Training For Table Tennis

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28370, 31 August 1957, Page 5

Training For Table Tennis

An object lesson to all up-and-coming champions, in every sport, can be found In the training methods of the Japanese table tennis players ‘Toshiaki Tanaka and Ichiro Ogimura. Gone are the days in which table tennis was regarded as a genteel sport, not needing the expenditure of much energy. Table tennis is now recognised as one of the most athletic of sports, for top-class players.

The Japanese style of play, based upon an all-out forehand attack, requires extremely fast footwork. As the Japanese play mostly from the backhand corner of the table, they are vulnerable to shots widely angled to the forehand. In order to return these shots, the players need exceptional fieetness of foot, and it is a tribute to the* fitness of all the Japanese players that they are rarely caught out of position. A table tennis player, if he aspires to a world championship, must train like a champion boxer, and that is exactly what the Japanese champions do. The Japanese are perfectly fit, and have a trainer and masseur in constant attendance. This enables the players to remain at the peak of physical fitness throughout a strenuous world championship tournament, which involves about two weeks of continuous play for the best players.