Butterfly sponsored clubs

Top table tennis clubs who currently endorse Butterfly table tennis equipment include:
European (Nancy Evans) Cup winners Levallois S.C.TT, Champions League Finalists TTV RE-BAU Gönnern, Caja Granada ... and the most successful club in Europe, Borussia Düsseldorf, who are three times European Cup winners and European Champions League winners in 2000 and 2009.

Butterfly sponsored players

Top international players who currently endorse Butterfly table tennis equipment include:
Men - timo ball (Germany), Joo Se Hyuk (Korea Republic), Kalinikos Kreanga (Greece), micheal maze (Denmark), Chuan Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei), Oh Sang Eun (Korea Republic), Werner Schlager (Austria), Cheung Yuk (Chinese Hong Kong), Mitzutani Jun (Japan), Zoran Primorac (Croatia), Yoon Jae Young (Korea Republic) and Robert Gardos (Austria).
Women - Zhang Yining (China), Guo Yue (China), Tie Yana (Hong Kong), Gao Jun (USA), Krisztina Toth (Hungary), Viktoria Pavlovich (Belarus), Sayaka Hirano (Japan), Ai Fukuhara (Japan) and Tamara Boros (Croatia).

Focus on young players

The Butterfly table tennis company decided to focus on young players ... so they signed up some leading young European players, giving them long term contracts to promote Butterfly table tennis products.
Two of these players were Germany's timo balls and Denmark's micheal maze.
Former world number one, Timo Boll remembers ...

"At age 10 I had a contract with another brand, but they didn't want to extend it.
The reason given was that I had asked for 28 instead of 8 sheets of rubber.
Obviously this was too many for them and so Butterfly took over. This was the beginning of a super partnership."

The dawn of a new era

At the start, Hikosuke Tamasu was the Managing Director of the company, whilst his father was President. However, in the early 1990s he appointed his son Kimihiko to lead the company.
Subsequently, Hikosuke passed away in 2004 at the age of 83, having been born in Yanai, Japan on 20 August 1920.
Two years after his death, Kimihiko went through every article that his father had left and decided to donate the items that were most important to him, and the most valuable to the table tennis world, to the International Table Tennis Federation's Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This included an extensive pin collection, books, early Butterfly magazines, a selection of Butterfly rackets together with some personal items including photographs.
Even the heavy Nikon camera, which always accompanied Hikosuke wherever he travelled, was donated.

Butterfly Sriver

In 1967, the Butterfly table tennis company launched their Sriver rubber ... one of the most popular rubbers of all-time ... and it's still used by many of the top players today.
(By the way, it's not called Shriver, as some people think!)
Sriver rubber brought the company international recognition and in the early 1970s, Tamasu Butterfly Europe was founded in Moers, Germany.
But even though this rubber has been so successful ... and used by many world champions ... they're still striving to improve it.
In fact, since 1983 Butterfly table tennis have had their own training and research center in Tokyo where highly qualified scientists co-operate with world class players and coaches to further develop their table tennis rubbers and blades.
Proof of their success so far is that, for many years, Butterfly rubbers and blades have been used by more than half of the participants at most world championship and European championships

Although rubbers and blades are Butterfly's main products, they also supply a wide range of other high quality equipment such as tables, clothing, shoes and accessories.
Indeed, Butterfly's motto is ... Quality and service come first.

Their first success

Tamasu's philosophy was that every player was different and that every player had his strengths and weaknesses.
He therefore wanted to help players to emphasize their individuality.
After showing Butterfly products at the Japan Industrial Exhibition in Peking in 1953, many of the Chinese world stars, as well as the top European players, were playing with Butterfly equipment.
But his first success was in the early 1960s with the rubbers Allround D13 and Tempest D13.

Butterfly ... what's in a name?

Hikosuke Tamasu chose the brand name Butterfly because the butterfly was an image of peace and beauty throughout the world.
This was in stark contrast to the horrible experiences he'd witnessed during World War Two. In 1945 as a young soldier, he was only 2km away from Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan.
In the decades that followed, he tried very hard to diplomatically maintain friendly relations with all the nations in the world as he built up his company.

Butterfly Table Tennis Equipment

Butterfly table tennis equipment is probably the most well known brand of table tennis equipment in the world.
The company - Tamasu Company Ltd - was founded by the Japanese international player Hikosuke Tamasu on the 19th December 1950.
Butterfly now manufacture world class table tennis equipment which is endorsed by many leading international players ... and it's sold all around the world.

Table Tennis Racket

The table tennis racket has changed many times during its 120+ years of development - from the first hollow drum racket to the sophisticated sponge racket of today.

Chinese table tennis players

The chinese table tennis players currently dominate the world game, although table tennis is also very popular in Europe.


If you're looking for more information about what is table tennis, be sure to check out the rest of my web site.

International Table Tennis Federation

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926, controls the sport of table tennis.
The ITTF headquarters are located in Switzerland.

Definitions

If you're going to be playing table tennis, it's useful to know some table tennis terminology..
A rally is the period during which the ball is in play. (The ball is in play from the moment a player intentionally starts his service, until the rally is decided as a let or a point).
A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.
A point is a rally of which the result is scored.

The object of the game

The object of the game is to score 11 points before your opponent.
If the score becomes tied at 10 points each, the first player or pair to establish a two point lead will win.
A match consists of winning the best of any odd number of games - usually 3, 5 or 7 games.
Players hit the ball back and forth over the net and must only allow a ball played towards them to bounce once on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side.
Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules of table tennis.
A point commences with a player serving with accordance to official table tennis..
Each player has two serves.
After each two points have been scored, the receiving player or pair becomes the serving player or pair, and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs have scored 10 points.
If the score is tied at 10 points each, each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.

The game

The game is played by two players (singles) or four players (doubles) who hit a 40mm diameter ball made of celluloid, back and forth over (or around) the net, using table tennis rackets made of wood covered with pimpled rubber.

Table tennis table

Table tennis is played on a hard table measuring ...
9 feet (2.74m) long,
5 feet (1.525m) wide and
2 feet 6 inches (76cm) high
... and the net is
6 feet (1.83m) long and
6 inches (15.25 cm) high.

Origins of table tennis

The origin of table tennis go back to the 1880s when game makers tried to emulate the popularity of Lawn Tennis by developing indoor versions of the game.
The modern game of table tennis started in the early 1900s in Europe.

What is Table Tennis?

Table Tennis

Table Tennis (read why it's not called ping pong), is an olympic games which is played indoors (although it can be played outdoors as a recreational sport).

The rise of the East

As the popularity of table tennis spread around the world, the Asian countries embraced the sport and quickly became world leaders.
Although the European players, particularly Hungary and England, dominated the mens singles titles at the world championship during the first 25 years, the Japanese and chinese player have taken the majority of world titles from the 1950s onwards.
A notable exception was Sweden, who with Jan-Ove Waldner and Jorgen Persson in their ranks, claimed the men's singles titles in 1989, 1991 and 1997 and won the team event in 1989, 1991 and 1993.

Why is the term Ping Pong still used?

The term ping pong started to fade from use as more and more national associations were formed, affiliated to the ITTF, and adopted their rules of table tennis.
However, particularly in the USA, references to ping pong has continued for much longer than elsewhere in the world.
This is probably because ping pong was promoted extensively in the early 1900s by the equipment manufacturers who owned the trademark, and therefore it became ingrained in peoples minds - just as any other product which is widely advertised and promoted.
Indeed, Ping Pong is still a federally registered trademark in the USA and is now owned by Escalade Sports. So, the registered trademark of Ping Pong indicates a brand of equipment used to play the sport of table tennis.
Ping pong has also remained in popular use by the media all around the world (and by recreational players) who often use it in a derisory context about the sport of table tennis.

Ping Pong v Table Tennis

So what's the difference between ping pong and table tennis?
Well, the term table tennis had to be used by these associations because ping pong had already been registered as a trademark by the sports company John Jaques & Son in England.
Parker Brothers in the USA had also bought the rights from Jaques to use the name ping pong in the USA only.
These companies were promoting ping pong tournaments which only permitted their own equipment to be used and were threatening to take action against anybody who used their proprietary trademarked name of ping pong without specifying the use of their equipment.
The "Ping Pong Association" in England therefore decided that it was prudent to stop using this trademarked name forthwith and reformed themselves as the "Table Tennis Association" instead.
So, since that time, and particularly since the establishment of the ITTF in 1926, the modern game has been known as table tennis.

The birth of the ITTF

At a meeting on 7 December 1926 Ivor Montagu (pictured right) was elected as the first chairman of the ITTF and five days later the first Constitution and rules of table tennis were agreed.
A tournament held in London, England was also designated as the first world championship.
The history of table tennis shows us that table tennis was popular in Europe at this time. So it was Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden and Wales who were all invited to become the original members of the ITTF.
The rules for International Competitions, which were approved at that meeting on 12 December 1926, were based on the English rules of the game at that time for singles - subject to a few minor amendments - and the Hungarian rules of the time for doubles play.

Let the battle commence

As the popularity of the game spread, two rival organisations were set up in England with the "Table Tennis Association" and the "Ping Pong Association" formed within days of each other in 1901.
Soon after this time in the history of table tennis though, it's thought that the game fell out of favour.
But by the 1920s it was back in fashion, particularly in Europe, and Englishman Ivor Montagu was instrumental in reviving the "Ping Pong Association" in 1921 - reformed as the "Table Tennis Association" in 1922 (later adding the prefix "English") - and forming the "International Table Tennis Federation" (ITTF) in 1926.

Who invented table tennis?

It's thought that a game resembling table tennis was in existence in England as early as 1884 and various names were used during the history of table tennis (or should that be the history of ping pong?) with Gossima, Whiff-Whaff and Ping Pong all either patented or trademarked.

History of table tennis

The history of table tennis and the history of ping pong have been the subject of extensive research, notably by Englishman Gerald Gurney and Americans Chuck Hoey and Tim Boggan.
The research by Gurney - presented in "Table Tennis: The Early Years" - is considered to be the definitive guide.

Rules table tennis

In a game of table tennis the first player to reach 21 points is declared the winner. However, a player reached 21 points with less mobile opponent by 2 percentage points, the game must continue until a player takes a final 2-point lead over his opponent, how that player is declared winner.To begin with a point, the server serves the ball with the racket of the opponent's side of the table tennis. If the server fails the ball in play, either by serving the ball in the net or serve them, will point to the opponent. Once the ball is in play either player can score points. The players have to hit the ball to the opponent "side of the table. If a player fails to return the ball to the opponent's side of compensation, either by the ball or hitting it, then the item goes to the opponent.

To begin a point with a service, the server throws the ball table tennis at least 6 inches and as it is the server hits the ball with the racket. Before crossing on the net the ball must touch the server is part of the table before bouncing a second time on the opponent. After the service the ball remains in play until it clears the net and bounced once on the opponent's side of the table with each stroke. The point ends either when a player hits the ball in the net, or where the ball will not bounce at all on the opponent's side of the table, during which the opponent wins a point.

table tennis games can be played as a single and a double Thursday In a double game, an additional rule is that the ball must be served diagonally across the courtyard in front. If the server is unable to serve as a zone of diagonal on the opposite side and then the opponent is the point.

As you can see the rules of the game of table tennis is pleasant and simple enough so that everyone again table tennis can easily enjoy a game of table tennis without much trouble and confusion.

Introduction

Introduction to table tennis

Many people know ping-pong. It's the game that is usually played in the basement with an opponent, with plastic paddles in hand that made the distinctive noises when a ball was struck. A fun game it was, sort of like playing T-ball with huge yellow plastic bats or nerf football. But like those two familiar games, ping-pong also has a real sport behind it.
Table Tennis can be classified as a major sport worldwide, with millions of participants, major tournaments(with its own superstars), and many other things that make a sport truly a class of its own.

As a sport that emphasizes endurance and reflexes above simple size and strength, people of all ages and genders can play on an equal field. The equipment can be had for a reasonable price, and the sport is played indoors so year-round competition and practice is possible. A game requires only two players at the least, and typically lasts around 30 minutes, enabling quick matches during breaks, etc.

Table tennis truly is a sport for the masses, and its widespread adoption around the world is a testament for its versatility. The United States has been lagging behind Europe and Asia in per capita participation of table tennis as a sport. With enough enthusiasm and support, however, this intense and exciting sport can succeed beside the old mainstays.

The true origin of Table Tennis is largely unknown, although forms of the sport have been documented as early as the late 1800s in England. The sport started becoming popular around the world in the early 1900s. During this time, the official name of the sport was changed from Ping-Pong™ to table tennis. This was due to copyright conflicts with Parker Brothers, who owned the rights to the name and game of Ping-Pong™. The International Table Tennis Federation and United States Table Tennis Association(later changed to United States Association of Table Tennis) were formed at about this time. These organizations would go on to become the primary ruling bodies of table tennis.

Table tennis has evolved significantly since its surprise birth upon the sporting world, acquiring many revisions of rules and seeing an evolution of equipment as technology and playing styles changed. Such refinement only serves as evidence that table tennis is indeed a full-fledged sport, comparable to any of the other classics we behold with reverence.