This is a review of a Tibhar instructional DVD titled "Basic Exercises in Table Tennis Training." The video is listed at 40 minutes long and contains 81 on table exercises performed by some high level juniors, as well as some off table exercises for beginners.
As a player who spends a lot of time drilling with a robot due to a lack of local players, this video is a treasure trove of different ideas to program into the 'bot. Production values are basic but quite acceptable. One camera angle per exercise along with titles and narration.
I liked the clear demonstrations of the various stroke combinations that emphasized proper footwork.
Almost all of the drills were topspin vs topspin, so as a backhand pip player, many were of limited value unless I wanted to practice heavy twiddling. Still, as a player always looking to take my loop up another notch, there is plenty here to sink my teeth into.
Maybe a dozen of the drills at most involved some type of pushing, but no defensive shots or drills were included between the talented top-spinning atomatons performing the demonstrations.
I think this video would be a great training aid for teachers, juniors and double inverted players, as well as anyone looking for robot drill ideas.
This is the Table of Contents:
Adaptation Exercises:
Introduction
Balancing
Rebounding
Bounce on the Floor
Hitting
On Table Exercises For Attackers:
Introduction
Basic Schematic Exercises
Exercises For Linking Basic Strokes
Footwork Exercises
Half-Scheme Exercises
Exercises Without Scheme
Exercises With Service
I would give this DVD, produced in Zagreb, Croatia in 2006 and narrated in English, three stars.
I bought it at tabletennisdirect.com for £13.99.
I also picked up a companion volume titled "Table Tennis Physical Preparation" that I will review at a later date.
