You have to come up with various strategies to outsmart your opponent and you have to train your brain to know how fast the ball is coming your way, so you can line up the perfect hit. The object is speed instead of spin, so the player hits through the ball, which is directed slightly downward over the net in a low arc. I was able to return his serve with ease. This is probably more important than sheer strength. After his energy collapse I won the final game eleven to three. So whether your 10 or 70 years old I encourage you to improve your endurance, speed and strength because as they improve so will your results, and you will get more enjoyment from your game. While this aspect of my physical game sounds like it has the least impact on my game, the fact is that it lets me play and have the best chance to make use of my endurance and speed. This is especially important … •aving good speed and agility is extremely important so that the player is able to change direction, and move quickly, H both sideways and in and out of the table. As you begin to improve as a table tennis player and master the fundamentals, you’ll almost certainly need to think about increasing your power. The use of speed glue beginning in the mid 1980s increased the spin and speed even further, resulting in changes to the equipment to "slow the game down". Ball speed also limits the opponent’s options and makes it more difficult for him or her to produce the shot. But there are some unbelievers out there who need converting. I’ll start with a little story. Table Tennis requires all 5 major components of fitness at the highest level. Offering premium customer service, we are players and lovers of table tennis, dedicated to elevating the game! So what do I do to increase my speed? Step two, watch Sara... “Continuing our series featuring ITTF’s High Performance & Development Department covering a whole range of topics on table tennis. It is important to get more people playing but also playing with the correct equipment. The speed at which the ball is stroked is another important variable the tennis player controls. The speed, spin and placement of the ball are crucial in table tennis, and professional players are highly skilled in both creating and solving puzzles involving these three attributes. In fact studying major events in tennis and table tennis over several decades it is found that left-handers are significantly over-represented in the final stages of major events. Running long distances increases your long-term endurance. The second place winner's speed was 66.5 kph, a smash with a 38mm ball that was dropped vertically to the player smashing it. Hardbat vs Sponge in Table Tennis / Ping-Pong - Which is Better? Speed. When his paper work clears he will play the 3rd spot on the team. Power in Table Tennis. As a beginner consistency and accuracy are key. Most people think strength is about hitting the ball harder. Power comes primarily from eight factors. Fired at close range, the ping pong ball blows right through a ping pong paddle at a speed of 919 miles per hour. The scientists had to be sure to stand behind the gun's muzzle to avoid any bounces that might ricochet. I believe that Table Tennis is one of the hardest sports in the world. Fitness Testing for Tennis . They use forehand topspin or smash. But on the flip side the skill level in Table Tennis is highly scale-able, with hardcore Olympians competing against each and hitting the ping pong ball at speeds higher than 60 mph. Officially, New Zealander Lark Brandt holds the record for the fastest recorded smash at 69.9 miles per hour which he hit at the inaugural World Fastest Smash Competition in 2003. I do 100 jumps. These were introduced to Britain by sports goods manufacturer S.W. He also helps out with the kids’ program that precedes his practice time. Table tennis improves hand-eye coordination stimulating mental alertness, deep attention and strategy, it is more like fishing. The balls come with varying speeds and tricks. Jay Turberville wondered about this question as well, and he's written an exhaustive analysis of the subject of table tennis maximum ball speed. In table tennis, it is not similar to strokes from other racket sports like tennis. Notice how the table tennis player drives through the shot to achieve spin over speed Forehand driveThe drive is executed close to the table so the ball may be struck at the peak of its arc. Sports > List > Tennis > Fitness > Testing. However, in order to run around my backhand I needed to be able to cover the open forehand. Speed is understandable because of the speed of the ball and the rallies. It’s the only shot that you have full 100% control over it. Don't try this at home! By putting heavy topspin on the ball, a player is able to make the ball drop towards the table faster, so that he can hit the ball fast in an upwards direction, but have his heavy topspin pull the ball down onto the other side of the table. Hancock Ltd. The Physical Aspect of My Table Tennis Game. The object is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net and bounces on the opponent’s half of the table in such a way that the opponent cannot reach it or return it correctly. The aim of this study was to determine the role of head, eye and arm movements during the execution of a table tennis forehand stroke. This is a very good question that every player should understand. 2. Greater ball speeds place more pressure on an opponent by decreasing the time needed to get to and prepare for the shot. The speed of play makes agility one of the most important factors for success. Thankfully I was able to because of my speed training. First, the ball is hit from a dead drop, so there is no rebound from the ball's inertia. The racket is primarily perpendicular to the direction of the stroke, and most of the energy applied to the ball results in speed rather than spin, creating a shot that does not arc much, but is so fast that it can be difficult to return. It also helps to build lean muscle mass, while reducing body fat and working the anaerobic system. An important benefit of playing table tennis is that it keeps your mind clean, clear and focused. Seth Pech now lives in small town called Rissen in Hamburg, Germany. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of line-of-gaze, arm and ball was used to describe visual and motor behaviour. Table tennis is a reaction/speed game that requires explosive anaerobic movements which must make up the main specific type of training programme that is required. However there are right handed players who are referred to as 'cross' because they are left eye dominant. I played Tennis,Table Tennis some other sports and coached both Tennis & Table Tennis. With smashes in excess of 60mph, a player typically has only 0.3 seconds to react. Table tennis, also called (trademark) Ping-Pong, ball game similar in principle to lawn tennis and played on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net fixed across its width at the middle. Given the length of the table, even 50 mph is incredibly fast which is why players stand so far back. I work out 3 times a week. Courtesy of Samson Dubina and Sara Jalli How do you get faster footwork? Then I realized that if I could keep the ball in play and keep him running around I could physically out last him. Boost Your Brain. For comparison, here are some other top speeds of balls: LiveAbout uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The second exercise I do is called “Kangaroo Jumps”. What do I do to increase my strength? What is the speed of a serve in table tennis not tennis? I think it is important for a player to see where his or her physical weaknesses are and strengthen those areas to avoid injuries. To celebrate this year’s National Table Tennis Day, I thought I’d share a bit of table tennis love. Seth trains at least 3 times a week for two to three hours. You can also add your ratings of Which Factors Make Successful table tennis Players, and see the latest results. The feeder of the multiball should constantly but slowly increase the speed to keep pushing your limits in order for you to continue improving your speed. You want it to last as long as possible. Speed around the court is always crucial in table tennis but even more so at the higher levels. First I set a stool on the ground and vertical jump over it as fast as I can about fifty times. They are: Equipment. There are many aspects to the physical game but today I am only going to cover the ones I believe are the most important for table tennis: Endurance; Speed; and Strength. I repeat this exercise about 3 times. Skilled and less skilled participants returned th … We have a poll about the component of fitness most important for success in table tennis. Given that the world's fastest smash is 70 mph, it's safe to say the speed of a ball hit by the average ping pong player is much slower with an average speed of about 25 mph. The canonical breakdown structure of the capability to play table tennis. June 12, 2012: Nike Tennis Camps sits down with Jay Lapidus, former head men's tennis coach at Duke University to discuss the importance of balance while hitting the ball. Sprinting improves strength, power and limb speed, which are all vital for table tennis. To end this essay, let me say that I vouch that Tabble Tennis will get you off your couch, sharpens the mind & body, and is maintainable by its addicting pleasure to hit and receive the ball at high speeds. Courtesy of Samson Dubina You have made a nice investment to purchase the perfect blade and rubber. Seth plays on the club’s team in the Hamburg’s 5th League. Spin is what allows players to hit a table tennis ball hard when the ball is low or below the net, but still, land it on the table. In table tennis, you need a table, a paddle, a net, and a ping pong ball. It depends on how hard you want to hit the ball. I took the first game then he took the next two. Why is a strong service game important? The speed should be greater than that of a normal ping pong game. I narrowly slipped into the final set and that’s where it happened. In Table Tennis, as long as the ball touches the table, it is counted, the markings aren't important. This can be calculated. Out of the options of Body Size and Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscular Endurance, Power, Speed / Quickness, Agility, Flexibility, Balance and Coordination, and Cardiovascular Endurance, the factors which are considered most important by the readers of this site are speed/quickness, balance/coordination and agility. What is the real purpose of a serve? The strategy, and most important my endurance paid off. So, in no particular order, here’s my 9 reasons why I think table tennis is the greatest of all sports. Again I will start off with a little story to explain why speed is important. Almost every amateur players want to make a fast attack to finish the point. Here’s an example of some agility training for table tennis players. It makes the young perfect sharpening reflexes and makes the older more refining tactful. "Balance is a key element for any good tennis shot," he explains. These you do by jumping vertically and while in the air, bring your knees up to your chest. For the life of me I could not receive his fast sidespin serve to my backhand with my backhand. The plan worked perfectly! First of all a table tennis board is much smaller than a lawn tennis court. Get people playing and get people educated. That means balls going in a slightly different direction could be moving even faster than recorded. speed is important because if you have speed then you can move quicker therefore making you more of a challenge for your opponent. This is probably more important than sheer strength. If you are missing half of your shots and have no control over your placement of the ball you’ll spend most of your time picking the ball up off the floor. Given that the world's fastest smash is 70 mph, it's safe to say the speed of a ball hit by the average ping pong player is much slower with an average speed of about 25 mph. "Ideally you want your upper body to remain rather straight, your head very still, and then you rotate around this axis which does not move." Speed is understandable because of the speed … •peed - the ability to move over a short distance in a short amount of time. To me being in great physical shape is a very important component to a successful table tennis game. The further the ball strays from the gun, the lower the measured speed. This is a very good way of training and can help you improve your ping pong reflexes easily. Apart from skill (which is a very important ability), the relative importance of the physiological parameters such as speed, agility and endurance differ in their contributions to making a champion tennis player. What I believe strength is good for is preventing injuries. That speed is comparable to comparable an F16 jet plane flying through the sky, which is faster than the speed of sound. I tried running around the serve to hit it with my forehand. The speed at which the ball is stroked is another important variable the tennis player controls. I played Voleyball, sailing, football,badimitton,and other sports. I was down in games trying to keep my head and not to let things get out of control. In fact studying major events in tennis and table tennis over several decades it is found that left-handers are significantly over-represented in the final stages of major events. So what do I do to increase my endurance? Table Tennis — the six strengths you need. Over the years, this has been the most troublesome part of my physical game. S •gility - the ability to … Arriving at the ball early enables players both to choose what they will do and to do it better (play stronger strokes), which allows them to dictate the game. I have always found trouble when I give 110% on a shot and my body was not physically prepared to take that strain of the extra effort. Make sure and consult with your physical trainer or doctor to ensure you are not over doing your physical training. Brandt said his technique was key—a combination of timing and strength paired with a loose wrist and a flat smash. My first observation of players/coaches standard table tennis fitness training is that it is usually based on general fitness, with lots of running (from 800m to a couple of miles). He was up in games two to zero and I needed to make a change. By using LiveAbout, you accept our, The Basic Physics and Mathematics of Table Tennis, The Backhand Backspin/Sidespin Serve in Table Tennis, Important Table Tennis Rules for Ping-Pong Beginners, Simple Drills for Table Tennis / Ping-Pong, Table Tennis Serving: Learn the Double Bounce Serve. I do many shoulder exercises like push ups, pull ups and specialized rotator cuff exercises because that seems to be where I am injury prone. Speed of foot. The radar gun is also most accurate when the ball is hit directly at the gun. Seth plays with Tibhar equipment, using 1Qxd Red and black Max rubbers. I was playing in a tournament against a defensive player who was 300 to 400 hundred points below me. Many players try to drill or play at a pace like a world-class player, and only end up scattering the ball all over the table and court, never learning control. Table tennis helps you build strength, speed, and agility without risking serious injury. One other important thing to note with technique is that the way you hit the ball can also affect the amount of power you can achieve. My runs usually range from 30 minutes to one hour. Offensive rackets and sponges add to whatever power you put on the ball. You can add your vote too, and see the latest results. Turberville also pointed out that a smash competition is significantly different from a competitive match in a few ways. We table tennis players, coaches and fans all know that table tennis is the best sport in the world. Mark French, a mechanical engineer at  Purdue University in Indiana, customized a ping-pong gun with two of his graduate students that can fire the balls at more than 1,300 feet per second, or about Mach 1.2. They want their shots faster but don’t know the correct timing. They are also have an advantage over a regular game as the ball is dropped predictably in front of them so they can make the most out of their technique. If you sink it directly into the sponge you gain speed from hitting directly into the wood, but lose power that might be generated by the sponge if you contact at more of an angle. By using still photos, video study, and even sound analysis, Jay has managed to come up with a pretty definitive answer to just how fast that little white sphere can be banged around! Because a serve (or service) is one of the most important shots in table tennis. For many years I have been fighting shoulder injuries but now I have been able to limit those injuries by strengthening my shoulders and arms. However for some reason he was able to compete with me very well. To me being in great physical shape is very important. It makes a difference, though not as much as some would seem. They are also have an advantage over a regular game as the ball is dropped predictably in front of them so they can make the most out of their technique. I've heard estimates of over 100mph for a ball coming off the racket face. However, with the lightness of the ball (2.7g) and air resistance slowing the ball down quickly, just how fast is the ball traveling when a professional smashes the ball past an opponent? There a millions of serious sports-related injuries every year in the United States, but with table tennis you can get all the health benefits of an Olympic sport without risking injury. Comparably the length and breadth of a table tennis board is much smaller than the length and the breadth of the lawn tennis court. Endurance paid off. This can be calculated. I do two things to improve it. The speed was recorded using sports speed radar on a 38mm ball as it has a greater density than the 40mm ball, so it can be picked up by the radar gun. So where does power in table tennis come from? It was back about two years ago when I was playing a good penholder player. Jay Turberville wondered about this question as well, and he's written an exhaustive analysis of the subject of table tennis maximum ball speed. Table tennis is one of the fastest ball sports in the world, but have you ever wondered just how fast a top player can hit a ping-pong ball? Located in Portland, Oregon USA, we are the North American Retailer for the major brands of table tennis. Table tennis also requires explosive power (as does sprinting). In addition, players in a smash contest can focus on technique and play with different paddles to try to generate the most speed. I wrote about set plays in this blog on table tennis master. Whether you play in the community center or at home with friends, table tennis offers a great way to bond with other people while you lose weight. You speed, strength, power, endurance and agility. He could not keep running to get to the balls. Keeping Your Eye on the Ball in Table Tennis/Ping-Pong, Tennis: 163.7 mph (Samuel Groth recorded serve). Plus, good technique will give you better consistency, which is very important—it's no good powdering the ball if you can't land it on the table. ... His ability to create a predictable response was perfect for increasing his preparation speed which is vital for a penhold player who is forehand dominant. Ball speed also limits the opponent’s options and makes it more difficult for him or her to produce the shot. Keep reading Table tennis was introduced as an Olympic sport at … The speed was recorded using sports speed radar on a 38mm ball as it has a greater density than the 40mm ball, so it can be picked up by the radar gun. Speed. He attends school and plays with a local club team out of Moorage. My name is Seth Pech and I'm currently living in Rissen, Germany. In reality the proper technique will take care of how hard a player hits the ball. Greater ball speeds place more pressure on an opponent by decreasing the time needed to get to and prepare for the shot. Most Important Factors for Success in Order of Importance (data from 2018) 4.3 Speed / Quickness 4.3 Balance & Coordination 4.3 Reaction Time 4.3 Analytic & Tactical Ability 4.3 Skill and Technique 4.2 Agility Today I am going to talk about my physical workout. For that reason it is one of the great methods for increasing reaction speeds. Why is table tennis timing important? But the speed of the shot often has more to do with proper technique than physical strength. Strength. I then take a two minute brake and do it again. There are many aspects to the physical game but today I am only going to cover the ones I believe are the most important for table tennis: Endurance; Speed; and Strength. First of all a table tennis board is much smaller than a lawn tennis court. You speed, strength, power, endurance and agility. The Best Tips for Extending the Life of Your Rubber, Basic Knowledge of Video & Performance Analysis, The Physical Aspects of Your Table Tennis Game: Endurance; Speed; And Strength. Hi Kevin, Table Tennis requires all 5 major components of fitness at the highest level. The Importance of Fingers and Wrist in Table TennisBy: Jinxin WangOnce, I heard an experienced coach advise: “The student who uses the arm to play is an elementary student; the one who uses the elbow is a middle school student; the one who uses the forearm to play is a college student; one who uses the wrist to play is a postgraduate; and finally, the one who uses the fingers to play is a doctorate.”Table tennis is an extremely detailed, yet rigorous activity. His energy ran out. This is why it's important to do drills at a pace you can do consistently, so you hone these skills until you can do them in your sleep. This exercise needs to be fast and you should, therefore, get a skilled person to serve you the balls. First off, equip yourself with some true table tennis shoes at Paddle Palace.com. The speed, spin and placement of the ball are crucial in table tennis, and professional players are highly skilled in both creating and solving puzzles involving these three attributes. Comparably the length and breadth of a table tennis board is much smaller than the length and the breadth of the lawn tennis court. So perhaps the best thing to do is to promote the game with websites like this and educate people about the intricacies of Table Tennis. However there are right handed players who are referred to as 'cross' because they are left eye dominant. It improves mental acuity as the speed, spin and placement of the ball is crucial in table tennis. you have to quick , need speed,be atheltic,strong, and edurance. Muscle Elasticity. If you start to play Table Tennis with a $2 bat, you will never learn about spin. What is a good serve in table tennis? Table tennis is a high-intensity sport (as is sprinting). Timing and strength paired with a $ 2 bat, you will never learn about spin is another important the. A speed of sound provide you with a great user experience took next. Serve with ease the speed at which the ball touches the table, player... 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