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[729 fx]

Throughout the couple of years that I got myself involves in table tennis (tt), I notice that the following are some of the mistake a beginners make (including myself) :

1) Spin - many tt beginners cannot read the spin of the ball correctly. A beginner watch a good player, and see the different tactics that player employs to win each rally. To improve, I would suggest that the beginner, after seeing these shots that have spin on them, to try to mimic these shots during your own game.

2) Speed/smashing - smashing the ball is a skill that is obtained through constant practice. I advise all beginners to work on speed/power which is an integral part of the game, but it is not the most important part. Therefore make sure you have perfected the other areas of your game before you practice smashing the ball. Beginners do not realize that when you hit the ball with a lot of power, you have to adjust the angle of your paddle, this is the reason that most beginners who try to smash the ball miss the table, and lose the rally.

3) Shots that are smashed or that were hit in perfect spots (Aim/accuracy) - is the easiest to correct out of these three mistakes. Aim the ball, and hit the ball nice and smoothly, not hard. Aim is something that will become natural to you, If you practice regularly, you will not even think about where to hit the ball, it will just go right over. Take it slowly at first, one part at a time and after you have mastered one skill (aim/accuracy) you can go on and practice the next skill (either smashing or spin). The most important thing is to practice as the saying goes, "Practice Makes Perfect".

Cheers.

[ejunkie]

I will add a few more, not hitting thru the ball enough. Some use too fast of equipments and end up not doing a full stroke (because they don't have to to get the ball over to the other side of the table).
Also, too slow of a loop and have weight going backward. Lifting too much and being pressured all the time and end up playing too defensive. Needs to work on speed and endurance, i.e. go walk and run.

[ejunkie]

I also encountered a beginner who think he know more than I do. I coached he for two sessions, mainly to get him to hit the ball crosscourt and have the ball land on the table, and he stopped coming after that because he clearly thought that I was not teaching him all that he wanted to know/learn, a fh, a bh, a tricky serve, etc.

I don't think he or some beginners know the process of building a good foundation. They tend to rush to loops without learning the basic. They rush to play underspin without having a loop; so they play a lot of pushes. They also rush to many advanced techniques befor they have the fundamentals, before they understand how to use them, before they learn against whom they should use it--although this is minor, and before they have the physical ability to use them (for example, someone who is not in good arobic condition should try to walk before run, drive before any slow topspin.).

Most of these beginners are just not serious enough to pay the price to work hard to get to where they want. Of course, I also learn that it's better for them to learn in a fun, playful environment that they wanted and left the serious training to the asking.

[729 fx]

Most of these beginners are just not serious enough to pay the price to work hard to get to where they want. Of course, I also learn that it's better for them to learn in a fun, playful environment that they wanted and left the serious training to the asking.

Agree with the above statement.
Most of them just wanna play a game or two without understanding the basics. I for one, would love to hit the strokes all day to improve.Maybe, once a week I will put the practice into play when playing a game with the beginners.

[lexlibris1299]

And sometimes a beginner will hit the ball so hard as if he thinks it will not comes back. Then the player will lose his balance and caught up unready. So I would say, hit the ball without losing his balance and get himself on ready position using a quick small steps. Always assume that the ball will be returned by the opponent.

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DunhamsSports promo

[ejunkie]

i.e."Posing".

[729 fx]

Yes, agreed with lexibris's comment.

BTW, welcome to tt junkie.

[729 fx]

Also I agree with ejunkie on his statement :"I will add a few more, not hitting thru the ball enough. Some use too fast of equipments and end up not doing a full stroke (because they don't have to to get the ball over to the other side of the table)."

I, for one was in that category. A couple of times when switching from all-wood blades to composites (which are faster, of course), I tend to slacken on my stroke movement, and when I used back the all-wood blade, I felt kinda funny but at least I know where my mistake are.

So, my advice to all tt junkies out there, not to use too fast an equipment, but to start from a "ALL" or "OFF-" type of equipment and slowly upgrade from there.