OOAK Table Tennis Forum

side note...hongtao chen played a match in the recent hungary open...on his back is the company that i started last summers logo SOLARFORM...check it out!!!

Thanks leatherback for all your updates!
Just curious, are you able to view youtube over there. I couldn't when I visited China last summer.

no youtube
facebook
google.com (.hk is ok)
wikipedia
and any other type of blogspot...

basically anything that encourages free speech!

lucky i have got this forum

I envy you leatherback..

If I have my chance, I'll go to China for at least 15 days training. I'll bring my honey to enjoy both worlds!

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

Back to nature, eh?
Great to see, Sir Alex. Awesome stories and info in your posts as always.
A joy to read. Thank you.

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GFoT |Blade : Timo Boll ALC • FH : DHS 3 Neo Provincial MAX • BH : Tenergy 64 MAX
Crossover to Takeover!

you know what scares me...

the only time i can get someone to miss a shot off my long pips is if i return a serve in a funky way with them (zig zag ball) or flat attack a high topspin causing it to skid off the table..

other then that....NOBODY HERE MISSES

my chops back home i can get some people to make the ball bounce off there side of the table first....especially if i load up a forehand chop

when i was doing the short time with the short pips (no play on words intended), i could basically choose when i wanted someone to miss....

now i have to concentrate on winning with something else....

my chop block draws many pushes and im already at the table to loop.... but with a slight height error....im screwed....unlike a chop i can have a wide range of heights as long as the ball is deep...

if i use my pips to attack pushed ....the ball is crushed back at me....even if i deliver a super awesome flick...

i have to use a strong forehand and prepare to move...because there is a 70% chance that ball is going to be blocked

in this country it takes 3 times as many shots to win a rally, and every one has to be really good, while your opponent is trying to do the same...

yeeeesh.....

training this morning the coach drew a line with sidewalk chalk on the table and if i hit anywhere but the back 2 inches of the table....i lost the point.....needless to say i lost 11-3 hahaha

this afte noon is another story...

this is my last day of training for 10 days because of chinese new year.....i will report back soon my friends

I'm sure it is difficult over there with the quality training partners, but think about the player you will be when you come back You will be prepared to hit more than 3 or 4 balls to win a point therefore you will be ready for most people in north america. Even the guys on the national team in Canada will be easier for you to play. You are young with great fundamentals and you get to train in china with some of the best coaches and players in the world.

To think that their B players could easily crack the top 25 if given a chance to. Enjoy every ball. Take it all in because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Also you know what it would take to play with short pips chopping so if you ever decide to take 2 steps back to do that you will be able to. I seriously believe though that you should play long pips because you are great at it. Good luck with the rest of your training. Also take some time to really enjoy China.

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-Teddy

Lucky for you it's Chinese New Year! That might be the only time they'll give you a break!

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

It's been very interesting reading your blog, must be a fantastic experience to train over there. Seems like it will definitely set you up nicely for when you return home. When everyone is forcing you to play more shots just to win one point, it certainly makes you lift your game or get left behind.

I look forward to hearing more about your experiences there

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Its great Sir that you could see one of the biggest celebration in China
I've never saw Chinese New Year in China myself

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GFoT |Blade : Timo Boll ALC • FH : DHS 3 Neo Provincial MAX • BH : Tenergy 64 MAX
Crossover to Takeover!

annnnd we have begun again!

after the break for chinese new year I have finished two days of training!

for those of you that have missed it, i am back with long pips OX, and experimenting with blades, loving basswood and softer outerplys for such a style....

when I first imagined china i imaged table tennis sales people on the street, little shops everywhere selling unknown Chinese equipment, but they are actually very hard to find maybe 1 or 2 to a city and prices are basically the same as what you find online...

some updates as far as the training is concerned, I am back training with a team again and less personalized attention from a coach, I trained today with a penholder who has the craziest serves i have ever seen....

I have missed serves before as everyone has, into the net, or out or a pop up etc.....but when this guy served....i missed the ball, usually hit it with the back of my hand or just missed the blade completely....4 times in a row...blew my mind...

his loop was not the strongest as far as the team is concerned but his close table technique blew me away, 4 hours of single ball play in the morning and 3 hours of multiball in the after noon.

the single ball play is the most basic of drills...forehand chop backhand chop, counterloops, basic stuff....

the multiball is where specific styles have certain drills

when I am chopping these are the drills they usually give me

1. backhand chop, forehand chop, short push which I push, repeat....pace= medium fast (next ball is hit as soon as the previous ball bounces)
the point of this is to develop in and out skills and focus mainly on foot work

2. backhand chop, long push anywhere which i loop....pace = medium (the chop and the push are very close together but i can reset my footing for the next chop)
the point of this is to attack any push your opponent is forced to do

3. Backhand chop, then a super spinny topspin slightly higher ball placed anywhere on the table which I must counter. pace = medium (same as number 2)
the point of this is to scare the crap out of any passive looper

4. random defence short, long, spinny, smash etc. Pace = fast (the previous ball has not bounced and the coach is already hitting it at a wide angle)
this is extremely hard and the better you get the more tiring it is...the point is to come back to your ready position and prepare for ANY next shot


after i have done this for 1.5 hours and am slightly toast....the training begins on the close to the table style of play....

when i train for this they put me in the same category as the penhold loopers and the short pip users

1. long fast top spin in three locations....corner middle corner corner middle corner....you get a ball smashed at you if u use anything other then your forehand...pace=fast

2. underspin ball corner to corner only forehand looping allowed pace=medium

3. short ball to the forehand i drop it short and then immediately get a very long ball to the backhand corner which i must use forehand loop pace=medium fast

4. short ball anywhere, I return only using pips forehand and backhand short touch or long side swipe. a topspin ball to the backhand, topspin ball wide to the forehand, and then another wide backhand side....ALL USING FOREHAND LOOP

pace = fast = death

5. start winding it down after that last crazyness. push long to the backhand and three more balls topspin to the backhand side swipe, block, hit, hit. the block must be short and the two hits must me in opposing corners
pace = very fast

6. short anywhere only pips allowed, a ball is placed on both corners which u need to hit to get out of the drill. pace = medium

7. a very fast heavy low underspin ball to anywhere on the table, and the coach tries to fool you as to where it is going, all forehand loop. pace = slow


that about sums up the mutliball drills....

very very little blocking with the multiball as you can see....that is reserved for the morning....when players just absolutely CRUSH all but the absolute best chop blocks at you....good training for that style....although you basically get reminded every single 5 minutes that this style is fighting a losing battle when.

you have two options when blocking....2 bounces and low, or long fast smashed block....anything else....forget it....they just don't miss here.

im back! more to come!

Wow, fascination drills! Just as well they've 'drilled' them into you, so you remember what they are and can tell us about them!

How do you manage to get through the whole session??? You'd have to be very fit!

Your rubbers are probably not going to last long either with that amount of training!

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Wow, just reading your drills already made me feel tire. Glad that you are receiving such great training in China, looking forward for more.

How are you finding your fitness level compares to that of like-aged locals?

NCAA volleyball, cycling, training for marathons, bench press and squat competitions and 4 hours of table tennis 6 times a week puts me in quite a bit better shape then most of the like age locals and they know it too, during their physical training at the end of every session they allow me to go do my own exercises and when ever they need someone to demonstrate a workout.....thats all me lol....ive never been poked so many times in my life.

there is a fairly decent fitness room in the facility here....most of the machines or weights have dust on them because no one uses them....

the odd girl from the national team will come in with her friend and maybe run on the treadmill for about 15 min and then stop...

70% of people my age here smoke, and are shocked when i tell them i don't.

i know even ma long and zhang jike smoke....which is quite upsetting