OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi all,
I would like to learn playing TT in a more consistent way and looking for a professional advice. At least one session to have my questions answered. Ideally on a regular basis. Sydney south or cbd..
I have been playing for 25 years but still cannot play. Tried to approach a good coach but was politely told off because i think they do not train beginners like me.
I am looking at improving consistency first of all but for sure need to revisit basic skills as I have a lot of bad habits. Would prefer a defensive play unless I am deceived that it suits me better.. Got the slowest noname racket with 729 on both sides with very thin sponge, this is what i am comfortable with atm..
As an example i still cannot smash a slow no spin ball with bh if it is pretty high at my face level. Have no idea how to plan a strategy of a match, just trying various shots at random. So a lot to learn...
Watched videos and videos... But cannot apply everything.. Any ideas where i can learn a bit?
Thanks in advance!

I'm not from Sydney, so I can't help you find a coach. I am a little bewildered though on how you could play 25 years and feel like a beginner. Have you played competition in that time or just with friends? Have friends not tried to help you learn better strokes? Have you considered an online coach that you can send videos to and receive advice back if you can't find one locally? There is a lot of that kind of coaching going on these days. The thread about TTEdge's coaching is all about that. Maybe you should have a read of it. There are other online resources like pingskills videos available to help too.

I also wonder why the coach you approached wouldn't help you. Are you certain there was no misunderstanding between what you asked and what his answer was?

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Strategy is of little use if your consistency is not good. Work on that first.

If you are prepared to pay some and still can't get a proper coach to help you, see if there is someone fairly consistent around who will do drills if you offer to pay for it. Keep it simple, counterhits, 15 min. each wing, then alternating. Even when you want to play mainly defense, you need to have good consistency in counterhits. This is not a typical stroke for match play, but rather the foundation of every topspin stroke. Without a foundation, you cannot build anything...

About the backhand smash: If the ball is high, wait for it to drop a bit. BH smash is a difficult stroke in every racket sport, and i think it's even more so in TT. Either it is high enough that you have time to run around and hit with your FH, or you wait 'till it drops to "armpit level". Hit it higher and you'll lose control.

As for Sydney, I'm on the other side of the earth so no help in that department, sorry! Surely someone else will have an idea...

Have fun!

_________________
My blog of failures, etc., also containing equipment list at "resurrection" (referred to in a few of my early posts), and my current lineup
Rating in the middle/low range in the region.
Moderating the LP Attacking subforum in the Technique section.

Hi Jay Random,

There is a list of accredited coaches on the TTNSW website. Just a moment, I'll get a link ... ah here it is:
http://www.ttnsw.com.au/home/index.php/coaching/item/338-nsw-accredited-coaches
FYI Level 3 is highest, level 1 is lowest.

I am from Sydney, however I'm on the northern beaches and work in North Sydney.

I can't imagine any of the coaches on the list turning down money for a one-on-one session answering your questions. You did offer to pay them for their expertise?

Alternatively, you could turn up to one of the venues listed here:
http://www.ttnsw.com.au/home/index.php/playing-venues
that is close to you, play, and get some more informal advice if it is in any way friendly.

The other alternative, as my esteemed colleague is to get some video of your game up on the web (particularly of you playing the shots you want help with - not just a "best of"), link to it here and ask for advice. Don't be shy. There are some very experienced people here that will give you feedback.

There are also some, we call them EJs (equipment junkies) that could advise you on blade and rubbers, also Haggisv, who runs the forum is a TT dealer.

Lots of recreational players, who can beat all of their friends, turn up to clubs thinking they will beat everyone. They are usually not able to beat the weakest regular player, largely because of consistency and spin. I was one back in 1982. However, I persisted, played a lot, and improved to become our club champion a number of times and play in the top level of our pennant competition.

You get consistency from playing a lot, not from asking questions, unless you put the answers into practice (and practise ).

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

Hi thanks for great replies and info!
Retriever is right : playing for many years without proper training may get one to some/beginner level. This is what happened to me, when i joined a local club few years back i was put to grade c straight away and had to play with 80 years old recreational players. There was a couple who have been playing for something 65 years with each other and were at the same level. Could not learn much there, and could not get promotion to grade b..
Then i went to another place few times with no formal competition nights, you just book a table and have a hit. Got smashed there by random opponents not many would bother playing with me. Much better there but still hard to learn from just having a hit. This is where i approached a coach (he is level 2 as i can see now) and he said he was busy. But i will probably try to ask someone there to help me with drills for some cash if i do not find a coach, thanks for the idea! How much should i offer?
And how much do coaches of level 3 or no accreditation charge on average?
How much time you are looking at investing to learn consistently? That may be a constraint..
Have not considered online coaching and posting videos yet but watched a lot of pingskills et al.. How does online coaching work do you need a tt table at your place?
The only place i have TT table is my work we finally got it there in a good space.
And one more q... How do i contact coaches from that list? Via ttnsw email? I crosschecked against venues and found couple of them in other places not far away from me.. Will try to pop in there!

Hi Jay,

Level 1 is Low, level 3 is high. The TTNSW coaching director is Level 3. Without knowing your suburb is difficult to recommend. You may have to book ahead with a coach.

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

Doesn't mean level 1 is incompetent though. Perhaps means fees should be less though. I think a L1 coach probably shouldn't charge more than about $25/hr.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Sorry mate got it wrong although you did warn me..:/
I live near Hurstville, work in cbd, saturday mornings I usually stay not far from Sydney Olympic Park and have couple of hours of time while waiting for kids.

In your exoerience, how much time did you contribute weekly when you decided to progress from recreational player?

Hi Jay, great endeavour to improve. A coach would be great but I think what can be just as important is finding a training partner who is just as focussed as you on improving. I'm in the situation where there is no coach here (though I am level 1 to help our beginners) and I can't seem to find anyone who wants to do drills. Everyone just wants to hit and play games. I really believe that if that is all everyone does then no-one will improve or they will just improve a little at the same rate so no-one will break free of the pack. Of course many people don't want to improve, and thats ok too, its just not where I'm at right now.
A coach would be your best bet but in the absence of that, a like minded training partner, a box of 100 balls and some drills and advice from this forum is the next best thing. I'd say training once a week for a couple of hours will see improvement over 6 months, if you've got bad habits though, its a hard process and you and your partner need to really want to change.

Individual training will cost around $20 to $35 per hour but group sessions would be around $5.

Good luck !!

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

Watch out. Those 80 year old rec players might not be so bad. If there were only 3 grades in the club, in terms of US ratings, who knows - that third grade might include people all the way up to 1700 or so, which AREN'T bad players... Anyone rated 1100 or so would whip most basement players.

Iskandar

We have three grades and the 'c' grade would be lucky to rate anywhere near 500 US. If there was a rating on laughing, squeeling and having fun, they would rate in the high 2,000's, not like us grumpy, serious A Graders.

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

Jay wrote:



Hurstville - HALC is the centre of St George & Sutherland Shire Table Tennis - I can't remember which nights it is used for table tennis. See the link for venues I posted previously. Wayne Heginbotham does something there. If Kogarah is not too far, try Kogarah RSL, some players there may be able to answer your questions.

CBD Not much

SOP - Either contact TTNSW to see if someone is using the Sports Halls for table tennis on the Saturday, contact them & see if they would be willing to answer questions when they are there on a Saturday.

Other alternatives:

Post your questions here (or pm your questions to me or one of the other members by prior arrangement)

Schedule a meet up with me or one of the copious numbers of other Sydney OOAKers as a one-off.

FYI I help run a mostly social Saturday afternoon TT session at Manly Vale on the northern beaches. Details are 3:30 - 5:30pm at Manly Vale Community Centre, cnr Condamine St & Lovett St Manly Vale. $5 if you play, free to ask me questions and I am not playing. I am not a coach (I am an umpire though). I have been playing competition for the most part of the time since then. Suggested as a one-off as well.

When I started back in 1982, I went to club practice (matches unless drilling by agreement) on a Saturday afternoon from 1:30 or 2pm till 6-7pm and played competition. From memory I started in C grade. I had the advantage of a "funny" style to start with, and practice made it much more consistent. I do have a blog here, but it doesn't go back as far as that

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

Hehe...i been playing 3 years longer than you then Retriever...I began in 1979, gee that seems a long time ago now.

I started in D grade (but went up a grade every year after lol) as 2x-inverted. We played on a Thursday nights from 7.30 til 11pm. If you were lucky you got 15 or 20 minutes of hitting before matches. Luckily, I also had a table at home and mates that could give a decent hit. i reckon i spent 2-3 hours on a Saturday or Sunday (or both) hitting at home. Wish i'd had a coach back then though, I'd have advanced so much further I'm sure. I only changed to pips btw, when I came back to competitive TT at age 41 and started reading this forum

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

A 500 level player would be really, really low - at tournaments you see little kids just starting out, they can barely see over the table but they can get the ball back and know something about spin, those would already be rated 700-800 (and they don't remain there long!). Most "basement" players would be around 700-850 (you could easily fool this level player just by using a sponge racket and putting some sidespin on the ball). Anyone rated 1000 would be able to handle pushes (backspin) and topspin to some degree. This is about where most adults who haven't had any formal training attending a first tournament start.

Iskandar

Our B2 grade is about where the garage players with little experience with spin come in. We do ratings down to B2, C grade dont have ratings. Our lower B2 grade are about 220 in ratings central. Our c grade is a level below. In our marketing we say the standard is very accomodating to new players. Its true and they are all welcome.

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