Much of the world has been forced into lockdown due to Covid-19. This has put a halt to table tennis competitions and practice around the world. However, many of you are itching to keep improving during this time. Here are some suggestions for how you can improve your table tennis during the lockdown.
With a table, without a partner
If you are lucky enough to have a table tennis table with you during the lockdown, serve practice is a brilliant option for you to continue to improve. Coach Tom has produced a video especially showing how to structure a serve practice session with tips on how to improve one of the most vital parts of the game. Access the video here.
With a robot
If you’ve got a table and a robot then you are one of the lucky ones during this time when many players are starved of getting their table tennis fix. Even with a basic robot, there are so many options for you to practice. Once again, Coach Tom has you covered with a great video with some basic robot drills that will keep you sharp during the lockdown. Access the video here.
Without a table
If you are stuck with just your bat and a ball then your options are limited. However, it is still possible to practice. One way to maintain a little bit of touch and control for the ball is to play around with some bat skills. Your touch for the ball will be noticeably missing when you return to the training hall. However, by practising your bat skills you can maintain a good level of feeling and control whilst having a little bit of fun in the process.
Another option is to work on your fitness. Most table tennis players could improve their match and tournament performance by increasing their fitness level. Coach Tom and Dan have produced a couple of great videos on how to improve your fitness in this Quarantine Table Tennis Series.
Quarantine Table Tennis Fitness
Upper body resistance bands training for table tennis
Finally, there is an enormous amount to be learnt from watching the very best in the game do their thing. Head on over to YouTube and study the top players and how they do things. We recommend watching the full match versions over the highlights. This allows a more detailed and fuller understanding of what is happening in a match, rather than only seeing the best rallies.
Lastly, check out this article with some great tips on how you can practice without a coach.
