Table tennis training focuses on spin control (topspin, backspin, sidespin), the short game over the table, forehand and backhand topspin, and fast footwork around the table. The serve and third-ball attack, and the return and fourth ball, decide most points.
The program is built from the PlanSports training catalogue for Table tennis: 54 techniques in 11 families, 26 drills and 9 tactical principles. In the app you pick what you work on today, log attempts and successes per technique, and your coach sees the progress.
Three sessions built from the drills below, from beginner to advanced. Durations are indicative; in the app you swap drills and log each one.
Day 1
approx. 67 min
Day 2
approx. 75 min
Day 3
approx. 66 min
54 techniques in 11 families. For each: what it is, key points and common mistakes. Open a family to see them.
Forehand stroke with light topspin, against topspin or no-spin balls, with trunk rotation and a finish in front of the forehead.
Backhand stroke in front of the body, with the elbow as a pivot and the forearm pushing forward and slightly upward.
Quick alternation of forehand and backhand, returning to the neutral position and shifting weight between the feet.
Topspin against a backspin ball (push, chop), with a more vertical motion: the bat starts low, below table height, and brushes the ball up and forward.
Topspin against an incoming topspin ball, with a more horizontal motion and a more closed bat, hit at the peak or on the rise.
Backhand topspin from in front of the body: the bat drops between the knees, the wrist cocks, and the elbow and forearm whip the bat up and forward.
Backhand topspin played close to the table, on the rise, against a topspin ball; short, closed motion.
Topspin played against the opponent's topspin, from mid-distance, with a very closed bat and a trajectory over the incoming ball.
Backhand counter-topspin, usually close to the table, with a short motion, against the opponent's topspin.
Topspin hit on the outside (hook) or inside (fade) of the ball, so it curves away from the opponent.
Topspin hit 2-3 m from the table, with a higher trajectory and heavy spin, in topspin rallies.
The ball is cut with an open bat, with a forward and downward motion; used against backspin balls, short or long.
The opponent's short ball returned even shorter, with a delicate touch, so it bounces twice on their side.
Attack on a short ball, over the table, with a short, quick movement of the forearm and wrist.
Backhand attack on a short ball, with a short wrist acceleration, forward and slightly upward.
Backhand flick with heavy side-topspin: the bat wraps around the outside of the ball, with the wrist strongly cocked. The most widely used modern technique for an aggressive return.
Backhand flick with sidespin opposite to the banana flick, against sidespin balls or as a surprise.
Closed bat, in front of the body, meets the ball right after the bounce; the bat angle offsets the opponent's spin.
Block on the forehand side, with a closed bat and the elbow forward; harder to control than the backhand block.
Block with a short downward motion on the ball, turning the opponent's topspin into a low backspin ball.
Block with a sideways motion on the ball, making it run sideways and pulling the opponent out of position.
A topspin ball returned from distance with heavy backspin: the open bat comes down from high to low, on the falling ball.
The defensive chop on the backhand side, with the right shoulder towards the table and the bat coming down in front of the body.
A very high ball, with topspin and sidespin, played far from the table against the opponent's smash; it lands deep, near the end line.
Between a lob and a counter-topspin: a mid-height ball with topspin, from distance, to stay in the rally.
Flat stroke, with maximum power, on a high ball, at the peak of the bounce; aim for the corners or the elbow.
Repeated smashes against the opponent's lob, hitting the ball after its high bounce, overhead or at shoulder height.
A short, quick, flat backhand stroke against a high or no-spin ball, close to the table.
The most widely used serve: forehand from the backhand corner, the bat moves right to left (right-handers) and imparts sidespin combined with backspin or topspin.
Forehand serve with the bat moving left to right (right-handers), with sidespin opposite to the pendulum; combined with the pendulum to confuse the return.
Forehand serve with the bat held vertically (tip up) and the arm raised; it produces heavy sidespin, opposite to the pendulum (like the reverse pendulum), easily combined with backspin or topspin.
Serve struck with the backhand, from the middle of the table, with sidespin and backspin or topspin; typical of beginners and backhand-attacking players.
Serve struck from a squat, with the ball contacted low, next to the table; very heavy sidespin. Ground-hug means that after bouncing on the opponent's side, the ball kicks back and stays low.
The ball is tossed very high (2-3 m); the greater speed at contact allows more spin.
A fast serve, flat or with topspin, that bounces near the opponent's end line, towards the corners or the elbow; a surprise after several short serves.
A serve that looks like backspin, but contact near the centre of the ball gives it almost no spin; the opponent's return pops up high.
A short serve returned short (short push or drop shot), so the server can't attack the third ball.
A long, fast, low push to the corners or the elbow, with heavy backspin; forces the server to attack a difficult ball.
Attacking the short serve with a flick (forehand, backhand or banana flick) to take the initiative.
The long serve is attacked directly with a forehand or backhand topspin.
A fast, long topspin serve returned with a block or a short placed stroke.
The bat is held as in a handshake: index finger on the backhand rubber, thumb on the forehand rubber, near the handle. It can be "deep" (more stable) or "shallow" (more wrist).
The bat is held like a pen, with the thumb and index finger on the front and the other fingers resting on the back (Chinese and Japanese/Korean styles).
The penhold player hits the backhand with the back side of the bat, like a shakehand backhand; it allows a powerful backhand topspin.
Feet wider than the shoulders, knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet, trunk leaning forward, bat in front of the body above table height.
Short sideways movement: the foot nearest the ball moves first, the other follows; the feet don't cross.
A big step with crossed feet, for very wide balls on the forehand, after a pivot in the backhand corner.
Moving into the backhand corner to play a forehand: the right foot (right-handers) goes back and the body turns side-on.
A step in under the table for the short ball and a quick return to playing distance for the next ball.
The classic footwork pattern: backhand from the backhand corner, forehand from the backhand corner (pivot), forehand from the forehand corner; repeat.
The serve sets up a predictable return (usually a long push), which the server attacks immediately with a topspin or flick.
The return (short or flick) sets up the fourth ball: an active block or counter-topspin against the server's attack.
The ball is sent to the elbow of the opponent's playing arm, where they can't decide between forehand and backhand.
Alternating wide crosscourt angles with a switch down the line, to pull the opponent out of position.
26 drills by kind: warm-up, technical, tactical, physical, play. Duration, volume, what you need, the goal and how you know it worked.
Dynamic mobility, then shadow strokes (forehand, backhand, topspin) combined with side steps and pivots, at an increasing pace.
What you need: Open space next to the table, no ball.
Goal: Specific warm-up and grooving the correct movement.
Success: Full, relaxed movements, without stiffness.
Works on: Forehand drive (basic forehand stroke), Backhand drive (basic backhand stroke), Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Side step (shuffle), Ready position
Forehand rallies on the forehand diagonal, then backhand on the backhand diagonal, at a moderate pace, hitting the ball as consistently as possible.
What you need: Two players at the table.
Goal: Rhythm and feel for the ball.
Success: Rallies of 20+ balls without a mistake.
Works on: Forehand drive (basic forehand stroke), Backhand drive (basic backhand stroke)
Consistent rallies on one diagonal at a time; then down the line. Count consecutive balls.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Consistency of the basic strokes.
Success: Record of consecutive balls; target: 50 without a mistake.
Works on: Forehand drive (basic forehand stroke), Backhand drive (basic backhand stroke)
The partner alternates one ball to the backhand and one to the middle/forehand; the player alternates backhand and forehand, returning to the neutral position.
What you need: Partner blocking from the same spot (the backhand corner).
Goal: Forehand–backhand transition and short footwork.
Success: Error-free series with both strokes correct.
Works on: Forehand-backhand transition, Forehand drive (basic forehand stroke), Backhand drive (basic backhand stroke), Side step (shuffle)
The partner sends: a ball to your backhand, a ball to your backhand corner, a ball wide to your forehand. You play: backhand, forehand from the pivot, wide forehand. Topspin or drive depending on level.
What you need: Partner blocking from their backhand corner.
Goal: Three-point footwork and the forehand from the backhand corner.
Success: Complete error-free series; technique maintained to the end.
Works on: Falkenberg (backhand – forehand from backhand – wide forehand), Pivot (forehand from the backhand corner), Cross step, Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Backhand drive (basic backhand stroke)
The coach feeds long backspin balls to the forehand, backhand or alternating; the player loops, with a short rest between series.
What you need: Coach with a basket of balls, at the side of the table.
Goal: Topspin technique against backspin, at high volume.
Success: Percentage of topspins landing on the table, in the required zone.
Works on: Forehand topspin against backspin, Backhand topspin against backspin
The coach varies length, spin and direction: short/long, backspin/topspin, forehand/backhand/elbow. The player chooses the right stroke.
What you need: Coach with a basket of balls.
Goal: Reading the ball and adapting.
Success: Percentage of strokes correctly chosen and successful.
Works on: Forehand topspin against backspin, Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Backhand topspin against topspin, Push (short / long), Forehand flick, Backhand flick
One player loops continuously (forehand or backhand), the other blocks from the same spot. Then switch roles.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Topspin against topspin and consistent blocking.
Success: Series of 10+ consecutive topspins.
Works on: Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Backhand topspin against topspin, Backhand block, Forehand block
Both players loop against topspin on the forehand diagonal, then on the backhand diagonal, from mid-distance.
What you need: Two players at mid-distance from the table.
Goal: Counter-topspin and play from distance.
Success: Number of consecutive topspin exchanges.
Works on: Forehand counter-topspin, Backhand counter-topspin, Topspin from distance
The players exchange long pushes until one gets a ball they can attack and opens with a topspin; the point is then played freely.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: The moment of switching from push to attack.
Success: Successful topspins on the first long push.
Works on: Push (short / long), Forehand topspin against backspin, Backhand topspin against backspin
Short rallies: every ball must bounce twice on the opponent's side. A ball that goes long can be attacked.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Control of the short game over the table.
Success: Percentage of balls that stay short.
Works on: Push (short / long), Drop shot (short touch), In and out (forward-back)
The partner serves short with different spins; the player attacks each ball with a forehand, backhand or banana flick, to the corners.
What you need: Partner serving short (or coach with multiball).
Goal: Aggressive return against the short ball.
Success: Percentage of flicks on the table, to the required zone.
Works on: Forehand flick, Backhand flick, Banana flick (chiquita), Flick return
Short serves (second bounce near the net), half-long and long, with varied spin (backspin, sidespin, no spin), using pendulum, reverse pendulum, tomahawk and backhand serves. Serves on target are recorded.
What you need: A box of balls, targets (coins/sheets of paper) on the opponent's side.
Goal: Control of length and spin on the serve.
Success: Percentage of serves that hit the target and stay low.
Works on: Pendulum serve (forehand), Reverse pendulum serve, Tomahawk serve, Backhand serve, Squat serve (squat / ground-hug), High-toss serve, Fast long serve, No-spin serve ("dummy")
The server varies spin and length; the receiver calls out the spin before returning, then chooses a short return, long push, flick or topspin.
What you need: Partner serving with variety.
Goal: Reading the spin from the bat movement.
Success: Percentage of spins read correctly and successful returns.
Works on: Short return, Long push return, Flick return, Attacking the long serve (topspin), Block return against a fast serve
The attacker loops continuously; the defender chops or plays lob/fish. The attacker finishes any high ball with a smash.
What you need: Two players: one attacks, one defends away from the table.
Goal: Defending from distance and finishing high balls.
Success: Long series of low chops; successful smashes on high balls.
Works on: Forehand defensive chop, Backhand defensive chop, Lob (high defence), Fish (mid-height defensive topspin), Forehand smash, Smash against lob, Forehand topspin against backspin
The server serves short backspin; the receiver returns with a long push; the server attacks the third ball with a forehand topspin (from the pivot) or backhand topspin, to the corner or the elbow. Then the receiver is free to choose the return.
What you need: Two players; the receiver has a fixed task (long push to the backhand corner or the middle).
Goal: The basic pattern of attacking play.
Success: Percentage of successful third-ball attacks.
Works on: Pendulum serve (forehand), Backhand serve, Long push return, Serve + third-ball attack, Forehand topspin against backspin, Pivot (forehand from the backhand corner)
The server serves short; the receiver returns short; the server attacks the short ball with a wide forehand flick or a banana flick to the elbow.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Attacking the short return.
Success: Successful flicks to the required zone.
Works on: Serve + third-ball attack, Short return, Forehand flick, Banana flick (chiquita)
The server serves long and fast to the backhand corner or the elbow; the receiver attacks or blocks; the server counter-attacks the third ball with an active block or counter-topspin.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Surprise with the long serve and preparing for a fast third ball.
Success: Points won by the server within the first three balls.
Works on: Fast long serve, Attacking the long serve (topspin), Block return against a fast serve, Backhand block, Forehand counter-topspin
The receiver returns short or with a flick; the server attacks as best they can; the receiver answers the fourth ball with an active block or counter-topspin. The point continues freely.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Neutralising the server's attack.
Success: Percentage of points won by the receiver.
Works on: Return + fourth ball, Short return, Banana flick (chiquita), Backhand block, Backhand counter-topspin
The attacking player sends the first attacking ball to the partner's elbow, then wide to the forehand or backhand depending on how they move.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: The middle target and exploiting the open space.
Success: Points won after attacking the elbow.
Works on: Attacking the elbow (crossover point), Wide angles and change of direction, Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Backhand topspin against topspin
Conditioned game: the first three attacking balls are played crosscourt, then the player may switch down the line. A point won on a change of direction counts double.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Choosing the moment to change direction.
Success: Points won with changes of direction.
Works on: Wide angles and change of direction, Forehand topspin against topspin (or block), Backhand topspin against topspin
The coach feeds fast balls all over the table; the player moves and plays forehand only (or forehand + backhand), at maximum pace.
What you need: Coach with a basket of balls.
Goal: Footwork speed and sport-specific endurance.
Success: Balls returned correctly in the last 10 seconds of the series.
Works on: Side step (shuffle), Cross step, Pivot (forehand from the backhand corner), Forehand topspin against topspin (or block)
Circuit: ladder side steps, squats, lateral lunges, trunk rotations with a resistance band, plank, short jumps; emphasis on the legs and the core.
What you need: Agility ladder, resistance band, open space.
Goal: Leg and trunk strength for rotation and footwork.
Success: Complete circuit with correct technique; decreasing time per circuit.
Works on: Side step (shuffle), Ready position
The point is played only up to the third ball: if the server hasn't won the point or created a clear attack by then, the point goes to the receiver.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Quality of the serve and the first balls.
Success: Percentage of points won on serve.
Works on: Pendulum serve (forehand), Reverse pendulum serve, Serve + third-ball attack, Short return, Flick return
Sets starting from 8-8 or 9-10, or with a handicap for the weaker player, to simulate tight endings.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Good decisions at the end of a set.
Success: Tight sets won; few unforced errors.
Works on: Pendulum serve (forehand), Serve + third-ball attack, Short return
Match under ITTF rules (sets to 11, win by 2, serve changes every 2 points). The coach records points won on serve / return and unforced errors.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Applying technique and tactics in a match.
Success: Percentage of points won on serve and on return.
Works on: Pendulum serve (forehand), Serve + third-ball attack, Short return, Forehand topspin against backspin, Backhand block
The tactical principles of the sport and the drills used to train each.
The serve doesn't win the point on its own; it sets up a predictable return. A short backspin serve usually draws a long push, which you attack with topspin; a no-spin serve draws high returns.
Drills: Short backspin serve + third-ball attack, Third ball: flick against a short return, Game: serve and the first three balls
A short return stops the server from attacking; the flick and banana flick take the initiative; a fast, long push into the corner forces a difficult attack. Varying the return is essential.
Drills: Return: reading the spin, Return + fourth ball, Flick against a short serve
The crossover point between forehand and backhand (the elbow of the playing arm) is the hardest ball for the opponent. Attacking the elbow, followed by a wide angle, opens up the table.
Drills: Attacking the elbow
Crosscourt is longer and safer; down the line is shorter and surprises. Balls into the wide corners pull the opponent out of position, and switching down the line finishes the point.
Drills: Placement game: crosscourt and switch down the line, Falkenberg
Alternating short balls (that bounce twice) with long, fast ones forces the opponent in and out of the table and produces weak balls.
Drills: Short game: short push and drop shot, Push – push – topspin
The same motion with different spin (backspin / no spin, topspin / sidespin) makes the opponent misjudge the bat angle. The no-spin serve and the chop block are important weapons.
The forehand is the most powerful stroke; attacking players pivot from the backhand corner to use it, but they must cover their wide forehand.
Against a chopper: patience, slow topspins with heavy spin, mixed with short balls that bring them to the table, and a decisive attack only on a no-spin or high ball.
Drills: Defensive chop and lob
In the modern game, the first quality attack wins most points. The aim of the first balls is to attack first yourself or to stop the opponent from doing so.
Drills: Push – push – topspin, Short backspin serve + third-ball attack, Fast long serve + counter-attack
The criteria your coach grades from 1 to 10 in the app, in four directions.
Create a free account, pick Table tennis and "what are you working on today". Log attempts and successes per technique, the watch measures the effort, and your club coach sees the session and suggests the next drills.
I want a 4-week program made for me (AI coach) › Gym exercises for physical preparation ›The content is compiled by PlanSports from the sources above and checked by coaches; it does not replace your coach. The personalised week-by-week program comes from the AI coach.
