8 Things in a Split Second

John D Unknown Asked 17 years ago

Once upon a time I read that there are eight things a table tennis player should do each time they hit the ball. Can you please refresh my memory as to what those eight things are? Thanks!!!

JD in Alabama, USA

Alois Rosario Answered 17 years ago

Hi John 

There is a difference in what the player should do and what they should think about while playing a stroke.

I haven’t heard of the 8 things that you are referring to.  There are probably a million things that a player should do when they are hitting a ball.  I think the 2 most important are remaining balanced and watching the ball.  Of course there is always the matter of making contact between bat and ball!

Repetitive stroke practice focusing on technique will allow you to eliminate a lot of things that you need to focus on and will enable you to concentrate on placement and speed of stroke during a game.

The doing and doing is important to allow yourself to learn effectively.  A baby only learns to walk by doing and not by their parents sitting them down and explaining the intricate mechanics of their first step.

In a game situation there is only one thing that you should think about when you are playing and that is watching the ball.

If you are in a training situation, you can focus on one aspect that you are trying to improve or consolidate such as your stroke technique, your balance, your contact point or some other aspect you are focusing on, however you should only attempt to focus on these one at a time.