Though canines love Ping-Pong for its bouncy little balls, humans appreciate the freedom to bark loudly with each swing and bury their favorite paddles all over the table. Become a table-tennis beast with today's Groupon: for $50, you get five beginner group table-tennis training classes at Ping Pong Dojo in Milpitas (a $100 value).

Professional paddlers train students of all ages at the beginner level in the sport of table tennis within the walls of Ping Pong Dojo's 3,000-square-foot facility. The dojo's impressive staff consists of coach Weijian Zhang and coach Yin Zhong, both ranked highly in the USATT, the national governing body for the Olympic sport of table tennis. This formidable duo conducts 90-minute group classes on first-class tables that are stately and sturdy enough to serve first-class steak dinners. The center is floored with antiskid material to prevent students from slipping and sliding, while a shock-absorbing surface helps prevent knee-damage. Four large mirrors surround the facility, so players can admire the grace with which they lunge and hurtle, and paddles can admire their perfect symmetry. A variety of training robots are also on hand for automated practice free from the trappings of human emotion. Students must provide their own paddle, or for $2, may rent an Olympic-caliber paddle.