Rockstar Table Tennis
Sure, you may have gotten this for Christmas and already have it up on running on your Wii. But did you know that it’s the first Xbox 360 game to use the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine or R.A.G.E.?
We are talking graphics extraordinaire, here, people. This is the pong of the future. It’s pong on steroids, and I mean the good kind that Barry Bonds used 
So don’t sleep on Table Tennis – run down to your local electronics shop and get one now.
To quote P. Diddy, do you want to be a baller, shot caller, brawler? (at ping pong, that is?)
Shot calling 101
Top spin – just like you do on the table, it’s the jab of table tennis. The ball rotates in direction of opponent with the intention of being unreturnable.
Back spin – it’s the blocked punch of ping pong, what you do against a well hit smash in your general direction. The intention is to cause him to hit into the net.
Side spin – curves the ball east or west if you are facing south. The ball spins on the vertical axis and the intention is to cause surprises when the opponent hits.
Crosscourt – make like Jimmy Connors back in the day and move your opponent from left to right – but remember to be the eye of the storm and center up after each shot.
Down-the-line – pretty self explanatory. Hit it parallel to the white lines on either side of the table.
Soft shot – it’s the feint, the drop, the sucker punch to use especially when the opponent is backed out and expecting something more from the smash department.
Smash – this is the knockout punch. If a ball is hit and pops up, it’s the slam dunk in his face response. It also feels great.
Lob - it’s what you do in response to the smash. You send up a big arc of a shot that gives you time to center and hopefully, caroms of the table in an unpredictable fashion.
Loop – like a short dirty smash in which you take the ball at the highest arc point.
Block shot – otherwise known as the get paddle in front of ball because unable to do anything better shot.
Volley – you lose a point for doing this in ping pong.
Shake hands and penholder – two of the most popular grips in the game.
Look out for more table tennis tips in days to come.
