OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Terminology can be confusing. The shot in the video is what I'd probably think of as a "punch block". It's basically just a block with a bit or energy added. I play this on my fh rather than my bh, but really it only needs a few inches of travel.

For me it's a very important shot because I can use it to initiate a counterattack, or to vary the speed when defending against an attack.

Why do you want to use it? Under what tactical scenarios? Where does this fit into your overall repertoire and game plan?


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Yasaka Sweden Classic | 802 OX | C8 OX
Check out my blog - LordCope's Latest Learning Log - 10+ years of accumulate mistakes!

Cobalt,

The guy on the left is just blocking for the drill. It is the guy on the right that is trying to do a punch block. The Pingskills video.

https://youtu.be/ORfCiNf8mWk?t=209

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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

Yeah i think i have worked out that it's just an assertive block that I was trying to do but was doing it to the wrong balls.

Sometimes when the pros warm up it looks like they are both doing this shot but a lot quicker, especially the girls.

LC the reason I wanted to do it was just too work on something else and add a new skill to me game. Also to work out what suits me the best to return a no skin fast long serve to my backhand. At the moment I tend to just block it back and it gets smashed.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

Hey, I noticed you play with Whale now on the forehand, is there a reason you abandoned Baracuda or is it just a test phase?

I am really curious about Baracuda and its "vicious" spin and super high throw sounds like fun so its on a shortlist of rubbers I would like to try so wondering about your experience with it and if there might be a reason you don't like it anymore and prefer Whale and Victas limber, thanks

If a long ball is bothering you, the answer is always a loop. The thing is that you need to practice using your loop on that ball. There honestly is no magic answer other than to practice looping a ball that gives you issues. As you see your errors and make adjustments, it comes together.

The faster the ball, the more the focus of the loop should be on spin. Since it is a no spin ball, you need to create the friction with your stroke to get the spin.

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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'm using a different blade now Yasaka Extra. If you look at my Sig, the other bat still has Baracuda on it though it was nearly time for a replacement. The Victas was before the Baracuda and made a brief appearance recently but it's now retired. I needed a rubber for the forehand of this bat and had the Whale lying around so have it a go.

I'm not sure if the whale would be in the vicious spin category but it's pretty good and I'm getting on well with it. I'm not noticing any real difference between the two despite being a bit different in characteristics. The blade is a bit faster then previous so could be making up for a bit less speed.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

I'd agree with NL.
Long ball=loop.

I have struggled with the same ball.
What has worked for me is to try to avoid the pace on the ball by adding topspin by going over the top of the ball.

And I too have experienced the smash return when I block it back.
I have found that many of the people who use this serve a lot, prefer a low spin game.
They tend to want to get into a counter war and I prefer spin so they often beat me at counters.
But as soon as I can get moderate-heavy spin into the point, then I tend to be in the drivers seat.
I suspect this would be the same for you.
Don't get sucked into their game.
Also, I've found that the shot doesn't have to be an all out winner.
Calmly add spin to the shot and make sure you're not stuck on the table, unless that's your thing, and start making sure that you're spinning every shotwith placement. I find the returns get higher and weaker with each shot that I spin. Then I start smashing or loop killing depending on what is best.
This type of opponent usually would love for you to use an aggressive block back, as it has more pace than spin.

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Viscaria
FH: H3 Provincial Blue sponge
BH: Omega VII Pro

Sounds like more backhand practice looping no spin is required. That's good, practice can sometimes be boring when there is nothing specific you want to work on, just everything.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

At a bit of a dead end at the moment, blog wise. Still loving the table tennis but I'm at the point where I don't really know specifically what to work on next to reach the next level, apart from everything. Last season, I had a bit of a shocker dropping a few matches to those rated lower than me and went from RC932 to RC879. Its the first drop I've had in several seasons but realistically my rating was a little over due to playing lower in Div2 last year and just accumulating a few points here and there over the course of 10 weeks adds up.

We're now 2 weeks into the new season and going well so far. Pushed our club no1 and 5 in a row club champ to 5 sets for the first time and been winning my other matches quite easy (not that it ever feels easy). Was considering going back to my Applegren, looking for and excuse, but will stick with the Extra for now until perhaps new rubbers are required later in the year.

We've got our interclub tournaments and Country Carnival coming up along with a Veterans tournament that I'm going to as well, so lots on and keen to do well. The club is opening up for extra practice at the moment so I've started working with Rob on various drills.

I used to love editing and posting videos but feel it may have got a bit boring. I'm not sure if there are any specific things I need to work out that could be gained from a vid but might take some footage of a couple of drills we do on the weekend (mainly 3rd ball) and see if anyone would like to make a comment about some specifics. One thing I'm trying to do is be more stable on my feet and when the ball is wide, don't jump after it, keep a solid base and rotate rather than lift my whole body.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

This is definitely advice that works! Very rarely, when my dad gives me a no spin ball that's not too low for me, I loop it while trying to make as much of a brushing contact as possible; it barely lands on the table, but it still gives trouble to my dad (he tends to try and smash it, and it goes flying off the other end).

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Blade: Victas Koji Matsushita Offensive FL
FH: Victas VS > 401 2.0
BH: Victas Spectol S1 1.5

Rating: Recreational Player

Here's a couple of drills we did today at the club. Tried a Falkenberg drill then onto a drill I saw on 3T where they are doing a short push, a forehand to the middle off backspin then a forehand to corner off topspin.

Not really happy with the backhand as is breaking down when under the pump. Does in games too. Last year I started working on getting my elbow out and forward and need to get back to that I think.



Here are a couple of practice games.
First is against Rob, our number 2 RC 1,080
Second is against our number 1, RC 1,200

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

What I like best about those practice games is how they make you pay for chopping lazily and popping up the ball as if it is supposed to be some kind of legitimate stroke.

As for the backhand, I tell people you can focus on a variety of things,but for me I always try to play in a circle over the ball no matter where my elbow is or how my racket starts. When I see people end up with finishing positions like yours, Cobalt, I try to make sense of it but my brain shuts off as if to say, "There thou shalt not go!"

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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

arrgh! That backhand! You are chicken-winging it in front of your left hip, even stepping left to do so, instead of twisting your hips/ shuffling slightly right and playing a forehand!

Can't believe that this video was nearly a year ago. Was the only time I practiced this and not enough to cement any change. If this more what I'm after?

Prw, any chance you could provide some time references above so I can as what you mean by chicken wing?



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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

ok, all basically the same issue - a "Chicken wing" is when your elbow projects out on the forehand side, when you are hitting a backhand (and should be using a forehand).

because of this, you drag the ball up, and your wrist doesn't turn over, and the backhand doesn't close - making the shot quite unreliable. See NextLevel's comment about playing a circle over the ball.
0.06 - bat finishes open, should close over
1.14 elbow out on FH side, should be playing FH
1.24 ditto
1.53 here you step across and push with bh - should be looking to hit FH here
1.59 total chickenwing
2.12 worse chickwing!
2.58 bat stays open at end of shot - should close and finish over