OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Offensive play refers to the mindset (footwork, serve return, service, shot placement, risk taking etc) more than the loops and kills. Equipment that lets you do all of those better will give you confidence to be more aggressive apart from inviting errors from the opponent.

During my last league session I realized that I can beat offensive players with insane kills (the ones who appear intimidating in practice) more easily than ones with a tighter opening/short game (but weaker "offensive" shots).

In fact, I often find myself wondering "WTF just happened" when I lose to players with a tight opening/short game! Now I know why they say over-the-table play is extremely technical. Easy to be ok at it. Hard to be good at it.

I am seeing way too many people looking/searching for faster equipment to become more offensive in their game. Or maybe its just me?

_________________
Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit FL, FH - Tenergy 05, BH - Tenergy 05FX
Buying equipment is like getting into a relationship. One night stands are great but you get the most out of it when you work at it for a long time.

not really i thing offensive players wouldn't necessarily use very fast equipment, but something that can be controlled when hit hard and fast. i tried t64 and was afraid of it but that was last year, and even now i would proably not use it. the only tenergy rubber i would use is T05fx as its pretty much just right for me anyway

_________________
my youtube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/decoyla?feature=mhum

Main: / secondary / LP
Blade: DHS Hurricane hao/ Blade- Ross Leidy Gauss/ Stiga Clipper
FH: Skyline 3(Blue Sponge)/ FH- Galaxy Sun/ Hurricane 3
BH: 729-Focus 3 Snipe/ BH- DHS Memo 3/ Cloud and Fog 3

I think your last statement should really be: I am seeing way too many people looking/searching for faster equipment because they think faster and offensive are the same thing. Faster equipment won't help in the slightest with "footwork, serve return, service, shot placement, risk taking etc". The one thing which consistently and measurably helps with these is practice!

_________________
"So long, and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this" Sung by the dolphins in The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

Social player with fastest rubber on fastest blade v good offensive game = ball not landing on the table

get coaching or practice are to only way to improve at a good rate (its not to say , that you might find the perfect rubber for your style and stage but trying new stuff), most young boys want faster-faster-faster, until later and its slower-controlled-better

_________________
Blade Ulmo Duality| FH Stiga Spin max Black, Globe Ma wong11 red OX
Blade |Joola Kool| FH Stiga LT Sound Max Black | BH 729 755 .6 red
My Blog here
Table Tennis abrreviations, and acronyms

"Fast" and "Offensive" are terms that go hand in hand in our game (and in most games I guess), as is "Slow" with "Defensive". However, I will concede that they are not synonymous.

My conception of it (debate expected...):

• In an offensive game, you try to make your strokes hard for the opponent to return. You are looking for winners, primarily.
• In a defensive game you try to deliver balls that will be hard to turn into winners. Errors from the opponent wins the point, either directly by a miss, or indirectly by a weak return that you can kill.

Mostly, offensive strokes are fast and defensive strokes are slow. Some exceptions:

• A drop shot is a slow offensive stroke. With a drop shot you look to win the point directly.
  If the other player reaches it, there is a good possibility that he can smack it back or place his return out of reach, so it's not a "safe" defensive stroke.
• A passive block is a fast defensive stroke.
  You count on a speedy return to give the opponent little time to prepare a strong attack.

For a good game, your tactics need to make both offensive and defensive considerations, regardless of which is your main strategy.

IOW, offensive vs defensive is more about mindset than it is about speed, and also that choice of equipment speed should be based on the player's ability (level), at least as much as on the chosen strategy.

_________________
My blog of failures, etc., also containing ...
equipment list at "resurrection" (referred to in a few of my early posts), and ...
my current lineup

Good point there keme and agree with you.

It is also good to note that a good defense is to return the ball more aggressively ( in most cases faster ).

_________________
Setup 1 : Bty Timoball Spirit Forehand : Yasaka Razka 7 2.1mm Backhand : Tackiness Drive 2.0 mm
Tenergy to Razka7 = more consitency
will try : TBS or JSH with Razka 7 and TSP curl Pr1; choppers dream?

Speed and offense can be totally different creatures. Speeding can be offensive, but you're likely to wrap yourself around a tree! True, winning offensive behaviour is about positive action. It might be argued that being defensive could be construed as offensive in the sense of 'going for the win'. In that context, sure - because this sport of ours likes winners. Fine, I agree. However - and it's been said - true offense is about doing what it takes to stay in front. In front of the point; in front of the game - immersed in/convinced by the psychology of victory.

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

There's a video called "power of block" on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObGO9Eo ... AAAAAAABAA

Waldner is shown playing "faster" offensive players and beats them by being MORE offensive - not by playing FASTER shots or drives - but by PURE placement. Look at the first rally between Boll and Waldner - Boll is playing offensive shots and Waldner is mostly blocking/countering but you can clearly see that Waldner is the more offensive of the two.

That is being MORE offensive - Being SLOWER and yet more aggressive/offensive. Illustrates what I mean when I say offense is not about speed. Its about mindset. A risky placement that can possibly win you the point is more offensive than a fast loop that is sure to be returned.

_________________
Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit FL, FH - Tenergy 05, BH - Tenergy 05FX
Buying equipment is like getting into a relationship. One night stands are great but you get the most out of it when you work at it for a long time.