Last updated 9 years ago
Hi there coach, I played table tennis yesterday and I noticed that I have lost my footwork. And I am pretty sure that it is not because I did not play for a long time since I am playing regularly. I am guessing that its because I haven't done a footwork drill exercises for a long time, which caused my footwork to become slower. What should I do in order to have my footwork back? And how do I maintain my footwork speed? thanks in advance coach
Hi Wayne,
The key is definitely regular training. Do at least one or two footwork drills each time you train.
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D K Posted 9 years ago
Is there any way how to help to improve footwork without having a chance to play at the table?
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Hi D K,
You can practice your shuffle movement anywhere as long as you have a little space. Watch our footwork basics video and simply practice the shuffle step. You can even take shadow swings between the movements.
Dieter Verhofstadt Posted 9 years ago
I do shadow practice at home, once a week. You can basically do any drill without ball. The good thing about shadow practice is that you can focus on the footwork and returning to neutral position (body & bat). Then, when you do actual training with the ball, you can concentrate on the ball while the body takes care of itself through muscle memory built up during the shadow practice. I have already felt the benefit of this.
The downside is: shadow practice at home is extremely boring and silly. Somehow it is more embarassing for me to be caught by my wife or kids amidst a shadow practice session than when watching a TT video, while shadow practice is definitely returning more on the investment.
D K Posted 9 years ago
Dieter described very well the reasons why I hate this practising.
I am trying it sometimes,but it is sooooo boring.
No motivation,no action,nothing that I can react to.
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Hey Dieter,
Don't be embarrassed. A lot of table tennis players tend to just do a shadow swing at random times even when they're not specifically practicing!
D K Posted 9 years ago
Embarrasment is one thing
I do not know how dieter,but in my case the main problem is that the practising is actionless
D K Posted 9 years ago
So I surrender after a while,because it is an unreal situation and I have problems with overcoming the difference between reality and a "shadow"