If you love to play ping pong in your free time, you might want to take your game up a notch and learn tips and techniques to turn a hobby into a beneficial skill. We have put together some of the best strategies that will help you gain the necessary expertise at the game.
In case you are a beginner, and want to learn tricks to be able to gain more expertise, this guide is for you as well. Here are 10 of the best ping pong techniques to make sure you win every time (or at least give the opponent a tough match).
Table of Contents
1. Always Warm Up
Since table tennis is a game that requires an ample amount of physical exertion, it is always important to warm up before the game. Warming up before the game might save you from injuries and allow you more movement and stretch throughout the game.
2. The Right Equipment
It is wise to invest in good quality equipment, especially if you are looking forward to take the game seriously. Also, always use your own paddle as every paddle has a distinct feel to it.
Therefore, using your own paddle might feel being at home. Additionally, overtime, you learn the ways your paddle works and gain more control over it.
It is also important to learn to hold your paddle correctly. The ‘shake-hand grip’ is the one most suited for beginners. It is recommended to hold your paddle correctly from the beginning in order to develop good habits from the start.
3. Practice is the Key
Practice is required to master any skill, so is for table-tennis. You can practice with an opponent, alone or with a practicing robot. You can play practice games not only to improve your skills but also to learn new tactics.
Practice helps you assess what mistakes you are making and how to learn tips and tricks to master the game.
4. The Proper Athletic Posture
As an athlete, it’s important to have a certain level of agility and for that correct posture is important. Learn to balance and at the same time relax your body. Your movements must be swift but firm.
It is important to thrust your whole body forward in every hit, and be able to get back into position quickly. For this, you must learn to control and manage your footwork. In order to explore these tactics, you can learn exercises and just practice a lot.
5. Master the Spin
Executing and learning to take a spin is important to develop athletic expertise in ping pong. Most players use spin as an offensive strike. Therefore, it is important to learn how to master it and to learn the defensive strikes as well.
Spin on the ball causes it to dip and curve, which makes it difficult for the opponent to predict its position or speed.
The three basic types of spins are the top spin, the backspin and the side spin. Topspin is the most important one, as it gives extra boost to the ball. If executed correctly, your opponent will not be able to return the ball over the net, thus earning you a point.
It is also important to know how fast the ball is spinning in order to plan your defensive strike. For this, keep an eye on the logo and see how fast it spins or if it is entirely blur.
6. Learn to Serve
The most important strategy—mastering which will definitely earn you points—is learning the serve. This is the time when you have 100% control over the ball and you can almost entirely determine and predict its direction.
As a beginner, it is recommended to learn one serve and practice it. The ball must be thrown up at least six inches high from your open palm. Using short serves hinders the opponent to gain any kind of advantage.
Moreover, beginning slow and gradually increasing speed towards the end of the strike adds extra spin on the ball.
7. The Basic Strokes
There are four basic strokes: the forehand drive, the backhand drive, the forehand push and the backhand push. After learning service techniques and mastering the spin, it is also important to learn about different strikes and master techniques to be good at them.
It is also advised to keep your swing short and aim for low returns. Short, powerful swings leave less room for error and allow you to regain your position more swiftly. Shorter swings allow you to be precise as well.
When you aim for low returns, your opponent has more room for mistakes and this can possibly earn you a point. As the lower the ball, the lesser moves your opponent has!
8. Bring Your Block & Defense Game Up
Blocking is one of the major counter strikes which allows you to gain more control over the ball. Defensive strikes are meant to defend you from an opponent that wants to break down your rally against them. It is important to master both kinds of strikes to be able to bring your game up a notch.
9. Read Your Opponent
One of the greatest strategies is to read your opponent’s moves and strokes in order to predict the direction of the table tennis ball. It is important to learn about your opponent’s weaknesses and gain more control over the game. You must keep an eye on the paddle when receiving a service as well.
10. Consistency is the Key
Being consistent at practicing and participating in the matches is what’s going to help you master the game. It is also important to correct errors and learn new techniques, which can only be done by consistently playing the game.
When you practice, consider each stroke with a point. By doing so, you will work hard at every strike and therefore play like a true athlete.
Conclusion
Every player has their own learning strategies and techniques. We have put together some fundamental techniques that are a must to learn if you want to be a pro at table tennis or just a beginner.
There are many other techniques, so it is important for you to see what works best for you. Summing up, we believe that practicing and consistency are the most important tips if you want to be good at table-tennis.
Try to practice every day, even for a short time to gain control over your movements, paddle and of course, the ball.
