As a beginner or an intermediate table tennis player, the more time you can practice, the faster you’ll progress. You might not always have someone to practice with, though, but the time spent working on technique alone can be invaluable. Here are some of the most effective drills you can use to improve your table tennis game even if you don’t have a partner.
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Work on your spin.
Being able to manipulate the ball with spin is one of the most useful skills in table tennis. When you’re practicing with another person, it can be challenging to see exactly how the ball is moving when you put spin on it because it’s being returned to you, especially if the game is moving quickly.
A great drill is to simply get a bucket of balls and work on topspin, backspin, and sidespin variations for a few minutes each day. If you still need a table of your own, definitely check out this list of the best ping pong tables to get you started. To start your session, see how the ball reacts to more and less spin, and think about how this will be useful in a game situation. You should also practice this with both your back and forehand, as certain types of spin are easier to pull off with each.
Shadow games
Similar to shadow boxing, shadow play is a great way to refine your technique and really see how you’re moving. Often, the way we perceive ourselves playing is different from what we actually look. Get a full-length mirror and work on various shots, focusing on how you’re standing and moving. You may notice that your footwork breaks down when you pretend to return certain shots, for example. Footwork is probably the best thing to work on when using shadow play. Try to look up some footwork drills, and then go through them for three or four rounds each day. As you see yourself improve, you’ll notice that you start implementing the same footwork in your gameplay, as well as just being lighter and faster on your feet.
Physical drills
Relating to the last tip, physical drills are one of the best things you can work on when you aren’t training with others. Similar to how you might see football players working on speed ladders for their footwork, this training is just as useful for table tennis. Get yourself a ladder and some small hurdles, and use them to run through drills to quicken your footwork and increase your speed at the table.
Working on your overall fitness is something that’s also overlooked. As you get better, games will get faster and more intense. Being able to keep up with this speed and beat your opponent with your stamina is a real advantage. Running is a great way to increase your ‘tank’ and your ability to get through a full match without running out of energy. Work up to around three miles to start with, and then start trying to bring your time down to approximately 20 minutes as a starting point.
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