Ping pong is a great game known for providing some light fun. However, ping pong can also get competitive – after all, it is an Olympic Sport. Playing with an experienced player can be intimating, and lacking the skill to play a good game can quickly turn the game from fun to boring.
It can be a shock to realize that playing ping pong well can take a lot of skill. Having said this it is easy to improve, and it is always exciting to see yourself improving. There are several things that you can do right now to improve how well you play.
Beyond choosing the right ping pong table and using the right racket, if you want to improve the way you play there are certain things to focus on. The most important things to pay attention to are your swing, spin and how you hold the racket. Master these and you will be well on your way to becoming a ping pong champion!
Table of Contents
Watch how you hold the racket
The first thing to note is that the way you hold the racket can influence how well you hit the ball. We are all different and there is no specified way to hold the racket, which is why it is important to try multiple ways and to see which works the best for you.
‘Shakehand’ is one of the most popular grips used by professional players. This is done by grasping the racket as if you are going in for a handshake.
Adapting the way you hold the racket can allow for improved control and spin.
Holding the racket is almost important for reducing the incidence of tennis elbow.
Adapt how you swing
To play ping pong well there is more required than simply hitting the ball with the racket. Within ping pong, there are two major types of moves – defensive and offensive.
The aim of the players is to ensure that there is a balance between both offensive and defensive play. This not only keeps the game interesting but often denotes the appropriate response to make. For example, if you can see the player will make a defensive move, response with an offensive move.
Add some spin
Adding spin can be one way to increase your chance of winning. An example of this is backspin which makes the ball spin away from the player. This means the player will not be able to return the ball as quickly as they could have if the ball was not spinning.
There remains some debate about the legality of spin in table tennis, and this often results in changes to the certification of equipment to maintain the balance of moves made.
Wear the right clothes
This is probably something that is not emphasized enough, but it is just as important as the points above. In any sport, it is important to wear the right clothing so that you can move about freely. This will not only help you to stay comfortable but will give you more flexibility in how you move.
Do not overlook any of these points. They are each equally important in helping you to improve how well you play ping pong.