Sports Then and Now

Ping pong, also known as table tennis, is an indoor and outdoor sport played by people of all ages. Besides being a recreational activity for family and friends, ping pong offers excellent physical and mental health benefits. It helps you build strength, agility, and speed. Below are a few reasons why ping pong is good for your brain.

1. It improves mental acuity

Ping pong is a fast-paced game that requires you to continuously focus on the ball as you quickly make decisions that will help you win. This helps boost mental alertness, improve concentration, developing and improving mental acuity. You need much to enjoy playing ping pong – get a Harvard ping pong table, a net, and a racket, and improve your mental acuity along with other benefits mentioned below. 

2. Expands pathways

Just like strength training helps you build strength over time, regular brain activity helps strengthen your brain. Ping pong requires you to think faster and react quicker to calculate speed, spin, and ball placement, forcing your brain to create more pathways to replace the depleted ones. The production of these pathways indicates that a significant portion of your brain is active.

Like in the case of other sports, being good in ping pong does not happen overnight. You need to practice and persevere to bring out the best in you. That being said, this post will provide some tips to improve skills in table tennis.

Legends are not born. They are made. In table tennis, no one is born to be great. Rather, even the seasoned players started at the bottom. They practiced to achieve mastery of the game, which you can do as well by keeping in mind the tips briefly mentioned below.

Start with the Right Paddle

In this sport, your best weapon is the paddle. Therefore, you should spend time in the selection of the best ping pong paddle. There is no universal truth when it comes to what is best. Rather, you should look for one that you are most comfortable with. Take time to try the paddle and see if it fits your preferences.

If you are a novice, choose one that is designed specifically for beginners. Your type or style of grip will also determine the paddle that is most suitable for you.

Practice your Stance

A lot of beginners may not know it, but stance is one thing that will greatly impact one’s performance. You need to find your balance. Your body should be ready to respond to the attack from your opponent. Regardless of how intense the game is, make sure to keep your body relaxed and not too stiff.

For your feet, you need to have quite a wide base, which will allow you to move with ease. Your knees should be slightly bent. If the legs are straight, there is a greater tendency that you will lose your balance. Read the rest of this entry →