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One of the most interesting topics, at least for a basic coach like me over ‘60 (you’ll understand the emphasis on age later), is optimizing training time.
Let’s analyze the phases of a match and some key points or the main strokes to focus on for each phase (just the most relevant ones for simplicity):
1) Serve and return: (short, long serves, topspin, backspin, sidespin, no-spin, mixed for right-handers and left-handers, flick)
2) Push: (short and long, from heavy spin to zero spin)
3) Open-ups: (topspin against backspin ball as a transition from the push phase to the attack one, flick)
4) Attack and defense: (topspin from close and far distances against all types of spin, counter topspin, block, chop block, chop, lob)
5) Smash: to finish (flat hit on high, medium-high, and very high balls, against all types of spin)
In a typical match, you need to deal with all these phases. Whether you're an offensive player with two regular inverted rubbers, a blocker, a looper, a defender, anti-spin or pips-out player, no matter your style, you must train for all phases—both forehand and backhand.
If you’re a dominant forehand player, you need to improve your backhand game, and vice versa.
UNCOMFORTABLE BUT INDISPUTABLE TRUTH: Especially if you’re no longer young like me, with various shoulder, knee, or elbow issues (in short, we’re almost derelict!
), you don’t have much time to practice everything properly.
There are drills and multiball training, and there are matches to train, sure, but how and how much do you train on each of the five phases listed above?
I’m talking about lower divisions, let’s say up to serie C level in Italy.
Of course, younger and better players train differently; I know that. But to reach the top, you start from the bottom, and that’s where it is becaming intriguing (and tough).
Typical Scenario A) for lower divisions: If you’re lucky, there’s a coach or trainer supervising the training in a big hall, plenty of players gathered all together, and you start straight to fight into forehand and backhand drills at full speed: FH to FH, BH to BH, 2BH, FH to the center and FH wide, and other stuff like these. Every 20 minutes you shift training partner.
Probably great scenario for younger players, not so much for the older ones (everything is useful, don’t get me wrong, but at a certain age, the intervals, timing, and breaks between exercises become crucial!).
Short or long serves (paying little attention to important details like spin amount and placement, “Come on, quick, time is running out!”, “But I’m old, let me breathe a bit”, “Then change sport!”), long push, forehand and backhand opening.
BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM....!
Rarely will you are involved to practise a multiball of flicks or topspin openings on backspin push.
After making you jump around the table like a grasshopper in the first 20 minutes, your knee starts complaining, and you haven’t even started doing a proper half-long serve or a good topspin opening. You’ve got two hours of training, with the last 20 minutes dedicated to a match, but at that time you’re exhausted and everything hurts, so you don’t perform at your best in the match.
Result: frustration. You might develop a good attack and defense, “Wow, I run great drills, but in matches I make so many mistakes.”
Well, of course, my friend, a match has five phases, and at that session before that match you have trained well only one and a half of them!
Typical Scenario B) for lower divisions: No coach or trainer present. No warm-up. You warm up directly at the table: diagonal FH, diagonal BH, a bunch of short and long pushes, no serve or return practice, no topspin openings on pushes, then straight on and fight into too many matches: everyone playing against everyone until the end of the evening! You probably try to avoid the ones you dislike, those with weird rubbers, etc.
Sure, during matches you practice all the phases, but these aren’t specific trainings, just plays! You’ll be conservative on your weak strokes and stay well in your comfort zone.
Result: You’ll have a lot of fun, but you won’t improve much. However, the beer with your friends at the end of the night will taste great!🍻
Hey friend, I’m glad you’re having fun, but you’ll keep making the same mistakes: you’re playing, not training. Get out of your comfort zone and play against all players, not just the ones you like. Why aren’t you training your weak points? Why aren’t you practicing (training, not playing!) against pips-out rubbers? How many phases of a match are you training? Then, don’t complain when you lose.
And what about tactics? Why has no one ever talked to you about tactics? Tactics? WHAT are the tactics?
I’ll dedicate another thread to this topic. ‘cause I want to focus on technical training, now.
My ideal training plan for a two hours training session is:
Phase zero) 5 minutes of body warm-up, a short jog, side steps all the essential stuff in a nut to avoid possible injures
Phase 1) Specific drills for 20 minutes
Phase 2) 10 minutes
Phase 3) MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME: (30 minutes)
Phase 4) 30 minutes, also very important
Phase 5) 5 minutes, short but effective!
Match: just the time left, about half an hour, with matches sometimes dedicated and focused on specific goals
For example: forehand attack (topspin/smash) against backhand defense (block)
Stretching: very important (I try to do it every day at home for at least half an hour in the morning or evening)
NOTE: It’s not essential to train all five phases in every session. For example, I do specific sessions for myself focused on pushes and backhand topspin openings (my weak point). The important thing is to recognize the need to train each phase in a balanced way, especially based on your age and personal physical and play style.
The drills I use during my training session (training myself and training my tabletennis student (all ages from 11 to 70, one to one or group session) are various depending on age, mobility, and each player’s style. We’re not all the same with the same skills and motivations.
Sure, it requires more effort and attention, but I assure you it’s worth of.
Now it’s your turn: if you are an amateur or low level division player share here:
1) How old are you?
2) How do you train?
3) How often do you train?
4) Which levels division, champioship tournament are you involved in?
5) What kind of tournaments have you been registered?
6) What changes would you like to make your training more effective?
7) Are your training sessions managed well by a dedicated trainer?
8) How do you feel about your club’s training sessions?
9) Does your typical training session group takes into account age differences?
Thanks to everyone who wants to answer and contribute to this thread!
Wish you train well: “The QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY!”
Riccardo, Italy
Let’s analyze the phases of a match and some key points or the main strokes to focus on for each phase (just the most relevant ones for simplicity):
1) Serve and return: (short, long serves, topspin, backspin, sidespin, no-spin, mixed for right-handers and left-handers, flick)
2) Push: (short and long, from heavy spin to zero spin)
3) Open-ups: (topspin against backspin ball as a transition from the push phase to the attack one, flick)
4) Attack and defense: (topspin from close and far distances against all types of spin, counter topspin, block, chop block, chop, lob)
5) Smash: to finish (flat hit on high, medium-high, and very high balls, against all types of spin)
In a typical match, you need to deal with all these phases. Whether you're an offensive player with two regular inverted rubbers, a blocker, a looper, a defender, anti-spin or pips-out player, no matter your style, you must train for all phases—both forehand and backhand.
If you’re a dominant forehand player, you need to improve your backhand game, and vice versa.
UNCOMFORTABLE BUT INDISPUTABLE TRUTH: Especially if you’re no longer young like me, with various shoulder, knee, or elbow issues (in short, we’re almost derelict!
), you don’t have much time to practice everything properly.There are drills and multiball training, and there are matches to train, sure, but how and how much do you train on each of the five phases listed above?
I’m talking about lower divisions, let’s say up to serie C level in Italy.
Of course, younger and better players train differently; I know that. But to reach the top, you start from the bottom, and that’s where it is becaming intriguing (and tough).
Typical Scenario A) for lower divisions: If you’re lucky, there’s a coach or trainer supervising the training in a big hall, plenty of players gathered all together, and you start straight to fight into forehand and backhand drills at full speed: FH to FH, BH to BH, 2BH, FH to the center and FH wide, and other stuff like these. Every 20 minutes you shift training partner.
Probably great scenario for younger players, not so much for the older ones (everything is useful, don’t get me wrong, but at a certain age, the intervals, timing, and breaks between exercises become crucial!).
Short or long serves (paying little attention to important details like spin amount and placement, “Come on, quick, time is running out!”, “But I’m old, let me breathe a bit”, “Then change sport!”), long push, forehand and backhand opening.
BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM....!
Rarely will you are involved to practise a multiball of flicks or topspin openings on backspin push.
After making you jump around the table like a grasshopper in the first 20 minutes, your knee starts complaining, and you haven’t even started doing a proper half-long serve or a good topspin opening. You’ve got two hours of training, with the last 20 minutes dedicated to a match, but at that time you’re exhausted and everything hurts, so you don’t perform at your best in the match.
Result: frustration. You might develop a good attack and defense, “Wow, I run great drills, but in matches I make so many mistakes.”
Well, of course, my friend, a match has five phases, and at that session before that match you have trained well only one and a half of them!
Typical Scenario B) for lower divisions: No coach or trainer present. No warm-up. You warm up directly at the table: diagonal FH, diagonal BH, a bunch of short and long pushes, no serve or return practice, no topspin openings on pushes, then straight on and fight into too many matches: everyone playing against everyone until the end of the evening! You probably try to avoid the ones you dislike, those with weird rubbers, etc.
Sure, during matches you practice all the phases, but these aren’t specific trainings, just plays! You’ll be conservative on your weak strokes and stay well in your comfort zone.
Result: You’ll have a lot of fun, but you won’t improve much. However, the beer with your friends at the end of the night will taste great!🍻
Hey friend, I’m glad you’re having fun, but you’ll keep making the same mistakes: you’re playing, not training. Get out of your comfort zone and play against all players, not just the ones you like. Why aren’t you training your weak points? Why aren’t you practicing (training, not playing!) against pips-out rubbers? How many phases of a match are you training? Then, don’t complain when you lose.
And what about tactics? Why has no one ever talked to you about tactics? Tactics? WHAT are the tactics?
I’ll dedicate another thread to this topic. ‘cause I want to focus on technical training, now.
My ideal training plan for a two hours training session is:
Phase zero) 5 minutes of body warm-up, a short jog, side steps all the essential stuff in a nut to avoid possible injures
Phase 1) Specific drills for 20 minutes
Phase 2) 10 minutes
Phase 3) MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME: (30 minutes)
Phase 4) 30 minutes, also very important
Phase 5) 5 minutes, short but effective!
Match: just the time left, about half an hour, with matches sometimes dedicated and focused on specific goals
For example: forehand attack (topspin/smash) against backhand defense (block)
Stretching: very important (I try to do it every day at home for at least half an hour in the morning or evening)
NOTE: It’s not essential to train all five phases in every session. For example, I do specific sessions for myself focused on pushes and backhand topspin openings (my weak point). The important thing is to recognize the need to train each phase in a balanced way, especially based on your age and personal physical and play style.
The drills I use during my training session (training myself and training my tabletennis student (all ages from 11 to 70, one to one or group session) are various depending on age, mobility, and each player’s style. We’re not all the same with the same skills and motivations.
Sure, it requires more effort and attention, but I assure you it’s worth of
.Now it’s your turn: if you are an amateur or low level division player share here:
1) How old are you?
2) How do you train?
3) How often do you train?
4) Which levels division, champioship tournament are you involved in?
5) What kind of tournaments have you been registered?
6) What changes would you like to make your training more effective?
7) Are your training sessions managed well by a dedicated trainer?
8) How do you feel about your club’s training sessions?
9) Does your typical training session group takes into account age differences?
Thanks to everyone who wants to answer and contribute to this thread!
Wish you train well: “The QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY!”
Riccardo, Italy
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