Table Tennis is one of the fastest events of sports. Its ball moves very fast from one end of the board to the other end of the board in a rally of any standard level competition. In an average the speed of the ball is approx. 25 mph and it is crossing 2’54 meter i.e. from one end to another end of the playing surface within approx. ¼ second. So , it was very tough to measure the speed of the ball of the event as it moves within very small area.
But the thoughts of the event cultivators ultimately have given a solution on that matter. They were trying and adopting to measure the speed of the ball in the following process:
a) Using of a special type of camera having the facility of shutter speed and
adopting the estimated distance that a ball may travel over that duration
and calculating the average on that duration.
But the thoughts of the event cultivators ultimately have given a solution on that matter. They were trying and adopting to measure the speed of the ball in the following process:
a) Using of a special type of camera having the facility of shutter speed and
adopting the estimated distance that a ball may travel over that duration
and calculating the average on that duration.
b) Analyzing the video footage of a smash and using the frame rate of the video and the location the ball as shown by the video to calculate the distance traveled during that duration.
c) Using the sound recorder by the video to measure the time interval between the striking the ball by the racket and dropping of the ball on the table and calculating the average by the distance and time during that time interval.
These are the processes are not giving any accurate result by which the speed of the ball of a rally can be measured. But recently the Inaugural World Fastest Smash Competition was held.
The 38 millimeter diameter ball was used for the competition as it is having more density than 40 millimeter diameter ball and sports speed radar gun was used for measuring the speed of the ball. The ball was stroked from a vertically dead drop where no inertia force was available.
As per Wellington Table Tennis, number of junior players of world category participated in the competition. The juniors from Japan, China and Chinese Taipei were also participated in the competition.
But the crown was achieved by a little known player who is a player of Volley ball and Marshal Arts also. His name is Mr. Lark Brandt and he plays table tennis in the Harewood Table Tennis club of Christchurch in New Zealand. He used the non- branded ITTF glue in the racket for getting more speed and it was allowed for that competition.
The speed of the ball of his smash was 112’5 kmph i.e. 69’9 mph which is now fastest in the world and the speed of the ball of runner-up was 107 kmph .But in any world class table tennis championship the average speed is 70 kmph. So the organizers are trying to include this fastest smash in the Guinness Book of World Record. This fastest smash was made with the key technique of timing, strength coupled along with the loose wrist and a flat smash.
Mr. Lark Brandt was won a brass replica canon set on New Zealand marble, an all black rugby shirt and a toy KIWI ( Kiwis are the national symbol of New Zealand).
Ref: http://www.ittf.com/.