Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[SchemeSC]

@Nextlevel

For a stroke like mine, in order to come around the side of the balI, I will need to think about keeping the tip of the rubber facing the floor on the backswing, correct? With my current stroke, the tip of the rubber faces the wall behind me. It's hard for me to imagine coming around the side of the ball with my current backswing.

NL has been trying to get me to contact the ball more on the side on both wings for a long time. So I'm going to be a guinea pig and see how much this helps a player at my level.

 

[Shuki]

NL's style isn't about creating spin? What else have I missed?

Player's styles aren't 1 dimensional.

 

[NextLevel]

I was thinking your hitting partner wasn't able to hit very well until I saw him start looping himself. I just don't like his blocks I guess. You seem pretty comfortable counter looping from off the table. Why do you want a counter loop on the table opposed to just counterhitting when you're close?

Because I want options when dealing with spin and counterspin usually let's you hit the ball harder with more consistency than counterhit. It's just harder. I already counter hit but you learn the really brain changing stuff when you counterspin.

 

[NextLevel]

@Nextlevel

For a stroke like mine, in order to come around the side of the balI, I will need to think about keeping the tip of the rubber facing the floor on the backswing, correct? With my current stroke, the tip of the rubber faces the wall behind me. It's hard for me to imagine coming around the side of the ball with my current backswing.

NL has been trying to get me to contact the ball more on the side on both wings for a long time. So I'm going to be a guinea pig and see how much this helps a player at my level.

It's one way but not the only way. The contact point and swing trajectory can be achieved in a variety of ways. It's just that if you want to deal with heavy spin close to the table, you will just be frustrated by hitting balls long. Asgarali used to do what you are suggesting BTW. But as long as you aim for the side too, you won't crash the back and all will be well. Try 4th ball counter looping with AS and see if your current stroke works. If it does ignore me.

 

[SchemeSC]

It's one way but not the only way. The contact point and swing trajectory can be achieved in a variety of ways. It's just that if you want to deal with heavy spin close to the table, you will just be frustrated by hitting balls long. Asgarali used to do what you are suggesting BTW. But as long as you aim for the side too, you won't crash the back and all will be well. Try 4th ball counter looping with AS and see if your current stroke works. If it does ignore me.

I haven't gotten too much into counterlooping yet, but I know that contacting the ball on the side is better based on my experiences looping against push. When I loop against the weak pushes of the local 1600 players, the consistency of my BH loop is quite good. But when I have to play my 2000 level buddy who has a nasty, heavy push (like you!), I start spraying balls all over the place. I can't deal with the heavier spin.

I just did these FH loops against easy balls on the robot about 15 minutes ago. What do you think? I tried aiming more at the side of the ball and keeping the tip of the rubber facing the floor on the backswing.

I feel like this stroke looks quite a bit different than what I was doing in the "53 loops video", but I'm still not completely sure I am doing what you are asking me to do.

 

[NextLevel]

SchemeSC, don't start the stroke low vs topspin but from where I sit, that looks right.

One of the keys to that stroke is that if the timing is right, you can swing pretty hard into the ball and still spin it because you are hitting it off center just by the nature of the stroke. You do have to minimize the sidespin component for optimum consistency.

 

[NextLevel]

Someone posted this video on mytt for a different reason but I have linked to a point in the video where a famous coach is looping backspin so you can see how he contacts the ball.

youtu.be/NbNbgB08z-E?t=473

 

[JapaneseSandman]

LoL
Great stuff guys. Keep it coming

 

[Der_Echte]

I played a round robin in a club near me and man, I do not know how they can play there. Low ceiling 5 rows of lights, little room behind tables, floor white, walls off white beige, etc. I couldn't pick up the ball to save my life, could see it as it went over net, but once off table, forget it. A twilight zone. All the players there are better men than me to keep playing there without becoming a Salty Sailor speakin' fool (like me when frustrated).

 

[Der_Echte]

I think I played 1300 level tonite over there.

 

[JeffM]

Got a bit of time to select the highlights. Enjoy

 

[Flatstyk]

NL, that is an very intriguing video. I found myself getting excited because I think I am just beginning to sense in my game some of what he might have been demonstrating...but maybe not! I wish there was an English translation. But what I think I saw was a demo showing some forearm rotation and wrist to be applied at moment of friction contact/acceleration, all applied (side top) in a way that matched the curved "shape" of the ball. Also it seemed he was showing how this avoided a mere hit of the ball, adding more friction control. Am I anywhere near correct in this understanding? I feel like running out to the table to practice some of this...and don't want to be headed down a wrong alley.

 

[SchemeSC]

NL, that is an very intriguing video. I found myself getting excited because I think I am just beginning to sense in my game some of what he might have been demonstrating...but maybe not! I wish there was an English translation. But what I think I saw was a demo showing some forearm rotation and wrist to be applied at moment of friction contact/acceleration, all applied (side top) in a way that matched the curved "shape" of the ball. Also it seemed he was showing how this avoided a mere hit of the ball, adding more friction control. Am I anywhere near correct in this understanding? I feel like running out to the table to practice some of this...and don't want to be headed down a wrong alley.

Swinging in a way that matches the shape of the ball is exactly how NL has described it to me before.

 

[Boogar]

I made a best of of my last three matches! Hope you like it!

 

[NextLevel]

NL, that is an very intriguing video. I found myself getting excited because I think I am just beginning to sense in my game some of what he might have been demonstrating...but maybe not! I wish there was an English translation. But what I think I saw was a demo showing some forearm rotation and wrist to be applied at moment of friction contact/acceleration, all applied (side top) in a way that matched the curved "shape" of the ball. Also it seemed he was showing how this avoided a mere hit of the ball, adding more friction control. Am I anywhere near correct in this understanding? I feel like running out to the table to practice some of this...and don't want to be headed down a wrong alley.

I don't speak a word of Chinese but that sounds about right from my understanding. I have written a lot about it here and elsewhere (mytt and ooakforum), but I am just putting together some pieces with more confidence as it is not something that I am being guided through. I am almost at the point where I can do a reasonable video on it but I just need to get my close to the table looping to a higher level to be sure I have fully nailed it.

 

[Flatstyk]

I played 3+ hrs tonight with one of my regular practice partners. And merely told him I was experimenting a bit with some new stroke mechanics...and he was uncommonly frustrated with his difficulties in handling some of my shots. I hope it is not just an aberration, and that I have indeed stumbled upon an new dimension to my forehands! A few more sessions should tell much.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I played wednesday at the club, and today 1h with the coach. As usual after (long) tournaments, the week after, there is a bit less motivation and focus, and less energy to fight at the table, with me being a bit upset at the results and the way I played...
hope it will get better next week...

 

[JeffM]

Today is the last day of my elective in HK, and I left early, so I decided to reward myself


Now I am so broke.

 

[shinshiro]

Yesterday I played for the first time with a single ply hinoki blade, a Kokutaku D-50 (previously I was using Galaxy 985).

I was very curious to know how it would be, because hinoki wood is so praised by some people that it seems to have some "mystic" aura on it haha

I will write some simpressions about the blade compraing with 985. It's important to say that I'm a beginner, so I don't have a very stable mechanics nor much feel for the ball and etc. It is just a beginner's point of view, so be aware that can be very imprecise / wrong....

Previous setup: Galaxy 985, 91g, about 8mm thickness, with Rasant Grip rubber
Current setup: Kokutaku No.1 D-50, 83g, 9 mm thickness, with Rasant Grip rubber

The first thing I noticed is how much different is the sound produced between the two. 985 has always a "TÁK" sound, and D-50 is more like "TÓF". It only "TÁKs" on faster strokes.

I don't know if I was influenced by the sound, but I felt that D-50 was much softer than 985. D-50 seemed to have more dwell time. When I played with 985, it seemed that I was playing with an iron blade haha. But I don't know if I actually produced more spin with D-50.

About speed, I got the impression that 985 is faster than D-50. On another hand, D-50 looks to have more gears - it seems to be slower on slow strokes, but produces good speed com faster strokes. 985 appears to be fast all the time.

Since I'm not capable of doing a more detailed review, I will stop here, that's the only thing I can write =(
But I hope it can be of some help (even if it's little) for other beginners that are curious to see how a hinoki blade is compared to a "regular" blade.

 

[Yecats Encerwal]

Now I am so broke.

Broke financially, but rich in Tenergy!