A Table Tennis Pro Shares 3 Key Drills to Up Your Game
After you’re humbled by trying to control a 2.7-gram ping-pong ball for the first time, going back to Copenhagen planks or heavy bent-over rows will feel a lot less intimidating.
Don’t get fooled by table tennis’s leisurely reputation—there’s plenty of athleticism needed in a sport that’s confined to a 5x9-foot playing surface beyond hitting the small ball. Table tennis takes plenty of hand-eye coordination along with a healthy blend of quick reactions skills and footwork, and lateral movement, not to mention a bit of strength and control of both your shoulders and forearms.
Whether you’re athletically gifted or not, however, the difference between the perfect serve and getting served still comes down ball control, as professional table tennis expert Adam Bobrow demonstrates to MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. at Manhattan’s PingPod in the latest Elite Personal Trainer series. Learning how the ball moves and how to control remains the most important step in becoming better at table tennis.
Before you think of applying for International Table Tennis Federation membership (or if you just want to dominate your rec room scene), check out Bobrow's three key table tennis drills that anyone with access to a table, ball, and racket can do to get better.
3 Drills to Get Better at Table Tennis
Ball Control
This simple drill can be anywhere with just a ball and racket. According to Bobrow, all you want to focus on is hitting the ball up and down, over and over. Sounds easy enough—but too much arm and wrist movement runs the risk of sending the ball flying away from you. Bobrow says the trick is to move your wrist as little as possible. Minimal movement will help to keep the ball in the proper location: just above your paddle. Once this gets easier, you can begin more advanced hits, like tapping from one side of the racket to the other.
Low to the Net Rally Drill
This two-person routine requires you to casually hit back and forth, about 20 shots total. Once you establish a rhythm, each player begins trying hit the ball lower and lower till it almost skims the net. This is another move to help establish ball control.
Spin Drills
Spin is very important in competitive table tennis, and you won’t get any spin by hitting the ball flat with the racket. Instead, practice “brushing” the ball with the racket. When you establish the spin, you can begin practicing more advanced spins such as the Snake and the “ghost serve.”
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