Fitness Components of Table Tennis
Training
Kevin Long Asked 13 years ago
Hi Alois,
If you had to pick the 5 most important fitness components for table tennis, what would they be and why? What would be the best way to train these components?
Alois Rosario Answered 13 years ago
Hi Kevin,
Table Tennis requires all 5 major components of fitness at the highest level. You speed, strength, power, endurance and agility. Speed is understandable because of the speed of the ball and the rallies.
Strength is required so that you can maintain leg positions required during a rally and the ability to get to a ball that is out of reach and moving at 160 km/h. Power will enable you to jump into position. Endurance will enable you to keep going through a long tournament. Some will last a week or more where you are playing 6 to 9 matches in a day at time.
Agility will enable you to reduce injury and stretch to reach balls.
These are just some examples of how Table Tennis requires all areas of fitness and one of the reasons that it is such a popular game.
To cover all of this you need to first embark on a general fitness program. Later you can start to tailor it more specifically for Table Tennis. Take a loo at these previous blogs on Weight Training Specifically for Table Tennis and Strength Conditioning for Table Tennis.
Recommended Video
Forehand and Backhand Topspin
The forehand and backhand topspin strokes are two of the most important strokes in table tennis. In lesson 6 you start playing these strokes first by getting someone to throw the ball to you. This makes it easier to get into the correct position and concentrate on the correct start and finish position, and the essential brushing contact. You can then progress to using this in a rally where your training partner learns to block the topspin back.
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Barry Atkinson Posted 11 years ago
Hi Alois
Just been reading your article on components of fitness as I am embarking on my UKCC Level 2 Table Tennis qualification (I already have the ETTA equivalent). I would like to add another element to the five meNtioned and that is FLEXIBILITY. All muscles and joints need to be flexible, wrist, neck, arms, legs feet ankles, etc, this isn't covered in many articles that I have read other than one in the following article:http://www.ittf.com/ittf_science/sscenter/int_journal6/.
Regards
Barry Atkinson