ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses both the logic of categorizing approaches for table tennis-specific game analysis and diverse forms of game analysis in this sport. It is illustrated that descriptive and analytic research instruments to investigate table tennis matches can serve applied as well as basic scientific intentions. Within the application-oriented performance diagnostics in table tennis, two basic variants can be distinguished: There are approaches where the stroke actions of a rally are completely notated, and there are notation systems in which only certain actions within a rally are recorded. In this way various observable performance parameters in table tennis become apparent. Furthermore, it becomes clear that from a practical point of view two preconditions should be given: It should be possible to collect the necessary data simultaneously with the game progress, and the evaluation of the data should take only a small amount of time. It is concluded that there is still much potential for development in the technological-automated field. For tactical analysis in high-performance table tennis, systematic game observation is indispensable; it must make the step from manual notation systems to automated procedures – in particular, with regard to the acquisition of data in real time and its rapid evaluation.
