The Effect of the Return Board Tool on Improving Backhand Topspin Skills in Table Tennis Athletes

Abstract

One of the challenges in table tennis training, particularly at the youth athlete development level, is the limited time and training media. This study aims to determine the effect of using a return board on improving backhand topspin skills in table tennis athletes. The method used was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest group design. The research subjects were 12 youth-level table tennis athletes from a club in Solo. The data collection instrument was a backhand topspin skill test validated by experts. Data analysis using the paired sample t-test showed a significant improvement in backhand topspin ability after training with the return board (p = 0.001 < 0.05). These findings indicate that the return board can be an effective training tool for improving backhand topspin technique.