OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I tend to put the ball into the net against top spin. I think I'm over adjusting? Maybe not hitting the ball hard enough? Obviously video would be useful here. Works best if I do a smaller motion and a 45 degreeish stroke.

I think I've found a regular practice group...see if I can get them to buy into me doing some video.

It's impossible to say without seeing some examples.

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LTT74 and DTT9 are available on ttEDGE.com

The forehand flick is really tough for adult learners and I'm hoping that LTT74 helps. DTT9 is another good drill which I use with players who have solid technique.

The topic of recovery is briefly discussed in DTT9. The early cues from your opponent's body and racket subconsciously and dynamically impact recovery. It's a pretty deep Rabbit Hole.

Upcoming LTT topics include:
- Semi Cross Footwork
- Returning Serve
- 4 Serve Patterns (Which patterns get the most spin)
- Backhand Serving

Feel free to offer suggestions for the LTT series.

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I see the chinese players use a little split step or hop between points. Is this a topic you could cover?

+1

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Do you mean between points or between shots?

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Not sure about maurice101, I am interested in hops between shots. This is a long lasting mystery to me. One very good player taught me that I should make a single hop in place after the serve recovery, it will make jumping in position for the third ball easier. She also said that I should make a single hop between shots. However, I always struggled to make exactly single hop. Instead I used to "jitter" in place between shots with multiple hops. So other good players told me to stop doing that because I was "too bouncy". The result is that I abandoned the whole thing with hops between shots completely. I'd be definitely interested in your thoughts on this concept.

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It depends on your level of play. If you are a 60 year old guy in your first lesson, you need to be pretty still to learn the shots. If you are a 2600 player with all the shots, then bouncing for additional momentum is an important aspect of the sport.

If you are standing flat on the floor, it's difficult to move quickly in an unknown direction. If you have some spring in your legs, then you are already moving and it's easier to continue moving. I'm trying to visualize making a video about this topic and I see issues. It's very advanced stuff and it may mess people up who are going through the stages of learning shots and trying to do basic DTT type exercises.

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I am neither of those, so I wonder what should I do. At this moment I am trying to force myself to stay on the toes in between shots without hopping, which is challenging enough. I've been doing jump rope lately to enhance this capability. It brought some positive results so I am not that hopeless (at least I'd like to think so).

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Yes I meant the micro jump between each shot and after the serve is what I meant. The video below covers this topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYXFqUDmnI&t=326s

I too are trying to stay on my toes as much as possible and I feel this is the first step for me in learning this technique.
Give it a year or two.....

The Hop in place comes from a Tennis background - where it is commonly known as a "Split Step"

The reason its set to higher level players in TT is due to the reflexes and level of fitness required to complete it every time - in Tennis, they get you to Split Step as your opponent hits the ball, so that you are on the move before you're even thinking about being on the move, it gives you an extra half second. I guess in TT it works the same - but damned hard to do considering everything is done by the "Split" second

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Yes, learning the micro jump is not easy and takes lots of time

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This is not how I was coached in tennis. The split step was if you were recovering back to center to stop moving and balance yourself as your opponent hit so you could go in any direction, including forward, withour having to stop first.

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Another possible video idea. I have just realized (with bretts help!) just how important is a fast takeback on the backswing in all the table tennis strokes This fast takeback is essential for a good whip pattern which leads to a much faster racket head speed. The shots come much more explosive. More spin, more speed and much harder to read. (eg serves, flips, backhand etc)
No one has told me to do this in 3 years of lessons. I have not read online about this topic too.
I know I rush my strokes. Now I know the main reason why I need to wait much longer before starting a stroke which is to go back fast to get a good whip.
I now know why good players say you have more time to play a stroke than you think.
So I now see a relationship between waiting, a fast takeback with no delay in the end of the backswing, a good whip, fast racket head speed and the correct contact position in regards to the body.
Why is table tennis so hard??
Some ideas for videos??? Maybe having someone do multi ball with different speeds of the ball to train waiting and all of the above mechanics???? Or shadow swings with the correct mechanics and trying to do the same timing and whip mechanics in multiball?? Or examples of players with slow takeback compared to fast?? Or trying to bring more awareness to the correct whip feeling somehow. Has anyone else got some training ideas for videos?

The Split Step in tennis has similarities, but it's not always exactly what happens table tennis. It makes a lot of sense in tennis as one shot has very little to do with the next. You have a significant pause between your shots, so you can deliberately load-up your legs around the time your opponent strikes the ball. You load-up the legs with the purpose of preparing to chase after the next ball. Often in table tennis, the recovery from your previous shot is your bounce into the next because of the limited time in TT. You don't have time to stand around and then make another bounce before your opponent strikes the ball. Though sometimes in TT, you have time to make a small bounce immediately after you play your shot which coincided with your opponent's contact and that's when it all works like a deliberate tennis split-step. Your legs act as a spring which makes you lighter for your next move.

I may make a video on this topic. It's interesting to note that this all happens subconsciously in elite table tennis. No one is practicing their bounce or bounce timing etc.

The video posted above is about recovery after a shot and it's not exactly about the TT Split Step or bounce. It's about jumping back into position after short balls or serves and it's somewhat valid. The only outstanding issue how your opponent's cues impact your recovery.

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