After you have completed both the off-season and pre-season portions of the training cycle you should be ready for competition and move into in-season training. This type of training is focused on winning matches and staying sharp throughout the tournament season.

During your in-season training, you should be practicing every day before and after tournaments. All exercises should be match-like including simple footwork and/or technical drills. That means every drill should begin with a match-like serve and played with the same intensity. If possible, video record all of your matches to see your strengths and weaknesses, which will serve as a guide for the type of drills you will be doing during your in-season training.

Every drill should be geared to improving your match performance with specific emphasis on weaknesses that were found in video. Practice strengths enough to keep them sharp but focus on weaknesses to improve the weaker links in your game. Play as many tournaments as possible and enter the maximum number of events. You want to gain as much tournament experience as possible during this period, which will aid in your development once you enter into a new training cycle.

During this period, physical training should be limited to once per week such as an easy run the day after a tournament or a mild weight training session at least three days before a tournament. The added table tennis practice and matches should keep you in tip-top physical shape. Remember to always analyze your performance and adjust your training accordingly. This will certainly pay off throughout the competition season.

Train hard!

Eric Owens