Table Tennis Training – Reflecting on Your Training Methods

Every year it is important for Table Tennis players to reflect on their personal training schedule and regimen. You most likely started last year with many goals in mind and, hopefully, you achieved those goals. If you did achieve all your goals, continue training in the same manner and keep diminishing your weaknesses while maintaining your strengths. You may even consider learning a new technique or two to spice up your game. If, however, you find that many of your weaknesses are still present after a year of practice, then it is time to change your training method. A year is plenty of time to make considerable improvements in your weaknesses, so if you didn’t notice a significant improvement in your game, then you need to analyze what’s missing from your method.

One of the most common mistakes and contributors to sloppy technique is simply not knowing that you are doing something wrong. Remember the saying “feel and real are never the same?” You may feel as though you have made the proper technical adjustments, but if you saw yourself on video, you would realize that you were really just making the same mistake or even creating new ones that limit your improvement. To keep yourself in check, have someone watch you train or watch yourself through video analysis to gain a true perspective on your technique.

Another very common mistake in training that leads to weaknesses in your game is not incorporating enough drills. Sure, it’s more fun to play matches than it is to drill, but playing in matches does not allow you to fine-tune technique through repetition. Drills are where you build new and good technique while getting rid of bad habits. With so much variation in a match, it is very difficult to isolate a technical problem and practice it repetitively. So before you get out there to play a few matches, spend an hour doing drills tailored to your weaknesses. This will solidify your good technique and get rid of old mistakes. Once you feel comfortable, then get out onto the match tables and try it out. Oh, and don’t forget the video camera!