12 weeks after the injury, I'm very happy to say that I'm now 90% of the way healed and back to training.
So why do I play anyway?
Many top-level coaches have encouraged me to only coach and not play.
There are several reasons that I'm still working hard at my game...
Enjoyment
I enjoy playing. I enjoy the training aspect and I enjoy the competitive aspect.
Coach Carl Hardin is both a table tennis coach and a top-level bowling coach. This week, we had a brief conversation on the phone. At the end of the talk, I asked him to summarize what he was explaining in article form so that you could see the difference. If you have ever come to one of my classes, you will understand that Coach Carl Hardin's approach has had a huge impact on my coaching.
Check out the tactics to beat this difficult opponent!
The Smasher
Playing against smashers can seem overwhelming – it might seem as if they are smashing everything – your loops, your flips, your pushes. These players want to put pressure on you enough to take you out of your normal game. Before you freak out, just listen to a bit of advice.
As I have told you many times, this is your daily minimum.
3 minute dynamic warmup routine prior to practice and a 10 minute fitness routine after practice. If you get these done, you can feel free to workout more. Each day, you can choose to do the core workout or the leg workout.
I would encourage you to pull out your phone or turn on your tablet and follow along to make sure that your workout stays timed and structured.
Everyone starts table tennis as a beginner. No one picks up a racket for the first time and is 2000+ level.
Probably along your way to greatness, there have been players who have helped you.
I know that you have a busy schedule; you can't make it to the gym 3 hours per day. I want you to do this leg workout 3 times per week for 10 minutes.
That's it!
Just 10 minutues!
Give me 10 minutes of effort per day and I guarantee that your footwork will improve within 2 weeks. Just turn on this clip and discipline yourself to follow along and follow my verbal instructions.
This sounds like the most basic advice ever given – be ready for the ball to come back! About 90% of players have developed the bad habit of hitting a good shot then just ASSUMING that it won’t be returned. Starting today, you must force yourself to be disciplined in thinking that all of your serves, flips, loops, smashes, and all other shots will be returned. No early celebration!
