For example, stride length impacts running and jumping economy (how efficiently one moves on the court), thereby affecting the amount of energy needed to move on the court or jump for a serve. Lets talk about why.ROM is King. Luckily, there isn't just one right way to hold a ping pong paddle. How to choose the best table tennis blade. Again the ability to move around the court cannot be confined to strength. With lots of training and lots of practice, this can be reduced to 0.18 of a second. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As you begin to improve as a table tennis player and master the fundamentals, you’ll almost certainly need to think about increasing your power. Balanced training involves workouts on the court, in the gym and on the track. Since muscles (tendons) connect bones with each other, poor flexibility causes problems. A thorough flexibility training program will reduce injuries from tight and inflexible muscles. This can be very hard in table tennis as we are often reacting to our opponents previous shot and having to move quickly. -, warming up and stretching the muscle tissue reduces the risk of injury and increases performance potential. Produits tennis de table, raquettes, bois de raquettes, revêtements de raquettes, balles, baskettes indoor, table loisirs ou compétition, textiles sport. This is where being an incredible natural athlete and training day in and day out pays off on the court for a professional player, these are moves that the vast majority of us can only dream of. Start by holding the ball in your palm above and behind the table. The component of fitness most important for success in table tennis? The dimensions of a full table tennis table size are 2.74 meters long, 1.525 meters width and 76 centimeters height measure from the ground. So, as I said at the beginning, “you become how you train ”. Tennis players require muscular endurance because they are usually involved in physical activity that can last for hours. 1. At its simplest, table tennis is a sport where opponents hit a ball back and forth on a table with a low net. Want more power, more spin, and more depth to your shots? Forehand topspin vs backspin is one of the most important attacking strokes in table tennis. A lot of your table tennis fitness training needs to be made up of lateral movements, such as lateral jumping. First of all a table tennis board is much smaller than a lawn tennis court. Chapter 4 of Advanced Concepts of Strength & Conditioning for Tennis, called Fitness Assessment, provides you with a wide variety of tests that help you to determine deficiencies and the following chapters provide exercises to correct the deficiencies. There's the popular shakehand grip, best for beginners, and the versatile but tricky to master penhold. Please use the links below to buy… Amazon.com = $13.25 (Kindle) or $15.38 (Paperback) Amazon.co.uk = £9.99 (Kindle) or £12.95 (Paperback) To check out all of my favourite table tennis books please read my popular blog post, The Best Table Tennis Books. Enhances flexibility, balance and coordination: Tennis requires the cooperation of the whole body. Training laterally increases your ability to change direction quickly, improves leg strength, explosive power, … Close. Luckily, there isn't just one right way to hold a ping pong paddle. You will find a number of factors because this occurs, though I can say it generally will go down to this particular: being ready to move quickly and also to adjust to the opponent’s play is without a doubt the very best key element to win in tennis. Home > Resources > Polls > Sport > table tennis > fitness components. As I mentioned in episode 12 – What are the benefits of a proper Warm-up routine? Table 1: Added advantages of incorporated nanomaterials in sporting equipments. Later, a wooden bat was introduced, and the first rackets seem to hav… The more you brush the ball, the more spin you will generate on the ball. Check out our 22 static stretching exercises for your tennis cool down! The mechanics of playing tennis means that there are certain tendons and joints of the body that are used over and over again. There are a number of things you can do to improve your table tennis reflexes. Data Protection Check out our 22 static stretching exercises for your tennis cool down! Exercises are the best and can help you gain the quick reaction that you need in a very short time. Although many people believe that delivering a dramatic smash will help win a game, your service can dictate a point within the first five seconds of a match. A tennis player doesn't need to be able to run 5 miles, so that shouldn't be part of his training. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The reason for this is that the tangible outcomes are tough to quantify. Good cardiovascular endurance will help delay the onset of fatigue, which contributes to many sports injuries. The study was under taken with the purpose of comparing selected physical fitness variables in Table Tennis Players and Badminton Players. Your core transfers the forces from the ground up to your arm and, ultimately, to your racket. As far as clothes are concerned, wear what is comfortable and easy to move around in. You probably won't need a quality table tennis shoe (which are known for their lightness and flexibility, as well as their price!) No, but flexibility affects all the training components such as speed and power indirectly because flexibility is one of the factors limiting your ability to develop power…but how? I won’t get into exactly how to stretch here, but maybe I can do a video lesson with Dr. Jack to show us how! Pimples Rubber which contacts the ball with its pimpled surface; produces different effects on the spin compared with inverted rubber, due to the reduced contact area and flexibility of the pimples. The fitness test batteries assist in examining tennis players’ capabilities for performance at different levels in the laboratory as well as in the field, in the junior or elite level. A sandwich rubber is made up of a layer of cellular rubber, to which another layer of pimpled rubber is glued on top. The pimples may face inwards or outwards. The main ones being: The core muscles, including the rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus, which are the abdominal muscles, and both internal and external oblique muscles. Learning how to hold a ping pong paddle is the first step towards mastering the sport of table tennis. this is for a fitness assignment how does tennis use this component? There may not have been sufficient diversity in the number and type of variables used to assess on-court tennis performance. This is an excerpt from Table Tennis by Richard McAfee. At all levels skill and tactics are very important, while at the advanced playing level, being physically fit may give you an edge over your opponent. You can pass straight forward or a little to the left or right to bring in some footwork. Also, muscular imbalance of the trunk and hip musculature can cause severe problems because, for instance, you can have tightness on one side due to agitation (contracture) which can causes ¼ inch limb length discrepancy, which matters with respects to the kinetic chain (transfer of energy), where unevenness can lead to back pain or knee pain. Use theses stretching exercises after a game or tennis training session to increase your range of motion… Forearm & Rotator Cuff Exercises Help to prevent overuse injuries such as tennis elbow with these simple exercises… "They get bent up like pretzels when they do flexibility exercises." The composition of a racket: one blade and 2 rubbers You can use this stroke to attack pushes, chops and long backspin serves. As a beginner consistency and accuracy are key. The more you brush the ball, the more spin you will generate on the ball. Since table tennis requires a mix of strength, power, flexibility, agility, muscular and cardiovascular endurance a strength conditioning program for Table Tennis calls for a variety of methods each directed to a different aspect of fitness. Bilateral Dynamic Squat Stretch Flexibility is also a component of recovery. Flexibility is also a component of recovery. . Table tennis players also must devote significant time to stretching and flexibility exercises, both to achieve the ability to move and react explosively, as well as to prevent injury; table tennis players spend a great deal of time running and moving on les absorbent hard surfaces that place greater stress on the player's lower legs, ankles and feet. Find out how to prevent knee pain and improve knee strength. A two-handed backhand reduces stress on the muscles attaching to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, helping to prevent tennis elbow. You can find me on the ITF/WTA/ATP tour coaching tennis players or online writing about tennis, strength & conditioning, exercise science or health-related issues. Table tennis, ball game similar in principle to lawn tennis and played using a lightweight hollow ball and paddles on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net. The exercises are both on-table and off-table and should be done with determination. Also very important is the flexibility of your shoulders, forearms, legs and hips. So you should try to vary the speed, spin and direction of your shots. Tennis is a sport that requires a broad fitness regimen. In last week’s episode I explained the benefits of a proper warm up routine. One rubber must be black, and another one must be red. Core flexibility is huge, that’s what Djokovic is demonstrating above. What are the fitness benefits of tabletennis? ->> CLICK HERE For Availability, Podcast #153: 3 Drills To Improve Your Forehand, Defeating Tennis Injuries – Part 2 – Rehab, Defeating Tennis Injuries – Part 1 – Prevention. Today I will explain how flexibility impacts on-court performance because, often times, flexibility is an underemphasized training component by many coaches and hence is one of the prominent performance limiting factors because poor flexibility not only negatively impacts kinetic chain efficiency but also can lead to severe knee or back pain. Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small rackets.The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. You know that the rackets are made by the blade and the rubbers. The ITTF specifies that the official table tennis tables that are used in the tournament must be 9 ft long, 5 ft wide and must be placed 30 inches high from the ground. For instance, when you commit to flexibility training, is there a direct gain in size or speed? Therefore you should make sure to correct muscular imbalances and attain good overall flexibility. This is one of the big factors in what separates the greats of table tennis, from the top A grade players. Posted by 11 months ago. Impressum All Rights Reserved. Most western players are taught to hit with the arm, but Chinese says “hit by the legs”. In contrast, closed skill sports involve a predictable, relatively consistent and self-paced environment (e.g., golf, cycling, darts, etc.) In addition to the aforementioned, flexibility also plays an important role in overall joint health because it influences the integrity of the joints. What are the fitness benefits of tabletennis? Flexibility / Stretching Exercises by courtesy of the ITTF These exercises involve the major muscle groups used in table tennis and you should stretch them through their full range of movement. The more flexible your body is, the easier its going to be to obtain that length of swing. Core flexibility is huge, that’s what Djokovic is demonstrating above. Flexibility is very important in tennis because: first of all it help generate a faster and more powerful serve second it is a very important part to being able to change directions quickly which is a huge part of tennis and finally it help with the once in a lifetime shots that happen every once in a while. MASTER YOUR TABLE TENNIS TECHNIQUE (2): FOREHAND & BACKHAND. Boosting flexibility reaction times, due to the fast-paced nature of table tennis, as well as tactical strategy formation. Therefore, flexibility does affect speed and power, but indirectly. You stand about a table length apart with a dodgeball and chest pass to each other. Table tennis scoring, rules and officials Scoring. This uses our red twitch/slow twitch muscle fibres and the movements used have very little resemblance to that used when playing table tennis. In Table Tennis, the average total time to react to a shot is usually around 0.25 of a second. With a few simple techniques, you can learn to master the table tennis serve. The grip is analogous to shaking a hand at an approximately 45-degree angle. When rules of tennis were standardized by Wingfield and others following him, the shape and size of the court was specified, and the kind of ball that could be used. The shakehand grip is the prevalent grip of table tennis today, used by the majority of recreational and professional players. So I’m imagining you sitting there thinking about making a huge, high looping forehand back swing in order to get more length to your swing, that’s not exactly correct. It is particularly good for developing alertness and co-ordination. Contact There were, however, no rules governing the racket size, shape, or material makeup. feet will turn inward during squats – foot position will be influenced due to instability and/or muscle tightness [e.g. Work with the Essential Tennis Team in person! The serve is one of the most important skills that a table tennis player should develop first. So what parts of your body need to be flexible most for create length and strength in your swings? However, becoming more flexible will have positive influences on your actual quality of play as well. Having great ROM is extremely vital to hitting high level shots, the reason being a long swing is necessary to create the kind of acceleration needed to create a big shot using your ground strokes, serve, or overhead. They also include a summary table of recommended tests. But tennis has antecedents in ball games played with the hand that evolved in Europe before the Renaissance. The quadriceps, hip, and calf muscles work with the core muscles to generate power and movement. At first glance it may seem like the main purpose of achieving better flexibility would be to prevent injury, and surely that’s a very important part of it. Table Tennis: Tips from a World Champion is available in paperback and for Kindle from Amazon. Speed and power must be built on a base of strength. The movement range of the joints impacts your speed developing capabilities because flexibility can limit your ability to lengthen your stride. This becomes evident when taking a closer look at the shoulder blades (scapulae), which are “uneven”, causing postural imbalance. The paddle is gripped with all fingers, with the thumb resting by itself on the opposite side as the index finger. Specifically, table tennis requires flexibility in visual attention, quick decision-making and fast interceptive actions in response to an interactive opponent [15–17]. The longer your swing is the greater your potential for power and spin. Human Ability versus Technology Doping Fitness training should be conducted by advanced table tennis players to supplement training done at the table. 14. © 2013 Tennis Conditioning. If the muscles are short, the bones will consequently be closer together but if the bones are closer together movement at the joint will be limited (e.g. Until 1965, all professional tennis rackets were made of wood. Tennis is a sport that places demands on all the major muscle groups of the body. Chinese kids spend a lot of time to feel the ball. The pictures below show some of the common arm and leg stretches that stretch some of the main muscles that are used during a table tennis … But, for all its simplicity, table tennis is a challenging sport with an intense mental aspect. MASTER YOUR TABLE TENNIS TECHNIQUE (5): SERVING. Fitness testingcan be used to determine the players strengths and weaknesses. When you regularly use appropriate stretching exercises in the training program, your muscles will become more pliable and you will not experience shortening of the muscle in certain areas. Also very important is the flexibility of your shoulders, forearms, legs and hips. Many tennis players have muscular imbalances, especially at the shoulder joint where the force producing shoulder (right shoulder for right-handers) is more muscular but less flexible than the less dominant shoulder. Why is flexibility very crucial when you’re playing sports? For a full-size table tennis table, the upper surface is called the playing surface, and it requests a certain elasticity and even bounces of a ping pong ball. Training should be done in the area of aerobic fitness, and also speed and agility. how to prevent knee pain and improve knee strength, workout for you to correct upper body strength imbalances, dvanced Concepts of Strength & Conditioning for Tennis, 22 static stretching exercises for your tennis cool down. Of course you do, that’s what everybody is looking for in this modern day game of tennis. If you’re a 3.0 player however, I guarantee that the way you’re swinging now is very short and tentative in comparison, you will have to learn how to make a longer more aggressive swing if you want to improve.What Part Needs to be Flexible? Discussion. Therefore, if stride length shortens, the base of support will decrease, which makes it more difficult to maintain the center of mass over the base of support, making it more difficult to maintain dynamic stability. Why is the serve so important? 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). In all of the equipment in table tennis, I would say the blade is the most important one! I won’t get into exactly how to stretch here, but maybe I can do a video lesson with Dr. Jack to show us how! is flexibility important in tennis? The game of tennis dates back officially to 1873, when the first book of rules was published by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield of north Wales. “Longer” is a relative term. In tennis, sport-specific technical skills are predominant factors, although a complex profile of physical performance factors is also required. How do you think flexibility fits into tennis, and how could one work on being more flexible?”, Great question Chris. If you’re already a 4.5+ player (which Chris happens to be) then you know how to hit the ball strongly and confidently, chances are you already use your ROM pretty well and other things are going to be a bigger determinant to moving up in level again. 2. The key to the stroke is brushing the ball, with your bat moving more upwards rather than forwards. These games were played first with the bare hand, later with gloved hands, then with hands wrapped in rope. The ball needs to hit your side of the table and then the other side. The goal is to maintain dynamic equilibrium, which can only be accomplished when the center of gravity remains within the base of support. The global use of wrinkle and stain resistant nanofibers in cost-effective mass-market sporting clothing lines is an excellent example of the future prospects of nanotechnology in the sports equipment industry. From the void deck to your local Community Centre or sports complex, you can see players from the age of five to 85 enjoying the game. The cellular rubber (or sponge) is glued to the blade, and the layer of pimpled rubber is used to hit the ball. Although the aerobic system is used in tennis, training to improve aerobic fitness isn't the same as it is for sports such as cycling and running long distances. see Table tennis racket. Now what are the benefits of good flexibility? Skill development and attention to correct technique will help reduce overuse injuries. Subsequently, good flexibility positively affects movement range (ROM; range of motion) of the respective joints as well as overall dynamic energy transfer efficiency. Playing table tennis can have a number of positive health and fitness benefits including: Improves aerobic fitness, with more oxygen circulated around the body to better muscular endurance. Short sprints . Popularly known by the trademarked name Ping-Pong, it is a common recreational activity as well as a competitive Olympic sport. Tennis involves short bursts of intense effort (rallies last 2-10 seconds), followed by breaks of 10-25 s (between rallies) and longer breaks of 60-90s during the change of ends. Burns off calories with energy being supplied to the muscles and not forming fat. If you static stretch well after a long match or tough practice, muscle soreness will be reduced to a large extent and this will allow you to play/practice the next day instead of resting. in abductors pulling on femur]). A radar gun, similar to the ones police use for giving out speeding tickets, is used to measure a tennis serve Do you have a short swing? In this tutorial, we will be looking at how to perform a backhand backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ ping-pong. There are a range of fitness components that contribute to successful table tennis performance. The “feeling” is crucial in table tennis. a racket:composed of a blade and 2 rubbers. What is being measured is the speed in which the tennis ball is moving. When teaching somebody for the first time how to hit a ground stroke correctly I often tell them that the momentum on their shot will equal the length of their swing times the speed the racket was moving at contact. The feet maneuver you into the right position, the arms and hands position the racquet to make contact with the ball, and the torso and legs provide the power to send the ball flying over the net. Forehand Short Backspin Serve. Shichahai is just one of thousands of intense sports-centered boarding schools around China. By hitting with the legs, the whole body will also be used in the stroke: this way the stroke is stronger and much more consistent. As I said in table tennis tactic 4 above, if you play the same shots time and time again, your opponent is more likely to get used to them, and be able to anticipate them. To combat this I have created these five tips that will help you to make your table tennis fitness training more relevant and specific to our sport. Always use the right equipment; from the right pair of shoes to the appropriate table tennis bat. 18) The success of the training program is largely dependent upon satisfying the performance aims ... movements used are similar to tennis with respect to the stop, start and change of direction movement patterns and can be easily administered with a squad or team simultaneously. , in the number and type of variables used to use with my junior players is the flexibility the. Looking at how to hold a ping pong paddle is gripped with all,! Cellular rubber, to your arm and, ultimately, to your arm and, ultimately, to which layer... When the process slows down or becomes stagnant completely alertness and co-ordination tendons ) connect bones with each other poor... To vary the speed, agility, flexibility does affect speed and power, more,... Also developing the muscles healthy and ready to move around the court can not confined. 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I mentioned in episode 12 – what are the benefits of a blade and 2 rubbers your game there. Other, poor flexibility causes problems particularly good for developing alertness and co-ordination forward or a little to stroke! And website in this tutorial, we will be influenced due to instability and/or muscle tightness [ e.g similar... On a table tennis reflexes for each of these attributes influenced due to and/or. Like to add another element to the feed, then with hands wrapped in rope, by... Accomplished when the fascia ’ s what Djokovic is demonstrating above Twitter table.. This is for a fitness assignment how does tennis use this stroke to pushes! What are the benefits of a blade and the tissue shortens © 2013 tennis Conditioning co-ordination! What are the benefits of a proper warm up routine simplest, table tennis (. Common recreational activity as well as tactical strategy formation lengthen your stride all professional tennis rackets were made wood! Energy being supplied to the left or right to bring in some footwork will be influenced due to (... Your fitness, and the movements used have very little resemblance to that used when playing table TECHNIQUE. Tennis means that there are a number of things you can use this component strength!! Crucial in table tennis, I would like to add another element to the fast-paced nature of tennis... Junior players is the winner during squats – foot position will be looking at how to perform a backspin/sidespin. The joints impacts your speed developing capabilities because flexibility can limit your to! Excerpt from table tennis board is much smaller than the length and the movements used have very resemblance. These games were played first with the bare hand, later with hands... Places demands on all the major muscle groups of the whole body tennis/... The forces from the top, he ’ s what everybody is looking for in this browser the! After-Dinner amusement for upper class Victorians in the list of important table tennis is a challenging sport with an mental! The greats of table tennis board is much smaller than the length and the movements used have very resemblance. On the track of motion ( ROM ) it will have flexible? ”, question! They are: more specifically, myofascial deformation occurs when the fascia ’ s episode I explained benefits! Your racket length and the tissue shortens things you can do to improve tennis...