Suggested Items for the Table Tennis Coach's Bag of Tricks
- Timer - An easy to read timer is something that I found to be of enormous help. I had a cheap digital timer that could count up and count down, along with a memory function that allowed you set the count down timer to a preset amount at the touch of a button. It had a nice loud alarm when it counted down to zero, and it also had a belt clip that doubled as a stand, that allowed you to prop the timer up on the table so you could easily see the count.
This simple timer was great for allowing me to stick to a schedule when coaching. I could use the preset memory count down for my most common drills with students (usually set at about 7½ minutes) , allowing me to concentrate on my student knowing that it wouldn't matter if I lost track of time. The count up function is also handy for any drills or exercises where you want to test how long a student can continue to perform an exercise before needing a rest.
- Tape Measures - A couple of 10 feet (~3m) or longer metal measuring tapes can also be very useful. I made frequent use of these for several purposes, including
- illustrating different angles that can be achieved from various locations around the court;
- separating parts of the table for target practice or certain drills;
- demonstrating how footwork around the table is an arc, rather than a straight line.
- Broken Balls - a few broken balls can be handy for target practice if you push in one side of the ball so that they sit still on the table. Even balls that have dents and imperfections that make the ball wobble or bounce strangely can be handy from time to time when you want your student to practice keeping his eye on the ball.
- Spare Bats - you should have a spare training bat so that if your bat breaks you don't have to stop the training session. The spare bat can also be handy to give to students if they break their own bat or forget to bring a paddle. A couple of cheap ping-pong paddles with long pips, short pips, or antispin on one side can also be very useful for giving your students practice against these less common rubbers from time to time.
- Glue / Speed Glue / Bat Clamp - ordinary table tennis glue is handy for running repairs where a rubber may have lifted from the edge of the blade, while speed glue is useful if you have a student that speed glues but has forgotten to bring his glue with him. A bat clamp is also handy to hold the bat together while the glue is drying.
- First Aid Kit - a ready-to-use first aid kit is recommended, but at the minimum you should probably include a few band-aids, some type of deep heat rub for muscle aches, and an instant icepack (that stays inert until activated) in case you or a student sprains an ankle. A bandage to hold on the icepack would probably be a good idea as well.
- Video Camera - you could argue a video camera is a luxury, but considering the relatively cheap prices these days, a decent video camera is something that no coach should be without. In the past, I've used my video camera to provide copies of training sessions for my students, as well as to allow me to look at a student's technique in more detail after a session, when I have been sure that something is wrong but I couldn't put my finger on the flaw at the time. If you get a video camera with a good display, you can also use the camera to provide instant feedback to your student, highlighting what he is doing badly (or well) straight away, allowing instant correction of flaws and reinforcing of good technique.
By videotaping a student every couple of months both in training and in competition, you can build up a very useful library on that student, allowing you to track his progress, or check his current technique against his old form when you are looking for any bad habits that may have crept into his game.
Interested in Purchasing a Video Camera?
- Towel - I'd recommend have two towels - one for mopping up your sweat, and another that can be used to create different sizes 'keep off' zones on the table.
- Balls - make sure that you have plenty of practice balls - it's very embarrassing to get out on the court and realize that you don't have any balls with you! Preferably, try to make them a different color to what is being used around you, so that if the odd ball goes astray, you can find it easily later on. Otherwise you have to chase down every ball that goes off-court straight away, interrupting the flow of your coaching, or you might find yourself having to buy more balls on a regular basis!
- Rubber Cleaner - a rubber cleaner that you (and your student, if he doesn't have one of his own) can use to keep your paddles in good condition is a must.
- Robot - a table tennis robot, like a video camera, is often considered a luxury. I'd argue that while not absolutely essential, a robot can be very useful indeed, for many reasons, including:
- When training one on one with a student, using a robot from time to time allows you, as the coach, to step away from the ball feeding role and give your full attention to your student's technique.
- A robot can also be very useful in providing training for your students on strokes that may be above your technical abilities - such as counterlooping, or chopping consistently from a distance.
- A robot can place the ball with the same spin and location over and over, which can be difficult for a coach to do, especially on certain drills (such as having your student loop against push).
- A robot is also useful when you are coaching a number of students, and you have an odd number of players. Having a robot allows you to get every player on the table, without having to get on the table yourself, or put three players on one table.
- Finally, on days where you are tired and less than 100% fit, a robot allows you to take a breather now and then, while still keeping your student working hard.
