Alternative training techniques.

[J-fed]

Stuff like this is really good training for table tennis so serves a double purpose.
I ride MTB which is great for strengthening the legs and gluts and back. Often I stop and throw large rocks that have fallen on to the trails off the cliff or into a ditch using a twisting motion. It is also superb TT training.
Anyone into other sports and training?

 

[Lula]

Work as a physiotherapist. Would say today it is really beneficial for youths to do more sports. Have also coached part time for 15 years. Feel like kids today generally do not know there body so really hard to learn technique. Older kids that have started several sports often catch up.
For adults i also think it is important. Tabletennis is so much movements one way and only one side. Would also say that the majority of hobby tabletennis players are to unfit.
I try to do yoga, jogging, gym and swimming aswell.
I think chess, golf, martial arts and sailing would be cool to try but hard with the time. Maybe chess easiest to try.
Also think metaphoes can be a good way of learning tabletennis.

 

[J-fed]

Work as a physiotherapist. Would say today it is really beneficial for youths to do more sports. Have also coached part time for 15 years. Feel like kids today generally do not know there body so really hard to learn technique. Older kids that have started several sports often catch up.
For adults i also think it is important. Tabletennis is so much movements one way and only one side. Would also say that the majority of hobby tabletennis players are to unfit.
I try to do yoga, jogging, gym and swimming aswell.
I think chess, golf, martial arts and sailing would be cool to try but hard with the time. Maybe chess easiest to try.
Also think metaphoes can be a good way of learning tabletennis.

Great to hear. Yes, I swim a lot in the summer too. It is just superb for the whole body and as a reset tool. Also agree about Yoga. I study sports psych. and my wife is a physio. like you. What I have read and experienced with yoga leads me to believe in it very strongly. Especially for men. Ironically men usually want to lift weights (which isn't bad but they don't really need so much) and women want to do yoga (same). We run towards the things we already have enough of. Like big forehand players practicing looping away from the table all the time.

 

[qylw]

I'm swinging with 1h and 2h heavy maces and it helps having strong FH attack. (google Mark Wildman for sample training)

 

[Lula]

haha, i can imaging swinging maces helps you to get the right feel of the flow in the swing. Is there another purpose of doing this? sounds crazy.
I believe yoga have good evidence for pain and mental health aswell. I also find it very hard, much harder for me compared to strenght training. Probably good for body awareness useful for youths learning tabletennis but also for experiences players to be able to get correct tension in the body. I believe pros are much better at having tension in legs and stomach, even during backhand stroke so can get more power.

Is it only me having trouble sending posts? need to refresh all the time.

 

[qylw]

swinging maces clubs is complex movement that fires core. The movement is related to throwing or swinging with a rocket.
Normally doing kettlebell and barebell training.

Ihave no problem sending posts.

 

[J-fed]

Always take the stairs is a real basic but so important to remember.
Boggles my mind seeing loads of able bodied people cueing up to use the escalator.
It’s a chance to work your legs!
I’m lucky to work in a building complex with no elevators. Often going up five flights of stairs Five times a day. It is a real daily training bonus.

 

[pongguy69]

I quite like this topic – in recent months i've redirected my training (non-ping pong) for purely improving my game (and tangentially, aesthetics).

all of the above mentioned for sure plays a huge role.

One thing I emphasize is unifying the muscles in the body to act in concert, rather than at odds. this leads me to have more compound workouts. I am a strong believer in this, as I talk about in a post I made previously on the kinetic chain. I'm very sure yoga and more practical exercises (scythe work) drive this point home.

I do weighted movements. I came across this YT Short of Carlos Alcaraz doing a weighted routing of arising from kneeling (flexibility, hips) to a backhand motion while carrying a plate. So i've tried to mimic for pingpong – start kneeling, stand up and do a FH / BH loop motion. Here's another one for volleyball, where the person is carrying a weight and doing an arm swing spike motion.

I'm a believer in reps. once the body is used to it, doing it in games will be second nature.

 

[J-fed]

I quite like this topic – in recent months i've redirected my training (non-ping pong) for purely improving my game (and tangentially, aesthetics).

all of the above mentioned for sure plays a huge role.

One thing I emphasize is unifying the muscles in the body to act in concert, rather than at odds. this leads me to have more compound workouts. I am a strong believer in this, as I talk about in a post I made previously on the kinetic chain. I'm very sure yoga and more practical exercises (scythe work) drive this point home.

I do weighted movements. I came across this YT Short of Carlos Alcaraz doing a weighted routing of arising from kneeling (flexibility, hips) to a backhand motion while carrying a plate. So i've tried to mimic for pingpong – start kneeling, stand up and do a FH / BH loop motion. Here's another one for volleyball, where the person is carrying a weight and doing an arm swing spike motion.

I'm a believer in reps. once the body is used to it, doing it in games will be second nature.

Excellent post. This is the aim with the rock throwing too. Engage the whole body in a similar type of movement to TT. I also believe strongly in whole body exercises. Practical strength and explosivity come more with the synergistic approach I think.

 

[J-fed]

I quite like this topic – in recent months i've redirected my training (non-ping pong) for purely improving my game (and tangentially, aesthetics).

all of the above mentioned for sure plays a huge role.

One thing I emphasize is unifying the muscles in the body to act in concert, rather than at odds. this leads me to have more compound workouts. I am a strong believer in this, as I talk about in a post I made previously on the kinetic chain. I'm very sure yoga and more practical exercises (scythe work) drive this point home.

I do weighted movements. I came across this YT Short of Carlos Alcaraz doing a weighted routing of arising from kneeling (flexibility, hips) to a backhand motion while carrying a plate. So i've tried to mimic for pingpong – start kneeling, stand up and do a FH / BH loop motion. Here's another one for volleyball, where the person is carrying a weight and doing an arm swing spike motion.

I'm a believer in reps. once the body is used to it, doing it in games will be second nature.

Also props for recognising and mentioning the kinetic chain.
I also studied kinesiology undergraduate. Now just pych.
The chain of engaging body parts is so similar in most sports so it’s good to keep it in mind. Especially in table tennis where there can be a tendency towards arm play at lower levels of the game.
Understanding that that’s not where the power comes from is very helpful for juniors.
Especially in early or mid teens when they are developing that power base.
Never too late though.

 

[pongguy69]

yeah absolutely, i wouldn't have learned about it if i only sticked to ping pong (only understood after i started playing volleyball on the side). Definitely wish i knew this when i was younger too. For me now it's mostly a way to mitigate injury