OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Wow, some really cool and inspiring shots, I especially like how many solid serves you have managed to loop over the table for a win, I am always reluctant to try something like that and my record for topspinning serves is horrible.

Btw, really curios what qualities make Hexer so good for looping compared to OVA or Big dipper you also liked? Thanks

Both those rubbers were harder sponged - Big Dipper was Chinese and OVA is Euro but aimed at a Chinese lover who wants something a little faster and non-sticky. Hexer supports brush looping and has an incredible topsheet. So it supports a brush looping style extremely well. IT needs less effort to play with away from the table and that has really helped me a lot. But it blocks much better close to the table than Tenergy 05, for example.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

A couple more - because of my improved shot making, I am more likely to move now.

https://youtu.be/rY2q38Ln9Qg?t=157
https://youtu.be/RM1SdKZe-bg?t=1553

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

First time practicing serves in a while. Still need to slow down and pause more between serves but it was nice to get some time alone. Trying to get better at doing the reverse off a high toss. I need to be able to do this for all my serves so that I have good timing and whiff far less. I think I miss my serves where my swing is tied to the timing of the toss the most. I should be able to execute my swing regardless of the height of the toss. Will help my touch too.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

I serve to a lady at my club to give her a chance to return my serves. She struggles with my backspin no spin combo in real matches. So I practiced different variants. This is the second part (1st part much longer and on my channel).

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

I played a guy who serves hidden serves consistently. I struggled against his serves but his looping technique doesn't put away the ball consistently enough for me to be in trouble. THe part I was most disappointed with was my performance against his long serves.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

The first thing about this month is that I have decided to serve no backhand serves. I served 3 in total yesterday across 21 games in matches, and the three were either stress relievers or errors in serve selection. I did this because I think I serve forehand more than I actually do and I need to embrace my ability to serve a variety of serves comfortably and be ready to play behind them.

There is still a disconnect between how I see myself when I serve and how I actually serve. Only my reverse serve and punch serves seem to bridge the gap. I still have to bring my pendulum serve into compliance and my backspin and no-spin serve is schizophrenic. The serve motions are all larger than I think they are.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXdrv4ye3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRSZXYxcdeI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXgYFeaQ3f0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxLkFSgiMj8

I think I got better in practice matches, but this is something I can clearly fix. Finding the right balance between too short and short will be interesting but right now, I will go for too short over too large.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

So I figured out what Brett was talking about. My serve motions have gotten less sharp and much larger. I will consciously try to shrink them going forward. And of course, no backhand serves this month.

The title is in part a joke - people copy all kinds of good player's serves and then use the player's name in youtube to get more hits. I probably picked the wrong player - I should have said Mizutani or someone like that but for now, Brett will have to do.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh_41QTUzJs

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

Also, after playing with you and watching Brett's video, I too realized what you were trying to tell me that day. My tomahawk is the only serve with correct whip, and with a shorter stroke motion like Brett is suggesting one do to get more accuracy and racket speed.

Working on that now with every serve.

NL, forgive me as I haven't read the whole thread. But why are you not doing any BH serves? Is it because the smaller motion is not possible with that serve?

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

Japsican,

I default too quickly to backhand serving. It's more to force me out of my comfort zone a little. I may practice a few but won't use them in matches. One month is one month, not eternity. Your BH serve looked good, btw.

With the tomahawk, simply contacting the ball closer to the tip or to the handle tends to create enough spin variation to fool most people without consciously changing the racket angle.

Some servers don't believe in small whips for some serves but I think that they help if you want to be consistently short and deceptively spinny. There was a chopper at my club whose tiny tomahawk kept me at bay for a while. Not sure what I will do when he returns.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

Interesting you say that because in my head it's the serve that I get the least amount of whip action and my mechanics feel horribly stiff...

Even though, my BH Serve is still my default comfort zone serve as well, because I know I'll be in position to drop back and chop more easily, and I also am more consistent with it, ensuring I don't do something stupid like serving high or even worse...faulting. I tend to do either a Tomahawk or BH serve if the game is on the line.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

In your head, sure but I am just saying what I felt based on the drills and matches. Tomahawk and backhand serves often fit choppers well because they are ready to play a backhand pretty quickly after making them so those serves are suited to being ready to chop. Your pendulum mechanics during the drills were just off.

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

It was easily visable during my brief hit-ut with NL at WDC TTC that NL could move a LOT more than last time we metup. His one step was good and he was still on balance if I got back an impossible fabulous ball from the wide FH.

_________________
Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter

Cute serve return of the day:

https://youtu.be/frZYWihHIws?t=1796

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus

Cute serve return of the day:

https://youtu.be/pZR3RdQKPTA?t=631

_________________
Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" - Archilochus