Ping Pong

Ping Pong puts a full table tennis table in your browser. You look down the table from behind your own end, and every rally is played with real ball flight, spin and rules. You can play this ping pong game online free on a laptop, Chromebook, tablet or phone, with no download and no account.

How to play

Your red paddle follows your mouse pointer, or sits just above your finger on a touch screen. Move it into the ball’s path and the shot happens when the ball reaches you. The skill is in where you meet it and how you swing.

• Aim with the paddle face: a ball hit in the middle of the paddle goes back toward the middle of the table. Catch it near the left or right edge and the shot angles off that way. Meet it with the top half of the paddle and it flies deeper, while the bottom half keeps it short.
• Swing for power: a still paddle blocks the ball back at a steady pace. Moving the paddle as you make contact hits harder and longer, and a wild swing can send the ball past the end of the table.
• Swing for spin: brush up through the ball for topspin, which dips in the air and kicks forward off the bounce. Swing down for backspin, which floats and checks up after it lands. A sideways swing adds sidespin, so the ball bends in the air.
• Read the spin coming at you: the ball’s trail shows the spin, red for topspin, blue for backspin and yellow for sidespin. Topspin coming in tends to fly long off your paddle, and backspin tends to drop short or into the net.

Serving and scoring

When it is your serve, click, tap or press Space. The ball goes up and is struck as it drops, so swing while it falls to put spin on your serve. Just like real table tennis, a serve must bounce once on your side and then on the computer’s side. If it clips the net and still lands in, it is a let and you serve again.

In a rally, the ball must bounce once on the far side after every shot. You win the point when the computer misses, hits the net, hits the ball long or wide, or lets it bounce twice. The serve switches every 2 points, and from 10-10 it switches every point. Each game goes to 11, but you must win by 2, so a game can run to 12-10 and beyond. A white dot by the score shows who is serving.

Game options

Easy reacts late, sends back gentle shots and is often fooled by spin. Medium moves faster, adjusts after the bounce and mixes in topspin and backspin. Hard gets to most balls, aims for the corners away from your paddle and smashes high balls, but it still makes mistakes against fast, heavily spun shots. Matches are 1 game, best of 3 or best of 5.

The aim guide draws a faint ring where the ball will reach you after it bounces on your side. Turn it off for a tougher game. Your win and loss record against each level and your longest rally are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Watch the shadow. The shadow sits right under the ball, so it shows how deep the ball is, and the gap between them shows how high.
• Block first, swing later. A still paddle in the ball’s path returns most shots safely. Add swing once you find the ball every time.
• Lift against backspin. A backspin ball wants to drop into the net, so swing upward through it to carry it over.
• Use the edges of the paddle. Off-center contact angles the ball toward the sidelines and pulls the computer out of position.

FAQ

Is this ping pong game free?

Yes. It is free to play in your browser with nothing to install and no sign-up.

What is the difference between ping pong and table tennis?

They are the same sport. Ping pong began as a trade name for the game, while table tennis is the name used for the sport itself. This game follows the standard table tennis rules for serving and scoring.

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. Drag your finger to move the paddle and tap to serve. Touching the table will not scroll the page.

Can I pause or mute the game?

Press P or Esc, or use the Pause button. The game also pauses when you switch tabs. The Sound button or M toggles the sound.

Want the game that started it all? Try Pong, the classic paddle game inspired by table tennis. For another quick sports duel, step up to the spot in Penalty Shootout.