How to Enjoy Table Tennis More (Part 1)
How to enjoy playing table tennis more? If you’re asking that question, you’re probably either a professional player who’s drilled so much that joy has worn thin, or you recently went through a breakup and nothing feels fun, or — more likely — you’ve gotten a bit older.
So what can you actually do? I’ve genuinely been thinking about this lately.
1. Get enough sleep.
The reason I bring this up first is that I personally haven’t been sleeping enough, and I feel it acutely. When you’re sleep-deprived, your thinking isn’t sharp during matches, and on top of that there’s this eerie “out of body” sensation — like your limbs aren’t really yours, like you’re playing in a fog.
Whether you play well or poorly is one thing. The real problem is that when you’re not fully rested, it’s almost impossible to feel the genuine pleasure of the game. Doctors will tell you the same: sleep deprivation makes you anxious, irritable, and much harder to cheer up. Only when you’ve slept enough can you experience that satisfying feeling of swinging freely and letting your body move the way it wants to.
Considering the sleep angle, afternoon sessions probably produce more enjoyment than late-night ones. You’re also less rushed. That said, since most of us work during the day, many players head to the club after work in the early evening — and honestly, that works fine too.
2. Play against well-matched opponents.
From personal experience, the most enjoyable environment is one where your training partners are close to your level — ideally just slightly below you. If the gap is too wide, it really kills the fun. There’s a philosophy here that mirrors life in general: you tend to feel the happiest when you’re just a little more ahead than the people around you.
That said, I phrase it as “well-matched” rather than “slightly weaker” because you also need someone better than you in the group. That’s the only way to actually improve over time. Real enjoyment should combine pure fun with a sense of meaningful progress.
Otherwise, if you always win within your comfort zone and then step outside of it to find you can’t beat anyone, the happiness you had built up collapses. Progress is always necessary.
On that foundation, throwing in occasional competitive sets helps both your game and keeps the atmosphere feeling fresh.
3. Bring a spare paddle.
The strategic value of this is simple: your main paddle doesn’t have to suffer the wear and tear of being borrowed.
But that’s not the main point today. Bringing a spare paddle makes it easier to approach the game as “play.” A paddle is basically a toy — you’re just trying something out. Having a second option with a different feel is a good thing. Life always benefits from a little novelty.
Best to have just one or two extra paddles beyond your main one. Too many and you’ll be paralyzed by choice — and paradoxically, you’ll enjoy it less. Even when you’re tasting something new, you need to actually slow down and savor it.