Outdoor Table Tennis
It's an amusing irony that what began as in indoor game to recreate the fun of an outdoor sport is now becoming increasingly popular to play outdoors! The reasons are obvious. Firstly there's the simple pleasure of being outside on a sunny day. Then there's the practical aspect: few people today have the space for a decent sized table tennis table indoors. Why settle for a miniature ping pong table indoors whaen you can play on a full sized table outside?So what is outdoor table tennis? It's exactly the same as the indoor variety. The only difference is the equipment you buy, specifically the table itself and the net.
Some people simply buy an indoor table and take it outdoors as required. That works reasonable well if you have the self-discipline to bring in in again when you've finished! Most of us will forget or put it off. In which case we suffer from the curse of all outdoor gaming: the weather.
A true outdoor table tennis table will be weather-proofed to a greater or lesser degree. This applies to both the tabletop itself and usually to the net and legs. Sometimes this consists of a weatherproof coating on top of standard materials, sometimes the materials themselves are specifically chosen to last outdoors. As with all things there is a large range of options available to buy depending on how much you have to spend.
Serious players should be aware that the weatherproofing means that an outdoor table may not play exactly the same way as an indoor one. In particular the surface may have a different speed and bounce qualities. The exact difference will vary between brands and models.
As well as rain the sun itself can be a problem. A shiny table - for example one with a metal surface - can be more reflective than you might want.
Even the best weatherproof table needs looking after. Try to cover it when not in use and follow the manufacturer's instructions.