Dominate Your Table Tennis Performances – with Mental Training
By Craig Townsend
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Mental Trainer & Founder of
NeuroFrequency Programming™
A groundbreaking multi-layered method that blends advanced mind techniques with various brainwave frequencies to unlock deeper potential, dissolve limiting patterns, and rewire your subconscious for lasting transformation. Learn more about NeuroFrequency Programming™ and the Multi-Track Transformation System™ →
More and more players are now adding mental training to their practice routines to improve performance and transform results.
Developing stronger focus, a calm mind, and resilience is just the beginning.
Is your practice form better than in tournaments?
Do nerves, doubts, or intimidation hold you back?
Or are you ready to take your game to the next level?
Mental training is an enormously powerful weapon in a sport where instinctive movements, lightning-fast reflexes, and sharp shot selection define success.
When two equally skilled players compete, it’s mental strength that decides the winner.
Training your mind allows you to play matches with confidence, clarity, and freedom - executing strokes without hesitation.
Over decades as a mental trainer, I’ve helped countless players and coaches worldwide boost competition performance, overcome slumps, and achieve peak results.
The 'Zone'
Mental conditioning helps you access the Zone
The Zone is the peak performance state where your body runs directly from the
subconscious
Your subconscious is the powerhouse of peak performance, controlling all bodily movement, storing your training experience and muscle memory, and guiding your body with effortless efficiency and precision. Estimated to be 275,000 times more powerful than the conscious mind [University of Pennsylvania]. Movements flow naturally, distractions fade, and effort feels effortless as you perform at your absolute best.
- the peak state where you play freely, instinctively, and at your best.
In the Zone, you feel unstoppable - every shot flows naturally, and even challenging plays feel effortless.
At your highest level of table tennis, you are not consciously thinking.
Your shots, movements, and strategies flow from the subconscious - on auto-pilot.
The subconscious mind - storing every memory of your game - guides your body with precision.
Champions in all sports use far more of their subconscious than average players.
Your mind already knows the right shot in every situation.
Tapping into this knowledge can’t be matched by conscious thought or extra practice time alone.
The Power of Visualization
Visualization allows you to rehearse success in your mind, pre-programming peak performance.
With enough clarity and repetition, your subconscious takes over during matches.
Visualization is so powerful because the subconscious cannot distinguish between real and imagined experiences.
With visualization, you can improve your game in many ways:
Developing perfect technique: Training your body and mind together for flawless strokes.
Improving consistency: Repeating the perfect shot mentally to build reliability.
Building confidence: Seeing yourself succeed boosts belief under pressure.
Preparing for competition: Mentally rehearsing strategies and game plans.
Mind mastery is no different from mastering physical skills -
you must work out at the inner gym to build focus, belief, and resilience under pressure.
Techniques like visualization, affirmations, relaxation, mindfulness, and positive self-talk combine to help you
reach your full potential and consistently perform at your peak.
Champions Do Things Differently...
"Visualization empowers the mind, painting a picture of success that fuels determination." – Ma Long
"Visualization is the bridge between dreams and reality." – Wang Liqin
"Mastering the mental game is just as important as mastering the physical skills." – Fan Zhendong
"The mind is the ultimate weapon, capable of conquering any obstacle." – Ma Long
Implementing & Mastering These Techniques at Home
For generations, athletes have relied on powerful techniques like visualization to gain a competitive edge. Now, with advancements in modern technology, these techniques have become even more sophisticated.
I will outline some examples for you shortly, which you can practice at home (as effective do-it-yourself programs are what most people are asking for).
I have outlined the various options below to cater to different levels, so you can choose the best path you'd like to explore.
Training Options – For Different Standards, Levels & Skill Sets
Depending upon your level of experience and expertise, there are two distinct approaches to mental preparation – as below:
Option 1: Mental Exercise Practice
Building Foundations – for New & Entry-Level Competitors
If you’re just beginning your journey – or have time to practice regularly – this approach helps you build a solid mental foundation through proven traditional techniques (otherwise skip to Option 2 for Accelerated Techniques).
These methods offer gradual but powerful shifts in mindset, clarity, and confidence.
Focus Areas:
1. Creating Powerful New Beliefs
2. Visualization & Mental Rehearsal
3. Developing a Positive Mindset
I will provide examples of these you can work through below, but for those who want fast results right away, skip to the advanced options below.
Option 2: Accelerated Techniques
Fast-Track Performance – For Intermediate & Advanced Competitors
Advanced competitors seek faster improvements with proven methods requiring less manual effort. This approach blends mental strategies with cutting-edge audio technology – delivered directly to your device.
Achieve results in 4–6 weeks that might otherwise take up to 12 months with traditional training.
Ready to skip the boring manual work? Next step up is to get the
Fast-Track Audio Program
– developed from decades of coaching elite athletes, combining neuroscience with hypnotic techniques. Just $29.95.
These audios embed everything straight into your subconscious, so no manual repetition is needed.
Or for the ultimate in personalized training...
Check out
NeuroFrequency Programming - a system of customized
theta-level
Theta brainwaves (4–8Hz): Unlocks heightened creativity, mental clarity, and subconscious alignment - ideal for accelerated learning, focus, and peak performance.
mental training recordings, personalized to your exact needs, training, schedule, mindset, and competition challenges - to deal with confidence, focus, resilience, and overcoming nerves or lack of belief, and up to 3 months of monitoring results.
Of course, if time is not an issue, you can always begin by doing the exercises manually - and if you are not satisfied, you can always progress to the next level - combining these and other techniques simultaneously, to accelerate results (see below).
And so for those committed to dedicating time to regular practice and reinforcement, I have provided a selection of options and info below you can work through, and explore further.
(if you have further questions - simply drop me an email)
1. Embedding Positive Core Beliefs
This exercise, called a contemplation, embeds powerful new core beliefs within your subconscious, as these enormously influence performance.
Your beliefs - weak or strong - ultimately determine your results - and how far your potential can develop. They are the dominating force - more powerful than motivation, talent, ability, fitness, power, etc.
These are your 5 Core Beliefs list to instill, below. Focus on each point in the list for 30 seconds daily, thinking of positive thoughts related to the topic and reasons why it's true for you.
Do this until the reasons are true for you.
1. I am pure speed and precision at the table.
2. My lightning speed, anticipation, reflexes and reaction times are powerful weapons I bring to the table.
3. I have awesome attack and defense skills due to my footwork, balance, strategy and positioning.
4. I can maintain my top level for as long as I need.
5. I adapt to any style, tactics, strategies or match conditions, and thrive under pressure.
2. Visualization Exercises
Needless to say, the initial and primary visualization should be of yourself competing at your absolute peak of your performance - with as much, or as little, detail as you wish - while imagining experiencing great confidence and inner power while you are performing.
Do this each day, while in a relaxed state (directly before or after sleep are excellent times), and ensuring you use all your senses - ie. ensure the images are vivid, realistic, present-tense, positive, and without any external distractions.
While the results wont be as quick as using the audio recordings, slowly but surely this will bring about improvements, so be patient. As you progress in your development, consider integrating the following aspects to enhance your mind's capacity to visualize flawless performance.
As there are literally hundreds of different ways you can use imagery for various different purposes, I have included some options you can experiment with later on.
But for now, keep to the basics, and make sure you practice regularly.
*
Mental Imagery Examples.....
* Success - crossing the finish line with your arms raised in victory, receiving your medal, and feeling a sense of accomplishment. This enhances your confidence and motivates you to train harder.
* The route - Picture the course in your mind, visualize the turns, hills, and transitions. This improves your ability to plan and strategize your race.
* Pushing through challenges - overcoming obstacles such as fatigue, pain, and mental barriers. This expands your mental toughness and perseverance.
* The crowd cheering you on - Picture the supporters along the route cheering and encouraging you. This boosts your morale and gives you a sense of community.
* A smooth transition - efficiently moving from one stage to the next without fumbling. This develops your coordination and technique.
* A strong finish - accelerating towards the finish line with speed and power. This enhances your physical and mental endurance.
* In the best physical shape - Visualize your body toned, strong, and ready to compete. This improves your motivation to train and eat healthily.
* The feeling of satisfaction after a good training session - completing a successful training session and feel the sense of accomplishment.
* Setting and achieving your goals - setting realistic goals and working hard to achieve them.
* A perfect race day - Picture everything going according to plan on race day.
* Your race plan - following your race plan step-by-step. This improves your ability to strategize and execute your plan effectively.
* The satisfaction of beating your personal record - setting a personal record and feeling proud of your achievement.
* A role model - as a respected and admired athlete in your community.
* The benefits of a healthy lifestyle - Picture the positive impact that a healthy lifestyle has on your physical and mental well-being.
* Enjoying the training process - having fun while training and enjoying the journey. This improves your mental and emotional well-being.
* The support of your loved ones - Picture your friends and family cheering you on and supporting you throughout your journey.
* A healthy competition - competing in a fair and respectful manner with your fellow athletes.
* Recovering well after training - recovering quickly and feeling refreshed after a hard training session.
* Setting boundaries and prioritizing rest - saying "no" to activities that interfere with your training schedule and prioritizing rest.
* Benefits of positive self-talk - Picture the positive impact of encouraging self-talk on your performance and well-being.
* Feeling of pride in yourself after a successful competition - feeling proud of your accomplishments and hard work after a successful competition.
* Importance of a growth mindset - Picture the benefits of having a growth mindset, such as embracing challenges and learning from mistakes.
* Being part of a community - as a part of a larger community of athletes who support and inspire each other.
* A healthy balance between training and other activities - finding a healthy balance between training and other important activities in your life.
* Benefits of a positive attitude - approaching challenges with a positive attitude and mindset.
* Staying focused during competition - staying focused on the present moment and on your performance during a competition.
* Embracing pain and pushing through challenges - pushing through discomfort and challenges during training and competition.
* The importance of a balanced diet - Picture the benefits of having a balanced and nutritious diet for your performance and overall health.
* Setting achievable goals - setting specific, measurable, and achievable goals for your training and competition.
* Regular sleep and rest - Picture the benefits of getting enough sleep and rest for your physical and mental health.
* Seeking support and guidance when needed - reaching out to coaches or mentors for support and guidance when faced with challenges.
* Staying hydrated - Picture the benefits of staying hydrated for your physical and mental performance.
* Developing a pre-competition routine - developing a pre-competition routine that helps you mentally and physically prepare for the event.
3. Affirmations for Performance
You can also manually recite a mantra over and over again silently in your mind, which is a manual auditory method which can be targeted towards specific uses - plus work great to drown out nagging negative thoughts during performance.
Note: Ensure you use a great deal more repetition to create the necessary reinforcement, seeing these will be recited at the conscious, rather than subconscious, level. A manual way to get around this can be reciting mantras in the shower, which relaxes the mind and body.
Some examples below.. ensure the statements are positive, present-tense, and with no hidden or reverse negatives.
1. I am a master of precision.
2. I am powerful and strategic, with lightning-fast reflexes.
3. I thrive under pressure.
4. I am in control of the table, and dictate the pace of the match.
5. Table tennis ignites a fire within me.
6. I remain calm and focused in the heat of competition.
7. I am becoming the player I am meant to be.
8. I am driven to improve in every way possibile.
9. I am a fierce competitor, and rise to the challenge.
10. I am destined for greatness.
The Neuroscience of Rewiring Your Brain for Peak Performance
This information now equips you with the tools to kickstart your own (manual) training - programming your mind's software to power your body's performance. It takes practice, so do not delay.
* Or - if you prefer the fast-track option for more advanced training, go with the accelerated approach.
Mind Training for Table Tennis by Craig Townsend (Dip. Clin. Hyp)
Hypnosis / Visualization Program for Accelerated Results
MP3 Download $29.95
* Intro
* Mind Training / Visualization Track
Includes Bonus:
* Sleep Subliminal (value $30)
* Email Support / Professional Advice
* All standards / ages
