Table Tennis Topnotchers.

[Music] [Applause] and then [Applause] this is bill 23 skidoo stern turning the sports album back to the good old days when ping pong was a pup the gay 90s when a zoot suit was a prince albert and a hep cat was a do with a courtly bow the battle was on like tiddly winks or croquet ping pong was a polite pastime gentlemen could play it without removing their coats and skimmers gran pap used up and holder grip and a simply slashing attack well he may not have been any great shakes as an athlete when it came to doing tricks his grandma used to say your grandpappy sure was a card ah but how times have changed in ping pong too now that they've dropped those way back when disguises let me introduce our guest stars nearest the camera his opponent alan thomas one of the game's ranking [Music] competitors look you fellas that speedy stuff is swell for experts how's about giving us novices a few pointers starting right in with the fundamentals first the tennis grip hold your racket high on the handle your index finger extended across the blade almost to the edge backhand or forehand the grip never changes thumb is where blade and handle join play for accuracy first and no slugging until you learn to keep your shots on the table in serving the ball must be struck behind the table edge and bounce first on your side of the net don't always serve forehand mix it up with backhand coleman puts topspin on this service so the fundamental attacking stroke is the forehand tap spin drive the swing is forward and up overspin causes the ball to drop sharply the same technique from the opposite side gives the backhand top spin drive put them all together and with about 10 years practice you ought to be a champ huh well at least on your own block coleman's backhand serve is an offensive play but alan's return puts the server on the defense and keeps him there clark has all he can do to chop and push them back as soon as he forces an opening coleman clark cuts loose with a smashing attack in a sizzling drive brother thomas has what it takes to handle them it's got old table tennis stern all winter just sitting here exercising his vocal cords when the experts start a rally it can go on like this for hours some racketeering now you're going to see what happens when both champs start putting on the pressure they're about 30 feet apart and if you ask me brother something's just gotta [Music] give alan thomas on the run and mr i don't mean walk that guy's a combination a whirling dervish chinese juggler and circus acrobat the most sensational shot you've ever seen coming up now best described in two words terrific bring on your big he men who call ping pong a panty waste game one way to bamboozle your opponent first fake then hit it all right for coleman clark but not us amateurs it's strictly against the rules but climbing the table has really given it the old varsity try after that thomas deserves to win the game oh no what we've been watching is just one point as the champions play table tennis hey what's cooking with the skillets this little number is entitled whipping up an omelette or putting ping-pong on the pan with three balls now four balls playing the game the hard way [Music] this ball is making things seem what they ain't for putting the old baffle on the bounce the following is strictly on the exhibition side a demonstration of paddle wizardry by table tennis tap notchers [Music] here's a bit of english with a reverse twist this kind of a serve is really something to blow about like the big bad wolf he just huffs and he puffs this clark sure knows how to use his head one thing sure no ping-pong ball will ever get in his hair but just look what happens to a guy who doesn't keep his big mouth shut coleman clark has digested everything there is to know about table tennis well this is no worse than swallowing an egg shells and all but make mine soft boiled if you [Music] please