OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Yes, I put this video on YouTube

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Get your 3 wishes here today!
ttEDGE.com Professional online coaching

Fantastic. This is what EmRatThich's been talking about, "using the ground" and the hips to loop, while relaxing the arm. Everyone tells you to relax, but here's something concrete to practice so that you can actually achieve it. The comment about relaxation being the product of good technique rather than the other way around is the key idea here, and probably applies everywhere - serving, chopping, footwork..

Iskandar

I understand what Brett means but I don't entirely agree as he points out himself in another video that there is a "who came first, the chicken or the egg" aspect to it. What I do agree with is that you aren't going to fix the problem just by telling the student to relax.

Moreover, some people are just not relaxed and will tighten up, no matter how well you specify what they should be doing. I have seen people who cannot make a handkerchief or towers snap before. Before seeing them, I would never have expected an adult to be that nervously tight.

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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

Is it correct that doing this straight arm forehand you take the ball a bit more side on than a normal forehand? When I take the ball a bit early with a straight arm I noticed more shoulder strain.

I've seen it, heck I've done it against my robot but I'm really unsure if I could ever become good enough with it to actually use it regularly in a match. The timing required is just mind blowing to me.

However I will take the challenge and I will do the beginner steps.

Edit: I don't think it's about relaxing. It's more about being fast with the core and allowing the momentum to assist your arm. Relaxed? Heck no...looks extremely physically demanding!

If you have long arms it feels more natural. It was how I first learned to hit the ball. I had no concept of salute, I just wanted to use the longest lever I had available to hit the ball.

I don't think I would do this now just because my shoulder is crap but I think the overall form and physics would teach people a lot. A lot of table tennis is about having racket head speed and turning that into quality balls, but some people just don't know how to get that speed and focus on things other than that speed. Whip etc is very important, but the goal is still racket head speed. Ido you can get it some other safe way, do it. Hard to beat the physics of whips though.

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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

In all TTEdges videos the serve goes cross court. What is the true way to serve down the line without it telegraphing too early? Or there is a video about that?

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Tactics Enthusiast

Isn't that just practice?

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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

Practice is important, but there is more than one way to seve down the line. For example:

1) Just turn the body before service -- this will be obvious to the opponent
2) Aim cross-court, but contact the ball later during the swing -- more deceptive, but it feels like it compromises the contact significantly
3) Aim cross-court, but suddenly turn the body right before the contact -- also deceptive, easier to maintain the contact, but timing is tricky

I can make a video if it is not clear. I tried to watch pros and it seems that their way to go is #3. I just want to know if I am wrong or not. There could also other ways to do that. BTW, Ma Long often serves pendulum down the line to setup his forehand.

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Tactics Enthusiast

WRT serving down the line instead of cross court, "It's all in the wrist action!" may sound facetious but ...

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

There really isn't any magic formula other than practice.

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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

This video is simply irresponsible. It's a Trojan horse that has now infected my entire game. Yeah it's supposed to help the forehand but it bleeds into the backhand and serves and makes any shots that don't have this little drum thing action happening feel like garbage.

I know it isn't really new information but it's presented in a way that I cannot escape - the pure logic of it cannot be denied.

I recommend not watching if you have a tournament coming up that you want to win.

I've been working on the shadow exercises frim this video and I played my first match since I started the shadow training a few days ago.
Without really trying, I'm pretty sure it's starting to kick in already.
I found it very effective for generating a ton on no spin and Topspin balls.
Even over the table without a full backswing.

My FH is my better shot and this technique feels like a ton of power, without more effort.

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

So true. I was kinda scratching my head at the "tick-whip" backhand video a while back. And then it started making more sense with the whip serve (this was when Brett figured out how to explain what was going on). Now apparently you can do it on the forehand as well...



Yeah, it messed up my weekend social doubles for about a day. Was missing shots, timing was totally off.. A day later and I started connecting and was making a lot more spin than I was before. Haven't as yet gotten around to the shadow drills even..

Iskandar

BTW, I think I found a guy with the MOST RELAXED ARM EVER! Look here starting from 5:10. Arm of the guy in the red shirt is like a rope:

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Tactics Enthusiast