How We Practice Matters: Fastpong Research Presented at World Congress
Research presented at the 7th World Racket Sports Science Congress explored how stroke sequences and changing targets influence table tennis decision-making and accuracy.
Research using Fastpong’s interactive table tennis training system was presented at the 7th World Racket Sports Science Congress, held on 23–25 October 2026 in Ningbo, China.
Presented by Zhengyi He, a Ph.D. candidate at Hanyang University, the study examined a practical question for coaches and educators: does changing the way practice is organised lead to different training outcomes?
The research brought together contributors from Hanyang University, Keimyung University, Pukyong National University and Fastpong.
A 10-week classroom study
The study began with 48 undergraduate participants, with 45 completing the intervention and included in the final analysis. Each week, participants received 90 minutes of common instructor-led instruction and 30 minutes of assigned digital training.
Using Fastpong, the researchers combined two training variables:
- Blocked or random practice: forehand and backhand strokes were practised in separate blocks or mixed throughout the exercise.
- Constant or varied targets: players aimed at a consistent target or responded to changing target locations.
These combinations created four practice conditions. Fastpong’s programmable exercises and interactive LED targets allowed the researchers to deliver the different conditions through the same training platform.
What did the researchers find?
Random practice supported better decision-making
After accounting for initial performance, the researchers reported significantly higher post-training directional decision-making scores in the random-practice groups than in the blocked-practice groups, for both forehand and backhand tasks.
Reported improvements were:
- Forehand decision-making: 19.7% with random practice, compared with 7.4% with blocked practice.
- Backhand decision-making: 20% with random practice, compared with 2% with blocked practice.
The findings suggest that mixing stroke sequences may help players practise selecting an appropriate response as task demands change.
Varied targets showed a benefit for forehand accuracy
Both constant-target and varied-target groups improved their accuracy during the study.
After adjusting for baseline differences, the varied-target groups had 8.5 percentage points higher forehand accuracy than the constant-target groups. The corresponding adjusted difference for backhand accuracy was not statistically significant.
The researchers advised caution when interpreting this result because the groups differed in accuracy before training.
Reaction-time differences were not significant
Neither practice schedule nor target variability produced statistically significant differences in the measured simple or choice reaction-time outcomes.
The findings therefore point to benefits in particular performance tasks, rather than improvements across every measure assessed.
Why this matters for coaches and educators
Repetition remains an important part of table tennis training. This study suggests that coaches should also consider how strokes and targets are sequenced.
Repeating forehands toward one location creates a different challenge from switching between forehand and backhand responses while aiming at changing targets. Digital training tools give coaches a practical way to organise these demands and deliver repeatable exercises.
For researchers, the study also demonstrates how Fastpong can serve as a platform for investigating training methods in a classroom environment.
Academic and industry collaboration
The research team comprised:
- Zhengyi He — presenting author, Hanyang University
- Xinghan Li — Hanyang University
- Siddhartha Bikram Panday — corresponding author, Hanyang University
- Jongchul Park — Pukyong National University
- Amir Kamandi — Fastpong
- Angelita Cruz — Keimyung University
The work is associated with Hanyang University’s Sports Innovation & Dynamics Lab (SIDLAB), led by Associate Professor Siddhartha Bikram Panday.
Continuing the research
The findings offer useful directions for further investigation. Limitations include the small sample, differences in some baseline measurements, and the absence of long-term retention or transfer tests. Further research is needed to establish whether the observed improvements persist and translate to match play.
We are pleased to see Fastpong supporting academic investigation into table tennis training, and look forward to continued collaboration with researchers, coaches and educators.
Explore Fastpong for education and structured training.
Research reference
He, Z., Li, X., Panday, S. B., Park, J., Kamandi, A., & Cruz, A. (2026). Practice organization in digital table tennis training: Effects of practice schedule and target variability on table tennis performance — A 10-week classroom-based intervention. Conference presentation, 7th World Racket Sports Science Congress, Ningbo, China, 23–25 October 2026.
This article summarises findings reported in a conference presentation; it does not report a peer-reviewed journal publication.