OOAK Table Tennis Forum

The hardest people I have had to coach are rec players and tennis players. Reason? Breaking old habits. The longer you play rec players, the longer it will take you to fix things when you get proper coaching.

Go to a club as soon as possible. Watch the good players. Talk to them. Ask about coaching. Equipment is part of the game. Technique is 90%. Get a decent bat and rubbers, total less than $60 and work on proper strokes, footwork, etc.

Don't spend weeks trying to pick the magic setup. Go to Coles, Zero pong, OOAK shop or similar place and let them choose and assemble a bat for you. $30 to $60 will get you an excellent bat.

Have fun.

Another vote for coaching.
You'll improve above your non coached buddies an a faster rate than not getting coaching.

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

Ill definitely give it a look and try, i think its that initial step that kind of makes me a little uncertain when joining a club.



Yeah initially I was thinking of getting a setup like the one you suggested^ because i think i read it elsewhere on the forums as well, but i was still uncertain. However i did like the idea of just switching to custom, and then in the future having the flexibility to just replace the rubbers when i feel like im more comfortable that is one of the key reasons why i felt an inclination towards a custom setup. Now i think im leaning towards just sticking with my current setup for a little longer and taking the advice given here about coaching, visiting and trying a club etc.

Also in terms of my current DHS Premade, i think i read suggestions somewhere to reglue the rubber as they're initially poorly done(i recall it but i may be mixing information with something else). Furthermore, i feel as though maybe my cleaning/maintenance of the rubbers were not the best, however, I do feel they are still in good shape, but I may just be making excuses (I can link photos if there is an interest).

Anyways, i think the overwhelming opinion/advice is that i should consider looking into coaching or clubs, and ill hopefully try follow that up.

Good move.

If be careful in regluing as the can use permanent glue which will wreck everything if you try remove them. Once you start peeling you can't go back. Just wipe the rubber to remove all dirt then put on a protector shee so they stay tacky.

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

It might be instructive or motivational to read something like "Expert In a Year" https://www.amazon.com/Expert-Year-Ulti ... B0142TUYE6
– for an idea of how a table tennis novice pursued [an admittedly highly accelerated goal of] structured improvement.

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"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor." –Doctor Impossible

Get someone to take a short video on your phone if you playing. If you post here you will get a great response.

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

I recently took around 2 and a half hours of training over the past 2 weeks thanks to the advice of people here.

I must say I did enjoy it, it has been a pleasurable experience, I've really enjoyed it, as it's both really good work out and feels really rewarding when you start getting things right. However among the 12 friends I generally play against I still rank around the same place (4th). The good thing though is I feel like I can spot my mistakes as I make em(however I still have a consistency issue). I've been playing so much that I'm dreaming table tennis at this point.

overall I still don't feel like I'm improving fast enough.

Also maybe in the near future I'll take the recommendation to record myself as well.

You won't improve in 2 weeks, it will take 6 months of being consumed before you really see the results. That means practice, watching videos, shadow swings and most importantly putting into practice what you have learnt. The biggest thing I see in people improving is awareness. I've spent hours coaching some people but as soon as they play a match it all goes out the window. They think that coaching alone will force a change. It can if spent long enough drilling out an old habit but often the old habit, especially for older players is too ingrained. The only way to force the change is be aware when you play a shot with old bad technique and aware when you play a shot with good technique. You can then consciously force yourself to do the good more than the bad and over time with the support of drill and shadow swings etc the good will override the bad.

An example is that in our club the B grade players tend to get stuck in push rallies so I do drill to help them loop backspin and turn defense into attack. I've helped a couple of people recently. One has the better technique but hasn't changed their mindset. The other doesn't have as much technique but is now looking for the ball to take control of the point. These two players were always a similar level but the one that is actually applying what they have learnt is now starting to win easily. The other despite great improvement in practice goes back to old habits in matches and the consequence is that their results will never change.

You might even go back to 6th or 8th in your group before you become number 1 or 2 but your awareness and acceptance of any change is crucial.

Good luck, you'll get there.

Please do a video, even if on your phone for 30 seconds.

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

Actually, this is a good point. If you buy a pre-made by Yinhe or 729 you're probably getting the real thing, but counterfeit DHS stuff is supposedly rampant in China, even pre-mades. Someone posted about his (Chinese) friends buying fake ones in China that weren't any good at all. If the rubber is anything like that fake Tenergy 05 I bought (I knew it was fake, I just wanted to see what it was like) it'd be terrible - very slow, almost no spin. I thought it'd be at least like Chinese $5 sheets (which are almost all excellent, by the way) but it was far worse.

Iskandar

Something I learned the last couple of weeks. For removing the last of the sponge from a pre-made (one of the most annoying jobs you can ever imagine) use a large pencil eraser. It'll rub it down to bare wood.

Iskandar

If you could turn it around within 2 weeks, you'd be the next genius player.

If you aren't concentrating on technique during your games, try identifying what your opponents are doing to beat you and think about strategies to specifically stop them doing it. And don't forget to think about what they are doing to force an error from you.

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Chasse Patate

Hehehe, and I thought I was impatient! The experience I've had as an adult learner, in table tennis, chess, golf, and piano, all of which I've invested time and money in, for self-development, is that you won't see fast results. I'd expect to see noticable improvements in six months. That doesn't mean you need to have lessons every week for six months, but it does mean working on implementing what you've been taught, in a structured way. That's hard work, and very very difficult to do if you just play "games" with your friends, because you'll likely play as you always do, or not be willing to try a new idea or a new serve because you don't want to lose.



This is a very very good way to self-coach. You know what you're trying to achieve, and you can see yourself trying it. It's also a good way to measure your progress. You can look back on your Nov 2016 videos next summer, and if you've worked hard, with a plan, and with consistent focus, I absolutely guarantee you that you'll be able to see a marked difference in your play.

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Yasaka Sweden Classic | 802 OX | C8 OX
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