Sports freak continuously debate about football being the best sport in the world. Well, I’m also one of those crazy football fans which is why I’am writing this article to let you all know why football is the king of all sports and why audience in football matches is as restless as the crowd at Time Square on New Year’s Eve waiting for the ball drop. 

Football – a global game which sends chills running down everyone’s spine – simply because football leagues have brought nations together by allowing players from different countries to join hands in the spirit of sportsmanship. Here are seven reasons why football is the best game in this whole wide world and we love it for being as amazing: 

1. No Age Limit: 

Every primary American professional sport requires athletes to be of a certain age to play. Like, NFL requires all of their players to be three years out of the high school in order to get into NFL draft. Whereas NBA players have to be a year out from high school in order to get into the drafting. 

But this is not the case with football, there is no certain age limit to get into the football field. If the coach thinks the player is good enough to take the pitch, they throw him out on the field. A very prominent and most recent example is that of Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and Southampton’s Luke Shaw. Both the players debuted at the age of 17 and left the audience in complete awe with their spectacular performance. 

If either of them were to get into American Football or Basketball team, they wouldn’t have been able to play until they were 19. So, yeah! Football is the king of all sports!

2. The sport doesn’t stop: 

Yeah, this particular sport doesn’t stop whether it’s raining or hailing. The party goes on. Football keeps invigorating the enthusiastic spirit of players even in crazy weather because tailgating is all about keeping the party rolling. 

3. Strategic Game: 

Football is often compared to Chess as the game requires a great deal of planning – a properly optimized strategy is necessary to ensure an upper hand over the opposing team. All fans tend to think they can coach those playing a game of football but that is quite an illogical and imprudent thing to say. The process of coaching requires every little move of the opponent to be understood and taken into consideration in order to devise a counter strategy. And football requires a great level of strategic planning backed by a proper thought process far more critically than any other sport. 

4. FIFA Video game: 

It’s essentially the craze of football which has made the FIFA video game a massive hit and a million-dollar industry. The sport has given birth to the trend of all-nighters, glued to their armchairs, playing tournaments across the globe to compete in international gaming events online. Football isn’t a hobby anymore rather has become a passion for millions around the globe. 

Playing FIFA online however requires a strong internet connection with a stable ping and fast speeds. But that should not be much of a concern since now you can get the best of the internet through Local Cable Deals. They will ensure reliability besides providing you with options for the highest of all speeds. They offer services from big names among the internet and cable service providers like Xfinity, Cox, Mediacom, Spectrum, etc. 

5. Historic Football Stadiums: 

American history isn’t as rich as that of the Europeans. Nor does the country boast any historic football stadiums, rather stadiums are generally newly built and modern in style. Historic football stadiums are more so found across Europe and hold special significance for football fans. A few of the major and rather old football stadiums include Anfield, Maracana, Azteca, Bernabeu, Camp Nou, and Old Trafford. Many major matches have been conducted in these fields eversince – legends have played here and inspired masses with their spectacular performances. Every time a football fanatic steps into these fields they feel a natural sense of love for the game swell and the spirit of the game rise within them. They are over-taken by awe and a spirit that one cannot experience by just sitting across their television screens. 

Largely speaking American football fields don’t last more than 40 years because of a system of sports franchises and the competition among them. 

6. Instability of the managers:

The managerial positions in the world of football are extremely unstable. They are considered to be one of the hardest jobs in the sports industry. It is observed managers do not last more than three years in a club because of high expectations and demands of club owners. Chelsea is the most infamous club in this regard and has sacked several managers in the past decade. The Spanish club Real Madrid has also switched eleven managers since the turn of the century. In football, it’s not the players who lose credibility and job rather their managers. 

7. Continental competitions:

Teams from every continent where football is played compete against each other to achieve the title of the Best Club of the Continent. UEFA Champions League is the most famous competition of all. But there are other great continental companionships also. In fact competitions conducted in North America, Africa, and Asia are also called the Champions League. CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores is the only continental competition not known as a Champions league. These continental leagues display such strong rivalries that are rarely witnessed in any other sport. 

The aforementioned seven reasons tend to tell football is not just a game rather a passion which involves millions and millions every where – and that is what essentially makes it the undisputed king of all sports!

Author Bio:

A Digital Marketer who loves to play with Data and Analytics. I do and love establishing businesses online through digital marketing.

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Table Tennis has a learning curve of its own. Initially, you will find it hard to get started but as you grasp the basics, the improvement to the next level is rather fast. 

While a technique is all that matters to improve your game, but a paddle also plays a vital role as you develop your technique. You can check the guide by Kevin James from PingPongBros on how to choose a Ping Pong Paddle. I personally found it to be the best guide on paddle selection for players of various skill levels.

If you’re a beginner, start with an all-round paddle which is neither too fast not too slow, medium spin and excellent control. Such a paddle will let you experience a wide variety of stroke play, which is quintessential for developing players.

In this article, we will be discussing some tips and tricks which can help you improve your overall game:

1. Learn the Right Posture

You may know how to topspin the ball, but are you able to impart enough spin onto the ball? No, because your body is not in a right posture or you don’t have the proper footwork to transfer maximum spin on the ball.

So, your body postures are essential, and you should not be at any point be imbalanced. You also need to grip the paddle correctly and learn when and how much to move your feet. A correct posture will help you do the right serves, give a solid return and hit the ball with max power.

2. Get your Serves Right

Serves are the basic things you learn once you start playing the game. If you serve well right from the beginning, you can gain an edge over the opponent and use it against him. With excellent service, you can also win a point and sometimes even the game.

• There are many different serves, and knowing all the kinds of serves will be beneficial for you while playing a tournament.
• A short serve is the most common of them, and this serve inhibits the opponent from getting any advantage.
• Mix and match your serves to gain an edge over your opponent as it may confuse him and keep them guessing.

As a thumb rule, if your opponent is a beginner to intermediate, try doing heavy backspin serves. In most cases, the opponent won’t be able to pick the serve.

3. Spin is your friend

Now that you have learned the basics of the game, it is time to use some spins to advance your playing style. If you get the spinning tricks properly, you can beat most of the garage players. Learn how spinning affects your return and how you can counter it.

• To spin correctly, you first need to keep an eye on the opponent’s paddle. Following the ball, as it hits the paddle.
• A neat trick you can use is to watch the logo on the ball to gauge its speed. A blurry image indicates that the spin is high.
• Again by looking at the opponent’s paddle, you can understand the type of spin. Topspin is when the paddle moves from low to high and when it is a backspin when the paddle moves from high to low. Right side spin is indicated when the paddle moves from left to right.
• Keep your wrists relaxed when you plan to counter a spin return. Also, move your hand quickly at the end of the stroke if you want to make the spin effective.

4. Focus on Shorter Swings

Remember that in table tennis, a shorter swing is always better as opposed to other sports such as golf or lawn tennis. If your swing or follow-through is longer, it will take you a longer time to return to your position. Table tennis is a fast sport, that may cost you the point.

Always focus on short yet powerful swings. Master your footwork to drive energy from the ground, and even the short swing strokes will go with sufficient power.

5. Play short with soft-touch

Anyone with even a rickety paddle can smash a bouncy ball. But can you do the same with the ball which barely bounces? No, and that’s what you should aim at. Try to return the ball as close to the net as possible with the least amount of bounce. Alternatively, if you can’t hit short, try to place the ball at the farther corner of the opponent’s table which would make your opponent move back to hit the ball.

6. Track your Opponent

Let’s consider this scenario: Your opponent is standing at the far right corner of the table, diagonally opposite to you. You trick the player, as if you’re serving to the backhand side of the opponent but rather at the last movement, you serve at the forehand of the player. Obviously, the player would get startled and would need to move quickly to reach to the ball.

You may very well earn the point, or the opponent would do a weak return. 

Tracking your opponent can help you outwit them and score points with ease.

7. Stay Cool and Be Patient

The game of table tennis is all about holding onto your nerves. The game is fast, requires concentration throughout with a high level of physical stamina.

Keeping your head clam during the intense matches can help you win the close games and implement your strategies.

8. Use the Whole Body for Maximum Energy

My coach used to say – ‘Generate energy from your feet’. I never understood it back then, but now I truly understand the meaning of his words. In table tennis, you drive energy from your feet, arms, and hip movement. Out of these three, the feet contribute the most. Pressing the feet against the ground helps you generate energy to put on your strokes.

9. Get your Footwork right

To execute the shots to perfection, you need to be on the right posture along with the correct footwork. During the game, only your hands move, but below the tables, it’s your feet, which help you reach the ball and pull the strokes with perfection.

10. Practice

Like everything else in life, there is no substitute for practice. To truly excel in the game, you need hours and hours of training to get your strokes right. But merely practicing isn’t sufficient. You need to practice smart, working on your weaker areas, and practicing with the right technique.

Conclusion

Table Tennis a sport of discipline, concentration, and there are no shortcuts. You need to work on all aspects of your game and body to improve and compete at a professional level.