New to table tennis and want to adopt some best practices on body posture and use when playing this fast-paced game? Here are five tips that will make you a more confident ping pong player.
#1 Playing table tennis is not limited to your hand and arm. It makes holistic use of your upper body (watch the pros play and you’ll know what we’re talking about). Move your body and feet until you’re comfortably close to the ball. Then, rotate your upper body slightly to make the paddle hit the ball.
#2 In continuation from the above tip, use your whole body when you hit that forehand. Rotate your shoulders and hips backwards when initiating the backswing and then move forward into the ball when you play your forehand. This motion will transfer the weight of your body from your back foot to the front foot.
#3 Remember that you’re dealing with a light ball that spins easily. So, it is important that your hand, arm and body are relaxed. Don’t grab at the paddle, grip it tightly enough so it stays steady in your hand. Whether you have to run across the room to contact the ball or smash a high ball for a winner, you must maintain your relaxed position on the paddle.
#4 Maintain a good ready position. This should be a neutral position where your arm is at a high position in front of your body and your feet are placed properly (if you’re a right-hander, your right foot should be placed slightly behind your left foot), and move your torso forward a bit towards the ping pong pool table to create sufficient space for your arm. Stay on the balls of your feet – the area of the foot between the arch and toes – and not on your heels. After every ball and serve, get back to the ready position.
#5 Always keep your playing arm in a ready position to hit the ball. Professional ping pong players maintain their arms in perfect position all through the game. If you lower your arm, you’ll have to reposition it every time before you can hit the ball. You just don’t have that kind of time when playing table tennis, and need to have lighting quick responses to earn points.
Practice on a quality table tennis table that offers a consistent regularity in the ball’s rebounce and offers good comfort when playing.
