Table tennis anyone?

Electrical Apparatus, Dec 2004 by Hoff, Joseph S

Anybody who laments the loss of a sense of esprit de corps in the American workplace can check their regret at the door when they enter Ace Equipment in Cleveland, where employees play table tennis on a regular basis.

Larry Heran is just one of the company's employees who enjoys the game. He is to the game of table tennis what Brad Gilbert was to the men's professional tennis circuit-an unrelenting gadfly who nags at his opponent, poking until he finds a chink in the armor.

That's because Heran is like a human wall off of which a ball bounces. No matter how hard, precise, or well-strategized a shot is, the player opposite Heran always faces the challenge of returning the ball yet one more time. Fatigue can settle in.

Heran can interrupt the rhythm of an adversary who comes equipped with a strong game, forcing the opponent to change his strategy. By contrast, he simply wears down players whose skills are not as strong.

"I'm more of a defensive player," explains Heran, who serves as shop foreman and production manager at Ace Equipment. "I let the other guy make the mistake."

In a sense, Heran takes a guerrilla approach. He puts the ball back in play with under-spin, an approach that he has developed over the course of playing for more than 15 years.

During this period of time, Heran has seasoned his game, attuning himself to its many subtleties. He cites quickness and hand-eye coordination as the two biggest advantages.

Employees have had sufficient time to practice at Ace Equipment, where the game is ingrained in the culture. The owner of the shop donated the table, and the game immediately caught on. Perhaps the social and competitive aspects of the game account for its popularity.

"In the 1970's and 8()'s, we played every day," Heran says.

After practicing for a time, a player begins to get a better sense of the spin, footwork, and hand-eye coordination necessary to compete. While the games may not be held at Wimbledon, Flushing Meadows, or Roland Garros, they can become pretty intense and hard-fought nonetheless.

"We're not just standing still," Haran explains. "It's a good game."

Table tennis isn't limited to the confines of Ace Equipment in Cleveland. There is a table tennis club called the Cleveland Table Tennis Association, which enables Heran to play a wide variety of people outside of work as well. He usually plays once a week at the club.

"The last four months or so, we are playing every day again," Heran says of play at the shop.

The activity offers a diversion for Heran and his fellow employees at Ace Equipment that can enhance productivity to a degree. The game rejuvenates the spirit, enabling them to return to the job with newfound eagerness.

"Anytime you can get your mind off of work for a while, it has some benefits," Heran admits.-JH