By Matthew Hargreaves
Having trouble getting your volley above the net on the tennis court? Try the six-inch high variety.
However, despite how easy it looks in the film Forrest Gump, any member of the Ping Pong Club will tell you Ping Pong is more than just 'aby tennis.'
'I''ve played at a semi-skilled level since high school,' said Jon Bjarnason, a sophomore from Turlock, Calif., with an open major. 'But there are all kinds of skill levels that come to play. We want anyone who wants to play to come out.'
After an absence from the BYU club scene, the Ping Pong Club is coming back with a vengeance, with a tournament planned for the first week of April.
'The club came back last January and we''ve had open play every other week,' Bjarnason said. 'Currently we have about 70 on our mailing list and 40 that show up regularly to play, so it''s getting larger.'
Whether you call it Gossima, Whiff-Whaff, Flim-Flam, Ping-Pong, or the official name of table tennis, the game is gaining popularity in the United States, as seen in the growth of USA Table Tennis leagues throughout the country. The closest sanctioned club in Utah is located in Salt Lake City.
The concentration of table tennis players is reflected by where it was introduced as an Olympic sport. In 1988, table tennis made its debut in the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
'One of our best players comes from South Korea,' Bjarnason said. 'He just dominates anyone around.'
Despite the apparent domination by Asian players, there is actually a large demographic range of players that comprises 40 million players worldwide.
Although many players may be used to playing Ping Pong in their grandmother''s basement, the game today features high-tech rackets (not paddles) and players that can smash the ball up to 99 miles per hour.
'Although we''re a young club, we have devoted players who bring their own paddles and want to play,' Bjarnason said. 'But everyone has their own style of play, some want their own paddle while others don''t care. We have paddles for people to use, so just come and play.'
The club will play a tournament April 10th in the Wilkinson Student Center game room. There is a $5 fee for club membership, which includes a one-year club membership. Those interested may contact Aaron Lewis, the Ping Pong Club president, via email at pingpongclub@byu.edu.