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FAQ
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FAQ 1
What is USA Table Tennis (USATT)?
USATT is the national governing body for table tennis in the U.S.
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FAQ 2
How does the USATT rating system work?
Basically, it works like this. After your first tournament, you are given a rating based on your results against other players. For your initial rating, the scores of your matches and the recommendation of the tournament director are taken into account. Once you have a rating, your rating goes up or down in each match, based on the chart located at the web page listed above. If you have a very good tournament (gaining more than 50 rating points), then your rating is adjusted upwards. Roughly speaking, a beginner is rated from 200 to 1000. The best U.S. players are around 2750. The average USATT member is around 1400, while the average tournament player (since stronger players tend to play more tournaments) is around 1700. A player over 2000 is often considered a Master – there are only about 200 players rated that high.
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FAQ 3
What are the most common types of table tennis racket surfaces?
They are:
Inverted - the most common type. It has a layer of sponge on the racket, covered by a sheet of "pimpled" rubber, with the pips pointing inward so the surface is flat. This surface gives the most spin of any surface.
Pips-out - the second most common type. It has a layer of sponge on the racket, covered by a sheet of "pimpled" rubber, with the pips pointing outward. It is the best surface for all-out hitting, but does not give as much spin as inverted.
Long Pips - mostly for defensive play. Long pips are like pimpled rubber, but with extra long pips. It may or may not have a sheet of sponge under the rubber. It basically returns the opponent's spin, so an incoming topspin becomes a backspin, etc.
Antispin - mostly for defensive play. It is like inverted, but has a slick, non-sticky surface so that a spinning ball does not "grab" the surface. The sponge under the rubber is usually slow. This surface is the best for returning spin, but it puts little spin on the ball, and so most shots made by this surface are easy to attack, unless the opponent is caught off guard or is not used to the surface. It is often used by players with the Seemiller grip.
Hard Rubber - the classic surface, used before sponge was introduced in the 1950s. It is like the pips-out surface, but without sponge under the rubber. It is an all-around surface, but is usually at a disadvantage against the spin and speed of a sponge surface.
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FAQ 4
Does EPTTC follow rules and regulations set by the governing body?
Yes. We are here for those who wish to learn any aspect of table tennis. Most importantly we are here to make it fun. If you chose to enter the rankings or aspire to do so eventually, we will guide you in the right direction.
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