Ibrahim asked 2 years ago
Hello, I am 14 years old and I am a complete beginner in table tennis and I am not in a club, I want to work up to doing championships. How many hours would I need before I am able to play championships?
Thanks
Tom Lodziak Staff answered 2 years ago
From my experience, it usually takes a complete beginner between 5-10 years of training before they are good enough to win matches in tournaments. Some players can do this quicker – 2-3 years – but these players train a lot and usually have a good coach to help them.
How quickly you improve is not directly related to how many hours your practice. The quality of your practice will be a bigger factor. As a beginner, you can speed up your improvement by getting some coaching straight away. This will help you develop good technique. A coach will also advise you how to train well.
It is important to practice regularly. This will help develop your muscle memory. If you want quick improvement, I would advise training 3 or 4 times per week for 1 or 2 hours per session.
But remember, table tennis is a tough sport to master and for most people is does take a long time. Here’s an article I wrote a few years ago, which explains why table tennis is such a tough sport to master: How long does it take to get really good at table tennis?
You have set yourself a goal – competing in championships – which is great, but set realistic expectations about how much practice will be required. And most importantly, enjoy the table tennis journey. Don’t forget to have fun when you play!