Need tips on how to improve my feeling/control

[Walalang]

I'm not really new to the game but I don't really practice that much cuz i don't have much time but any tips on how to improve my feeling and control for the ball? Its something that I struggle with. I'm not sure if its because of my equipment or anything else but yeah

 

[Der_Echte]

Blades and rubbers certainly define what can and cannot well happen, but seeing the ball and getting to the right position on time with leverage and a clear idea of what to do with the ball count a lot more than equipment itself.

Having said that, I will sound like an old TT grandpa by saying get a wooden blade with a proven record of making it EASY to feel the ball.

tabletennis11.com prices for the blade in my sig have risen considerably, up to a whopping $30 USD after 30% discount. same price for each of my rubbers.

I must have built 20 of such bats in the last two years and run tt11 out of stock on the Donic PPP and Aurus rubbers many times over.

Still, ANYONE, from beginner to advanced player can feel the ball and develop a topspin game using it. (bat in my sig)

There may be HUNDREDS of other possible combo that are close enough to center of zone of appropriateness for your situation... do not over analyze it, get something at or near center of mass for what is right to feel and develop.

Just about any wood blade in ALL to OFF- zone will likely do it with some exception... and several of the inner blades or kevlar blades. Go for modern dynamic or old school softer sponeged rubber and when better get 47-48 esn hardness on FH.

 

[Der_Echte]

Then there is the argument of the TT learning with guidance from effective communicator coach or friend... and the many thousands of hours of effective practice. many never get here, so I hope you make it.

 

[suds79]

This might be kinda weird but I stand by this based on my own experience.

A number of years ago, as a penholder, I was learning how to hit a RPB formerly being a TPB guy.

Anyways, for the longest of time, I felt like I have no feel for it. Then at club just casually hitting with buddies, I stepped off the table and started fishing. I swear fishing is a feel type shot. You're not trying to kill it like a smash or loop. No you're feeling the ball back on over & over. Could be just me but I feel like it helped.

Ultimately that's what feel is. Do you have confidence in being able to put the ball exactly where you want it.

 

[Lazer]

This might be kinda weird but I stand by this based on my own experience.

A number of years ago, as a penholder, I was learning how to hit a RPB formerly being a TPB guy.

Anyways, for the longest of time, I felt like I have no feel for it. Then at club just casually hitting with buddies, I stepped off the table and started fishing. I swear fishing is a feel type shot. You're not trying to kill it like a smash or loop. No you're feeling the ball back on over & over. Could be just me but I feel like it helped.

Ultimately that's what feel is. Do you have confidence in being able to put the ball exactly where you want it.

Cool, I have a fishing trip coming up around the corner...

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I'm not really new to the game but I don't really practice that much cuz i don't have much time but any tips on how to improve my feeling and control for the ball? Its something that I struggle with. I'm not sure if its because of my equipment or anything else but yeah

its comes from practicing

yes, equipment does matter to a certain extent, but can't avoid practicing and assuming you can get the results from practicing.

having a coach would help a lot (and help with the time constraint you have)

 

[Walalang]

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[PoppaChubby]

Stop using carbon blades for a while and go back to an all wood one, simple as that. It all comes from the blade. Also, a hollow handle might help too, like the Donic ones.

Now first thing first: do you really need a carbon blade ? a stiff and really fast all wood one could be an alternative even with sticky chinese rubbers. I know all wood blades don't really match with sticky rubbers, but maybe you still need the feeling of an all wood blade.

First explanation by Simon Gauzy

Second explanation

 

[Tyce]

Stop using carbon blades for a while and go back to an all wood one, simple as that. It all comes from the blade. Also, a hollow handle might help too, like the Donic ones.

Now first thing first: do you really need a carbon blade ? a stiff and really fast all wood one could be an alternative even with sticky chinese rubbers. I know all wood blades don't really match with sticky rubbers, but maybe you still need the feeling of an all wood blade.

First explanation by Simon Gauzy

Second explanation

I'm not sure what lead you to that conclusion. Sticky rubber is perfectly fine for all wood blades. Sticky rubber was widely used on wood well before carbon blades became mainstream.
Wood and sticky is a very controlled combination and helps to train full, powerful strokes. It's not for the lazy ones (like myself) but there's a large audience for it.

 

[NextLevel]

I'm not sure what lead you to that conclusion. Sticky rubber is perfectly fine for all wood blades. Sticky rubber was widely used on wood well before carbon blades became mainstream.
Wood and sticky is a very controlled combination and helps to train full, powerful strokes. It's not for the lazy ones (like myself) but there's a large audience for it.

Still not smart in my humble opinion if you are advanced players looking for short strokes and easier speed. But everyone does this differently...

 

[Tyce]

Still not smart in my humble opinion if you are advanced players looking for short strokes and easier speed. But everyone does this differently...

I agree, but players looking for compact strokes also have little business playing HL5/W968... Yet it's considered holy grail material often enough.
My personal experience with sticky on wood is that I found it too hard to get powerful quality balls out of the combo. If I was training 3-4x per week I'm sure the results would be much better. But I'm getting old, with the body of a desk job, so it's not for me.

 

[NextLevel]

I'm not really new to the game but I don't really practice that much cuz i don't have much time but any tips on how to improve my feeling and control for the ball? Its something that I struggle with. I'm not sure if its because of my equipment or anything else but yeah

There are three keys:

The first is to play all your strokes at different speeds. People who try to swing hard all the time end up swinging hard all the time and when their power or timing is off, they have no plan B. If you swing at different speeds with different levels of power, you get a better idea of what the different impacts do at different incoming and outcomes balls and spins.

The second is to play a lot of shots that you might miss but which will challenge your extremes and your concept of what is possible. For example, practice pushing or chop blocking heavy topspin balls into the net off the bounce. Or practice aiming for small targets with your serve returns of spinny serves or even no spin serves. Sometimes the difficulty of such things will make you look bad in the beginning but if you continue to adapt, you will find that you can make the ball do interesting things which you could not imagine when you started.

Finally, play with and find players who challenge your limits. You may need to get a coach or better player but another possibility is someone who plays with at least one non-inverted rubber and is always mixing up the spins. So you have to learn to adapt to the different spins to control the ball. Better players will just challenge you with their speed of game and ball quality so you will develop better feeling just by playing with them.

Good luck.

 

[NextLevel]

I agree, but players looking for compact strokes also have little business playing HL5/W968... Yet it's considered holy grail material often enough.
My personal experience with sticky on wood is that I found it too hard to get powerful quality balls out of the combo. If I was training 3-4x per week I'm sure the results would be much better. But I'm getting old, with the body of a desk job, so it's not for me.

Sticky on wood is not that smart . Many people who use sticky on wood let the stickiness degrade over time. The new balls are also too slow so it is not just you and age, the plastic balls have changed the game.

 

[igorponger]

Hi dear
Give a try to some thinner sponge, Mine is 1.2 millimeters, I like artistic shots.

_____________
Be happy all

 

[Walalang]

Stop using carbon blades for a while and go back to an all wood one, simple as that. It all comes from the blade. Also, a hollow handle might help too, like the Donic ones.

Now first thing first: do you really need a carbon blade ? a stiff and really fast all wood one could be an alternative even with sticky chinese rubbers. I know all wood blades don't really match with sticky rubbers, but maybe you still need the feeling of an all wood blade.

First explanation by Simon Gauzy

Second explanation

any recommendations for good all wood blades that aren't too expensive? Thanks

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I'm not really new to the game but I don't really practice that much cuz i don't have much time but any tips on how to improve my feeling and control for the ball? Its something that I struggle with. I'm not sure if its because of my equipment or anything else but yeah

There have been a few good posts so far.

But there are also some exercises that can help you develop how you touch the ball, how you control your blade face and therefore, your ability to feel the ball.

Playing around with trying to do any of the things Freitas does in this video would actually help. The one on the edge of the table, to start working on it, it is much easier to do with a wall. And the precision of being able to do it on a small part of the wall, would be needed before you can do it solidly on the edge of the table. Worth practicing with the wall.

Spin Catcher is very hard.

Second video:

This KillerSpin video has some similar exercises and some different ones. So there is overlap but the KillerSpin video shows more basic versions of the exercises.

Some of the exercises in the second video will also help you control how you touch and feel the ball.

 

[Ultravisitor]

any recommendations for good all wood blades that aren't too expensive? Thanks

Donic Persson powerplay
Yasaka extra offensive
Tibhar Stratus powerwood
Butterfly Korbel
Stiga clipper
Tibhar samsonov force pro

To name some well known and used ones. Also +1 for tibhar aurus

 

[Walalang]

Donic Persson powerplay
Yasaka extra offensive
Tibhar Stratus powerwood
Butterfly Korbel
Stiga clipper
Tibhar samsonov force pro

To name some well known and used ones. Also +1 for tibhar aurus

What about sanwei fextra? Been looking at that since its cheaper than most

 

[Ultravisitor]

Also nice, if your lucky. I have/had 5 or six of them and they differ in weight a bit. Some are too stiff and dont feel nice.
Personally I like the yinhe U2 better, but also hard to get one thats not more than 90g.
Of the cheaper 7 ply I like the Loki Kirin K6 and K7 because they have decent weights between 85 and 90g. Also a like the Handle.
All in all the chinese 7 ply are all worth a try, if you are willing to chat with the stores to pick you a decent weight.

 

[Brs]

practice aiming for small targets

I cut NL's three keys down to five words.

Okay, you don't have much time to practice. Put a broken ball on the table, take a box of balls, and aim at your target just doing simple ball drops. Takes a few minutes.

One reason you don't have so much control is you aren't aiming for a small area. A reason you don't have great feeling is that you aren't really looking close at the incoming ball.

These are habits you can practice. The method I suggested isn't the greatest way to practice them. But it works with no partner and in almost no time. If you can't do even this because your schedule, no desire, don't have table or whatever, then you should just accept your current level and have fun playing. It doesn't matter really.