How to get loose

Hi Alois,

I´ve been wondering for some time why after just one hour of training I physically feel quite exhausted. I reckon it has to do with a lot of tension particularly in the arm/shoulder area. I feel stiffness there when it comes to loops because I often feel insecure when I unexpectedly need my forehand (I mostly play close to the table) and it seems that I´m trying to compensate that with tension and control. Do you have any idea what could help to loosen up during training or a match?

Thanks

Manfred

Hi Manfred,

Tension will make you feel a lot more tired than you need to be.

You need to focus on this in training.  Start with the forehand topspin.  This is a classic stroke that a lot of players tighten up on.

While practicing the stroke, see how little effort you can take to make the stroke, while still making sure your bat starts and finishes in the correct positions.  If you feel tension anywhere, close your eyes and without the ball swing your arm through the path of the stroke and see how little effort you are taking.  To play a stroke, it takes no more effort than this.  The ball is light and doesn't need a lot of power to hit.

Then it is a matter of translating this into other areas of your strokes and game and in a match situation.

It will take a while to get the feel of this but it is worth persevering with.