What are good drill ideas?

[TensorBackhand]

Recently I have been practicing 2 particular drills.

One drill is that my partner and I play a game to 21 where we can only push underspin. I feel pushing is a key skill that is neglected that can win a lot of games.

Another drill is that partner does long serve to me and I have to loop the serve, then we play out the point.

What other ideas are really practical for practicing drills?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

There are many drills that focus on short game.
example:

1. Feed short underspin, then return by dropping short. The next return is where the training is, you can drop short, or push long, or push half high.
The return can be push, drop short, flick, or any other offensive shot.
This drill sounds simple and easy, but it quite demanding if you go high level on every execution for a good 15 mins.
Make sure 1st "service return" is at ready position and not waiting in the table for that short feed.

2. Easier one is just drop short both sides

3. service and flick for service return

4. serve half long underspin or no spin and loop/loop drive the ball. Make sure it is 2 bounce kind of serve, with second bounce near edge or "half long". That means its high enough to attack (you contact the ball over the table).
For lower level players, don't do this drill - due to risk of hitting the table.
This training is also good for pivots

 

[IB66]

Theres a couple of fun drills or games for short game we use.

1) play full table game, FH or BH pushes ONLY, try and keep it short - minimum 2 bounces on opponents side.
A point can only be won when the ball clips the net and goes over OR the ball only bounces once on opponents side. If an error is made by pushing into the net, it’s a ‘let’ because the idea is to clip the net. (If you want to add errors then you can!!)
This game really helps with feel and control.

2) play 1/2 table, One player BH push ONLY, the other FH push ONLY, If the player using BH plays a FH push, point to opponent, and vice versa.
Pushes can be long, attacking pushes. points are won in the usual manner, ie in the net, off the table, wrong side of centre line.
This game really helps with footwork, feel, control, tactics, spin variation, etc

 

[brokenball]

One drill is that my partner and I play a game to 21 where we can only push underspin. I feel pushing is a key skill that is neglected that can win a lot of games.

We do a push drill which is similar but we don't have the restriction of limiting strokes to pushes. We start with a back spin serve and that is usually pushed. The pushing goes back and forth a few strokes until someone opens or hits the bad push. There is no point in pushing a ball that can be attacked. I think this is much better than just pushing when it isn't necessary.

Another drill is that partner does long serve to me and I have to loop the serve, then we play out the point.

What I described above will cover this too. However, if we do serve long, we serve with severe backspin. Looping long ball is easy unless it has lots of back spin.

What other ideas are really practical for practicing drills?

loop-counter loop drill. The goal is to put so much spin on the ball that it shoots out fast and dives below the opponents paddle due to the Magnus effect after the bounce. This takes some working up to. My first coach and I use to do this one all the time.

Sometimes I chop balls for my practice partners. I am not mobile enough to be a chopper but if my practice partner loops to my BH, I can chop. I have a chopping paddle. If you don't have a chopping paddle then use a hard bat. My 3rd coach always preferred chopping with a hard bat.

 

[Der_Echte]

Everything will of course be mission goal oriented... so you gotta know what your goals are.

Luckily, a LOT of us have so many damn glaring deficiencies in our game, just about any structured drill would be a great help.

I will toss out ONE bone here.

If the developmental objective is to play aggressive and look to end the point... do not play to 11, although match realistic, not much continuity of practice. Go for 5 serves each play to 21.

Server must serve in a manner to prevent attack, but receiver can attack any serve. Receiver can push short if he or she can or wants. Server must attack if receive (2nd ball) comes past endline. Server must win the point before the end of ball 7. This means server attacks and wins or attacks and pressures with the intent to win soon.

This drill develops the will to attack first and discernment on how to finish.

 

[Tom]

Recently I have been practicing 2 particular drills.

One drill is that my partner and I play a game to 21 where we can only push underspin. I feel pushing is a key skill that is neglected that can win a lot of games.

Another drill is that partner does long serve to me and I have to loop the serve, then we point.

What other ideas are really practical for practicing drills?

Hey! There are so many useful drills that can help you improve. I definitely agree that pushing is so neglected and it's really key in match play, so this one you are already doing is great! I think simple drills can be really effective as well, they don't need to be super complex. Depending on what area of the game you want to work on, let me know and I can suggest some drills for it

 

[TensorBackhand]

Hey! There are so many useful drills that can help you improve. I definitely agree that pushing is so neglected and it's really key in match play, so this one you are already doing is great! I think simple drills can be really effective as well, they don't need to be super complex. Depending on what area of the game you want to work on, let me know and I can suggest some drills for it

Hi Tom, I like to use a "inversion" logic. I think many people imagine themselves hitting some awesome combination (open backhand > step around forehand loop > running forehand loop winner). These are fancy drills that look nice in practice, but don't really show up too much in game.

Instead of thinking about how to win points in dramatic fashion, I try to think what are the quickest ways to lose points. The 2 drills I mentioned are based on how I notice myself loosing points quickly, doing a bad push or doing a bad return of long-serve.

Along those same lines, what are some other drills you think would be useful? I'm looking for simple, shows up frequently in a match situation, statistically impactful to "buy" points (if you have seen the movie Moneyball).

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom, I like to use a "inversion" logic. I think many people imagine themselves hitting some awesome combination (open backhand > step around forehand loop > running forehand loop winner). These are fancy drills that look nice in practice, but don't really show up too much in game.

Instead of thinking about how to win points in dramatic fashion, I try to think what are the quickest ways to lose points. The 2 drills I mentioned are based on how I notice myself loosing points quickly, doing a bad push or doing a bad return of long-serve.

Along those same lines, what are some other drills you think would be useful? I'm looking for simple, shows up frequently in a match situation, statistically impactful to "buy" points (if you have seen the movie Moneyball).

Amazing I love your way of thinking and not enough people practice like this. As you said so many people want to practice things that are flashy and the big shots but not often in what really makes a difference in matches, so you're spot on. Another good one is simply doing a good short, tight serve and the opponent can push you long anywhere and you have to open up with a topspin but trying to hit into the opponents crossover. This works on getting out quickly after your severe and gaining a more consistent open up as well as hitting a good target area.

Another one I like to do is random topspin into the backhand block, so the opponent can block you anywhere on the table and you topspin into thier backhand. You can do this with or without serve and return to progress or simply it. Works on the random switching between backhand and forehand that often happens in match play and improves the movement but also reading the direction of the ball and anticipation during the rally 👍

 

[igorponger]

[video]

Taobao has it all.

 

[igorponger]

https://m.aliexpress.ru/popular/table-tennis-rebound-board.html?g=y&page=1&spm=a2g2x.detail.9.1.2e116efa2qMgm4

Feel free to make your choice.