Designed by French creative outfit NEDJ, this series of Ping Pong tables flip the sport on its head, questioning and breaking all the rules… like why must the table look exactly like a miniature tennis court? What if it looked like a golf course or a squash court instead? Or better, what if it was designed for a chaotic game between three people instead of two??
The series of new tables bring an element of fun and surprise to the game, reinventing them in a way that should make even experts feel like curious amateurs. Gone are the days of boring, rectangular tables. These tables range from curved to perforated, and even three-dimensional to create more surfaces for the ball to bounce off of. Consider this also my formal petition to have these tables in the Olympics!
Designer: NEDJ
Broadly, NEDJ’s Ping Pong Tables come in four styles, the Table GOLF (in yellow), Table TRIO (in red), Table REBOUND (in green), and Table TOURNANTE (in yellow). All four tables have their own distinct design based around different styles of playing. The Golf, for example, feels reminiscent of Beer Pong, as opponents get points for shooting the ping pong ball directly into the hole. The Trio, on the other hand, is made for three people. Based on artist Asger John’s invention of three-sided football, the table comes with a hexagonal design that’s split into three equal parts with a Y-shaped net in between. The aim of the game is to be cunning enough to team up to beat the more powerful/talented player, giving them a distinct disadvantage and adding some chaotic fun to the game.
The Rebound table turns the ping pong ball into a parkour artist, having it bounce off different angled surfaces to add new dynamism to the game. To win, you have to anticipate the rebounds and measure your shot to put your opponent in a difficult position. The Tournante, finally, may look like the most simple table of the lot, but requires the most amount of agility. Based on the ‘revolving’ style of gameplay, players have to run around the table, switching sides every two volleys. This means that the game can also involve more than two plays, and up to as many as 6-7 players who keep rotating around the table with every shot. The rounded edges make running around the table a lot easier, and also help develop your aim and ability to spin the ball in the air, so as to keep it on the table!
Short for “Nouvelles Expériences de Jeu” (or New Gaming Experiences), NEDJ is a Paris-based design outfit that’s looking to radically reinvent popular games. The ping pong tables are their flagship series, and the studio’s even done a number on traditional ping pong rackets, adding uniquely quirky new shapes to their catalog. Made entirely in-house, the tables range anywhere from €2,300 ($2521 USD) to €3,000 ($3,289), while a set of 12 racquets costs €1,500 ($1,644).
