Table tennis is a sport that relies on joint rotation to generate ball acceleration. Therefore, injuries in table tennis commonly occur at the joints, including:
- Wrist (most susceptible during backhand topspin shots)
- Ankle (most vulnerable during forehand diving shots)
- Lower back and hip (most at risk during forehand backswing)
How to Prevent Wrist Injuries in Table Tennis? There are 3 common solutions for preventing table tennis wrist injuries:
- Use body movement to drive wrist power more, reducing pressure points on the wrist
- Modify your hitting style to increase the impact ratio and reduce friction (less strain on wrist)
- Take adequate rest between matches – for example, 15 minutes rest after two games, one day rest after a full day of play
Personally, I prefer a high-friction playing style, which puts heavy demands on my wrist. Through long-term play, I’ve noticed some uncomfortable issues:
- High wrist pressure often leads to soreness and pain after playing
- When wrist muscles fatigue, ball control decreases and error rates spike dramatically Therefore, wrist care is an extremely important aspect for me.
How to Prevent Back Injuries in Table Tennis? Back injuries in table tennis mainly occur due to inadequate warm-up and insufficient leg support during forehand shots, causing all the rotational stress to concentrate on the back. This is also related to the court conditions – if the floor is very slippery, feet can’t provide proper support, making it easier to slip and concentrate all pressure on the back. This is especially problematic in winter when courts are more slippery, making play more uncomfortable. Solutions include:
- Finding a non-slip venue
- Maintaining proper horse stance to ensure adequate leg support, transferring power from legs to waist
Most Important Step in Preventing Table Tennis Injuries: Warm-up Many players skip warm-up, which can be harmful to the body. Without properly warming up the wrist and hip joints, the risk of sports injuries increases. Once injured, recovery typically requires several weeks. Instead, spending 2-5 minutes on proper warm-up before playing not only makes joints more flexible during matches but also helps maintain body health. Here are my regular warm-up exercises:
- Wrist swings (essential)
- Wrist joint rotations + left and right toe rotations
- Waist twists and stretches
- High and low leg stretches These take about 3 minutes to complete, but I find it extremely worthwhile.
Further Reading: What are the Methods for Table Tennis Training? 7 Basic Training Methods to Increase Agility and Physical Fitness
