How to get the best start to your training!

How to get the best start to your training!

Hopefully reality again soon: The full table tennis hall like here at the pimples course in the Netherlands

No matter whether on green or blue plates or whether with white or yellow balls; More and more sports halls are slowly opening and table tennis is being played again. Almost incidentally, the play-off round of the TTBL was even held last week and crowned 1.FC Saarbrücken as German champions for the first time.

There is currently a very large patchwork of different regulations across Germany. In different federal states, but also on a smaller level in different districts and municipalities, completely different regulations apply. In this situation, it is easier for the clubs, where there is less participation in training in the summer anyway. Larger clubs have to make significantly more effort here. For example, some use online systems to register for specific training times. Sometimes a member of the association also takes over the coordination that is necessary in order to be able to comply with guidelines and distances. If the organization is right, you can play again.

Therefore, today we would like to answer the question of how you can get back into training optimally.

Especially after a long break that is unusual for many of you, it is essential to slowly get your body used to the movements again and to warm up. Starting with the fastest possible topspins in the first training session is not particularly helpful here. You should not underestimate that the movements performed in table tennis are different from the movements in other sports. Even if you have regularly practiced another sport during the break, you start again at “0” with certain movements.

The first training sessions should therefore not last several hours and, as described, should be carried out at a cautious pace.
We often experience that players want to start highly motivated and overdo it, especially at the beginning. The danger of pulling something, for example, is particularly high here. Consequence: 2 weeks break and recovery.
Of course, we want to protect you from this negative example.

In order to get used to a rhythm again from the level of play, you should take your time when warming up and regularly repeat certain movement sequences, such as the attacking ball on the block. If you start free play again very quickly, it is very difficult to call up movement sequences constantly. Therefore, a long import with frequent repetition is very helpful. It would be even better if you have a suitable and motivated training partner to help you get back to playing freely with exercises.

Here is an example of a possible course before you switch to free play:

1. Very long play-in with frequent repetition. It can also be 30-40 minutes here.
2. After warming up, start with 2-3 regular exercises. We recommend only 5 minutes per side, especially at the beginning.
3. As the training progresses, you can also integrate irregular exercises into your training again.

Especially in the first training session after such a long break, we would advise against a real competition. Of course, we don't want to spoil the fun of table tennis for you, but you may know it yourself: If you play a competition after a long break, you first notice how much training you have to catch up on because the processes are not right from the moment you serve. As a result, you often play worse results, are dissatisfied with yourself and your game and have the feeling that you "can't do anything anymore" and go home demotivated. Therefore, it is best to avoid competition in the first training session.

Example of a regular exercise:

You play all the balls into your opponent's backhand side and he alternately plays a ball into your backhand and your forehand side. This is also the personal favorite exercise of Niclas from the Sauer & Tröger team. Why exactly ?

1. You only focus on the basic strokes and the footwork.
2. The exercise is less taxing on the mind.
3. The change from forehand to backhand is trained in a very simple way.
4. For right-handers, the forehand is also trained in parallel.
5. A rather gentle exercise, especially after a long break.

Example of an irregular exercise:

You play all the balls into your opponent's backhand side. He always plays 1-3 times into your backhand side and then your ball into your forehand half (which you then attack). This is much more difficult and requires more concentration. So warm up well, get a feeling for the ball and the movement sequences again and then you can start again after 1-3 units.

With these suggestions, we wish you a successful restart at the tables. We would also like to thank you again for your phenomenal support over the past few weeks. In the current situation, we were surprised by how many players ordered our new materials Hellfire-X (long pimples) and Unicorn (wood). This also confirms the current spirit of optimism.

We wish you a great start!

Greetings from the Sauer & Tröger team

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