0 Minute Mark

Forehand to Forehand Counterhit - 2½ min

Backhand to Backhand Counterhit - 2½ min
This counterhitting drill is just a quick way of making sure that you get adjusted
to the conditions.

Forget about hitting the ball hard and concentrate on consistency. You should be
aiming to hit as many balls in a row as you can, so that you you get your eye in
and are ready to hit the ground running in the next exercise.

5 Minute Mark

Forehand Loop to Block - 5 min

Swap roles - 5 min
This is the first real drill of the session.

The idea is for one player to be using his forehand attack (loop or drive,
whichever is preferred), while the other player provides a steady block to make
sure the first player is working hard. Beginners should focus on keeping the drill
simple so that their success ratio is at least 70-80. I'd also recommend that
beginners use a simple topspin serve, to make it easier to get straight into
working the forehand attack.

Intermediate players can add other variations to the drill, such as the blocker
varying the placement of the ball, or using a proper serve and serve return, then a
forehand open. I've got a number of suggested forehand drill variations for
intermediate players.

15 Minute Mark

Backhand Loop to Block - 5 min

Swap roles - 5 min
This is similar to the previous exercise but from the backhand side. I have a
number of more advanced backhand drill variations for intermediate players.

25 Minute Mark

Falkenberg Drill - 5 min

Swap roles - 5 min
Now that the forehand and backhand attacks have been drilled, you can move
onto a footwork drill which combines both elements. The Falkenberg drill is a
classic example, but any drill that combines forehand, backhands, and footwork
will do the job.
Most players find 5 minutes of concentrated footwork practice is more than
enough before needing a rest. Again, the emphasis is on footwork practice - if you
are not getting through at least 2-3 cycles of the drill, slow down.

35 Minute Mark

Loop to Loop - 5 min

OR
Smash to Lob - 2½ min
Swap roles - 2½ min
Having done a few intense drills, now it's time for a fun drill for 5 minutes or so
for a change of pace. Both the loop to loop or smash to lob drills are unlikely to
last more than a few strokes if done properly, but it's a nice change to be able to
go all out on your strokes for a while, after spending the first 35 minutes training
your consistency.

40 Minute Mark

Push to Push - 5 min

The push is not a glamorous stroke and tends to get ignored by new players. This
is not a good idea, as many players find out the first time they play an opponent
with a consistent push and good spin variation.

Spend 5 minutes pushing the ball to all locations of the table, varying spin and
speed. Don't forget to use proper footwork as well. A steady and consistent push
is needed at all levels of the game, so do not skip this drill.

50 Minute Mark

Serve, Return, Open - 5 min

Swap roles
After concentrating on stroke play for the first 50 minutes, spend the last 10
minutes practicing your serve and serve return. I'd personally recommend
dropping the 5 minutes of loop to loop in the middle of the session to spend an
extra 2½ minutes each on serving practice, which will probably be more useful to
you.

One player should serve, using his full repertoire of serves, and his playing
partner should return the serve, trying to make the return hard to attack. The
server should then try to initiate his third ball attack, while the receiver is trying
to prevent the server from attacking so that he can start his own fourth ball
attack.
If you are looking for a bit more variety in your serve practice, I have a number
of suggested serve and serve return drills to choose from. Again, keep things
simple to start with, and when you are achieving a high rate of success, move to
more complicated drills.

Depending on your training partner, you may or may not wish to have the server
repeat serves that are giving the receiver trouble. Repeating the serve until the
receiver learns to return it can make it harder to beat your training partner, but it
should also improve your training and allow you both to get better faster.

You need to decide whether it's more important to beat your training partner or
everybody else!

1 Hour Mark

Cool down
A cool down period is needed after any training session, so make sure you at least
spend a few minutes walking around to get your heart rate down gradually and do
another round of stretches to help prevent developing any muscle soreness.