How to Practice Table Tennis Alone — Use Your Time Effectively!

Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

I was lucky enough to always have a keen training partner around me as I progressed from a novice to an advanced player, however, many of you may not be so lucky!

And there’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to better yourself but being restricted by factors that are largely out of your control. That being said, if you really can’t find a partner to train with you as regularly as you would like, there are many other forms of practice you can undertake to make use of your time.

Here are 11 ways to practice table tennis alone:

1. Practice ball control with your paddle
2. Work on your serves
3. Video analysis of your performances
4. Watch professionals play
5. Robot training
6. Train with a return board
7. Play on a table solo
8. Shadow training
9. Cardio training
10. Resistance training
11. Mental training and visualization

In this post, I’ll explain a little about each method of training along with my thoughts on how effective they are. Enjoy!

1. Practice Ball Control With Your Paddle

What You Need

• Paddle
• Ball
• Wall (optional)

For intermediate players and up, practicing ball control with just your paddle is largely a waste of time, however, for beginners with poor coordination, this can be a great exercise to improve your skill.

Begin by bouncing the ball only on your forehand side and try to prevent it from falling on the ground. Then switch over to your backhand side and do the same. You can then start to make it harder by alternating between backhand and forehand mid-rally.

A great way to start becoming familiar with spin is to cut across the ball on the first hit and then try to keep the ball up until the spin dissipates. Trust me, if you’re a beginner, it’s harder than it looks!

As an optional extra, you can try hitting the ball up against a wall. This will start to somewhat replicate a basic rally as if you were playing an opponent.

2. Work on Your Serves

What you need

• Paddle
• Ball
• Table
• Catch net (optional)
• Bundle of balls (optional)

Service training should form a part of every player’s training regimen as serves are one of the most important shots in table tennis.

Therefore, be efficient with your time and do a decent chunk of your service training when you’re partnerless. That way you can focus on other skills when you’ve got people to play.

For service training, practice all of your serves and work on variation and placement. Try to also improve your deception. It’s the perfect time to improve your fast serves down the line!

Of course, with this type of training, you’ll need a table and preferably a catch net and a bundle of balls. This way you’re not constantly interrupted by having to go after each ball after every serve.

I recommend buying a bulk box of training balls such as the JOOLA’s Advanced Training balls. You get 120 for $0.20 per ball which is very reasonable. As for the catch net, it’s the same kind many table tennis robots come with. The iPong catch net is perfect for the job.

3. Undertake Video Analysis of Your Performances

What You Need

• Phone/camera

I love video analysis, it really helps to highlight flaws that you can’t see when you are playing. Think about it. Much of your movements you don’t see — rather you feel.

While often this is enough to determine whether you are making mistakes or not, you’re probably making a host of other errors you are not aware of. Watching your performances back helps bring these mistakes to light.

The main critique of this form of training is that you need the knowledge to identify where you are going wrong. It’s easy for me to see most errors as I’ve been playing for over a decade, but if you’re new to the game, I’d say it’s far from simple. However, if you undertake this next form of training, the process will become much easier.

4. Watch Professionals Play

What You Need

• Internet-enabled device

There’s no shortage of professional matches online, so take advantage of them! They are quite literally free training material!

Of course, watching professionals won’t make you play like them, but understanding how they play and the way they move will certainly help improve your ability on the table.

Try watching a variety of players and find a few who you resonate with. I then recommend slowing down the footage so that you can break down their movements and techniques. If you watch in real-time speed you’ll miss crucial information.

You can slow down videos on YouTube by clicking the cog button at the bottom of the video and by selecting “playback speed.”

Don’t be afraid to take notes so that you can refer back to what you learned as needed.

5. Robot Training

What You Need

• Paddle
• Balls
• Table
• Robot
• Catch net

If there’s only one type of training I could implement on this list, there is no doubt in my mind I would select robot training. This is because it is highly targeted and incredibly efficient.

For those of you who don’t know, table tennis robots are mechanical devices that replace a training partner. They fire balls at you for you to strike, and each ball is programmed with respect to spin, speed, and other characteristics.

So not only can you create custom training exercises to work on specific areas, but also your sessions are entirely your own; you don’t have a partner who you have to accommodate to.

However, it’s not all hunky dory I’m afraid. Robots are expensive pieces of kit so they are not for everyone. They vary wildly in price and there’s a lot to consider before you pick one up.

While top-end models are overkill for most players, I think mid-range robots are excellent for players who are constantly lacking training partners. If you’re interested in learning more, give my table tennis robot guide a read. There’s a lot of useful info in there that should help you decide which robot, if any, is right for you.

6. Train With a Return Board

What You Need

• Ball
• Paddle
• Table
• Return board

I largely think of return boards as a poor man’s robot. They mostly serve the same purpose as robots and are inferior in every way. Regardless, some players still use them, so I thought I’d bring them to your attention.

Return boards are large rectangular pieces of wood with multiple rubber sheets glued to them. They simulate a massive paddle for you to strike the ball against.

My main gripe with them is that they are very limited and rely on your own consistency. With robots, it doesn’t matter if you miss a ball — the next will soon follow. With return boards, you use the same ball, and you both need to hit the board and with the correct amount of spin and speed relative to the board’s angle.

Get any of these wrong and the ball won’t come back. And if you’re a beginner, I can almost guarantee you’ll struggle to keep the ball alive. If you want a form of training that involves a rally, I strongly recommend opting for a robot instead.

7. Play on a Table Solo

What You Need

• Ball
• Paddle
• Table with solo playback mode

The vast majority of table tennis tables come with a feature known as “solo playback mode.” This means you can erect one half of the table while leaving the other half upright to act as a wall.

As such, you can essentially play table tennis by yourself. However, there’s no denying it is very limited. As the table is essentially cut in half, you can’t hit the ball very hard. This means you can’t play most of the shots you usually would.

A further issue is that an upright table doesn’t do a great job of emulating a table tennis paddle as wood does not affect spin the same way the rubber on a paddle does. Therefore, it feels very strange to play against and is not that helpful in improving your skills.

Ultimately, if you’re a beginner, it’s an okay way to improve your hand-eye coordination, but as far as table tennis training goes, it’s one of my least favorite options. I tried a few times when I first started the game and have never done so since.

8. Shadow Training

What You Need

• Nothing (table and paddle are optional)

Shadow training may sound cool, but don’t get your hopes up! If you’re like me, you’ll be bored in 5 minutes!

Shadow training sees you perform your usual motions of table tennis without a ball in play. You can do so with your paddle and a table or without either. However, I think it is helpful to use both if you’re going to give it a try. This way your position is accurate.

The benefit of shadow play is that you can perform your motions much slower and really think about your technique. When a ball is in play, it’s natural to rush and this can cause your form to break down.

Yet the issue with shadow practice is that it is very tedious, there’s no winning or losing any points which is a major turn-off. I instead recommend just using shadow practice in between points of ordinary sessions.

Whenever you’re technique is a bit off, it can help to take a second and perform the motion slowly to solidify the mind-movement connection.

9. Cardio Training

What You Need

• Nothing (but a gym membership helps!)

While I wouldn’t call table tennis a particularly tiring sport, it still helps to have a good guess tank. Especially for training drills as this is when you will be your most tired.

The likes of the Falkenberg drill is a staple of elite practice sessions and it is an absolute killer, so if you’re going to undertake intense table tennis drills with lots of footwork (which you should), then I recommend having great cardio.

If yours isn’t quite up to scratch you can try going for runs or doing some circuit training. For me, this can get a little tedious. I try to improve my cardio by playing more taxing racket sports such as badminton and squash. Maybe this is the best route for you too.

10. Resistance Training

What You Need

• Gym membership or weights (alternatively you can perform bodyweight exercises)

In addition to having great cardio, having good musculature is also beneficial for table tennis. And not just the arms. A lot of table tennis movement centers around the legs and hips, so exercises that work on these muscle groups are excellent for preparing your body for table tennis.

The likes of squats, squat jumps and lunges are all perfect exercises.

11. Mental Training and Visualization

What You Need

• Nothing

While the likes of mental training can seem gimmicky, I certainly think it’s a good idea for some players.

I’ve seen my fair share of players over the years who completely lose their heads after an embarrassing performance. Sometimes, they refuse to shake their opponent’s hand, other times, they cry or throw their racket across the room. All of which are unacceptable and will earn you a bad reputation.

So if you think you’re such a player who struggles to keep their emotions in check, some mental training to enhance your performance and keep your cool is advised.

Some players swear by visualization. It helps get them in the right head space and maximizes their confidence. I for one, have never really bothered.

Closing Thoughts

There are many ways to practice table tennis alone, so the next time you decide to sit back and open Netflix, don’t! Undertake one or several of these ping pong training strategies to help further your table tennis skills.

My personal favorites are service training and robot training. The expertise you generate from each of these exercises will translate over to real matches perfectly. And if you undertake them well, such training may even prove more beneficial than if you were practicing with a partner.

So don’t shy away from solo table tennis training, and when you do have a partner available, make sure you train effectively. You can check out my ultimate ping pong training guide for ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Way of Practicing Table Tennis Alone?

The best way to practice table tennis alone is with a table tennis robot. They are capable of complex drills and are excellent at helping to develop your muscle memory. Their main downside is their cost.

How Can I Find Training Partners?

The easiest way to find training partners is to join a club in your local area. You can also try joining a league, competing in competitions, or even playing on public table tennis tables at pubs and parks.

How Many Hours Should I Train Per Week?

The amount you should train per week depends on your goals. That being said, I would recommend a minimum of four hours per week, otherwise, you will see little improvement in your performance.