Coach Pang Yong is one of the most amazing coaches I had ever met and he is one of the most influential coaches in my career. What made him so influential was that he understood me, physically and mentally.
On the physical aspect, different techniques is obviously the significant element. Throughout the years as his student, I was taught innumerable techniques, from simple ones to complex ones. All these techniques made me a highly skilled player and was able to overcome any obstacles on the table. I really thank him for teaching and establishing my forehand attacking. With his coaching, my forehand, especially looping, went to a whole new level. I had received plenty of praises on my forehand, and I believe Coach Pong is the one who should have received it.
On the mental aspect, he assisted me in developing a whole new mindset and brought me to a new level. During tournaments and competitions, I believe the mental game is more important than the physical game, as your mind controls all your movement. I believe the most crucial element is not to be afraid and attack in all circumstances. He adjusted my mentality to being more aggressive and not only did it help me win that game, but also all the other matches that happened after.
Also, in some way, table tennis does assist me in life. During tournaments and competitions, all players will easily face all sorts of adversities, such as being caught in a losing streak. In those circumstances, a well trained player should have the ability to adjust themselves and overcome the challenges.
As a result, table tennis can train a person’s perseverance. In all stages of life, we face all sorts of challenges and eventually we are forced to face it and overcome it. The X-factor in deciding whether a person can overcome it is his or her perseverance level or ability in facing adversities.
Table tennis is the perfect sport to train yourselves mentally. Personally, I had benefited by it a lot.
