Hello PHers!
I haven't posted in a month or 2. Here's a brief recap in my "unretirement" from TT lol
1. I haven't played for 32 years. A little over 3 years ago, I unretired from TT and starting playing again.
2. I have been mostly self-learning RPB for the past year. With a little help initially from a coach friend, he wanted me to learn the RPB basics of block, punch, and flat hit before attempting to learn to RPB spin. He advised a grip which makes it very easy for me to RPB block/punch/flat hit/spin. However, the grip for me is unorthodox. The past 2 or 3 months, I have tried to play with this unorthodox grip. I feel I don't get as much spin on my serves compared to when I used a traditional grip. It's unorthodox because I cannot find any YouTube teaching this grip .... thumb is gripping past the 'centerline' of the handle... that is, my thumb is past the thumb side of a traditional grip and onto the index finger side of the handle. My thumb crossed centerline. My index finger is resting on the edge of the blade, sometimes it's even on the back of the blade! I also feel I don't push as well as I used to.
3. I have gotten somewhat accustomed to the unorthodox grip. My RPB is getting steadier. I am able to rally deeper into the point. Lately, fellow members/friends have commented after playing against me as well as watching me play that I have improved. One friend/member who has an a LOT of wins over me, like 40 or 50 wins over me, i am exaggerating but it's not that far off LOL. I have had only 3 or 4 wins off of him and those were usually at 5 games. Most of the time it's me forcing myself to use RPB to spin or punch and i lose the point.
Last week, I beat him 3-0, but he got 8 pts average a game. I'm still messing up, but finally my RPB is also winning some points. Others and even he himself says I'm more skilled than him, but he plays steady to return the ball and i 'hang myself' and make unforced errors most of the time from my RPB missing. So finally after a year or so and changing to a different grip, my RPB is starting to 'click'. I played him again this week and lost 3-2 LOL. In my 3-0 win, I RPB slow heavy topsin to his BH and he had no answer for it. Funny that I learn this tactic or strategy from Der_Echte for my FH loop which I have neglected in the past year while concentrating on my RPB.
I also play another friend who is better than me. JPenner who has a FH loop, killer FH smash, and a BH smash. He still wins 3-0 or 3-1, but I am averaging 7 or 8 points a game against him when I used to only get 4 or 5.
The other factor of my gameplay is that I rush my shots. On some points, when I'm mindful of it, I don't rush my shots and am able to get longer rallies instead of losing the point on 2nd or 3rd ball, I'm now winning/losing on 5th-7th.
4. I am slowly working on my FH loop again. I am mostly arm. I am not using my core/legs as much. This is because when I was a kid, I wasn't officially taught the loop. I picked it up on my own watching other players looping.
5. Working on my other weaknesses too sooner or later ... slow to reset to neutral after serve or shots, reading spin (partly because I should wear glasses but don't when I play LOL), relaxing and slowing down/don't rush myself.
And for all that read this far, thank you LOL
Very truly yours in TT,
~osph