OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hmm. Seems like I'm stuck with the Yanagi Alpha for the time being -- it's nice in terms of feel and control!

Both Pronte and the custom 802 mated well with it. For hitting and countering, the Yanagi setup has a bit more dwell and a tad less rebound than the J-1 setup. Looping is still fine, a bit of adjustment of racket angle perhaps.

...which lead me to test the waters against a good looper. I started the drill by passively blocking, speeding up until I reach the point at which I make a mistake countering.

Instead of me keeping up, apparently I've hit him off the table.

I think I will enjoy this season.

--

Add: Funny statement of the day:

Sir, your racket seems big for some reason...

Indeed!

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

Yuz you want to have a Sword blade and then when they say that you can say "Yes its impressive, and so is my TT bat, don't you think?!"

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Geez, I've just played another different bat, again. Today's flavor was the 1.0mm 802/563 SP/MP bat on a Friendship 6040 ALL frame.

Granted, there were few people in the club today -- but it's nice to be able to practice for three straight hours, sport drinks in-between.

I became today's favorite hitting partner -- not sure if it's due to the odd bat (oh, spikey!) or I'm just a little bit more consistent than the other alternative. Or maybe everyone wants to spin the ball a little, I don't.

My butt and legs are a bit sore -- it's probably due to all the shuffling around I had to do on the forehand. I think I just swung through those when I was looping, but it's quite different when you're trying to hit through.

I did more of a relaxed bent-knee stance, not so much of a crouch. Stance was more square to the table as I didn't need a lot of space to stroke the ball -- the space went in front, into the table.

I found it very difficult to stroke the ball when it was quite below net height, which I think really promotes early timing and proper hitting technique -- no good way to fudge through late timing, really. Maybe the spinny pips could (I believe they can), but having to compensate for spin in countering loops makes the hitting area on the bat smaller, I believe.

Did I play more relaxed? I'm sure I did. I didn't have to attack every ball, just the loose ones I easily saw. Made some openings through some medium-slow paced hits to the elbow or the sides, then hit some medium paced balls to the free space created.

Will have to try out: thicker sponges. Good thing I have 889-2 2.2mm on order, 563 on 2.2mm in stock.

I might also want to try 802 on 2.2mm medium-soft sponge for the forehand. But really, I'm wondering about why people here prefer Clippa or Spectol -- makes me want to try it out for myself.

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

Not a bad training technique actually Yuz. I wouldn't want to play a match with such a setup, but for pratice I think you're right. A pips bat on both sides would make you brush up your strokes, or not return many balls!

I think an even better training bat would be LP both sides!

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Hi Yuzuki, I've just got round to watching your vids from Nov 20th.
Hope you don't mind me commenting from a coach point of view but to my eye there were a couple of points you could work on which shouldn't be dependent of the rubbers you are using.

The first is on your backhand hit/drive.
Where you have a consistent feed you should be consistent in your shot and thus get a consistent result. What appears to happen is you are playing across the back of the ball, from left to right and don't appear to have a definite target area you are trying to hit.
I always coach players to never play across the ball but hit it directly and to finish with the bat pointing to the aiming point. This works well by restricting the player into how far they swing their arm and minimising the chance of error.
I think the playing across the ball can be seen by the flight of some of the balls swinging off to the right where others go straighter. If the ball can only be hit by playing across the ball, it usually means that you need to move your feet

I may be totally off target with what you are trying to achieve, if so my apol's.

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Back to where I started...Stiga All Round Classic, FH Hurricane 2 1.5mm, BH Joola Express 2 2mm
I may be a better coach than a player, why? My son now tells me what is wrong with my game!

Hi Moggy,

You're partly right -- that's because I wasn't moving in time enough to hit it consistently (relatively) in the same spot. Some of the backhand drives had the ball going to my far backhand side (feeder said that was to make my body move), so I had to sidestep towards the backhand side.

Alas, the sidestep wasn't enough, which makes for a hit across the ball (by desiring the ball to go to a specific place) instead of through the ball. (if I was in the ideal position to hit the ball)

Medium pips probably makes it obvious as I can't spin the ball to make it curve towards the target. (I probably couldn't, anyway)

I was merely aiming for the opposite court, perhaps around the latter half or third. (towards the endline, middle, just basic stuff)

Interesting that we have the same observations, mate -- I've just now realized that when I played with the two-sided pips bat yesternight, not much room to fudge through footwork and timing mistakes!

Mind if I ask you how to keep pinpoint precision under pressure? Or is something which comes along with endless practice?

Thanks Moggy -- feedback is always appreciated. Perhaps it might be the wrong way to make it to the top tier, but as it seems for now, I'm not obsessed on getting to the top level players yet.

(Too many things to fix just to be able to compete with them, yep! Better start by going in my division -- what's my division level, anyway? )

---

Hi Reb -- I'm still not sure which style to play (control/hit or speed/hit) on the two-sided pips bat, but I'm sure to have fun.

I've love to play this in a match, but I don't think LP will match my stroke -- it always feels like the ball is unstable on contact, and it's very low-throw. Maybe no-throw as someone put it?

No, I'm not interested in playing badminton in the TT court, yep.

---

Locally at the club, we don't really have a lot of divisions -- more of good, better, and best. (Odd. )

It works like people of your level tend to stick together, as practice bears more fruit, and the games are tighter.

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

I'll try to answer the pressure question first- or at least my take on it

There are three types of shot you play during a game:
1. you have time to think about which shot you want to play and time to play it.
2. you have no time to think about which shot to play, but you instinctively play one and get it on
3. you have no time to think and no time to play a shot (your opponent was just too fast or out manoeuvred you)

Playing under pressure requires you play more shots on point 2 (sorry this is all probably a bit too obvious )

The key to playing at point 2, is lots of repetitive training with a single shot, a sort of brain training. You know when you have reached this level because sometimes you will play a shot in a game and you don't understand why but it was the right shot!
Soon after reaching this level, the eyes seem to catch up with the brain and your anticipation of an incoming shot improves to such an extent that you find you now have some thinking time before playing the shot.

Key to improving the shot you are trying to learn is to play it slow at first and make NO mistakes!
If mistakes are happening you need to check that you are playing the shot correctly. Trying to increase speed while making the mistakes will not improve the shot nor improve your level.

I think your hitting style is not far out and probably just needs a review of bat angles at a slower pace.
HTH

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Back to where I started...Stiga All Round Classic, FH Hurricane 2 1.5mm, BH Joola Express 2 2mm
I may be a better coach than a player, why? My son now tells me what is wrong with my game!

That is great advice Moggy just recentley i got the same from one coach in my new club and since improvement is huge.
The thing about number 2 solution is so true as in last month Im practising in same way as well was shown by a cocah from new club and in the match number 2 solution comes like a natural thing now.
I noticed the No 1 player in new club practise same nights when im there and he practise drills for 2-3 hours without stoping.
Drills like were he needs to put in two balls and then finish off point all in realy high speed something like first forehand topspin then backhand topspin and finish off point with forehand topspin and the other way around.That is just one of several drills .

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Blade:
F/H:
B/H:

Hi Moggy, Purger;

Interesting take on the shots on pressure situations -- I'll take your advice for it.

Sadly, not too many people here like to practise playing -- I usually end up as the blocker in a drill table (with a queue), and I don't get to practise good and efficient blocking (as Kees puts it, it's one way of 'attacking' as well) because most of them don't like playing a random drill.

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

I agree with you on that one.
If you get chance with your coach fom videos you maybe able to practis some drills and he can feed you with balls on F/H then B/H and then you try to finish of point ans well oposite,.
You can construct your own drills.

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Blade:
F/H:
B/H:

I would dare add to Moggy's advice that learning to anticipate and move to the ball will assist in the amount of time you have to play the shot. Time is not always the friend of the TT player as quite often your best shots come from having less time to think and just having to play the shot that comes naturally. However, by moving properly you will allow yourself time to at least get to more balls. And of course its not good to feel under pressure on every shot either

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Reb's right about the importance of anticipation, but simple repetitive routines will not develop this, it will only come from playing games against lots of other players. Complex routines can help but it usually means your anticipation is good against your practice partner and no one else
If you want to improve this area you must allow yourself to watch your opponent as you play them and not concentrate 100% on just hitting the ball. A lot can be gained by repeatedly placing a return to an opponent in the same place and just watching their body movements. It might mean losing the first game, but the remaining games you'll find you'll play a stronger part



Practice games or playing a semi-serious game can really help match play so it's a shame you are unable to get others to play you.
Looking at your video, you would gain a lot by getting your backhand spot on and could use the blocking drill to help you.
If I’m not wrong you appear to be using short or medium pimples, however, the bat angle you use is more akin to a reverse rubber user. A player I play against in my league uses short pimples and he is extremely awkward to play against. Any ball placed to his backhand is simply thumped back at you using a straight blade. It doesn't matter if you top or chop the ball, it just gets hit with interest right back. If you are used to blocking, just start moving the blade forward as you block to make the block attacking rather than passive. Have I explained this ok?

Hopefully I've not confused you too much - you can always blame me if you lose your next match

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Back to where I started...Stiga All Round Classic, FH Hurricane 2 1.5mm, BH Joola Express 2 2mm
I may be a better coach than a player, why? My son now tells me what is wrong with my game!

Hi mate -- might be true that I used to use reverse rubber, but so far that blade angle lands balls for me on the table -- perhaps I was using a small topspin motion instead of hitting through?

That's medium pimples, Friendship 563 if I remember correctly.

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

Finally figured out what kind of player I am after all of that experimentation, so now I'll be able to stick to one.

New Year's Resolution: Stick to one combination bat for 2009!

Target:
P700
Venus 2.2mm
Raystorm 2.1mm

Currently have:
P500
Venus 2.2mm
802-40 2.2mm

After this, I'll be able to start focusing on attack patterns, then service receive.

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Viscaria. H2 Neo 2.15. Tenergy 05 1.9.

That's interesting Yuz. You've come through quite a cycing of equipment to arrive at that target. What has made you settle on the Venus, and why are you aiming to use Raystorm? Have you used it before? I believe its very similar to 802-40 anyway.

And why the P700? Do you think its a control issue you are aiming for with it?

There are faster rubbers with as god or better control than Venus I have discovered, now that I have used Venus. This is why I am interested that you have settled on it.

So the medium pimples just didn't fit you, you think?

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.