Soreness

Table Tennis General

Last updated 14 years ago

Andrew T

Andrew T Asked 14 years ago

Hi Alois; Jeff,

I am just noticing that two days after our first team practice my right leg is very sore and my left leg is barely sore at all.  Is this normal for a forehand dominant right hander?  Do you have any advice for coping with or preventing soreness in general?

Thanks,

Andrew T 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago

Hi Andrew,

This is completely normal, because you are probably using you right leg to push off more on the forehand topspin.

Strength training is the answer to coping with this sort of soreness. The stronger those muscles are the better they will perform.  Legs are a critical factor in Table Tennis. 

The other thing to consider is that perhaps you are placing too much weight onyour right.  Thinkabout balancing up  alittle.  While you are sore just practice the forehand topspin movement and see if you can do it will less soreness on the right leg.  This will often just mean a slight shift in your balance from right leg to left leg.

Take a look at the Blogs on Strength and Conditioning. Weight Training Specifically for Table Tennis and Strength Conditioning for Table Tennis.


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Andrew T

Andrew T Posted 14 years ago

Thanks for the answer Alois.  This is definitely a relief.  I understand that I should do some strength training, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking "If my right leg is going to be used more, shouldn't I train it to be stronger."  I know that this is silly of course, but the thought lingers (mainly because my leg is still sore 4 days later).  I have read and will read the blog posts again, but are basic leg strengthening excersizes (squats, lunges, curls, extensions) good?

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 14 years ago

Hi Andrew, Yes, basics like squats and lunges are good. Especially lunges and squats with a wide base are good. Think about how you can make it specific for the motion of your topspin.

Leslie Unknown

Leslie Unknown Posted 14 years ago

Might I also add that while ppl commonly stretch before playing, I hardly see anyone stretch after playing. This could help reduce some of the soreness in your leg as well as your body in general.

Ji-Soo Woo

Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago

Good suggestion Leslie

I definitely don't stretch enough after table tennis.  At my age, I pretty much have some soreness somewhere all the time, so I'm used to it and generally ignore it.  But I need to pay more attention.  Love those hot showers after table tennis...they do wonders!


Andrew T

Andrew T Posted 14 years ago

Thank you all for your comments.  I had a practice yesterday and I am barely sore at all.  Stretching both before and after practice and strength training are very good advice and definitely helps a lot.

Leslie Unknown

Leslie Unknown Posted 14 years ago

Another problem why you might have been sore is that it was your 1st team session. If you're not used to such energy draining sessions, it will definitely make you sore after the first 1. But as you keep at it, your body will adapt itself to such rigarous activities and you'll feel less sore after each session. This advice is probably coming from my background of my start stopping gym program where everytime I would go for the first time in awhile my body would have to adapt itself again and my body would let me know that for weeks.


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