Fitness for Table Tennis | Ping Pong
It may surprise many people to hear that table tennis can be a very physically demanding sport. Being fit for table tennis is more important at the higher levels of competition. At all levels skill and tactics are very important, while at the advanced playing level, being physically fit may give you an edge over your opponent.
Anaerobic fitness is needed during strenuous rallies in which rapid movements are repeated in a short time period, while a good level of aerobic fitness is required to keep up the intensity over a long match or several matches during a day.
Fitness Components
Which of the components of fitness is the most important for success in table tennis? the results of a poll asking for the most important fitness component for table tennis has speed and quickness as the most important. Another poll rating the important factors for success in table tennis has agility as the most important factor for successful performance. Table tennis also requires a high level of hand-eye coordination. It was ranked 2nd on a list of Sports Requiring Good Hand-Eye Coordination, but overall it was ranked 47 out of 60 in the list of the Most Demanding Sports. See our discussion about the Fitness Components for Table Tennis.
table tennis serveTraining for Table Tennis
Fitness training should be conducted by advanced table tennis players to supplement training done at the table. The training should focus on the areas most important for the individual. Fitness testing can be used to determine the players strengths and weaknesses. Training should be done in the area of aerobic fitness, and also speed and agility. Flexibility is also important, and stretches should be performed before all training sessions.
Related Pages
- Anthropometry for Table Tennis
- Warm-Up for Table Tennis
- Fitness Components for Table Tennis
- List of Table Tennis Polls
- Fitness for Sports
- Stretching for Sports
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