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Good leg speed, strength and stamina are essential areas of fitness for a table tennis player, and can be the difference between two players of the same technical ability.
Developing these components of fitness enables players to maintain speed and quality of movement around the table. Plyometric training is a quick and effective way to build up these three essential areas of fitness, as it develops your explosive fast twitch muscle fibres.
The theory behind plyometric training is based on the understanding that a concentric (shortening)
muscular contraction is much stronger if it immediately follows an eccentric (lengthening) contraction of the same muscle, It’s a bit like stretching out a coiled spring to its fullest extent and then letting it go: immense levels of energy are released in a split second as the spring recoils. A
basic example of a plyometric exercise is skipping. With regular exposure to plyometric training, muscle fibres develop an improved capacity to store and transfer elastic energy from the eccentric to the concentric phase of movement. This improved capacity relates to a superior ability to execute rapid movements, transforming you into a more dynamic player. Here are a few exercises that work using these principles. They can be integrated into training either as a form of group exercise prior to table work or as mini challenges throughout a session at the table.
Achieving a good base
The centre of gravity is the point around which the body weight is balanced or centred. This is usually around the navel area.
The centre of gravity is important in table tennis, particularly to give stability. Players need a low centre of gravity in the ready position and for moving to balls in wide areas. If the player’s position is too upright with minimal knee bend and the feet close together, the centre of gravity will quickly move outside the base of support.
• Find the base that gives you the best balance when moving
• Utilise knee bend to lower the centre of gravity
• Make sure you are not so low or so wide that agility is affected (feet shoulder width apart is a good guide).
Top tip: Video yourself playing to see how you move and how low you keep your centre of gravity. You will probably be surprised at just how upright you are.
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Andrew Rushton - Regional Coach East Midlands |
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Exercises you could integrate into a circuit
• Skipping
Legs together with small repetitive jumps over a speed rope
• Squat thrusts
Start in a press up position, jump your legs forwards so that your knees are under your chest and your feet are under your hips. Increase speed and number as able
• Squat jumps
Bend down into a squat position then push up into a straight legged jump, be as explosive as you can
• Spotty dogs
Alternate feet and legs, bouncing from one position to the next
• Burpies
Squat thrust into a star jump
• Cycle split squat jumps
As a squat jump, but whilst in mid air you use a scissor leg action, increase the number of scissor legs before you return to the ground to increase the intensity
• Mini hurdle bounding
Or bounding in and out of lines – bounding over a series of objects to stimulate the stretch relax reflexes.
All of these exercises are cyclical in nature and involve explosive movements followed by an absorption and storage of the power developed, which is subsequently propelled into the next explosive action. As always a thorough warm up should be performed prior to exercise. |
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