…with your bat headphones on and in total darkness you prepare to do battle.

players will rely on the amplified noises made by bat and ball and the table surface to attempt to return the ball (although footfalls, expletives and grunts may help).

players are equipped with a specialised utility belt that holds vast pockets of new balls as the retrieval of dropped balls between games is impossible.

points are scored by merely returning the ball to your opponent's half of the table in any fashion possible. nets are probably unnecessary but add to the fun so we’ll keep them.

the table will likely have rubberised edges to minimise unwarranted knocks.

the doubles game is very similar but one team member gets a left ear and the other gets the right one and you would not be advised to switch places too often.

…with practice, I am sure you will become quite bat mobile.
-- po, Jul 26 2005

Pinging Pong Pinging_20Pong
A ping pong ball that goes ''Ping!'' when you hit it. [DesertFox, Jul 26 2005]

I'm practising to be able to hear topspin. +
-- moomintroll, Jul 26 2005


Doubtless you will use ther ball specified in the idea just below this, Pinging Pong. The idea is about installing sound chips into ping pong balls so they go "PING!" when you hit them.

I know I know, shameless self promotion.
-- DesertFox, Jul 26 2005


Prancing in the dark, indeed! I think Dodgeball would also be amenable, and possibly more so, to play in darkness.
-- DrCurry, Jul 26 2005


Would make for good ninja practice. [+]
-- daseva, Jul 26 2005


<Tries desperately to stop giggling histerically in order to type annotation>Anything that goes ping gets my bun.</TDTSGIOTTA>
-- dbmag9, Jul 26 2005


Oh and +
-- DesertFox, Jul 26 2005


There is a need of a solution for spectators' and tv-channels' possible minor problems but the idea of playing ping-pong ping-ball makes me feel hungry. +
-- BALIKEKMEK, Jul 26 2005


listen via radio
-- po, Jul 26 2005


My serve.

<sch>..<tock>.<tock>
-- Jinbish, Jul 26 2005


Yes, this would not be the best TV sport, but on a good stereo system it could be fun.
-- normzone, Jul 26 2005


perhaps it could be filmed using infra-red lighting.
-- po, Jul 27 2005


I keep falling over these fucking balls
-- The Kat, Jul 27 2005


I did think that cats could see in the dark, but hey.
-- DrCurry, Jul 27 2005


Yeah but there everywhere
-- The Kat, Jul 27 2005


sp: they're
-- po, Jul 28 2005


I finally found a sport to teach my Ninja Possums!!
-- moPuddin, Jul 29 2005


sounds fun but hard to master....i think it be easier to wear very tinted glasses and have someone on the sidelines repeatedly yell DING or rather PING....PONG
-- Sudok, Jul 29 2005


you want easy?
-- po, Jul 29 2005


I think this would make for hilarious TV. As po said, just use IR and the viewing audience gets to bust a gut over the ineptness of supposedly-full-grown adults behaving like very bad athletes. I'd watch this (at least once, anyway) for sure.

One question, though. If you were really good at mimicking the noise of the ball hitting the table could you cheat your way to becoming World Ping-Pong Ping-Ball Champion? This is exactly why I think we would need the infra-red system in place - to catch dishonest tongue-cluckers seeking the untold fame and riches that would naturally flow to a champion.

Or maybe I'm just farting into the breeze.
-- Canuck, Jul 29 2005


oh, cheating! - what a wonderful thought.
-- po, Aug 02 2005


The blind will always win...

...or the immensely overweight (they could return the balls by simply stepping forward).

The final match could be between Stevie Wonder and a Sumo Champ. That might be enough to get me to turn on my TV.
-- sophocles, Aug 05 2005


stevie wonder would totally win the sumo champ

but dont forget about mc hammer

cant touch this dunununu nunu nunu
-- seventhinline, Aug 05 2005


UnsTable Tennis [+]
-- wagster, Aug 07 2005


Ah! I see you have a machine that goes PING!
-- DesertFox, Nov 17 2006


doesn't everyone?
-- po, Nov 17 2006


<pa-pockpock>...
<pock>..
<pock>..
<pock>...
<pock> - <thwp> - <dddddrr>...

My question is ... which side of the net did that land? I mean, it could have been either side, couldn't it?
-- pertinax, Apr 23 2007


and it's gone on the floor now...
-- pertinax, Apr 23 2007


... and the cat's got it.
-- pertinax, Apr 23 2007


Don't know how this one got past me for two years. (+) Musta had my eyes closed.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 23 2007



random, halfbakery