How to stay cool and not panic

Ghazlan Firmansyah Asked 5 years ago

Hi, I'm really new to table tennis. I often chicken out if my opponent hits the ball really hard. How can I stay cool and not panic for this situation?

Alois Rosario Answered 5 years ago

Hi Ghazian,

The first thing is to try to keep watching the ball.

The more you see the ball travelling at that speed the easier it gets.  It is like doing anything to start with, initially it feels like it is totally out of control and everything moves too fast.  When you first start driving it seems like there are way too many things happening with the pedals and the signals and the turning... As you see it more, you start to feel like you are able to manage it and eventually you could drive a long way an not even know what you have done.  The same happens with the fast ball and eventually it feels like the ball is slowing down.

In short, give your self as many opportunities to face a ball at that speed and it will all start to look a lot more manageable.