OOAK Table Tennis Forum

On a French forum on a topic about players with a weird style, i came across the name, Elia Schmid, a 16yo Swiss player with a Seemiller grip. I've read some topic about members here using a Seemiller grip and his grip looks like the one JimWeiland uses.

Here two videos:
http://www.laola1.tv/de-at/video/benede ... 38111.html
http://www.laola1.tv/en-at/video/jbt-ki ... 25454.html

Edits: changed the wrong country name, as pointed out by Matt Pimple and subject, corrections, etc...

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

It is unusual but not a "true" Seemiller grip . The true grip has the thumb and first finger on the same side of the blade at all times.

Dan Seemiller doesn't use two fingers on the back of the blade. He changes his grip for his forehand and backhand but he keep his index on the edge of the blade and the thumb on the handle. The only time he put the thumb on the back is when he does a push. But i've seen the two fingers on the back variation, or the thumb and the index on each edges (the way Hookshot hold it i think).

Like the shakehand or penhold grip there is variations. The main point of the Seemiller grip style is the racket is turned 90° so the same side is use for the forehand and backhand. It's a bit like traditional penhold with the racket upward instead.

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

Very interesting grip... makes you wonder where he came up with it? Surely not too many coaches would teach it? Perhaps it just feels natural to some people.

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A long time ago, when i was in highschool, i hold the racket that way. It felt natural and it was easy to block with the racket facing the table all the time, but it's still possible to drive and loop.

When i got back to table tennis last summer, after reading some infos about grip, i tried it again but with the index on the edge. It was fine but i didn't like the feeling when serving with that grip. Using a serve grip and than move the index on the edge isn't so easy and it would take some training to get it right and fast.

With the one finger at the back, i feel it's easier to serve with the grip (the wrist isn't locked) or to change grip after serving. The shot I'm having trouble with this grip is the long and fast backspin on my backhand corner. I'm not consistent enough to loop all of those and getting the angle to push feels weird. In fact, it's easier to turn the wrist and use the other side of the blade after moving the index out of the way a bit.

I tried another variation with only the thumb at the bottom of the rubber pointing upward (on the side facing you) and all the fingers wrap around the other side on the handle. It is like the opposite of the index pointing in the middle variation. The backhand is great, easy to push, drive or loop but now it's the forehand push who's a bit more awkward but i feel it easier to adapt on the forehand. I also wonder if i lose some feeling without the index touching the head of the blade.

Anyway, i play for fun and i don't think i'm going to be a champion so i like to try stuff. Doing things differently is also appealing some time. I still have the hammer grip, v-grip, pistol grip or the "Desbruyères" grip to try.

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

Thank you for the clarification. I have understood it wrong a long time:(

I am surprised to see the video. He looks like a really good player.

He is Swiss (SUI = Switzerland).

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Equipment:
Dr. Neubauer Matador ST, FH: Nittaku DHS H3 Neo 2.1, BH: Dr. Neubauer Rhino+ 1.8

Seemiller's grip? According to him, he learned to play in a basement, it's similar to a lot of "basement grips" that you come across in the US. And the way I heard it, he coached Eric Boggan - who also played with the same grip. These two were US No. 1 and No. 2 for many, many years, always meeting in the finals at major tournaments. Both used anti on one side - since both forehand and backhand used the same side of the bat, they'd occasionally twiddle and produce a drop shot after forcing the opponent back from the table. Really something to see.

Iskandar

Just happened to see this thread, so I thought I'd comment.

Yes, my Seemiller grip is done with my index finger up the back of the paddle, and I've never played table tennis with any other grip (I learned in the basement, too!). But I can tell you that my weird grip must be classified as a Seemiller grip, because Dan Seemiller himself told me so.

I played at the Badger Open tournament in Wisconsin where Dan Seemiller has often played, and as he walked by me on the opening day of the tournament, I said "Hi Dan", and he said, "Hi Jim." I stopped and said, "How do you remember me?" (seriously, with all of the people Dan knows and plays against, and because his rating is 450 points above mine, why would he remember me?). Dan said, "Of course I remember you...long pip player, Seemiller grip from Wisconsin." I felt flattered. But now also elated, since my grip has now been officially validated by the man for whom the grip is named.

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Nice story!

Elia Schmid doesn't use anti or long pips but it's definitely a Seemiller style grip he's using. He use is backside sometimes to push on serve returns and in more recent videos, he's also looping with his backhand in a shakehand grip style. So he has two backhands.

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

He was playing with an Appelgren Allplay and Tenergy but it seems he changed his blade looking at this 2016 picture




I remember seeing this kind of patterns on the handle but I can't remember which one it was, anyone knows?

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

Finally watched the videos. No, it's definitely not a Seemiller grip. He's got his index finger up the middle of the backhand side of the blade. He also tends to use the backhand rubber when he pushes, even if he does block on the backhand side with the forehand rubber. Seemiller would push (and chop! though he didn't do this much in games) with the forehand rubber on the backhand side. He'd mainly drive and block on the backhand and in the middle and loop on the forehand.

Iskandar

Looks like a mix in between the Seemiller and shakehand grip but to me to it's still a Seemiller variation.

It's funny because when I started to play table tennis again 2 years ago I ended up on the about.com website and in the video for the Seemiller he shows the two fingers on the back rubber à la Anne Alvarez and the one finger pointing in the middle which none of them are the way Danny Seemiller play.

On the last picture of Elia Schmid, I noticed his thumb pointing upward. I checked again other pics and videos and he seems to keeps that thumb like that most of the time but even when it's down, it goes over his middle finger. It changes the blade angle closer to shakehand so no choice to push with the back side rubber. Still, he's using his front rubber almost all the time.

_________________
Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm

I can answer my own question: Zhang Jike Super ZLC

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Yinhe T-10+
729 Super FX 2.15mm
Transformer Anti 1.5mm