Too tense? How to relax when playing matches

In this video I share a simple tip to help you play in a more relaxed state during table tennis matches.
Many of us get tense when we play matches. Our bodies are preparing for battle. There is lots of randomness. And we rally want to win. All of this naturally leads to tension. But too much tension can ruin our game.
An easy way to release some tension is to keep relaxing the grip in between points, take deep breathes and drop your shoulders. By making this a habit, we can stay in a more relaxed state throughout a table tennis match.
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[@jatonator]

Easily the most underrated aspect to every beginner’s play! Great video Tom👍🏼

[@eloimumford5247]

Aside basic competency missing , stress is the first culprit for playing ''badly''. Tom your tips should be top secret , just between us !

[@giovanniserra5477]

Thanks Tom for the excellent tips. Keep It up!👍💪

[@anupamprudent]

It's always a pleasure to see new videos from your end.. u r such a great n down to earth coach. This is really great n gonna be very effective pro tip. Thanks a million 😊

[@danwongphoto]

This video came at just the right time! Noticed I’d started to play with a lot of tension in my class last week. Will def try these tips, thanks Tom!

[@igorgavrin8078]

Thank you for your work

[@brijeshb100]

That's good tip. Thank you Tom. I will implement it -- 👍

[@nicvortec]

Listen to you allways helps, whatever you explain, every tip and help you give. Thank You

[@edwinv8295]

I actually had this routine a few years ago. Somehow I stopt doing it. Thanks for the reminder!

[@federickmanzanodevera7244]

Thank you for the tips it was really helpful after all its our tournament today

[@TheYogiworld]

Thank u for nice lectures very helpful 🏓🏓🏓🏓🏓

[@piing-poong7650]

Thanks for great tip

[@jurgen4267]

Thank you for the instruction. Very good. Easy to apply. Also easy to follow for me even though English is not my native language.

[@paulbhosle6344]

Excellent video. ~Thank You •

[@notpyrc]

Very good tips here, i'm also guilty on playing under to high tension while it seems more logical to loosen up. Turning used negative energy into way better one, automatic trained skills will even improve into a lot more accurated way imo.

[@Homes11134]

Thanks!

[@TomLodziak]

Thanks Jeff, that's very kind. You are a star!

[@AlexSander-ly7gc]

Thank you

[@PatrikDBD]

Great vids 👍

[@user-sz3zr1wb9y]

Спасибо!

[@silaturahmitenismeja1901]

naaah this is what i search, i find it thx very much sir

[@Eblansqy]

Thank you! There is also a lower chance to get an injury when you playing relaxed

[@TomLodziak]

This is very true. I used to get shoulder pain when I gripped too tightly. With a relaxed grip, my shoulder feels great.

[@yoana2636]

totally agree!! reset button is a good idea!! i`ll give it a try...

[@bhavsarpriyansh]

Also can you please make a video on how handle tournament pressure and also if you lose starting games, then how to manage it?

[@idrivearttabletennis]

Good video - also, I try to remember "it's just a game."

[@jplanglais]

You have NO IDEA how much I needed this! Thank you so much :) Any tip for how to implement this during Practice (as opposed to matches) ?

[@borisgraell]

this is everything, you do not waste enegy on getting stiffer instead all the power is delivered to the ball, i was practicing multiball, when trying loop against backspin it was so much easier when relax, not even got more power, but more consistent!

[@jplanglais]

​@@borisgraell Thanks but what I meant was: Doing this during a match is easier since there are "breaks" (aka moments between points). But I was wondering when are those good moments in Practices (between drills? between shots? when getting the ball?)

[@borisgraell]

@@jplanglais What i do is to remind myself to stay relaxed, maybe i couldnt be that focused with that in mind, all that i hope is muscle memory to do the rest

[@Honeydew0567]

@@jplanglais you can do it whenever you feel like it especially during practice sessions because it's all about taking your time and being able to practice, for me I'm more likely to do it when there is more of a break but sometimes it's best to just take an extra second to loosen up while your practicing

[@TomLodziak]

You can do the same thing during practice sessions. Between each rally, just loosen the grip, breathe, drop the shoulders and then go again.

[@yagzyalcntas553]

it took me 0.4 seconds to read and click this video. It is that relatable edit: turns out i am already doing everything that are mentioned tho :/

[@Cvt7116]

Ok got it

[@nasreenmam8844]

People don't know that he is an silent assassin.

[@thilinideshika2578]

♥️♥️♥️

[@skedtm]

I can keep my grip relaxed but my legs are like jelly when i play in a match. It's annoying when i tend to beat my fellow players in playful rallies but then when it's game time I normaly lose :-(

[@nguyenanhquynh7322]

very nice! is this also how the pro do to relax??

[@TomLodziak]

I'm sure pro players will do a variety of different things to keep relaxed. But all pro players will have a relaxed grip for sure.

[@esmolol4091]

I tell you what is the main reason for getting tense: Lack of physical endurance. The faster you play, the faster you get exhausted and you body automatically tenses up, due to reduced oxygen levels in our muscles. If you increase your fitness with regular endurance running, you will automatically be more relaxed, because you still have the power for occasional hard hitting and can rest in between, with pushes for example, or a little lobbing.

[@ngongoctrong1565]

The reason the body gets tense is standing too close to the table, causing haste in situations and causing the body to get tense.