By Thierry Verviers
Can balance really make you hit faster balls?
A new study from Shanghai, published on November 4, 2025, suggests the answer is yes — and the findings might change how we train.
Putting “Balance Training” to the Test
We’ve all seen players standing on BOSU balls or wobble discs and wondered: Does that really help?
To find out, researchers worked with 103 table tennis players. For 8 weeks, one group added unstable surface balance training (USBT) to their normal routine, while the control group trained as usual.
At the end, both groups were tested for:
- Dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test)
- Stroke quality (ball speed and accuracy)
The results were clear.
The players who trained on BOSU balls improved significantly — not just in balance, but also in ball speed and shot placement. The difference was statistically significant, showing that balance work transfers directly into better play.
The Key Takeaway for Coaches
The biggest surprise?
The largest improvement came from the non-dominant leg.
That tells us something powerful: the stability of the support leg — the one that often feels less natural — plays a crucial role in overall performance. By strengthening this leg, a player stabilizes their body during fast rallies, allowing smoother energy transfer through the kinetic chain.
In short:
Better balance = more efficient power = faster, more accurate shots.
Practical Applications
For both youth and advanced players, adding balance work can help improve:
- Stability during quick transitions (e.g., backhand push → forehand topspin)
- Control during high-speed rallies
- Postural recovery between shots
The study’s authors recommend a gradual approach:
- Start with basic balance holds on a BOSU.
- Progress to table-tennis-specific drills while maintaining balance on the unstable surface.
This helps the brain transfer the skill to real game situations.
A Few Caveats
No study is perfect. This one only measured lower-body stability and specific stroke combinations, not full-match performance or explosive power.
Still, the message is clear:
Just 8 weeks of targeted balance training can make a measurable difference in both stroke quality and control.
Reference
Study on the effect of unstable surface balance training on lower limb dynamic balance ability and stroke effect of table tennis players
👉 Read on Nature.com
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