| Table Tennis is a simple and fun sport that appeals to | | | | you get the paddle settled comfortably in your hand, |
| a lot of people. A large part of it's attraction stems | | | | your palm and fingers should remain fixed in that |
| from it's relatively low demands on the players in a lot | | | | position, and a majority of the changes to the paddle's |
| of areas. For one thing, the actual playing area doesn't | | | | angle is made by your wrist. The best exercises to |
| take up much space; therefore, it can be played | | | | create great wrist flexibility come from a martial art |
| indoors, and can even be made part of a house's rec | | | | called aikido. No, I'm not recommending studying it |
| room with little difficulty. | | | | (though if you do it would help you a lot in other areas |
| For another thing, table tennis is a low impact sport | | | | too!). Rather, you can buy a book or video on aikido |
| that can be played by almost any one, so you don't | | | | basics, and these will often list the simple wrist rotation |
| have to be at extremes of fitness to take it, unlike high | | | | and flexibility exercises you'll need. |
| impact sports like football. These factors alone are | | | | The next element that makes a good table tennis |
| usually sufficient to get people interested in table tennis; | | | | player is general balance and good footwork. If you |
| what gets them HOOKED on it is that fact that it's just, | | | | can dance without falling over yourself, you should be |
| plain FUN. Despite it's lower physical requirements | | | | fine. While table tennis doesn't involve nearly as much |
| however, table tennis does place certain demands on | | | | running around as other sports do, this is actually part |
| it's players that you'll want to brush up on if you decide | | | | blessing and curse. The reason is because to move |
| to take it as a hobby. | | | | from one side of the table to the other, you need to |
| The first thing you'll need to train in for table tennis are | | | | rely on smaller steps and subtle shifts in balance and |
| your reflexes. Table tennis balls are small, and can | | | | weight. Because these movements are much smaller |
| travel at relatively high velocities if thwacked hard. | | | | than the wider general gross movements made in |
| Therefore, you'll want to train your reflexes enough to | | | | other sports like running or basket ball, they can |
| be able to intercept a small, high speed ball and not just | | | | actually throw off the timing of people used to high |
| hit it, but hit it properly so that it gets sent back at the | | | | athletic activity. |
| other player instead of just deflected at an angle (at | | | | Lastly, there is a certain mental element involved in |
| which point it might fly in your face). | | | | table tennis if you want to win. You have to be able to |
| Here's a simple training exercise to improve your hand | | | | outthink your opponent, planning two or three steps |
| eye coordination. Have someone take a stick, about a | | | | ahead in the game and adjusting your shots |
| foot long and half an inch wide. Have them hold it | | | | accordingly. The best comparisons would be to |
| horizontally at one end in front of them, palm facing | | | | fencing and chess, where the ability to feint and trap |
| down. Open your hand palm down over the other end, | | | | your opponent into a certain weak position spells the |
| hovering about an inch above the stick. Then, let your | | | | key to victory. In table tennis, if all you do is react to |
| partner release the stick. Your job is to react to their | | | | your opponent's shots, you'll lose. The simplest |
| dropping the stick and catching it. You'd be surprised at | | | | example would be to angle shots constantly to your |
| the number of people who fumble this simple drill. | | | | opponent's left side, forcing him to backhand |
| Aside from reflexes, you'll need strong, flexible wrists. | | | | repeatedly, then suddenly angling a shot wide and far |
| A common mistake of new table tennis players is | | | | to his vulnerable right. This kind of thinking is what wins |
| using the fingers and palm to adjust their grip on the | | | | you games. |
| paddle, making changes to the angle awkward. Once | | | | |