13 Mental Toughness Strategies for Table Tennis Players

Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

Mental toughness in table tennis may not be something you give much thought to, but a weak mentality can significantly hurt your performance.

Over the years I’ve witnessed many skilled players crumble in the face of adversity. Just last year I beat a player who I consider to be better than myself. His response was to throw his paddle against the wall, damaging it. I’m sure he regretted that move once he cooled off.

So don’t fall victim to a poor attitude. Give these 13 strategies a try and you should see clear improvements in your mental toughness.

1. Don’t Get Too Amped Up

Not all sports are the same — they require unique approaches. For contact sports, being boisterous can help you get amped up. The shift in mindset and increase in heart rate helps you perform optimally from the moment the game starts. However, sports such as table tennis require a much different approach.

In table tennis, it’s all about keeping cool. You want to be nice and focused with a controlled heart rate. If you get too amped up you’ll feel stiffer and be rearing to go for big winners that aren’t there.

I find the best way to prepare just before a match is to listen to some music and block everything else out. Watching table tennis videos can also help, but something different might work for you. Whatever it is, just make sure it keeps you somewhat relaxed.

2. Prepare Properly

When we play poorly we make every excuse under the sun which only serves to sour our mood. So prepare properly, and know that you’ve done all you can to be ready for the match ahead.

Proper prep begins with quality training leading up to the match or event in question. This means, first and foremost, you haven’t skipped training sessions, and secondly, that you worked on your skills rather than just having fun.

Next up is sleep. It can be difficult to get to sleep if you’re apprehensive about how you will play, but it’s essential to ensure you get a good night’s rest. Have a consistent bed routine, and don’t only try to get sufficient sleep the day before a match. If you go to bed at 2 a.m. the evening prior it will almost be impossible to get to bed at 10 p.m. before match day.

Finally, start the day right with a quality breakfast. Slow-release carbs such as oats are a great option. I also recommend bringing some simple carbs to eat just before matches such as bananas.

3. Don’t Underestimate Your Opponent

By underestimating your opponent you not only increase the risk of giving them easier balls to attack, but you’re also more likely to get frustrated with yourself.

Few players have impeccable technique. Many more seem to perform well above what they should given their use of unorthodox strokes. In fact, it is this atypical playstyle that can make them so difficult to play against. Rather than making a broad judgement on their skill level, instead, look for weaknesses in their game.

4. Focus on the Next Point, Not the Last

It’s easy to get frustrated when you lose a point that you should have won, but getting frustrated by your missed opportunity serves no real purpose.

It’s much better to simply accept you lost the point and move on. This ensures you are completely focused on the job at hand which increases your odds of getting the win.

5. Focus on the Process Not the Outcome

We all want to win, but even the best players lose from time to time. Rather than dwelling on your loss, it’s much better to think about the process. How did you play? If you played poorly, why was that? Yet, if you played well, what is there to be annoyed about? More than likely the better player won. Therefore it’s unrealistic to expect to have won such a match, so don’t get annoyed at yourself.

6. Positive Self Talk

While getting too amped up is not a good idea, there are certainly times when you need a little confidence boost, and self-talk is the perfect way to do this.

Ever heard players screaming “cho-le?” That’s exactly the reason they do it. It serves to bolster their confidence (and also get under their opponent’s skin!). Personally, I’m more partial to saying “Come on!” or “Good” or something to that effect. Clenching your first is a good option too.

7. Don’t Overthink the Situation

Getting stuck in your own head is all too easy, but it’s important to find a balance between analyzing the situation and focusing on the next point.

If you’re freaking out about the many possibilities of how your opponent can serve, more than likely you’ll play a poor return.

8. Have a Solid Routine in Between Points

The time in between points is precious, so use it wisely. If you’re overly amped up, try to cool down, and if you’re feeling low, it’s time for some positive self-talk.

Most players have some sort of pre-serve routine to re-establish their focus. Whether it be bouncing the ball on the table, spinning the racket, or whatever else, it’s a good idea to have one of your own.

This window also gives you some time to problem-solve, so I don’t generally recommend rushing straight into the next point (unless you’re on a roll).

Remember, you can towel off after every six points to give yourself more thinking time. Similarly, time-outs serve as a good opportunity to re-focus yourself near the end of a match.

9. Adapt Your Game

It can be difficult to divert from your preferred way of playing, but adapting your game to that of your opponent is essential to playing optimally. Have confidence in your abilities, and methodically analyze where you can outperform them.

10. Don’t Get Persuaded Into Playing Your Opponent’s Game

On the flip side, be resolute in the type of game you want to play. Once you’ve ascertained a feasible way to win, try to stick with it. Don’t get goaded into playing the game they want.

11. Overcome Performance Anxiety

Many players including myself stress out far too much about performing below what we should. As an example, over the past few years, I’ve been in a team which competes in a league below what I’m used to. This has caused me to put a lot of pressure on myself.

Given the level is below what I’m accustomed to, I tell myself I should win every match. To make matters worse, sometimes I plague myself by daydreaming of playing poorly and losing all my matches.

By shifting my mindset I have eased myself of much of this unnecessary stress. Why imagine myself playing poorly? We all have off days, but good days too. I can’t stop them, and there’s no use dwelling on them.

But most importantly, table tennis is all about having fun, and it’s just a game! A loss doesn’t matter, and there’s always next time!

12. Display Good Body Language

Feeling deflated often manifests itself in your body language. This not only exacerbates your negative emotions, but it also gives your opponents confidence.

Instead, try and adopt confident body language. Don’t slouch, shout in frustration, or sigh. Adopt a confident posture and appear focused. It will help improve your mood and not give your opponent the upper hand.

13. Don’t Get Annoyed by Lucky Points

Of all the advice on this list, this one is perhaps the hardest to follow, yet it’s very important.

Players seem to get annoyed by lucky points more so than most things. I’m predominantly talking about nets and edges here. Sometimes it can feel like your opponent wins purely through the power of luck. Yet this luck comes and goes. One day you have it, and another you don’t. Simply accept the situation and move on.

A few months back one of my teammates was 2-1 down and losing the fourth game badly. Yet he found some momentum and got lucky with an edge shot. His opponent got rattled as he didn’t see the contact, but the point was given. My friend’s opponent promptly fell apart that game and never mentally recovered for the rest of the match. If only he’d kept his composure!

Closing Thoughts

Quite a lot of players don’t train mental toughness in table tennis, yet just like how few of us like to practice boring ol’ pushes, you really should train it.

Once you get good at it, you don’t need to work on the mental side of the game all that much. Yet even pro players fal

l victim to lapses in mental toughness from time to time. And if it’s a problem for them, it’s likely a problem for us too.

*Cover image provided by XIAOYU TANG under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license | unedited