Power Mind Game Of Table Tennis

Besides table tennis, there is hardly any other sport that can be so influenced by the psychology of the players. This can quickly cause games to spin one way or the other for no apparent reason.

Furthermore, decisions have to be made all the time. Do I take the small step to the right, do I take the ball with my backhand or forehand, do I attack or do I rely on my block game? All questions that have to be answered in milliseconds.

But people are not always equally decisive. There are days when something like this is very sluggish. And every table tennis player has a hard time on days like this.

The first reason for the strong mental component in table tennis is the short reaction time. Because the playing field, i.e. the table tennis table, is only 2.74 m long and width of the is 1.525m

While the serves and setbacks depend more on concentration, although a good reaction is helpful here, speeds of up to 100 km / h to 180km / hr can be achieved in open play.

But the acceleration that is possible with the kickback sport with the small ball is astonishing.

I also find that table tennis requires the ability to adapt highly extremely quickness . The opponents have to be read and interpreted like in a kind of high-speed chess. This has the great potential to make the wrong decisions from time to time. In no time you are behind with 3-4 points, although it could have been the other way around.

In addition, every stroke played is unique. Sure, patterns are repeated. However, the ball is never played 100% in the same place, with the same rotation and the same speed. So the routine is to adjust with each stroke and try to apply the learned technique to the new situation.

1 - Release mental blocks

Himself a table tennis player and reader of this blog, made me aware of his field of activity. Together with his business partner, he is developing audio, video and e-book coaching on mycoachingbox.com, which should help in the areas of business, sport, health and personal development.

The coaching hypnosis "table tennis competitive strength" was specially developed for table tennis. And I also had the chance to test the product.

At first, of course, I was very skeptical. I have never been hypnotized in my life and have never had any experience with audio hypnosis. That in advance.

But I got involved, lay down on the couch and listened to the 30 minute file.

My first impression is that this is surprisingly relaxing. When do I take 30 minutes of my time a day and let my mind wander? Correct. Hardly ever.

In terms of content, it is about freeing yourself from pressure and using your full potential in tight, decisive game situations.

Immediately after finishing the recording, I didn't notice any changes. I was just very relaxed.

In the coming days I noticed, although I had already repressed the hypnosis, that I was much more productive at work. I was able to switch off and concentrate better on my tasks.

Unfortunately, hypnosis didn't help me much for table tennis, as I tried the whole thing out when there was no competition. But I will listen to the coaching hypnosis again before the season, because it brought something and a few doubts and blockages in relation to one's own performance were resolved.

In addition, after I shared my impressions with Andreas, I received the message that the effect is increased by listening to it several times. Because overnight a deep-seated blockage cannot go away.

So anyone who has a chronic problem on the record or in other areas of calling up their performance potential at the right moment can only benefit from such hypnosis.

Conclusion and one more thought

Table tennis should be fun. Of course, every athlete always wants to win. But that is not possible. Because just as you can accept a victory and indulge in triumph, you must also be able to accept defeats.

But to avoid unnecessary defeat, just take one of my tips above to heart. I think there is an opportunity for improvement for everyone .

And a short word about those who get a good mental strength certified by because many close sets and 5-set matches are won.

Most of the players who do well here often come into the decisive set against much weaker opponents, whereby the game should be ended after three sets and brought home.

2 - Train effectively

Training and mental strength are closely related. Because only those who train really well and effectively can access their full performance potential.

Nobody can expect that dream strokes of all kinds are suddenly possible in tight game situations. Especially with tight scores, the better player usually wins. It is rare that luck or slight mistakes turn out to be in favor of the underdog.

But not just training itself or training a lot is enough. I know a lot of table tennis players who stand in the hall 3-4 times a week. However an effective table tennis training session is rarely carried out.

It is just played on sentences with his teammates. Great mental strength is not required because, on the one hand, there is no pressure to win (the only exception is the club championships and on the other hand, you already know each other inside out. The same sequence of strokes over and over again does not help you to improve.

However, if you always set new stimuli in training or deepen known, important basic strokes, you not only get better in general, but also become more stable for such stroke sequences in the game.

3 - Develop rituals and familiar processes.

Normally, every table tennis player develops proven processes and rituals over time, which are unwound before the competitions.

I can still remember one of my first men's games. Back then, as a 15 year old boy, I was totally nervous. To make matters worse, we also had to go outside.

In the strange hall on the strange records I was only able to get used to it for a short time. Then it started with the doubles. Playing for the men was completely new to me and I found it difficult to adjust to the new situation.

The older opponents, on the other hand, not only reeled off the record, but also ran their usual routines between rallies and games.

Looking back, it's much more interesting to see how much time some players took, especially when I scored 2-3 points in a row.

The hand was wiped on the plate, turned a little round and the usual rhythm continued while I was long ready to hit. That really got me off the hook.

4 - Find the right material and be familiar with it

The negative experiences from the previous game could only have been due to the wrong material. Correct?

Unfortunately, playing with completely new rubbers and woods is not just a roulette game, whether the material fits you at all, but you cannot be completely used to the gaming device at all.

This in turn leads to unexpected hits and slight mistakes in the game. Some of them often succeed in playing well with the new material. The actors are then simply in a good mood and have a very positive state of mind. With the previous material and such an attitude, things would go even better.

I know test madness or testeritis all too well.This leaves enough time to get to know the intricacies of your own club. By the way, I don't mean changing the rubbers to the same rubbers right before the season.

I promise you that with a well-adjusted setup you will have more security in tight situations. Of course there is no guarantee of victory. But at least the probability is significantly increased.

5- Counter self-fulfilling through positive thinking.

Everyone has a bad day. On such days the glass is always half empty. Even guided tours hardly give you self-confidence. A net or edge ball can upset you. The concentration is bad. And somehow you surrender to your fate.

During my time as a youth coach, I saw this phenomenon often. Although there was no difference to other days in terms of the playful aspect, i.e. the technique, the error rate itself and the movement sequences during the rallies, some players hung their heads very quickly.

But that only helped the opponent, who then went to the plate with a broad chest and narrowly won the game.

From then on, when it came down to this scheme, I only tried to address positive aspects and to implement positive thinking among the young people, even on bad days.