Coach Samson Dubina US National Team Coach 4x USATT Coach of the Year
 

To see this website as it was intended, please update to a modern browser!

-->

The Mental Timeout

Read About One of the Most Neglected Aspects of Table Tennis!

 
 

Success

Quiz Yourself on the 12 Aspects of Mental Success!

 
 
 
 
The ITTF Advanced Training Manual lists 12 elements to mental success in table tennis.  Quiz yourself to see how well you are doing on each aspect.  Take 2-3 minutes to ponder each point.  Ask yourself how well you are doing on each point during important tournament matches.  If you aren’t doing well, ask yourself how to improve that aspect. 
 
1. Physical relaxation – muscular tension is closely connected to miserable performance.  On the other hand, feelings of relaxation are associated with top performances.
 

Between Points

Learn about the most under-developed part of table tennis

 
The average match in table tennis takes about 20 minutes.  Out of the 20 min, about 5 min total is spent on rallies.  The other 15 minutes is spent picking up the ball, preparing for the serve, taking towel breaks, taking timeouts, and getting coaching advice.  So, here is the question that I would like for you to consider…
 
If only 25% of the match time is spend playing points, then why do we spend 99.9% of our effort on that portion of the game and we spend about 0.1% of our effort on the dead time???
 

The Cheater

Learn How to Beat This Opponent!

 
 
 
 
 
In competitive sports, there are always athletes who want to win so badly, that they will do absolutely anything to accomplish that goal.  Yes, there are cheaters in table tennis too.  Instead of giving you dozens of examples of how cheaters get away with it, I’m going to give you a more general perspective on how you can properly handle any situation that arises.
 

Tournament Tough in 20 Steps

Learn how to train your mind and body!

 
 
 
Tournament Tough in 20 Steps
-Written by ITTF Coach Samson Dubina
 
 
#1
Prep work:       Set Goals

Mental Principles

Check out the NEW Video!

 
So you want to improve?
Fabulous!

Improve With No Practice?

Is it possible?

Excuse Monsters

Learn about taking the blame

 
 
 
 
Sally:    Hi Billy, I saw that you lost that tough match out there.
 

Overplaying

Learn how to pull off that HUGE upset!

 
 
 
 
Overplaying!
In 2016, I was selected as a US National Team Coach.  Throughout 2016, as I talked with many national team players, one main topic continued to rise to the surface – OVERPLAYING! 
Remember:
 
The biggest upsets happen when you play normal.
 

Inward and Outward

Reactions to Points Won and Lost

 
 
 
 
As you prepare for the US Nationals in Las Vegas, I want you to pause for a moment and consider your mental game...........how do you react inwardly and how do you react outwardly???
 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - mental