They say that you need to devote 10,000 hours to anything before you can become any good at it. But how do you know where to start? That’s where YouTube comes in. The popular online video site is a valuable resource for wannabe athletes looking to improve their skills. At the very least, it shows what kind of practice is needed to become better at something.
Ever since my fiancé’s aunt brought home that ping-pong table, family reunions became a test of skill. Turns out her brothers and nephews know their table tennis. I joined in and lost my first several matches, in a misguided attempt to prove myself for the family I will marry into. I just didn’t have the control and coordination, and often the shots I’d receive ended up hitting the net or sailing over the edge of the table.
Photo credit: apermanentwreck on Flickr
Then I decided to see how the pros do it through YouTube. My reasoning was that I could learn something from the best. With over millions of videos on the site, I was sure I’d find something.
My first few searches led me to a series of spectacular highlight videos, where two Swedish veterans wowed an appreciative Chinese crowd with pinpoint control, wonderful saves, and even skills unrelated to table tennis. It was entertaining, but it wasn’t what I was looking for: the basics of how to play the sport.
So I tried a new search (“How to Play Table Tennis”). It took me a while to look through all the results, but at last I came across a genuine how-to series hosted by a paraplegic player named Tahl Leibovitz. Each video in the series goes no longer than 2 minutes, but it covers pretty much everything for beginners. My favorite:
Long story short: watching all those videos (and many more) helped me improve my table tennis game by identifying three areas to concentrate on: the serve, receiving your opponent’s shots and controlling the flow of the rally to your advantage. Knowing what your focus should be is very important. At the very least, you don’t waste time on activities that don’t improve your skills.
I found myself winning a few points, and then a few games. Playing table tennis with my future in-laws became more enjoyable, because I provided more competition. I still regularly look for other how-to table tennis videos on YouTube, and work what I see into my game.
The point? We all want to be better at something. And if that something involves physical activity, perhaps YouTube can show you the way. Google’s video site features lots of entertainment, from hit music videos, clip of hilarious stupidity and Filipino online celebrities sort of collaborating.
But those who have the patience for looking through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of videos can learn something. Since I know basketball is the national sport, here’s another educational YouTube clip for you, dear readers: