Not having an opportunity to warm up

Hello Alois and Jeff

A few days ago I was playing table tennis with my friends, and I wanted to warm up and practice my counterhit before actually starting a match. However, my friends were eager to start the game. So I just did a few stretches and we went straight into the match, but I noticed that I was playing a lot worse than I would have played if I had the opportunity to practice my counterhit and warm up before the game. 

Do you have any advice for this situation?

Thanks

Nishant

Hi Nishant,

This is not an easy situation.  It is probably best to do some dynamic stretches where you are doing a lot of movement while warming up.  Then you can do some mental rehearsal of your game for a few minutes or seconds, imagining how you would like to be playing.

Then do your best.  Start slowly in the game and feel your way into it.  Don’t try to do too much early on until you feel comfortable.