when someone [first] aimed a drive at your nose. Then you came back and developed a sink ball that drops just over the net and stymies all those slammers! [Yes, I’m a sinker, my brother is a slammer.] For the record, Harry Hurt III, “56 year old novice player” and New York Times reporter, identifies the “three basic serves-topspin, backspin and sidespin.” Who knew there were real names?!?
If you’re wondering, “rec” is short for recreation, and when I grew up you could play Ping-Pong, go to an assembly, and get your oral polio vaccine in the “multi-purpose” or “rec-room.” I recently played the Wii version on an enormous flat screen in a “home theatre.” It was both fascinating and embarrassing to relive my childhood sulk-out-of-the-room without first detaching the wrist strap. My competitor threatened to ping and tell on me. But I digress…
“Table Tennis is one of the most popular sports worldwide with over 100 million players in China.” While many play to relax, “the strategic thinking and split second reactions demanded by table tennis can actually increase brain activity” according to Dr. Daniel G. Amen in his book “Making a Good Brain Great.”
“Table Tennis can be a physical fitness regimen, as well as a game. Accomplished players hit the ball at speeds over 70 miles an hour. To do so they must train their lungs and legs like sprinters.” It’s also an age-friendly game that allows a new player to start having fun early on. “A recent United States men’s champion reached top form at age 38, long past the prime of professional athletes in most other popular sports.”
“Table Tennis is a non-contact sport” unless played by siblings. From the friendly family game [watch those siblings] to the most competitive playing levels, Ping-Pong is a chance to disconnect from your daily routines, machines, and stress. Whether your goal is “making a good brain great” or “focusing on something totally unrelated to the rest of your life and coming away completely refreshed” you can grab a paddle and play. Give it a ‘spin.’ You’ll feel like a winner!
- Nancy
