Foam rolling for table tennis players

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Hey there,
probably some of you have already seen or used those foam rollers, the big fitness trend of the last years. Do you use them? What are the benefits? I got one today and it hurts like hell, so I see there's some work to do.

I'm asking because I have seen many pro players use those before matches or after training. Especially the Chinese national team.

Do you see benefit for table tennis in doing that? What is your experience?
 
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Afaik they are just tools to help (deep tissue) massage oneself. Helps with muscle tightness/discomfort/pain and recovery. As far as it’s benefits for TT, I don’t see how there is any more to it than helping combat the downsides when playing TT of tight/sore muscles, knots and the like.
 
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OhWell is correct, I use it as a replacement for Deep Tissue massage whenever I can ... I use it primarily to stretch and break down scar tissues after playing and while doing cool down stretches .. but thats just me ... I have seen Der_Echte use the ones with the protrusions before a match to loosen up his back / hip ..so it works that way too I guess ..
 
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The most relevant info has already been covered. So here is a little extra.

There is nothing wrong with stretching or rolling muscles before workout or TT training or matches. But from a perspective on injury prevention, before is not important. However, after IS.

Stretching and or rolling after can significantly reduce your risk of soft tissue injury during any sport.

Warm up that has more to do with getting more blood and some extra warmth to muscles that will work in the activity is very useful.

You can stretch. But it does not actually help with warmup.

2 things to understand:

1) For someone who is really stiff, the stretching, during warm up may help mobility. So it may help performance in some way.

2) Stretching or use of a roller will make muscle contractions slower for a period of time. So, for someone who doesn’t really need the extra mobility, the stretching will make stroke, reset and feet/legs/hips/core/arm slower for between 20-60 min.

If you don’t have old man back syndrome like Der_Echte, use things like shadow strokes, jump rope, jogging in place, etc for warm up and don’t bother with stretching or rolling in the warm up. Most people’s bodies will become more flexible naturally as they warm up.

Use stretching and rolling after training and match play as part of the cool down. But, not for warmup. Unless you are in the same boat as Der_.

This effect that makes the muscle contraction time slower has everything to do with the stimulation you are giving the muscles while rolling or stretching that tells them to relax. When the nervous system tells the muscles to relax, then they don’t want to contract as hard or as fast. [emoji2]


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Karl, is it important to stretch/massage immediately after the workout, or can it be done, say, 1 hour later?

When stretching after is most useful is WHILE YOU ARE STILL WARM, and the muscles which have been used still have heat and extra blood from the exercise.

When this is the case it will be much easier to stretch and get them to open.

When this is the case, you will also be stretching them before they have had a chance to cool down and TIGHTEN UP.

This is how post exercise stretching actually helps you be LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO INJURY THE NEXT TIME YOU PLAY, is that you release the tension in the muscles and relax and lengthen them before the muscles have shortened and tightened after the exercise.

If you waited an hour of inactivity after workout, and then stretched, you would be stretching cold muscles that no longer have the extra blood in them. And they will have already tightened up.

This will not really have the benefit that stretching directly after, while still warm, would have.

Feel free to do a test. One day stretch while cold. Any time of the day, while cold, stretch: and see what that feels like.

Then a different day, get really hot and sweaty from any kind of workout you want, and stretch while still hot and sweaty and see if you can compare how the stretching feels warm with how it felt cold.


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Thanks Karl!

Does the same hold for deep tissue massage after the workout?

Same principles would apply for what happens when you do with a foam roller.

But you really can do either without. They just don’t have the same amount of benefit when you stretch while cold.

Again, do the test I described and tell us how stretching and foam rolling feel when cold in comparison to what happens when you have worked out strongly enough to be dripping sweat.

I think, if you try that test and compare, you won’t me to explain it. [emoji2] You will feel why for yourself and know it for yourself. There is a real value in that.

BYW: there is Carl and there is Karl. I am UpSideDownCarl not UpSideDownKarl. [emoji2] hahaha.


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Hahahahahahhaha.

Groucho Carl Marx.....[emoji2]


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Hey, I am the Original grouch... confirmed by both carl, nl, and many others.

Sesame St Oscar the Grouch borrowed my moniker and made major moolah using it... Oh, and MacGyver never gave me back my knife I lent him in the 80s.
 
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Hey there,
probably some of you have already seen or used those foam rollers, the big fitness trend of the last years. Do you use them? What are the benefits? I got one today and it hurts like hell, so I see there's some work to do.

I'm asking because I have seen many pro players use those before matches or after training. Especially the Chinese national team.

Do you see benefit for table tennis in doing that? What is your experience?

Basically there are 3 types of foam rollers:
-made from foam -the softest one
-made from inner plastic tube with rubber on it and some bumps
-made from inner plastic tube and some big rubber spikes -the hardcore version.

They are used as it was mentioned above for easing muscle knots. They can be everywhere, but most common are in traps, upper back (rhomboids), gluts. So when you foam roll if you find a spot where it hurts, you apply pressure with the foam roller for a couple of minutes and the muscle tightness will ease. If it hurts a lot (it can hurt like really a lot) you should go down the level to softer foam roller and when you don't feel any real pain with softer, go to harder foam roller. Also you should be very careful if you foam roll your lower back as you can over extend over it and hurt your spine. When foam rolling your lower back you must tighten your core, use arms for support if needed.

I personally have 2 -with rubber bumps and rubber spikes. Usually I use the middle one and for some places that have thicker padding I use with spikes ( glutes :) )
 
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Did Chuck Norris return the bodysuit you lent him ... you know the one with the extra fuzz on it he used in the the bruce lee movie ... I thought you never heard from that guy either ... :p
Hey, I am the Original grouch... confirmed by both carl, nl, and many others.

Sesame St Oscar the Grouch borrowed my moniker and made major moolah using it... Oh, and MacGyver never gave me back my knife I lent him in the 80s.
 
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