Teaching Beginners

Arjun Patel Asked 12 years ago

Hi Alois and Jeff,

I finally got a table and bat now but some completely new players, where should i start from and how?

I usually get a hard time teaching how to use their backhand and preventing them from raising the bat along with ball while serving.

All advice is welcome!!

Jeff Plumb Answered 12 years ago

Hi Arjun,

That is great. Well done.

I'd start by teaching them the basics. Go through the first videos on our Strokes & Technique course with them.

For the backhand try to keep things simple. Teach them the correct positioning of the feet and then have them concentrate on the start and finish position. If they focus on getting the start and finish correct, the rest of the stroke will come together. It also helps to have them watch the stroke being played correctly as it helps form an image in their mind.

With regards to serving correctly just follow the tips in the How To Serve video.

Try to get them to hit a lot of table tennis balls focusing on using the correct start and finish position.

Good luck!