Hi , and welcome to the latest edition of Planet Table Tennis News.
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Phil , Founder, Planet Table Tennis
Table of Contents
Confidence isn’t a personality trait — it’s evidence.
If your backhand feels shaky, you don’t need a new rubber. You need reps that prove:
“I can land it under pressure.”
Quote: “The body believes what it repeatedly experiences.”
World News
Results and Events around the world
We will in future editions be featuring different events and table tennis associations across the planet.
If you would like to have your country , association or event featured in this section please email [email protected]
Training & Coaching
1.Build a Backhand You Can Trust (3 rules + 1 drill)
Most players don’t actually have a “bad backhand.” They have a backhand that collapses when:
the ball is fast,
they’re slightly late,
they don’t commit to contact.
3 rules
Contact, don’t slap. Feel brush + forward.
Arc gives safety. A little topspin arc creates margin.
Aim small. Pick a target zone, not “somewhere on the table.”
Your coaching drill: Backhand stability ladder
10 balls block-to-block (you control placement).
10 balls light topspin-to-topspin.
10 balls transition: 2 topspins then 1 faster topspin.
Miss = restart that set.
Coaching points
Elbow slightly in front of body at ready position.
Compact swing — power comes from timing and legs.
Recover after every contact (tiny reset step).
Practise both crosscourt and down-the-line early, not “later when you’re better.”
This drill creates trust because it forces you to succeed at each speed before moving on.
2.Turn Your Backhand Into an Attacking Option vs Backspin
If you always push backspin on the backhand side, your opponent relaxes. The goal is to make them uneasy.
Your mission: open confidently with the backhand against long pushes.
Your coaching drill: Push long → BH open
Feeder pushes long to your backhand.
You backhand topspin with a higher arc (not flat).
Feeder blocks anywhere: you recover and keep pressure.
Coaching points
Start with a slightly more open bat angle and brush upward.
Don’t chase speed — chase clean spin contact.
Your first BH open should target wide BH corner or elbow.
After opening, recover forward; don’t retreat.
Keep the stroke compact so you can repeat it under pressure.
Do this for 10 minutes twice a week and your match play changes — because opponents stop pushing safely.
Player Profile
Fan Zhendong
Fan Zhendong — The Relentless Standard of Modern Power Table Tennis
Fan Zhendong is widely regarded as one of the most complete and physically dominant table tennis players of the modern era. Over the last decade, he has not only accumulated major titles, but has helped redefine what elite power, stability, and consistency look like at the highest level of the sport.
Biography:
Early Rise and Development
Born in 1997 in Guangzhou, China, Fan Zhendong emerged from China’s elite training system as a prodigy with extraordinary physical strength and hand speed. By his mid-teens, coaches were already identifying him as a future world No.1 — not because of flair, but because of how hard he was to break down.
Unlike some players who rely heavily on deception or variation early in their careers, Fan’s game was built on repeatability. From a young age, he could produce the same high-quality stroke again and again under pressure — a trait that would become central to his success.
He became the youngest World Cup champion in history (2016) at just 19 years old, signalling his arrival as a genuine force in senior men’s table tennis.
Major Career Achievements
Fan Zhendong’s career is defined not by a single peak, but by sustained excellence:
🏅 Olympic Singles Champion (Paris 2024)
🏆 World Champion – Men’s Singles (2021)
🏆 Multiple World Cup Singles Titles
🥇 Multiple World Team Championship Gold Medals
🔝 World No.1 for extended periods across multiple seasons
With his Olympic singles gold in 2024, Fan completed a career Grand Slam (Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup) — placing him among a very small group of players in table tennis history to achieve this feat.
Technical Identity: Why He’s So Difficult to Beat
From a coaching perspective, Fan Zhendong is a blueprint for modern attacking table tennis.
Backhand Dominance
His backhand topspin is arguably the most destructive of his generation. What makes it special is not just power, but:
Early contact
Minimal backswing
Heavy topspin even at high speed
Ability to change direction late
This allows him to apply pressure without over-committing, keeping him balanced and ready for the next ball.
Forehand Stability
Fan’s forehand is not as flamboyant as some of his peers, but it is brutally efficient. It excels in:
Counter-topspin exchanges
Finishing from mid-distance
Playing through heavy spin without breakdown
Physical Strength & Balance
One of Fan’s biggest advantages is how strong he is through the legs and core. Even when forced wide, he remains grounded, allowing him to recover quickly and continue attacking.
Mental Strength and Competitive Mindset
Fan Zhendong’s mentality is often described by coaches as cold, composed, and relentless. He rarely shows emotion during rallies, conserving energy and focus.
Key mental traits:
Exceptional tolerance for long, physical rallies
Patience when matches become scrappy
Ability to raise level late in games
Rarely panics when trailing
Unlike more emotional players, Fan’s confidence comes from trust in his systems, not momentum or crowd energy.
Rivalries and Pressure
Throughout his career, Fan has carried the unique pressure of being labelled China’s next dominant male player. For several years, he was repeatedly compared to legends like Ma Long and Zhang Jike — comparisons that can derail many careers.
What stands out is that Fan didn’t rush his legacy. He absorbed defeats, refined his game, and continued improving — particularly in serve, receive, and short-game control — areas that were once considered less dominant than his power game.
Something Less Known (But Telling)
Away from the table, Fan Zhendong is known for being private and introverted, preferring routine and familiarity. He has spoken about enjoying music and quiet downtime, and he became widely known during the Olympics for being a Taylor Swift fan — a small detail that humanised a player often seen as purely machine-like.
More importantly from a coaching angle, he is known to be highly receptive to feedback, often spending long sessions refining small technical details rather than chasing dramatic changes.
What Club Players Can Learn from Fan Zhendong
Fan’s game offers huge lessons for players at all levels:
Power comes from balance and timing, not effort
A strong backhand reduces pressure on every other part of your game
Consistency under pressure beats highlight shots
Physical conditioning directly improves technical stability
Mental calm is trained through preparation, not motivation
Coaching Takeaway
If there is one phrase that defines Fan Zhendong, it is this:
“Relentless quality.”
He doesn’t overwhelm opponents with tricks — he overwhelms them by making high-level table tennis feel unavoidable.
Master the mindset, tactics, and decision-making of consistent match winners with the Match Play Mastery Guide. If you are wanting to win more matches check this out now!
In future editions we will be highlighting lots of different equipment from a range of top table tennis brands.
You can check out the 2025/2026 season range of equipment and great offers from top supplier Bribar Table Tennis.
Simply click the image or link below
Video Of The Week
Click the image or link below for a video about the legend Fan Zhendong!
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I hope you have enjoyed this edition
Have a great fortnight of table tennis!
See you in 2 weeks for the next edition
To your continuous improvement
All the best
Phil
