Any advice welcome...

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Hi, Takkyu. How long have you been playing for and how do you want to play? There are a lot of things anyone can improve. But the beginning is always a decision on how you want to play. Sometimes, how long you have been playing for is important as well as a lot of the game is about experience and you have to be able to see certain things to play better.

I think in general, you are playing too fast and taking the ball too early for your consistency and you aren't watching the game properly. Your forehand looks good but your backhand needs work, which means both need work. You do very well when you play with heavy spin but you don't get heavy spin consistently. This is the biggest change I would make - change your stroke timing to focus on heavy spin.
 
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I have been playing for far too long, over 20 years... in the earlier years, i would play fast flat serve + hit flat as quickly as possible, i couldn't do much with my BH. but i was moving rather well. I've been taking lessons with private coaches weekly for 3 years now. Of course, i think i move much less than before because of my age, but i think my technique is better. But maybe before, i could do less things, but i was doing them better, and was able to win more games...

In practice sessions, I can do quite good BH, but i've got so not much confidence in games and rely too much on my FH.
 
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I'd like to play "macho" game, attack and finish the point quickly. stay at the table, i don't like to move too far back.
but in a sense I'm allround, i can block, even chop rather well (i used to do it a lot in training but its not consistent enough so i don't try it in games, but i often fish some points doing so). The only thing i absolutely cannot do, is lobbing

I would like to use my BH more. My coach says i should use it even if it means losing a few matches, but i just couldn't stick to his advice (once more) this time agian...
 
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I will focus on your backhand. I would recommend the following:

1) Change your backhand rubber - it is too hard. You need something you can swing easily with. Try Tenergy 80 FX or Tenergy 80.

2) Get your backhand technique better - usually, when you lack confidence in your backhand, it is because your backswing on the backhand is too tight and is not loose like your forehand. I see this in your warmup and in the match - you do this tiny backhand stroke but this powerful forehand stroke. Maybe these videos can help you. Good luck.



 
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Serve and receive game is KILLING you dude. (It kills everyone)

First suggestion would be to practice the shortened serve motion and consistent impact of bottom of ball with a very loose grip. You do this on side of table by doing a ball toss, then cut under the ball, maybe even try for a bit to the front of ball to make sure you get the bottom, then let the ball spin back to you. Every day do this 15 minutes for a few weeks or a month. It seems really boring, but it will get you to develop the feel for the impact and its timing. Then you would be able to go to the table to practice. Don't be in a rush, just get the impact right, don't worry about height right now. 10-15 min a day for a couple months. By then, you have learned the impact and its timing, then you can experiment with how high you make your impact and where you make first bounce, you should start off with right around halfway to net or a little further.

Too many things to do on receive and you need some good servers to help you practice the soft grip off the bounce short, sudden firm up fast deep push, and the different flicks, maybe learn how to remove spin from ball and place it good - that works well at your level and few above it.
 
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Hiz footwork isn't his largest problem(s). Sure, he could use great footwork to move from his current Div 4 playing level (Korean system est) to Div 1, but he isn't gunna get a whole lot better in games even if he wore Ryu Seung Min's sneakers right now. Same applies to me.
 
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Hey buddy!
First of all, CHILL!
What actually is happening js that you are trying to be over ambitious on every point. Take time in playing shots. It seems you are trying things too fast. Check pro players game. Their shots are fast because their timing is perfect. And let the rallies happen. What actually is happening is that you are trying to finish point fast, and that is going into your disadvantage.
Also your service is too high. If you are serving so high, definitely your opponent will receive the serve such that you won't be able to do 3rd ball attack often.
Also your positioning and centre of gravity. Chill and go for 60-40 or 70-30. It's a circular sport, you need not to hop around much.
And most importantly, you should have in mindset that long rallies will happen. You are not comfortable with it and you try to finish point early, and in that you lose. Mind that,that is very important.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk
 
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thanks for the links, i will check them.

I was indeed in a rush to finish the point quickly. Thats the way i like to play, but I would'nt say I am generally afraid of rallies. Its just I thought that player was better than me overall and in rallies, and that i should try to take as much risk as possible. His first attack is not so fast but consistent, low and spinny, especially from BH side and I know i'm not good against this type of balls.

Apart from that, i'm turning 44 so I can't expect to move like i was 20 anymore !

As for serve, i'm practising hard, and along the lines you've described for the short underspin serve, for at least a year, but I just can't do it consistently yet, especially under pressure... When practising a while, i can do , with the ball even with retro motion, but success rate is not high enough and progress is very very slow in that area...

BTW, how many divs in Korea ? is 4 lowest ?
 
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I always describe Korean amature system, maybe I make a separate thread.

You have National and City/Regional and club division systems.

Beginner = "Cho-Bo" Div
Divisions 6-8 Club is Cho-Bo City
Div 5 City is a slightly below average to average player
Div 4 City is club average to slightly above average the best of this division play Div 5 in a national tourney
Div 3 City is maybe the top 20-15 percentile and these usually play Div 4 national and lose before round of 64
Div 2 City is the top 15-5 percentile and play Div 4 National. They compete, but always lose by round of 32
Div 1 City is the top 5 percent of the city. The weaker ones play Div 4 national and lose before round of 16 in Div 4 and the top play Div 3 national
Div 0 (ZERO) and Div -1 (MINUS ONE) for players too good for city/Regional Div 1 and they gotta give City Div 1 2-3 pts handicap. These guys play Div 2 or Div 1 national
Div 1 National is a ringer group way too good for the average club or city ace.
Champions League National is for the winners of Div national tourneys
ATHLETE Division is for former High School and College TT athletes who would normally destroy the National Div 1 player, this is the only event they can play.
City Hall Team members are the top ATHLETE Div players and one step short of the pro league
Korean Pro League is made up of World Top 100 players minimum, perhaps the last spot on the team is WR 150ish

I went to Korea as a low 1600s USATT rated recreational player with zero coaching, prolly 1.5 levels lower level than Carl (who would be a top Div 4 city player or mid of pack Div 3 city player) I played Div 2 City after a couple years and the TD always put me in Div 3 National, just to see me get eliminated earlier. I left Korea and did a tourney in USA and came out 1940s rated. Our rating system is not perfect and neither is the divisional system.
 
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Here are somethings that I would try along with all of the above that fellow table tennis daily forum members have mentioned :
1. Vary your serve more , placement, speed and spin. Find a comfortable speed for your stock serve where you know that you can make the third ball more than 80 percent of the time.
2. Take time before each serve to think on what you are going to do next , once the serve comes back. You seem to allow your opponent to dictate the speed of play . In this particular case he seems very comfortable going quick and not waiting at all between points. If I am ending up losing , I will slow this down.
3. See if a softer rubber helps you with your forehand , even check if your game improves with a slower blade.
4. Watch your opponent closely and see what his technique is and what he likes doing. In this case I would have tried some long topspin/heavy underspin serves to the body or to the backhand . Also, if you see a person who is a blocker, slow down your loop and loop it heavy and see if you can set it up for the kill or make him miss his blocks.

... never shy away from a rally, you have to think that ball will always come back no matter what. Thats what helps you to be in good position and maintain focus and also helps your game improve even when you are losing.
 
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thanks for the links, i will check them.

I was indeed in a rush to finish the point quickly. Thats the way i like to play, but I would'nt say I am generally afraid of rallies. Its just I thought that player was better than me overall and in rallies, and that i should try to take as much risk as possible. His first attack is not so fast but consistent, low and spinny, especially from BH side and I know i'm not good against this type of balls.

Apart from that, i'm turning 44 so I can't expect to move like i was 20 anymore !

As for serve, i'm practising hard, and along the lines you've described for the short underspin serve, for at least a year, but I just can't do it consistently yet, especially under pressure... When practising a while, i can do , with the ball even with retro motion, but success rate is not high enough and progress is very very slow in that area...

BTW, how many divs in Korea ? is 4 lowest ?
About the service, check Werner Schleger's serve technique on youtube. They are simple and very effective. We need to keep the serve low and short. Trust me, you will be able to do service exactly like him, very simple they are.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk
 

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There are lots of great suggestions here, I watched the first 5 minutes. I like how your positive and are hungry to win on every point with good focus. These are winning traits. There are two things however which I found:

1) Serve and receive. Do plenty of serve and receive practice with different players. Perhaps get a coach to look over this area with you. I think to often you lost cheap points or set your opponent up to easily.

2) Watch the rally from 3.26. This is a perfect example on how you need to play... with superb control, spin and consistency. You won the point there because you used all three of these elements in your game plan then. As others have mentioned you are sometimes over eager and forced/rushed. This point from 3.26 shows perfect example how you need to be. There were times where I felt you should have spun the ball rather then going for a complete winner. I think to improve on this area you need to practice lots of consistency, 20 balls on the table with good spin and consistency. In our latest podcast which will release in a few weeks with coach Richard Prause he talks about this quite a bit.

Keep up the fantastic work, you have a great game there! Love your athleticism to!
 
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There are lots of great suggestions here, I watched the first 5 minutes. I like how your positive and are hungry to win on every point with good focus. These are winning traits. There are two things however which I found:

1) Serve and receive. Do plenty of serve and receive practice with different players. Perhaps get a coach to look over this area with you. I think to often you lost cheap points or set your opponent up to easily.

2) Watch the rally from 3.26. This is a perfect example on how you need to play... with superb control, spin and consistency. You won the point there because you used all three of these elements in your game plan then. As others have mentioned you are sometimes over eager and forced/rushed. This point from 3.26 shows perfect example how you need to be. There were times where I felt you should have spun the ball rather then going for a complete winner. I think to improve on this area you need to practice lots of consistency, 20 balls on the table with good spin and consistency. In our latest podcast which will release in a few weeks with coach Richard Prause he talks about this quite a bit.

Keep up the fantastic work, you have a great game there! Love your athleticism to!

thanks for your kind words. Its the first time i get praised for my athleticism LOL. My arms are very thin, and i'm more often called a popinjay... I'll try to keep fighting as long as my body and mind follow...
 
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thanks for your kind words. Its the first time i get praised for my athleticism LOL. My arms are very thin, and i'm more often called a popinjay... I'll try to keep fighting as long as my body and mind follow...

I think necax007 who was complaining about your footwork needs to stop using cut and paste...

Your movement and athleticism is pretty good and excellent for an amateur adult and it will only improve as your strokes and anticipation gets better. The biggest thing is to play with more spin as as Dan said. That is the reason why you are afraid to rally.

I think your serve and receive mindset will change if you start approaching the game with a heavy spin mindset as many of the best strokes for returning serves are spin strokes. Spin bothers people and limits options - you don't have to hit the ball hard every time to win the point. The change from hitting for pace to playing for spin and placement is the hardest adjustment for many players to make but those who make it get better really really fast. I think for you, as others have said, while you want to end the point early, you need to expand your mindset to embrace the rally.

So spin and embrace the rally. Even when returning serve, think spin.
 
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Well, I think that the key points have been said. Jittery as you are trying to end points fast. More consistency. MORE SPIN. Spin Everything. That attitude. And, Der_Echte really hit the nail on the head. You need to work on serves a lot. The lack of control and jitteriness comes out in your serves, the way some are high, the way you rush.

But, as Dan said, you need to work a lot on serve and receive. If your serves get better you could go up a level. If your serve and receive goes up, you go up another level. If you relax and are more patient in rallies and use placement and spin rather than trying to force things, you go up another two levels.

No coffee for you when you play. :) You are already a bit too hyped up. But, as Dan says, that comes out as you having a great attitude.

Serve and receive drills where you play out points as if it was a game but you do not count points could help you relax and hit your grove.

The posts by Der_Echte, Next Level and Dan are all golden. Those posts contain the most important information for you. You are strong, athletic and have the basics. You just need to hone your skills with more game simulation practice and definitely practicing the serves.

Good work none the less.
 
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all right, I'm always been told to use more spin anyway. Actually its not that i don't use spin at all or can't use it, but i realize I don't mix enough or choose the kind of ball which causes most problem to my opponent.

Regarding my mindset, i think its also due to the weakness of my mental game. I've played for too long and lost way too many matches, and its affecting my self confidence, despite being coached for a while now.

I hope I work hard on it and everything else you told me, and come post something much better in the coming weeks or months.
 
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I will focus on your backhand. I would recommend the following:

1) Change your backhand rubber - it is too hard. You need something you can swing easily with. Try Tenergy 80 FX or Tenergy 80.

Man, just flip the racket/paddle. I think that can change a whole lot already.
 
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all right, I'm always been told to use more spin anyway. Actually its not that i don't use spin at all or can't use it, but i realize I don't mix enough or choose the kind of ball which causes most problem to my opponent.

Regarding my mindset, i think its also due to the weakness of my mental game. I've played for too long and lost way too many matches, and its affecting my self confidence, despite being coached for a while now.

I hope I work hard on it and everything else you told me, and come post something much better in the coming weeks or months.

No, no. Don't mix or vary - just SPIN everything! If the ball is high, spin drive or heavy topspin with precise placement. If the ball is low, heavy topspin. Forget flat strokes. Spin everything. Spin the ball slowly - let your opponent stare at the ball.

Most people like you (and I was like you, trust me) think that spin is slow, that the opponent has all the time, but it is more complicated than that.

1) Spin helps with consistency and timing, and the ball trajectory and power creates problems for the opponent as they are looking at a slow ball with lots of power and they can't tell how much power just by looking at it - it could be more or less than they predict.

2) Because spin lets you play at your own pace, you will be able to play consistent strokes and watch the opponent react to them. This gives you time to rally and adjust for the next ball.

3) Because spin makes you more consistent, you can place the ball in extremely uncomfortable locations as your control gets better. You can spin to the elbow, or spin with sidespin to go wide. If you are late to the ball, you can just spin the ball and step back and many opponents will block that ball off the table anyways.

4) Because you have good movement, you will be able to get to the ball early and relaxed and sometimes instead of spinning it, you will spin drive it or kill it. But right now, you are playing under pressure all the time, so you are rushing to everything. When you play with spin, you will pick and choose your moments and you will be much more relaxed unless the opponent is much faster and stronger than you are.

5) When you spin, your timing improves so much that you can start killing balls that you thought were not killable.

Trust me, if you spin EVERYTHING for 6 months, you will be a very strong player very very fast. Then you can then start thinking about variation but you may be playing so well you don't want to vary anything. You move too well and have too much power to be struggling like this.
 
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