Exploring adaptive coaching practices in elite table tennis: A qualitative perspective on tactical evolution and talent logic in the ABS ball era.

This study examines how elite coaching cognition in Chinese table tennis has adapted to the introduction of the ABS plastic ball, focusing on changes beyond technical outcomes to include tactical reasoning, psychological preparation, training design, and talent development. Through an interpretive phenomenological analysis of an in-depth interview with Liu Guozheng, head coach of the Chinese men's national team, four key adaptation domains were identified: a shift from early-stroke aggression to sustained rally control emphasizing composure and timing; psychological strategies centered on emotional regulation and decision resilience during extended rallies; ecological training methods simulating uncertainty to enhance perceptual judgment; and evolving talent selection prioritizing cognitive elasticity over fixed traits. These findings highlight how systemic disruption prompted a multi-layered, practitioner-informed recalibration of coaching logic, with implications for managing performance transitions in high-level sport contexts.