Marco Essomba
Table Tennis and the Art of Winning

Table-tennis is one of the most challenging individual sports.
Near perfection mental and physical abilities are required to compete at the highest level. Like any individual sport, one can draw two logical sides: winners and losers. The ultimate aim of competition is to win. Everyone wants to win, but what exactly does it take to be a winner?

What is winning and what it takes

Winning is a frame of mind. Winning is the ability to overcome both physical and mental boundaries. Winning is the ultimate goal of competition.

A table-tennis match could be pictured as a series of small battles. It is you against him. Every single point is important. A short lapse of concentration could result in instant casualty – the loss of a crucial point! The accumulation of these small defeats eventually leads to the ultimate loss: loosing the match. On the other hand, overcoming these small battles yields the greatest reward. The winner takes all!

Winning does not come so easy in table tennis. It requires the ability to dissect a match into a series of small battles for each point. On the loosing side, these battles could be considered as “loose a point, learn from it, refocus, and move on to the next battle”. Not much time to weep! On the winning side, the collection of these small victories builds a greater confidence and greater desire to win. This eventually leads to the biggest reward: winning the match.

Mental and Physical Training

Approaching a table-tennis match in a simplistic, but yet, very efficient way, is the ultimate goal. However, that requires years of mental and physical training. The mental training is required to train the brain to refocus and to maximise the output in each battle. It also helps to remain calm when the pressure intensifies during key points by visualising one battle at a time but not the entire game.

The physical preparation is required to overcome the physical boundaries, the pain. It also helps to fight those negative thoughts that sometimes emerge during tough physical exercise and tough matches. The constant battle between positive thoughts (“you know you can do it, you were born do it!”) and negative thoughts (“I cannot take this anymore, that’s it, I am bailing out of this fight, I am out!”) is constantly going on during the match. One must find a way to overcome these challenges and physical preparation is key to this.

Summary

The combination of both mental and physical preparation is crucial in table tennis. Players must be able to dissect a whole game into consecutive battles that are fought with the greatest determination. This also helps to approach a match in a positive way with each battle isolated as individual struggles. Physical training helps to fight negative thoughts when the battle intensifies by not succumbing to inner negative voices.

The mental approach required to be a winner in table tennis needs not only apply to table tennis alone; it can also be transferred in our daily life. (end)

Next time: "How to Win at Table-tennis, Marco Essomba"