Just had my first real hit... What an experience

Andy Craig Asked 14 years ago

Hi, newbie here, so pumped after tonight. I came down to a local club and just had a social hit, and loved it.. I immediately felt comfortable out there, hit some great shots, and a truck load of rubbish, still, felt like I can really improve here.

 In the space of three weeks of watching PingSkills vids on You tube, felt like I have a very,very basic idea of what to do. Now, I am thinking how can I improve more, I love to learn new things, and table tennis suits the bill.

 What can anyone suggest to improve.. To buy my own table, get or make a rebound net, and practise with a purpose???? Is that a good place to start?

Any ideas/suggestions most appreciated...

Regards Looseleftie 

Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago

Hi Andy,

It is great to hear your enthusiasm. That will take you a long way on it's own. It sounds like you are on the right track.

The first thing you need to do is to learn how to play the correct strokes. Make sure you have a decent bat to learn with and stick with this for a while. Depending on your level there are a number of basic exercises you can practice at home. 

It is great that you are going to a club because that is a great way to improve. It really opens your eyes up to how the game can be played in a way you don't see by just staying in your garage.

Getting a table at home is a good idea but I am not a big fan of the return boards as they have a limited life span in your practice. When you are starting out you can hit the ball against a wall to get some consistency. Once you progress more and start generating more spin on your strokes, this will affect the way the ball comes off the board and it does not represent how the ball will return to you in a game. The best thing to do is to find some coaching at your local club and get down there as often as you can. If your club has some group coaching you will learn you how to structure your training session.

As you mention it is great to practice with a purpose. Have a read of Alois' article on Trainings Critical Factors for some ideas. I'd suggest you start with some of the strokes from our Bronze level lessons and focus on improving your consistency. Checkout our free downloads for some forms to help with that. 

Also try to enter some competitions at the club. Don't be fooled into waiting until you improve, just jump right in and you will improve as you go. The club will grade you and put you against suitable players. 

Good luck Andy! Please let us know how you progress!