Making a Home-Made Ping Pong Table: Bounciness and Fixes

[kashodiya]

I made a home made ping pong table using a 5 millimeter thick wood sheet of size 4 feet by 8 feet. I found that my ping pong ball bounce less as compared to how much it bounce on official real table.

Can you explain me what is the cause of this reduction in bounciness?

Is there any quick fix workaround to change my home made table to get as much bounce as the real table?

 

[Matterwave]

A reduction in bounce means that your table is absorbing more of the energy of the ball than a standard table. This usually means that your table isn't "hard enough". It's not rigid enough, so it's absorbing some of the energy rather than reflecting it back. To get more bounce, try a harder material.

This link tells you that a pingpong table is usually made of high density fiberboard:
http://tabletennis.about.com/od/beginnersfaqs/f/build_tt_table.htm

 

[Naty1]

5mm seems rather thin..too much bounce...meaning energy is being absorbed...You could support the table top with stringers...like wood floor joists support a wood floor. You can also double up on the thickness of your table top...

 

[gsal]

Doubling up with the same material is not going to help...it is not like the wood moves back every time a tiny ping-pong hits it...it does not move, it is simply too much mass in comparison...the problem lies right there at the surface, it is the 'hardness' that is not hard enough...the wood is just too puffy...

Instead of doubling up with the same material, add a layer of another material. As suggested, try a high-density-fiberboard (FDF).

 

[DaveC426913]

As suggested, try a high-density-fiberboard (FDF).

But before you do so, first price it, then compare it the cost of simply buying a cheap ping pong table.