Most players and teacher/coaches do regard the psychological side of playing Table Tennis as important, (hence such statements as "It's all in the head" or "You've got to get psyched up for this one") and there are a wide range of psychological techniques that can be employed to boost performance both in training and within the competition cycle in the pre, during and post phases. Table provides a list of some specific psychological skills related to the areas of performance to which they are most applicable:
PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILL TRAINING FOR TABLE TENNIS
In order to get the best out of every player, it is important that teachers have an awareness of individual levels of motivation. A flexible teaching style is required as each individual teacher's usual style (e.g. autocratic, democratic) may not be conducive to getting the best out of each individual player. The style used will depend on the situation and people involved. The achieving of mutually agreed goals set by the student and teacher together can act not only as a very effective motivator but also as a boost to self-confidence.
Pre-competition/Training
The practice/training environment is the ideal place to help performers gain experience of competitive situations and the different environmental and external factors (e.g. umpires, crowds, etc.) encountered there. Simulation training where such factors are brought in to the practice environment can help players to cope with the distractions present in competitive situations. An example of this would be to have the class or team mates creating a noisy training environment. A player who can sustain concentration in this type of environment is more likely to be able to do so under the increased pressure of competition.
Matchplay
Pre-match preparation
Many Table Tennis players have a well practised physical conditioning and certain technical aspects which they will try to practise (e.g. service and return) along with "grooving in" basic strokes before a match. But, as indicated, the often forgotten but vital psychological element needs addressing, too, and the general aims of a psychological aspect of a warm up would be to help the player to be:
RELAXED - The use of brief relaxation exercises prior to a game often used with imagery.
POSITIVE - The player should develop positive phrases to use prior to performance and imagery based on best performances from the past.
FOCUSED - It is important to establish realistically achievable and measurable goals related to each game. These should be measured post-match.
Such skills are a crucial element in any preparation for competition, and for many practice sessions. A correct and consistent psychological focus achieved before, and maintained during a game is often given as the reason behind resulting success or failure on the table.
In game
The skill of a performer in controlling how and what they are thinking, their level of physical tension and their emotions can often play a major role in the result of the match itself. Thinking about the right thing at the right time, or the ability to concentrate, is an essential component of thought control which can be developed by any player, along with maintaining a positive approach to the game through the use of positive thoughts to lift themselves or to counter the effects of a previous negative thought.
Between Rallies
To aid positive thoughts and good concentration in competition performers follow a process or sequence as follows:
- To forget the result of recent actions and results. This is designed to clear the mind of anything over which there is no control.
- Take two or three deep breaths. This is to rest the concentration for a few moments by diverting the attention to the breathing.
- Decide on the tactic to be played.
- The performer then visualises himself/herself playing the rally with the selected tactic successfully.
- Play the rally.
Post match
An important principle to instil in performers is to learn from every situation regardless of the result. This can function through the use of a performance evaluation sheet where positive and negative aspects of the performance can be written down. This form can then act as a basis of an evaluation of previously set goals for the performance, and guide the goal setting process for the next performance.
With any psychological skills, their development should follow a similar approach to training technical skills, i.e. with practice they can be improved. The importance of players practising the psychological skills both away from the table and during practice before taking them into the match play scenario increases the chances of success when used under pressure situations.
It is important for the teacher/coach working with Table Tennis players at all levels of ability to be aware of the individual needs of players. Specific psychological skills that are likely to work best will depend on the characteristics of the individual player.
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