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Table Tennis Book
Just saw the book below reviewed:
Seems a good read and wondered has anyone seen or read this as of yet?
Book Review by Andrew Rushton
Crowood Sports Guides – Table Tennis by Jenny Heaton
The progression in technique, stroke play, topspin and service throughout this book gives the reader a clear understanding of the coaching process from beginner through to advanced players. The illustrations used throughout the book are of past and present England players which is good to see.
The history of the game in various sports publications tends to be what is skipped by the reader, however in this case a clear concise and interesting account of the history has been written by Jenny Heaton, the former vice chairman of coaching for the English Table Tennis Association.
The rules of the game are also broken down very cleverly in an easy to understand summary at the side of the page. This could mean that a coach could take this book to a coaching session and with the help of the summary go through the most basic of the rules clearly and concisely.
The updated techniques and stroke play used throughout the book in the coaching section should give readers the confidence to adapt and improve their coaching delivery. Again the use of pictures to highlight these areas enhances the learning process. The book works through the various stages of development from basics through to advanced. Highlighted in blue throughout the book are excellent tips to broaden the reader’s knowledge. The fundamentals are covered in great detail and the in depth explanations of the grip are explained brilliantly.
Service and receive have again been covered well. Giving good ideas to players and coaches of a beginner’s standard in terms of how to start serving and on the rules of the service. The book shows correct service techniques and stances for receive, from beginner right the way through to more advanced techniques in terms of spin, placement and disguise of the service.
The movement section of the book I thought was especially important, with excellent diagrams of various patterns and what is needed in terms of stability and balance. This section is broken down and explained in easy to follow steps and detail with an added section on footwork best used in table tennis.
The book has every type of tactic covered, with service, return of service, speed and spin and even a section on doubles tactics. The set piece section on third ball attack makes it very easy for the reader to think about simple tactics, but also encourages them to think about their approach to the game. The tactic section really does cover everything from every different style of play you could come across. The tactic section covers all types of styles from topspin players and choppers, to how to play effectively against long pimples. Tactics on how to play against penholders and left handed players rounds off an excellent section of the book.
The fitness and training section of the book provides something that is lacking in the modern game. Again this section is excellently written in great detail, and provides the coach or player with excellent tools to improve. It also gives the reader a good basic guide of nutrients that are needed in the body to fuel activity which is an essential part of performance and one that is often overlooked. The nutritional section is finished off by a good brief section of the three phases of nutrition, pre, during and post competition. The chapter goes on to provide the different types of training methods. The section on seasonal planning will show the reader how important it is to set their players goals and will highlight the importance of fitness both on and off the table.
To summarise, this publication ranks among the best in this specific area. The emphasis on the key elements in modern day table tennis both on and off table highlights how much the sport has evolved and gives the reader a chance to improve their approach to the game.
Andrew Rushton
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Originally Posted by HarryBelafonte
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