THE EFFICACY OF MULTIPLE-BALL TRAINING FOR FAST SKILL ACQUISITION IN TABLE TENNIS: A STUDY ON UNIVERSITY FEMALE STUDENTS

Journal: Malaysian Sports Journal (MSJ)
Author: Farwa Baber, Noor ul An Babar

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Doi: 10.26480/msj.02.2023.22.25

This study aimed to investigate the effect of multiple-ball practice on learning forehand topspin in university female students and develop a fast learning method for table tennis. Efficient training approaches are crucial due to limited time for physical teaching in universities. Twenty-four female students (average age: 18.25 ± 1.032) were divided into an experiment group and a control group. The study included pre-test, post-test, and retention test phases, using a standardized skills test to evaluate participants’ performance. Participants hit fed balls towards a specific target area, and successful hits were recorded as scores. Results showed significant score improvements from pre-test to post-test in both groups. The experiment group had a mean score of 73.75 (pre- and post-test t-value: -23.268), while the control group had a mean score of 71.08 (pre- and post-test t-value: -19.980). Both groups benefited from the training intervention, with a substantial increase in mean scores. Although there were no significant differences between the groups in the post-test and retention test (p > 0.05), the experiment group displayed a higher mean score and maintained their scores in the retention test. In conclusion, multiple-ball practice is an effective fast learning method for forehand topspin in table tennis sport.