Table Tennis Tips
Drills and Skills to Practice
Grips and Racket Control
Bouncing the ball up and down:
This will help you learn how to keep on hitting the ball
in the centre of your racket.
- Do this by bouncing the ball up and down on your racket
consecutively.
The longer you can keep doing this standing still without
losing control or having the bounce away, the better you
will be able to control where you want the ball to go when
you are playing.
Bouncing the ball up and down without moving your arm
This will help you learn how to control the ball with only
your wrist.
- Do this by bouncing the ball up and down by only flicking
your wrist, there should be no stretching out of the arm
to get to the ball.
The more you do this, the more relaxed your wrist will
be during games because a stiff wrist will restrict movement
and you will not be able to use a stroke to its fullest
potential.
Alternate Bouncing:
This will help you move your racket faster and help you
learn to use both your forehand and backhand quickly when
your racket has to switch quickly from one position to another.
- Do this by bouncing the ball first on one side and then
the other by turning your racket quickly to the other side.
You will be alternating between your forehand and your backhand.
The more you do this, the better you will be at hitting
the ball accurately in a short amount of time or when you
have been tricked and need to quickly switch to the correct
position to avoid losing a point.
Wall Bouncing:
This will help you develop better timing and aim at different
distances and heights.
- Do this by bouncing the ball against the wall by using
both backhand and forehand or by folding up half your table
to create a wall. If it is possible, draw a circle so that
you have something to aim for. For beginners, you should
start with a bigger circle and then gradually make it smaller.
The same goes for distance because the closer you are the
faster it will come back to you, so start a bit back and
then move closer.
The more you do this, the faster you will be able to react
and the better you will be able to aim at a certain part
of your opponents table.
Backhand and Forehand Drives
Crosscourt Hitting:
This will help you perfect the way you hit the ball for
games.
- Do this with a partner on the other side of the table.
Using backhand and then forehand or vice versa, hit the
ball back and forth across the table. If you are starting
on the left side of the table, you partner should also be
on the left side of their part of the table which should
be diagonally across from you.
Forehand and Backhand Down the Line:
This will help you hit balls going down the line.
- Do this by first by hitting the ball with a forehand
to your partner so that he/she will be able to hit it back
with a backhand and send it back down the line.
Smashing:
This will help you practice and learn to smash effectively.
- Do this by serving to your partner who will return the
ball weakly. Then as it nears you, smash it back down to
your partner’s side. This can be done with either
the forehand or backhand.
Serves
Topspin and Backspin Serves
This will help you learn how to serve anywhere and however
you desire, but especially with great speed.
- Do this by using both types of serves on both sides of
the line. Make sure when you are serving, that the ball
stays low or is close to the table when it bounces. Try
to hit the ball so that it zooms across the table rather
than to make it really spinny. Also practice at various
areas in front of the table and to aim at many places.
Footwork
Shadow Practice
This will help you move quickly from one side to the other
without hesitation and to help you visualize what it is
like for the ball to come at you in different directions.
- Do this by pretending to hit balls the way you think
they will come at you. You can start by thinking the ball
is coming at you and use your forehand and then you can
jump to the other side and use your backhand. You can do
this by randomly thinking up different ways it will come
back and using all the different types of strokes to practice.
It is best to do this before an actual game so that you
are mentally prepared to expect anything.
Blocking With Backhand and Forehand
This will help you in games when fast shots come at you.
- Do this by having your partner hit to all areas of your
side of your table using topspins. Try to block each shot
by hitting them as soon as they bounce off the table.
Looping
This will help you learn to loop against backspins and
to use a backspin serve, one of the most common ways to
start a match.
- Do this by having your partner serve to you with a backspin.
They should serve in a way that will force you to use either
your forehand or your backhand but instead you should use
loops against them. If your partner is able to block these,
catch the ball and start over again.
Chopping
Against the Wall:
This will help you learn how to chop easily compared to
rallying with a partner.
- Do this by either guessing or drawing a line three feet
above the floor on a wall because this is about the height
of the net. Then drop a ball on the floor and as it bounces
back up, chop it against the wall just above the line, do
this again as it rebounds back to you.
Against Topspins:
This will help you to chop properly, which is nice and
low to the net, so that you won’t have to worry about
the return shot from your opponent.
- Do this by having your partner serve to you with a topspin
and then chopping it back. Your partner should then catch
the ball and start the whole process again. Practice this
with both your forehand and your backhand.
Against Forehand and Backhand Chopping:
This will help you feel the actual movements you might
experience in a real game where the opponent hits to both
sides.
- Do this by having your partner drive to both the left
and right hand side of the table alternately so that you
can alternate the use of forehand and backhands chops with
each return shot.
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