1.56
GOOD OLD PINGPONG
The Plable is inexpensive, easy to construct and smaller than a standard table. All these characteristics make the Plable much easier for the ping pong enthusiast to use. The material costs to make a Plable add up to about $20, and it can function easily in a one-car garage, either as a table for two players, or a play-back for one player.
In addition, playing on a Plable is guaranteed to provide as much exercise and fun as a standard table. Most importantly, it not only helps hone the same kinds of skills required for ping pong, it also corrects many of the bad habits in developing players.
The Plable consists of two 4'x4' boards supported by 4 30"-high legs, each spaced one foot apart. That's it
Intrigued? Spend an evening at home and build one for yourself! Here’s how:
1. Materials Acquisition—all these materials are readily available at Home Depot or some similar store.
(1) One 4'x8'x3/4" dense-pressed particle board (smooth
surface)
(2) Four 2"x2"x8' poles
(3) Two spray cans of dark-green, glossy enamel paint
(4) Ten plates of tin or aluminum, straight- or T-joints,
2" width and 4" long
(5) Two pairs of 1/4"x4" bolts and nuts
(6) wood glue (only need a small amount)
2. Cutting and Drilling
(1) Ask the store to cut the 4’x8’ board into 2 equal, 4’x4’ pieces
(2) Also cut out two 2 29-1/4" sections each of the 8' poles
(3) Take the remaining pole section (which should be 36-1/2" long ) and
drill a 1/4"-diameter hole in the middle,18-1/4" from the end
3. Painting and Joining
(1) Use the T-jointers to connect each of the 36 1/2" leg bracers to two of
the 29 1/4" legs. Be sure the drilled holes in the
bracers are vertical so that the 1/4" bolt can go through and bolt together
two of them to make a four-legged support
for the board. The point of connection by the T-jointers should be either
right above or below the center of the legs,
such that when the 2 H-shaped forms are bolted together, the 4 legs would be
standing level on the ground.
(2) Paint one side of the particle boards twice to make sure that the entire
surface is glossy.
4. Playing Rules
(1) Place the two square boards 1 foot apart on top ot the joined leg sets.
(2) All ping pong rules apply except when the ball hits the inside, center
edges of the boards, only shots that bounce
away from the last hitter are considered to be good.
To date, experience has shown that the Plable results in a faster exchange at closer distance, thus requiring only a small space to play on. In all cases, the better ping pong players win on the Plable as well. One of the best matches played on a Plable to date occurred between a 2475 player (Olympics trial qualifier) and a 1834 player. The higher-ranked player ended up beating his opponent by about 12 points.
Spin is just as effective, if not more, on the Plable. But the hitting becomes one of aiming at a target, rather than the bad habit of spinning the ball over the net by chancy sideway hitting.
Players who have played on a Plable and a regulation table do notice striking differences in the game. Playing on a Plable requires faster reflexes and less power. Thus training on a Plable will no doubt improve a player’s game on a standard table.
1.56
GOOD OLD PINGPONG