3 of the most common beginner table tennis mistakes

One of the best sports you can participate in this year is table tennis.

Table tennis is one of the most accessible sports available. It’s fast and fun, but it can be scaled in difficulty based on the people playing a match. Whether you’re looking for a way to stay fit, a skill you want to add to your existing skills or just a way to meet new people, table tennis can be perfect for you.

However, as with any sport, there are a few important beginner mistakes to watch out for when you engage in table tennis. They are small and hard to spot in some cases, but it’s worth paying attention as they affect the quality of your game.

To help you with your table tennis practice, we’ve rounded up 3 of the top beginner mistakes to look out for when learning the game.

Rushing or playing too eagerly

For starters, one of the most common things new players do while trying to get better at table tennis is rushing their servers or volley. After all, table tennis is a quick game, so it’s easy to feel under pressure and without time. As per this great Medium post, this is something that many players struggle with almost immediately.

Nevertheless, it is important to make sure you take the time to play table tennis as a new player. Think carefully about your actions and take a moment before making sudden movements. Maintain a steady pace, and don’t get tired of making bursts – it will be worth it in the long run.

One of the best ways to practice this is to practice with a close friend or family member. Being able to practice pacing with a trusted loved one can be very helpful, as it can help ease feelings of stress or pressure.

Hold the paddle incorrectly

Another thing many new players accidentally do when playing table tennis is holding their paddle wrong. It may sound like a very small factor, but paddle grips are essential to getting better at table tennis. If you hold your paddle incorrectly, it will affect the quality of your game in general.

To improve this, we recommend spending some time watching paddle grip tutorials on YouTube- like this one in particular. Spend a specific amount of your practice time paddling the grips only to ensure you master it.

Does not move while playing

When people first start playing table tennis, they often feel that they have to stay in one place for the entire game. This can be intentional or subconscious, but it can lead to awkward stretches and missed opportunities in the long run. Ping pong may seem static at first, but it does require players to move and adapt as the matches progress.

Players should focus on dexterity and reaction time while practicing to reduce this. Being able to move around while playing a match can be very helpful, and it’s worth spending some extra time on this if you’re a new player. Adding other sporting practices, such as jogging or sprint training, can also help increase your agility.

Overview

All in all, these are minor points if you look at them separately. However, when they are combined into one match or one set of skills, they can be very disadvantageous. If you want to get better at table tennis this year, it’s important to think about your skills and weaknesses.

To get more inspiration while learning this sport, we recommend going to social media. Platforms like YouTube are full of helpful tutorials for different types of strokes or techniques, and you can find great product guides to help you shop your equipment – like this incredible ping pong paddle guide here.

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