The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Hitthehighnotes at the top table
Think table tennis is just a fun game? Gayle has a bash– and discovers a real sport with a dedicated following worldwide
I am useless at tennis, badminton and squash – pretty much all racket sports. Having not played table tennis since I was a teenager at youth club, I imagined I’d be pretty useless at this, too.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself being described as “a natural” when I took part in a session with Dundee and District Table Tennis Association (DDTTA) last week.
Okay, so I was fairly rubbish initially, my body ramrod stiff and my forehand drive nonexistent, but I loosened up and seemed to get the hang of things.
I’d been invited to Friday morning training at Dundee’s Ward Road Gym, where people of all ages (but mostly over 50) and abilities were joining in. Former Scottish table tennis champion – and DDTTA chair – Elaine Forbes took me under her wing, along with committee member Arthur Pritchard.
“All you need is trainers and a smile,” said Elaine. “Have a few games with Jim Kelly and see how you get on.”
Jim, 61, had only been playing for a few weeks but revealed he’d come on in leaps and bounds under the watchful eyes of experienced coaches.
“It’s good playing with folk over 50 because it’s exhausting running round the table against kids!” he grinned.
“People here are really friendly and don’t take things too seriously. It’s great for keeping fit and kind on the joints.
“It’s inspirational knowing there are people playing here in their late 80s.”
The aim of the game is simple: hit the ball over the net onto your opponent’s side. You win a point if your opponent is unable to return the ball, by missing it, by hitting it but missing your side of the table, if it hits the net, or if they hit the ball before it bounces on their side.
After Jim and I had hit a few balls, and missed quite a few, Arthur, a retired head teacher, offered some advice.
“Move around a bit more and use a ‘hoovering’ motion across the table,” he suggested. “You’re pretty good at your backhand swing but you need to work on your forehand drive. Try to lift your racket up more and keep it parallel.”
Within minutes, I had improved hugely and it was at this point that Jim proclaimed I was “a natural”.
Even if that was a lie, I thank you, Jim! Jim and I kept the ball up in the air for a good few minutes, which I considered not bad at all. However, retired maths teacher Ken Head revealed that he and Arthur could happily keep the ball from dropping for “around an hour”.
“We’ve been playing for years so we can do it without thinking,” he beamed.
“In fact, would you like to see Arthur and I play fast?” Well, of course!
I watched in awe as they went head to head and indeed, the ball seemed as if it would be eternally airborne. What impressed me most, however, was the speed at which it flew through the air.
“Table tennis has so many benefits, both physical and mental,” said Arthur.
“There’s a lot of bending down to pick up balls, it’s good for your reflexes as reactions have to be quick, and it boosts mental sharpness.”
Aged eight, Elaine enjoyed her very first game of table tennis at a Butlin’s holiday camp in Ireland. That was more than 50 years ago.
“It was something I could compete on equal terms with my older brother and sister,” she said. “I love how the sport can be played by both men and women on a level playing field at local league level and enjoyed by all age groups.”
Elaine is a big advocate for the sport’s health and social benefits.
“Doctors have been known to prescribe table tennis rather than dish out medication,” she said. “There’s an increase in motor skills, cognitive awareness and flow of blood to brain, and it’s thought it could help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s.
“It’s really friendly and our sessions are a great way to socialise. “People here are always smiling!” Elaine believes it’s important that newcomers play against and learn from the best players.
“We like to mix folk of different abilities,” she added. “But we really do have people from all backgrounds, with different stories.
“We have carers, foreign students, those recently bereaved or who are feeling isolated, or it might just be that someone simply comes along for the fun of it in their lunch break. The main thing is, everyone is welcome.”