Return mentality

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Dec 2015
1,057
1,180
2,719
Read 1 reviews
I play table tennis for over half of my life now and I always had huge return problems. I think it is a mental thing since I am often very nervous during the first points and I do make some very good returns when I "feel it right" if you know what I mean.

I already try to have the same rituals after every point but it is not getting much better. I recently got pretty fired up again with tabletennis and doubled my training but this issue frustrates the shit out of me. Like why should I bother improving my "gameplay" if 95% of my losses come from that?

So yeah if anybody has ANY tips on how to be more mentally stable and focused at the beginning of a point that would be cool.
 
Let's analyse this situation for your conscious mind and unconscious mind.

Here's the thing. Most actions in our sport are based off of muscle memory and honed visionary skills. We recognize patterns subconsciously, and our brain takes out a lot of the unnecessary information. This sport is far too quick for you to be thinking mid-way through a point. If you are actually have trouble returning serves, keep returning them. Return serves as much as you can. Your body and brain will adapt, and you will then be able to read serves far better. You will not have these hindering thoughts or feelings once you are very confident in your ability to return serves well. This subconscious assurance will help ease your mind. After all, we are all human, and it's completely normal to get nervous.

Another common thing is that people overthink. They put more pressure on themselves and they try to do some completely outrageous things. You will tense up and you won't be able to execute your strokes correctly. You may also think ''I'm going to flick this next serve'' before even knowing if it is a flick-able serve. Just relax and let your subconscious take over. Now careful and conscious analysis is required a lot, but just try to relax. Maybe serve one of your best serves or use one of your best shots to help you get a few points to gain some confidence.

Time and experience will help. Don't think too much and don't try to do impossible things.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Mar 2015
1,308
1,001
3,858
Read 3 reviews
What kind of serves make you problems? If you feel that it is a mental problem, don't concentrate on what you should have done. Try to concentrate on something else, e.g: just try to feel the ball as it sinks the sponge. An inner voice what blame you(rself) is the worst. When you can mute this voice, you can do it. During training this voice helps you develop the right technique, but during a match you should use your skills from instinct (recall from practice).
On the technical side move first and just then hit the ball. A lot of people first try to find out what spin is on the serve and then hops there and try to receive it fast. Right method is first move there and parallel try to find out the spin and just then receive it calmly.
EDIT: with the words of pingpongdingdong (I couldn't see his post during writing mine) conscious analysis required during practice, subconscious during matchplay.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
Hey buddy i suffered same way as you in recent times its like you loose 11-8 to a novices player but you also loose 11-8 to a very good player am i right:cool: ?

you need to built confidence about you when you practice multi balls, drills..... etc. just tell to yourself you are better just more concentrate when training ,always make your stance 100% concentrate on your shots analyse your mistakes but you got to do all these while your are training in a match you just need to be relax

for it i have a simple thing i found this by myself and don't laugh it sounds so silly but it really get the job done you just choose a verse from a song you love for a set
one for a one set and you just play it in your head between points it really calms the mind try this and tell me how it works :eek:
 
Last edited:
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
1) Get the Table Tennis Edge App and use the serve part. It will help you read serves better.

2) Maybe join TTEdge and use their serve reading parts. Brett is an amazing coach for that kind of stuff.

3) Get friends to practice their serves while you practice receiving them.

4) There is this thing that the pros do when the receive seve that really helps. They get low in their ready position so their eyes are about net height. Then as the player tosses the ball they come up with the toss and that gets their feet to move so they are active before they receive. A lot of amateurs start up and flat footed when getting ready to receive serves. And that makes it WAYYYYYY harder to move to and receive the serve unless it is served right to you.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2015
1,663
1,564
4,397
Read 13 reviews
Not a fan of tt edge for serves since I can't see the ball spinning, and the like of sight I'm given on the app doesn't feel natural to me.
However, I do love that app, it increases reaction time, gets you to be prepared more often, it's fantastic and well worth the price. Best tt app of all time hands down.


Pingpongdingdongs post seems most helpful out of these in my opinion. But everyone's advice is also valid.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: OldschoolPenholder
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jul 2015
1,716
1,986
6,397
Read 1 reviews
Probably the only way is to ask someone who's service gives you troubles to practice with you, so that they can serve you over and over until you can be confident with your returns in practice. The confidence from practice will translate into games eventually with some time.
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,217
30,396
Read 27 reviews
Garrison,

I will present to you a classic American option...

It hinges upon building CONFIDENCE. I believe confidence is confirmed and made bigger with SUCCESS.

Having said that, play vs some players you have a better chance, if not overwhelming chance. When you see for yourself you CAN win, your confidence will soar, regardless if they are only a little lower level than you, the fight is still fair.

Any gains in training take many months if not a year to show in results. I wouldn't make much sweat over it.

Even if you have to make a bet at 2300 hrs when the club is about to close and bet a match on a 20er box of Andechs of similar quality Weissbier, go ahead and do it. Even if you lose you will have good experience and better Komeradschaft and fun afterwards regardless of the results.

That might just be the attitude change that will put you on a road to ascending, whether it is fun or actual results. Try it out and see how it works out..
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Apr 2014
653
700
3,324
Read 7 reviews
I love returning serves. It's like a nice puzzle for me. I always have the feeling that if I can make it at least 1-1 on the other guy's serve then I have a very good chance.

I'm also quite lazy as a player. Unless it's an important match or if I'm really motivated to win at any cost, I don't like to think too much during my service and plan too many things out. Normally, I'll just tell myself that I'm just going to use my reverse serve variations during a set or just use my pendulum serve variations or backhand serve etc. so that I can cycle through all of my serves without under-training any serve.

In that case, I kind of prefer it to let the other guy do the thinking and it's a lot of fun to try and steal points from them on their own serve :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
Not a fan of tt edge for serves since I can't see the ball spinning, and the like of sight I'm given on the app doesn't feel natural to me.

Are you talking about the App or the server's edge videos where get to watch video of real players doing serve after serve and trying to read the spin? I have a feeling the server's edge portion of the Table Tennis Edge membership would be awesome for helping people work on reading serves better.

As far as the App, for the fact that it is a graphic, it gets you watching more subtle details like the angle of the racket, the arm and hip movement. Each serve has slightly different tells. Yeah, it is not real video. But it gets certain things to click in for your brain in watching closely and reading serves.

Any practice that you can do off the table that helps you on the table is really valuable. Especially when it is about reading serves better which is a huge part of playing table tennis at a higher level.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OldschoolPenholder
This user has no status.
I play table tennis for over half of my life now and I always had huge return problems. I think it is a mental thing since I am often very nervous during the first points and I do make some very good returns when I "feel it right" if you know what I mean.

I already try to have the same rituals after every point but it is not getting much better. I recently got pretty fired up again with tabletennis and doubled my training but this issue frustrates the shit out of me. Like why should I bother improving my "gameplay" if 95% of my losses come from that?

So yeah if anybody has ANY tips on how to be more mentally stable and focused at the beginning of a point that would be cool.

just practice returns more and dont worry about it

most players are bad at returning because its the most underpracticed part of the game
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jul 2015
1,716
1,986
6,397
Read 1 reviews
There is one subtle issue with service practice. If you have a kind of local rival you play in the local league, they may not let you practice against their serve. Or they will downplay it completely. A while ago I practiced with a guy who tended to fault 90% of his serve once I asked him to practice my returns :)
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
There is one subtle issue with service practice. If you have a kind of local rival you play in the local league, they may not let you practice against their serve. Or they will downplay it completely. A while ago I practiced with a guy who tended to fault 90% of his serve once I asked him to practice my returns :)

You have to do it with someone who can do a lot of different serves. And, if they are higher level than you, they are more willing to do it because you being able to return their serves better is probably not going to be enough for you to become better than they are.

Like, yesterday I was returning serves from Mark Croitoroo who has a shoulder injury and is trying to learn to play lefty. His lefty serves are still 2100+ when they go on the table. So it was darn good practice and he was even telling me what to do to return the serves.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus
 
Top