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Ping pong balls are a lot more interesting than most people think. They come in many shapes and sizes, have different bounce levels, and can be made from a variety of materials. In this blog post we will discuss 10 fun facts about ping pong balls that you might not know!
Fun Fact # One: Ping pong balls are made from a blend of rubber and celluloid [1]. The best balls are those that have the least amount of air in them.
Fun Fact # Two: There is a ping pong ball museum in China! It was established by two men who wanted to preserve their country’s heritage, which includes ping pong balls. [2]
Fun Fact # Three: Ping Pong Balls were first produced in the 1870s by British inventor John Jaques. He was looking for a way to produce these products that could be used for both table games and as pieces of jewelry.
Fun Fact # Four: The size of the ball varies depending on the game being played. The most popular size is 40mm, which is what you would find in a table tennis game.
Fun Fact # Five: Ping pong balls can be made from many different materials! There are sponge and plastic alternatives that allow for lower bounce levels while there are also metal ones with higher bounce levels.
Fun Fact # Six: In order for a ball to be considered an official ping pong ball, it must bounce at least 25 inches off of the table.
Fun Fact # Seven: Ping Pong Balls are used in many other games beyond just table tennis! They can be found on antique billiard tables and in card game packs like Uno. In colleges in America, they are also used in fun drinking games like beer pong.
Fun Fact # Eight: Ping Pong Balls are a popular toy for children and in some cases, can even be used as therapy! Doctors have found that using ping pong balls is a great way to distract people from their pain or fears.
Fun Fact # Nine: The weight of the ball varies depending on how much air it has in it. The weight is measured using grams and can range from under 20g to over 60g, which means that the heavier balls are better for players with more power!
Fun Fact # Ten: There are two different types of ping pong ball manufacturing methods- injections molding or dipping. Injection molding involves injecting molten rubber into a mold while dipping the ball in liquid rubber. [3]
Fun Fact # Eleven: In the world of ping pong, those who play with a paddle are called “paddlers,” while players who use their hands to hold and hit the ball are called “handballers.”
Fun Fact # Twelve: Ping Pong Balls were used as weapons during World War II. Soldiers would place them in socks and throw them at enemies.
Fun Fact # Thirteen: Ping Pong Balls are often used to make jewelry. They can be painted and covered with rhinestones or other materials in order to create a piece of custom jewelry for someone who loves the game!
Fun Fact # Fourteen: Ping Pong Balls are used to create unique art pieces like this one by Chris Jeffries.
Fun Fact # Fifteen: The record for the world’s longest ping pong rally is a whopping 20 hours and 47 minutes long!
Conclusion
We hope you had as much fun learning about these facts about ping pong balls as we did researching and writing it! And that you learned some very interesting facts about these tiny white balls that are so often used in games.
To learn about how to better you ping pong game and also what the best ping pong tables out there are, check out our articles.