Fact 128: What sport equipment was slightly inlarged for TV by the ITTF?

Fact 128: What sport equipment was slightly inlarged for TV by the ITTF?

This answer may surprise you to know that the answer is a Ping-pong balls, they were inlarged from 38mm in diameter to 40mm in diameter to make it easier for spectors to see the ball, to make Ping-pong more of a spectator sport research into different sizes of Ping-pong balls were carried out by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to monitor the enjoyment of spectors watching the game and the impact on the size had on the game, the sizes they chose to research and to test were 28mm (original size was used to compare changes in speed and velocity and distense traveled in metres per second), 40mm, 42mm, 43mm, 44mm. Research showed that 40 mm was able to be seen by sectators and the cameras to see and similar in movement and speed to the 28mm.

The ITTF also nearly considered 44mm however they worked out it only preformed well in one move but was really visible and there for people enjoying watching the sport however the ball Behaved differently and was not easier for the players to play with, were as the 40mm was more incomparison with the 38mm while still being only slightly bigger and more visible.

If anyone was wondering what the 40mm Ping-pong ball weighs the answer is 2.7g, which is actually more than I thought it would be given the ball is hollow.