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Table Tennis Maths

Table Tennis personal bests maths challenge

A child-friendly sports challenge using personal bests to practise subtraction with real examples.

Quick answer

You can use subtraction to find out how much your personal best has improved in table tennis by comparing your old score with your new score.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use subtraction to find the difference between your old table tennis score and your new personal best score. Success signs:
  • You can subtract two numbers to find how much better you are
  • You can use subtraction to compare your scores
  • You can solve table tennis problems using subtraction
  • You can explain how much your personal best has improved

Why this matters

Table tennis is a fun sport where you can track your progress over time. When you play better and beat your personal best, you can use subtraction to see how much you have improved. This helps you to know how good you are getting and can make you feel proud of your achievements. Subtraction is also useful in many other parts of life, like when you are saving money, measuring how tall you have grown, or planning a trip.

How it works

To find out how much your personal best has improved, you need to:
  1. Write down your old score
  2. Write down your new score
  3. Subtract the old score from the new score
  4. Find the difference to see how much better you are

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you are playing table tennis and you want to see how much you have improved. Example 1: You scored 12 points last time you played. This time you scored 18 points. To find out how much better you are, subtract: 18 – 12 = 6 You improved by 6 points! Example 2: Your last personal best was 25 points. Your new personal best is 32 points. Subtract: 32 – 25 = 7 You improved by 7 points! Example 3: You scored 8 points in your first game. In your second game, you scored 15 points. Subtract: 15 – 8 = 7 You improved by 7 points!

Try it as a mini adventure

Let's go on a table tennis adventure! Adventure: The Personal Best Challenge You are a table tennis champion in training. Your goal is to beat your personal best every time you play. Here's your mission: 1st game: You scored 10 points. 2nd game: You scored 14 points. 3rd game: You scored 19 points. 4th game: You scored 23 points. Your challenge is to find how much you improved each time. Game 1 to 2: 14 – 10 = ? Game 2 to 3: 19 – 14 = ? Game 3 to 4: 23 – 19 = ? Try to solve each subtraction problem to see how much better you are each time you play!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Forgetting to subtract the smaller number from the larger number. Why it happens: It can be confusing to know which number to take away from which. Fix: Always check which number is bigger and subtract the smaller one from the bigger one.
  • Mistake: Writing the numbers in the wrong order. Why it happens: Kids sometimes get confused about the order of numbers. Fix: Read the problem carefully and make sure you are subtracting the old score from the new score.
  • Mistake: Thinking that subtracting gives you a bigger number. Why it happens: Sometimes kids think that taking away makes numbers bigger. Fix: Remember that subtraction always makes the number smaller when you take away a smaller number from a bigger one.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Playing table tennis together and keeping track of scores
  • Using real scores to practice subtraction
  • Encouraging your child to find the difference between their old and new scores
  • Helping them understand that subtraction shows how much they have improved
  • Practising with small numbers at first, then moving to bigger numbers
You can also say things like:
  • "Let's see how much better you are now compared to before!"
  • "What number do you need to subtract from your new score to get your old score?"
  • "You’ve improved by 5 points! That’s great!"
Remember to be patient and encouraging. If your child makes a mistake, help them to think through it again rather than just telling them the right answer.

Practice questions

  1. Yesterday you scored 15 points. Today you scored 20 points. How much did you improve? Answer: 5 points
  2. Last week you scored 8 points. This week you scored 13 points. How much did you improve? Answer: 5 points
  3. Your old best was 22 points. Your new best is 27 points. How much did you improve? Answer: 5 points
  4. You scored 10 points last time. This time you scored 16 points. How much did you improve? Answer: 6 points
  5. Your personal best was 25 points. You beat it by 8 points. What is your new personal best? Answer: 33 points

FAQ

What is a personal best in table tennis?

A personal best is the highest score you have ever achieved in a game of table tennis. It shows how good you are getting.

How do I find out how much I have improved?

You subtract your old score from your new score. For example, if you scored 12 points before and 18 points now, you improved by 6 points.

Can I use subtraction for other sports?

Yes! You can use subtraction in any sport to see how much you have improved. For example, in football, you can see how many more goals you scored this week than last week.

Why is it helpful to track personal bests?

Tracking your personal best helps you see how much you are improving. It makes you feel proud and gives you motivation to keep practicing.

What if I don't beat my personal best?

That's okay! Even if you don't beat your personal best, you can still see how much you have improved or how much more you can practice.