Lesson 1: Basic Terms

Ball - the spherical thing you hit back and forth
Table - you know what a table is, right?
Playing surface - the top surface of the table is “in bounds” including the edges and the corners
Paddle - the racquet-like thing you use to hit the ball with
Grip - the part of the paddle that you hold onto with your hand
Blade - the part of the paddle that you use to hit with
Net - you know what the net is, right?
Rally - the period in which the ball is played
Game - an individual game to 11 or 21 points
Match - a “best of” an odd number of games (best of 3, 5, etc.); this determines the overall winner
Server - the one who serves the ball for that rally or play
Receiver - the one who is receiving (and hopefully returning) the ball for that rally or play
Free - hand your hand that is not holding the paddle
Racquet - hand your hand that is holding the paddle
Let - when the play stops, but nobody scores a point; you must re-play the rally
Lot - some kind of chance game to see who goes first, like flipping a coin or spinning the paddle