Feeling Overwhelmed When Learning

Table Tennis Training and Drills

Last updated 10 years ago

Raymond Lai

Raymond Lai Asked 10 years ago

Hi Alois,

I am an absolute beginner. A problem I have with learning table tennis is that there many instructions for me to do simultaneously and I feel overwhelmed. My mind can only focus on one instruction at a time.

For example, when I start to learn to hit the ball on the table tennis table, I am taught to keep my feet apart, bend my knees, hold the bat correctly, watch the ball, decide where I want to hit the ball, make sure I hit the middle of the bat, make sure my bat is facing where I want to hit the ball and don't lean back when I hit the ball (which is what I do). I feel overwhelmed and I don't know what to do.

Is it better to focus on just one aspect, such as keeping my feet apart and making sure that I master keeping my feet apart and then focus on the next skill or is it possible to focus on more than one skill at a time?

Thank you for your time and help.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 10 years ago

Hi Raymond,

The game can look quite confusing when you are first learning.

It is important to focus on one thing at a time to improve.  During a session you may get a feel for one thing and then as you start to focus on the next, you may go backwards with the first aspect.  For example you may be focusing on the arm action of the forehand topspin.  You may get this movement right and then focus on the leg position.  As you start to think about the leg position you may forget about the stroke.  Then you need to focus on the legs for a while and forget about the arm action.  As you get the legs right you may try to combine the two.

At any one instant you are thinking about one skill however in the session you may start to get the two aspects correct.

Don't overdo the number of things you focus on in a session.  If you can get those two things right you have done really well.  The next session you may have to start all over again, but may get it a little quicker.

The game is interesting because it is made up of so many parts.  However, always remember to keep it simple.


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Thoughts on this question

Harry Fay

Harry Fay Posted 10 years ago

Time is key, I had verylittle training yet I made it to the schools final in a very large area of Ireland ,if you justkeep enjoying table tennis you'll be good


Douglas Hill

Douglas Hill Posted 10 years ago

Sometimes club players give beginners too many suggestions to deal with at once. A good coach helps you focus your attention, is able to hit balls to you very consistently so you don't have to deal with so much variation in the beginning, and gives you time to try something for several repetitions before pointing out a new thing. I hope you find someone with these qualities. Professional coaches really do earn their money.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 10 years ago

Thanks Douglas, these are good points.


mat huang

mat huang Posted 10 years ago

Most coaches teach you the basics- bend your knees, feet aprt etc. Those you have to overcome. BUt when you found yourslef overwhelmed with too much, just try to do one at a time and over while you 'll get into the habit of bending knees and feet apart. Just as Harry said, Time is the key


Arne Anderson

Arne Anderson Posted 10 years ago

Very good advice.  I have been working on my forehand drive, after 64 years of doing it wrong (I'm 82).  In my case, the stroke was terrible until I spread my feet wide apart and went into a bit of a crouch.  Yesterday, with the wide stance, I could do no better than three good drives in a row.  This morning, I hit 21!

After my back and knees got tired from the crouch, I went back to a more upright position--and the stroke still worked!

I really appreciate your Forum and the 6 DVDs you sent me.  Thanks again


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 10 years ago

Thanks Arne.  Good to hear your positive story.


eduardo espinosa

eduardo espinosa Posted 10 years ago

Hello, Mr.Lai. Just wanted to add "good practice makes perfect". Also, by playing this game you are going to acquire a degree of focusing that nothing else that I know will give you.


Raymond Lai

Raymond Lai Posted 10 years ago

Hi Alois and Jeff,

I would like to say a very big thank you for taking the time to create the video response to my question. Your table tennis wisdom has helped clear a psychological obstacle that was blocking how I go about learning skills in both table tennis and in other areas of my life. You are both fabulous ambassadors for the game of table tennis and your generosity is most appreciated!


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 10 years ago

It is a pleasure.  Glad you like it Raymond.


DHS Lover

DHS Lover Posted 10 years ago

I think this not a problem what i mean is, this's table tennis, this's sport every sport have its own tech and the movement and if you want to mastered it than you'll get overwhelmed my first coach that teach me is a very perfect person when learn the forehand counterhit stroke, there're many things i should remember at the same time just like open the feet and bent the knees and the body, bend the arm to hold the bat right so it make the stroke correct, the head and the eye facing to the opponent right side, the left hand is up to make balance, the start position must not too high, too low, too backward, and too forward when hit the ball and must not spin it, i must back to the same start position for the next ball for the correct stroke, and also the placement of the ball must at a point and must not go on the other way, must not touch the net, too deep or too short, etc i get confused and overwhelmed too, i'm stressed as i can't make the stroke correct for a long time but, just 4 days, i make the stroke correct and the ball will go to the same place without any error and when my coach can't teach me again, i try enter a club to learn table tennis more, but i feel uncomfortable when make the forehand counterhit rally as all the balls go to the different way each time and it's because the coach don't teach them just like my coach before and it make their stroke bad even they can hit it on the table there's a chinese old sentence that's like this 'tired first, happy next' so even now you feel overwhelmed, i swear you'll be great someday ! Trust me.

John Kellett

John Kellett Posted 10 years ago

I am obviously going against the flow here but science tells us that better results are achieved by focusing on the target ie the ball's flight path and where it lands (an external focus)rather than what your body needs to do (an internal focus).  Research tells us that an external focus results in better skill acquisition.  Bear in mind, also, that the learning may not be immediately obvious since motor learning becomes "consolidated" by sleep the following nights.  Much research can be found on Google with "skill acquisition" though little of it is directed at table tennis in particular but the principles usually apply beyond the particular task employed in the research.

Ernesto.

 


Martin Coronel

Martin Coronel Posted 10 years ago

Nosebleed  too much genius,can't understand.What does that mean???


Raymond Lai

Raymond Lai Posted 10 years ago

Hi John Kellet,

Thank you for reading my question and taking the time to reply. Your knowledge and insight is a valuable contribution to the discussion.

I partially agree with what you have said. Our external focus (the ball's flight path and landing position) determines our internal focus i.e. what our body needs to do to achieve our external focus.

Having said that, my coach said that our internal focus, how we hit the ball, is important. If our technique is poor, then the ball's flight path and landing position becomes irrelevant. Just because we can hit the ball where we wanted, does not mean we hit it correctly. Poor technique becomes a impairment when we are learning the more advanced skills or when we play good players.  

Personally, I believe that external and internal focus needs to go hand in hand. How much we each person needs to works on their external and internal focus varies from person to person.


John Kellett

John Kellett Posted 10 years ago

I couldn't agree more, Raymond.  I believe the external focus becomes increasingly important once the basic technique is largely established.


eduardo espinosa

eduardo espinosa Posted 10 years ago

Hello, Ping-skillers. Interesting thoughts you guys are exchanging about focusing. I never saw it that way but the same subject from another point of view. I never had a coach until now (Mr. Rosario and Mr. Plumb). So I read some books. Among them one written by Michel Gadal. He explains the concept "the action to the ball". The phrase itself is self-explanatory, but it lead me to think about the objective of training. The name of the book is "Training to win". At first it's so "overwhelming" to learn the physical side of the sport that we leave for later the understanding of the game. If I'm focused in training to win it is essential that I know how to overcome my opponent. Experience has shown me that I don't only need to be at least as good as my opponent (techniques, skills, physical strength...) but to play better. It means I have to train more than my opponent in order to get better control of the ball, and to know what to do with it. I think that puts in perspective both concepts "internal" and "external" focus, because there's also the focus of dominating the game.


Raymond Lai

Raymond Lai Posted 10 years ago

Hi eduardo espinosa (I really like your name!)

Like John Kellet, Thank you for taking the time to add your thoughts to this discussion. Your insights are a valuable and great contribution to this forum.

You bring up the interesting issue of the psychological aspects of the game. Some people believe the psychological aspects such as self efficacy (the confidence you have in your skills and in your ability to execute the skills), fear, resilience and motivation play an vital part in our game. Some would argue that the psychological is more important than the physical, although this debateable. I think ultimately it is fear such as fear of losing, fear of hitting the ball out, fear of your opponent that is the hardest psychological obstacle to overcome.

It is not necessary true, that you need to be better in your skills to defeat your opponent. In table tennis, upsets such as when a lower ranked player defeats a higher ranked player, shows that 'playing better' on the day maybe more important than 'being better' than your opponent. Again this is debateable and there is great variation amongst players.

Table Tennis is such a great game. It looks so simple to the untrained eye, yet, it is so intricate and fascinating!

 

 

 


eduardo espinosa

eduardo espinosa Posted 10 years ago

Thank you, Mr Lai. I like people that like my name! It is also great that we have Pingskills so ping pong lovers like us can meet and help each other. I have been playing T T (at an amateur level) for about 50 years. So I have been through many psychological stages and lately, looking back I discovered that passion for T T has helped me stay in good overall physical health up to now. That is a big asset by itself. And I want to keep it that way, meaning that I need to keep playing motivated enough to play well against players of all ages and levels without hurting myself. Therefore, fear is no longer my motivation nor winning but, playing well, if at all possible, perfect. Since loosing is not very motivational, if I have to play, it will be to win so I must use all my knowledge of the game because I have now physical limitations my opponents, most likely, won't have. Experience will tell you what's possible or impossible, easy or difficult at any given instant. Use all your knowledge of the game to give your opponent a real hard time if he wants to win. You will develop an instinct for discovering parts of the game your opponent have difficulties with. But, since my motivation is now play my best (in all aspects), if I loose, I still achieved my main objective of playing well. By the way I no longer look for matches. Instead I spend hours training hard practicing drills whenever possible. I think this is a good advice for any player: good or bad young or old.



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