“Footloosing†Your Competition
Great footwork is essential for many sports, including the sport of table tennis.
Having good footwork can help you prepare for just about any shot your opponent sends your way. Having good footwork is the difference between dominating the table and becoming submissive to your opponent’s shots.
To begin with, let’s start from the ready position…
With your weight on the balls of your feet and heels barely touching the ground. Your shoulders should be centered just over your knees to give you balance.
Refrain from moving up and down from this position and hitting a ball for the time being. It can also help to practice the movements in front of a mirror.
Here we’ll cover the three types of footwork used in table tennis…
One-step footwork is normally used for short distances, two-step for medium distances, and three-step for long distances.
One-step footwork involves taking one step to the left followed by a drag from the opposite foot. Do this until you reach one side of a room.
Then switch up the steps to go right until you reach the other side of the room.
Do this exercise for five minutes.
Then for five minutes more, perform the two-step movement by going from one side of the room to the other. Two-step footwork is the most common type of footwork used. It is a side-skipping type of movement.
To move right, lean on your right leg, pull your left foot toward your right foot, then quickly step with your right foot to the right. Do the opposite for moving left.
Finally, do the three-step movement for five more minutes. Three-step footwork is very similar to two-step except an additional small step is made before both feet are shifted. To move right, take a small step with your right foot to the right (6 to 8 inches), shift your weight to your right leg, then perform a two-step movement.
Later on you can incorporate hitting a ball while practicing.
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