Best way of perfecting footwork?

[guybr50]

Hi Forum

So as i keep looking around, finding all sorts of footwork drills to improve movement, I thought about asking you guys over here:

What is the best way to improve footwork in a player's game? What are the most important aspects of footwork and what do you think is the best way to perfect it?

Love to hear your opinion
Thnks !

In the video below: one of the best footwork movement I have ever seen

https://youtu.be/tujgm7L3UKY

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Suga D]

This thread here isn't just about footwork, but has some nice vids how to practice footwork

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ses-are-the-best-for-table-tennis-improvement

 

[yogi_bear]

You have to be physically fit too so physical conditioning is part of optimizing foot work. Multiball drills with random placements can improve your footwork especially if it is fast because it forces you to do the most effecient footwork and movement with the best output of power and speed.

 

[RidTheKid]

Yes, RSM was known for his incredible footwork.

Hi Forum

So as i keep looking around, finding all sorts of footwork drills to improve movement, I thought about asking you guys over here:

What is the best way to improve footwork in a player's game? What are the most important aspects of footwork and what do you think is the best way to perfect it?

Love to hear your opinion
Thnks !

In the video below: one of the best footwork movement I have ever seen

https://youtu.be/tujgm7L3UKY

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[CroneOne]

There are some pretty good drills on Newgy's robopong that put you from centre to wide or wide to wide that are impossible to return unless your footwork and movement are good. Even basic drill #6 is great. 2FH & 2BH. Forces you to be in the correct position quickly to get your shots back.

 

[songdavid98]

What is the best way to improve footwork in a player's game? What are the most important aspects of footwork and what do you think is the best way to perfect it?

For starters, one of the most important aspects is knowing where to stand at a given moment.

http://www.allabouttabletennis.com/table-tennis-tactics-2.html
If you scroll down that page, there are good pictures that show you where to recover and be ready for the next shot.
Here's the picture for convenience


If you make it a habit to reposition yourself after every single shot, you will find that it much easier to get yourself moving in a game. If you find yourself not having enough time to swing after moving, make sure that you do your backswing as you are moving.

The next step to perfecting your footwork is to use it in a game scenario. Try starting the drill with your serve and opening. That way, you don't feel unfamiliar when it's need to move in a game.

Make sure you stay balanced while you move. Familiarize yourself with the various types of footwork and use them in practice games.

 

[Brs]

... make it a habit to reposition yourself after every single shot ...

This seems like a key difference between low-level players like me and good players. I think the importance of re-setting your body before the opponent hits the ball is left out of coaching a lot of times.

 

[suds79]

Well I hope this helps the OP. I think it's going to help me.

I like this video

The part about reset & footwork really start at 6:03 if that helps.

I think it's important to reset and get in the habit of reset or shuffling slightly after every hit.

Speaking form experience, if you hit the ball and don't reset or move, it's easy for your feet to become lazy and just kinda stand there.

So the other night I just practiced at home some quick steps he demonstrates at 9:37 while trying to keep my stance wide & knees bent. For someone 39 with tendentious in the right knee, this is no easy task but you have to do it to get there.

So yeah I'd recommend to the OP to try this out, try to keep these things in mind and stretch so as while you're improving your leg strength & endurance, you're not losing out on your flexibility.

 

[thomas.pong]

Well I hope this helps the OP. I think it's going to help me.

I like this video

The part about reset & footwork really start at 6:03 if that helps.

I think it's important to reset and get in the habit of reset or shuffling slightly after every hit.

Speaking form experience, if you hit the ball and don't reset or move, it's easy for your feet to become lazy and just kinda stand there.

So the other night I just practiced at home some quick steps he demonstrates at 9:37 while trying to keep my stance wide & knees bent. For someone 39 with tendentious in the right knee, this is no easy task but you have to do it to get there.

So yeah I'd recommend to the OP to try this out, try to keep these things in mind and stretch so as while you're improving your leg strength & endurance, you're not losing out on your flexibility.

Ha, I was just about to post the same video! I really like this one, lots of key points about footwork, movements, resetting...

 

[Baal]

Actually you are 90% of the way there by simply realizing that you have to do footwork drills! You can only improve the tnings you train. Lots of amateur players have no clue how to practice in a way that makes them get better.

It is amazing how much you can gain from simple 2 2 drills which can be made simple or really hard. Falkenberg is good. Yogi already mentioned random drills. But you have to have a good grasp of the basic choreography and that comes with non-random drills. Like learning a dance..
Which drills you do depend on your fitness and how good your foorwork already is. Once you get to a certain level you can make up drills.

One thing is that people tend to try to hit too hard during drills and they fail to control their breathing and they are not smooth, instead they flail about. Sometimes they hold their breath. They are not relaxed. If you watch pros doing footwork drills they are effortless and their head stays at the same level. They can go forever.

So a lot of the time people don't need new footwork drills, they need to get better and smoother at the ones they already know. It needs to become easy. And if one level of drill is really hard and is even damaging, say, a knee, tnere is no point in trying to do even harder ones!

So. Get smooth. Then move on.

 

[berndtjgmann]

For those interested in making a case for the defense, Pingskills has an excellent YouTube video entitled Footwork for Defenders.

It features a right-handed and a left-handed player demonstrating up and back and side to side footwork.

Quite similar to the days of yore before chaos fell upon Pongland and a terrible dysfunction was born, and is still being borne.