Playing ping pong, or table tennis as some call it, is not as easy as you may think. It takes much more than simply grabbing a paddle and hitting the ball across the table. Not every single person can be great at table tennis – just like any other sport, there are always a winner and a loser.
If you have started playing this game, or have recently started to get into it but are not sure about what skills and qualities to develop in order to become the best, in this article we will advise you on what makes a great ping pong player.
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Speed
Table tennis is, as you can imagine, a sport that requires speed in order for you to gain advantage over your opponent. You must predict their moves and quickly react so that you can try to win a point. Paddles used in professional ping pong, are often created with a few different types of rubbers that allow the speed of the ball to increase. If you want to make sure your serve and technique are enhanced with the required rapidity, it is vital that you buy the appropriate table tennis paddles. Additionally, the stance you adopt when playing will also have an impact on how quickly you can react and how fast your moves are.
Skills
A great ping pong player will know the skills required to play the sport, both the basics and the more advanced skills. In order to be good at something, you must first understand and develop the very basics. This also applies to table tennis – do not try to rush and become a professional overnight, this will take some time and will require some training and practice. If you are not sure how to start, consider hiring a professional coach to help you. A good player will be humble and understand when their skills are not great and may require the additional support to progress and become great.
Equipment
The equipment you choose will have a significant impact on your ability as a player. If you have ever been shopping for ping pong gear, you may have already realised that there are various different types of equipment you can buy. It is more complicated than just choosing paddles and table tennis. If you want to become great, make sure that you get less basic equipment. Of course this will depend on your level, but very basic ping pong gear will not support your progress. You can visit stores and ask the professionals for recommendations on the best paddles or the top table tennis in the market suggested in this review. Choosing the best equipment for you can make all the difference between being average and a great
Accuracy
Accuracy is another ability any great ping pong player must have. You will want your techniques to be accurate so that you are able to dominate the game. You may think that it is very difficult to have high levels of accuracy as this would essentially mean that you have perfect abilities all the time. However, this is something you can practice until you become great. There are actually robots that have been developed to help professional players increase their accuracy levels, as playing against a machine allows you to train your coordination of your eyes and feet.
Anticipation
As we mentioned before, ping pong requires speed as well as a good ability to predict the other player’s tactics and moves. By doing this, you can plan your own strategy accordingly to ensure that you gain advantage over your opponent and potentially win the game. Anticipating what other people will also result in you being quick at your own reactions and difficult to read by others, making you a great table tennis player.
Footwork
Ensuring you have good footwork will significantly contribute to you being a great ping pong player. Someone with no actual experience of this game may think that it does not require a lot of movement of your legs, but if you want to be great, you should not be thinking like this. Any professional ping pong player will tell you that footwork is one of the most important qualities to have, so that you can return offensive and aggressive shots. This is why it is important to do physical activity outside of table tennis, in order to give you the required physical skills. Doing specific footwork exercises will definitely support you to become a great ping pong player.
Playing ping pong requires additional skills and capabilities that will make the difference between being good and being a great player. Make sure to read some of the skills discussed above if you want to be a great ping pong player. Just make sure that you remember that frequent practice is the best move to achieve high levels of performance.