In order to improve your table tennis game, there are 2 main aspects that you need this year.
#1 You need to have the right info
#2 You need to spend quality time practicing
How do you get the right info??? There are several ways:
A. Record yourself practicing and analyze the video
B. Read coaching articles, reading coaching books, and watch coaching DVDs
C. Receive group lessons (most cost around $20/hour).
D. Receive private lessons. Below you will see the current rates being charged by the top coaches for private lessons:
Kong Linghui $300/hour
Li Zhen Shi $100/hour
Fan Yi Yong $100/hour
David Zhuang $85/hour
Ernesto Euben $85/hour
Massimo Costantini $70/hour
Eugene Wang $70/hour
Tao Wangzhou $70/hour
Bob Chen $70/hour
Zhou Xin $65/hour
Fei-Ming Tong $65/hour
Samson Dubina $65/hour
Atunda Musa $60/hour
Qingliang Wang $60/hour
Dan Seemiller $60/hour
Robert Roberts $60/hour
Larry Hodges $60/hour
Damien Provost $60/hour
Sameh Awadallah $50/hour
Maggie Tian $50/hour
Yang Shigang $50/hour
Yahao Zhang $45/hour
Truong Tu $40/hour
John Hsu $40/hour
The amount of lessons isn’t that important. I would rather pay Kong Linghui for 1 hour than to pay the local hardbat champ for 30 hours. The important aspect is the quality of information that you are receiving. Is your coaching giving you random information that you don’t need to know? Or, is he specifically analyzing your game and giving relevant information that pertains directly to your strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, and game patterns.
The second aspect of improving that you need to master is quality practice. For my personal students I recommend a mixture of drills, practice matches, visualization, serve practice, robot training, physical training, video analysis, and tournament play. If you can’t afford paying $40-$100/hour to practice with your coach for hours each day, then I recommend asking a few guys at the club to meet once per week for drilling.
The first pitfall to avoid is merely trying to practice, practice, practice. I hear many Chinese parents and coaches saying this over and over, “He just needs to practice more.” The main thing that these parents are overlooking is… this particular student has the wrong strategy, a weak backhand, poor serve return, etc… In order to practice effectively, a player must first get the correct info, get the correct coaching.
The second pitfall to avoid is merely paying the money, learning new things, but not applying the new things. Having tools in your toolbox is awesome, if you know how to use the tools, are practicing using the tools, and have perfected the tools through hours of practice.
Remember, you first need to know the information – then you need to practice and practice until you have made it permanent. Practice makes permanent! Let’s just hope you are practicing the right things!