Overlooked match skills that hold you back

[Chrono]

*Hopefully this isn't a retread of other topics. I looked but didn't see anything at first glance. Please let me know if it is, and I'll delete this.

You ever get to a point where you feel like your strokes, serves, etc are good enough to get the next level, but you can't quite pinpoint what you are missing from your game? If you didn't grow up getting coached full time (or even so), what are some basic but very specific things that get overlooked that could be holding your game back drastically? I know this can be analyzed through filming yourself, but I guess you need to know what you are looking for.

One obvious answer is something like footwork, but I want to be more specific. I've never had good footwork but was able to use pure reaction time and speed to get to a ball in time to just block or a bad form loop/shortened stroke, etc and luck into get some good loops. I actually move very quickly, but I had never been actually ready for the next ball in matches. I recently discovered I wasn't even taking hops back after a serve return or even after my own serves. I would just casually step back into the "right spots". But, when I practice I had been moving fast enough to get back after a push because I'm consciously thinking about that next ball (I had incorporated some types of randomness into drills).

What are some things that nobody tells you or just assumes you already know/do already?

 

[Tyce]

For me, getting to the next level means I have to be confident in beating the previous one, but I'm not. There's always a couple of matches in the season that I lose vs lower rated players and it screws up my rating, which then takes ages to recover again.

I'm great at punching above my weight. I can play brilliantly and get toe to toe with players 200 points or so above me, but it's the lack of stability that keeps me down.
Most of that is probably patience, going for the impressive ball rather than calculating and placing well, because when I think I should be better, I feel like I have something to prove and I need to do it by pushing the throttle.
Whereas those games where I go full killer instinct, I will make most of my points forcing the other person into mistakes.
I need to kill the player, not the ball.

 

[Yuomay]

*Hopefully this isn't a retread of other topics. I looked but didn't see anything at first glance. Please let me know if it is, and I'll delete this if I can.

You ever get to a point where you feel like your strokes, serves, etc are good enough to get the next level, but you can't quite pinpoint what you are missing from your game? If you didn't grow up getting coached full time (or even so), what are some basic but very specific things that get overlooked that could be holding your game back drastically? I know this can be analyzed through filming yourself, but I guess you need to know what you are looking for.

One obvious answer is something like footwork, but I want to be more specific. I've never had good footwork but was able to use pure reaction time and speed to get to a ball in time to just block or a bad form loop/shortened stroke, etc and luck into get some good loops. I actually move very quickly, but I had never been actually ready for the next ball in matches. I recently discovered I wasn't even taking hops back after a serve return or even after my own serves. I would just casually step back into the "right spots". But, when I practice I had been moving fast enough to get back after a push because I'm consciously thinking about that next ball (I had incorporated some types of randomness into drills).

What are some things that nobody tells you or just assumes you already know/do already?

I’d say, having a plan and executing it for each point.

 

[Dr Evil]

It's easy to play too fast. Try slowing things down so every shot and recovery for the next shot is dead easy. Slow down more than you think you can get away with. Not only will you often get away with it, but your unforced errors will decrease and your attention to placement (I think the most typical overlooked match skill) will increase. It may also surprise you how many players have trouble with off speed stuff.

 

[Chrono]

I’d say, having a plan and executing it for each point.

I'm guilty of that as well. I've always wanted to create a serve to expected return mapping, but my serves produce a ton of variation on return. I'm trying to serve alot more underspin to get a more predictable return so I can better execute a plan.

Also, Dr. Evil, yes that is a great observation. I've been trying to work on recovery alot as well -- including staying in my follow-through longer until I kind of see what my opponent is trying to do with the next ball.

 

[Yuomay]

I'm guilty of that as well. I've always wanted to create a serve to expected return mapping, but my serves produce a ton of variation on return. I'm trying to serve alot more underspin to get a more predictable return so I can better execute a plan.

Also, Dr. Evil, yes that is a great observation. I've been trying to work on recovery alot as well -- including staying in my follow-through longer until I kind of see what my opponent is trying to do with the next ball.

Yes and once you get the plan after serving right you can move on to receive plans. PechPong has an amazingly detailed YouTube episode on it. I’m far from being good enough to benefit from that but it’s wildly interesting.

 

[golden_son]

It's easy to play too fast. Try slowing things down so every shot and recovery for the next shot is dead easy. Slow down more than you think you can get away with. Not only will you often get away with it, but your unforced errors will decrease and your attention to placement (I think the most typical overlooked match skill) will increase. It may also surprise you how many players have trouble with off speed stuff.

This is so true. And as an extension of this, not warming up the same way you play. I've burned myself a number of times by warming up a certain set of gears that land consistently only to try and use a higher gear(s) in the match and end up missing the table or overcommitting and not being prepared for the next ball.

If there's one thing I'm really guilty of, it's not always preparing to hit the next ball regardless of the last shot; in other words, don't always assume you blasted a winner, or that your opponent's ball is going to drift long. These are the points that really get me, because they're purely about mental preparation/focus and not a "skill issue".

 

[sebi]

Slowing things down and dropping balls short are very important. Also for me right now I get caught in the elbow to much, so for me it would reading the opponent better and being more efficient in deciding if I want to play forehand or backhand.

I also think it is very Important to have a plan and being able to he precise enough to execute it.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

*Hopefully this isn't a retread of other topics. I looked but didn't see anything at first glance. Please let me know if it is, and I'll delete this.

You ever get to a point where you feel like your strokes, serves, etc are good enough to get the next level, but you can't quite pinpoint what you are missing from your game? If you didn't grow up getting coached full time (or even so), what are some basic but very specific things that get overlooked that could be holding your game back drastically? I know this can be analyzed through filming yourself, but I guess you need to know what you are looking for.

One obvious answer is something like footwork, but I want to be more specific. I've never had good footwork but was able to use pure reaction time and speed to get to a ball in time to just block or a bad form loop/shortened stroke, etc and luck into get some good loops. I actually move very quickly, but I had never been actually ready for the next ball in matches. I recently discovered I wasn't even taking hops back after a serve return or even after my own serves. I would just casually step back into the "right spots". But, when I practice I had been moving fast enough to get back after a push because I'm consciously thinking about that next ball (I had incorporated some types of randomness into drills).

What are some things that nobody tells you or just assumes you already know/do already?

For me, it is footwork, specifically in and out footwork rather than lateral.

• I have to thank a specific regular player that regularly spar with me, I had always lost to him.
• It is truly strange, he does not have the best footwork, that is, a typical uncle who stand near the table constantly and does not move around much due to bad knees ( he said ).
• However he has this awesome touch and control that he can vary the tempo amazingly.
• Sometimes the ball does not come or sometimes the ball come back with no tempo and spin aka dead ball suddenly.
• I was baffled at first because when it comes to stroking, mine was so much more consistent and ahem, archingly more beautiful than his. He plays ugly, for the lack of a better word.
• After losing a lot, then, one day my brain suddenly snapped and I realized I do not have a workable in-out movement. That is why many times, I am late to short ball and always either net-it or play too long.
• So, I trained at it and now I somehow manage to lose less than before, sometimes, on those rare occasions, I can even win him say 4-3 or 3-2 but with much effort.
• So, I would say, for me it is footwork especially in and out.
  
  

 

[Yuomay]

For me, it is footwork, specifically in and out footwork rather than lateral.

• I have to thank a specific regular player that regularly spar with me, I had always lost to him.
• It is truly strange, he does not have the best footwork, that is, a typical uncle who stand near the table constantly and does not move around much due to bad knees ( he said ).
• However he has this awesome touch and control that he can vary the tempo amazingly.
• Sometimes the ball does not come or sometimes the ball come back with no tempo and spin aka dead ball suddenly.
• I was baffled at first because when it comes to stroking, mine was so much more consistent and ahem, archingly more beautiful than his. He plays ugly, for the lack of a better word.
• After losing a lot, then, one day my brain suddenly snapped and I realized I do not have a workable in-out movement. That is why many times, I am late to short ball and always either net-it or play too long.
• So, I trained at it and now I somehow manage to lose less than before, sometimes, on those rare occasions, I can even win him say 4-3 or 3-2 but with much effort.
• So, I would say, for me it is footwork especially in and out.
  

Your post made me think about this training routine great channel for those who don’t know it.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I dont want anything to hold me back. so Im not overlooking anything and trying to address every single problem that i have, in priority the more important ones of course.

If i don't play better its because of lack of skill and practice...

====

some of things i4ve overlooked over the years
- serve practice
- 3rd ball practice
- doubles practice
- watching the opponent when he serves
- watching the opponent while I serve (!!!) >>>> completely new for me !!! ive been starting to do it only a few months ago !
- watching carefully the ball at all time...
etc...

- physical training esp core

but also more technical stuff
- finish FH stroke with left knee FORWARD !!
- keep elbow more stable both BH and FH

 

[Tyce]

I dont want anything to hold me back. so Im not overlooking anything and trying to address every single problem that i have, in priority the more important ones of course.

If i don't play better its because of lack of skill and practice...

====

some of things i4ve overlooked over the years
- serve practice
- 3rd ball practice
- doubles practice
- watching the opponent when he serves
- watching the opponent while I serve (!!!) >>>> completely new for me !!! ive been starting to do it only a few months ago !
- watching carefully the ball at all time...
etc...

- physical training esp core

but also more technical stuff
- finish FH stroke with left knee FORWARD !!
- keep elbow more stable both BH and FH

My teammate had this too - and I never understood how one could not do that
But now I do it more in my peripheral vision so my opponent doesn't see I know where they are...

As for watching the ball more, I think I can get improvement there, also giving me a better impression of how much time I actually have (as opposed to to how little time I think I have)

 

[Chrono]

I dont want anything to hold me back. so Im not overlooking anything and trying to address every single problem that i have, in priority the more important ones of course.

If i don't play better its because of lack of skill and practice...

====

some of things i4ve overlooked over the years
- serve practice
- 3rd ball practice
- doubles practice
- watching the opponent when he serves
- watching the opponent while I serve (!!!) >>>> completely new for me !!! ive been starting to do it only a few months ago !
- watching carefully the ball at all time...
etc...

- physical training esp core

but also more technical stuff
- finish FH stroke with left knee FORWARD !!
- keep elbow more stable both BH and FH

Yes all good points. I’m just really getting into core training. Stable elbow is also a big deal. Watching the ball/opponent gets me all the time too.

 

[Lula]

I think this:
- get a playing style and idea of how you want to play. Do not need to be good at everything, use your strengths and practice that, awell how to get there from serve return.
. Practice serve and return. To be able to do the above
- Still use your playing style but try to change power, pace and placement. Especially a change of placement will make a big difference.
- Learn spin
- Chinese are the best due to the footwork, so smart to get good footwork. I do think it is easier to learn to look up at your opponent and try anticipate instead of react. Also everything inbetween. After serve come ut far and in the middle, have racket high in the middle but adjust according to your serve. If you push short, go out and be ready to loop the next ball. Long push racket high in the middle. And so on. And if you get spin, hit the ball in front of you and try to get the racket towards the middle your footwork do not need to be as good. Spin creates an arc and that creates safety.

Exercises:
- train a lot of serve. Even just on the floor.
- matches so you learn to return different serves
- Loop far away or half long pushes, then you need to get arc and spin
- multiball
- Great to get the fundementals but just getting the ball on the same place often fools us. Try to play irregular exercises and try to start with serve and return

Also practice a lot.
Good luck

 

[SrSTT]

I think that the ability to recognize and analyze your opponent's game/strategy and then disrupt it to your advantage is an underutilized skill at mid levels. Sure, you have to have the physical skills to compete, but remember that there's another player that has a say in what happens to the ball. Preventing him from effectively using his strengths can be a very important aspect of a match.

 

[Topspin_]

Changing the pace, and adjusting to others doing so. Slow 3rd ball attacks, fast serves etc.

Speed of "getting out" from a short touch/serve. And stability to play the next ball.

Ability on receive - hold the ball short/low, if pushing long - spin, depth, speed, angle. Flicking - varying spin, speed, depth, angle etc.

Having an idea of "your game" and how you want the point to go, what your relative strengths are and how to use them to your advantage.

Limiting the amount of cheap points given away - half long/long serves, missed serves, poor open ups.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

What are some things that nobody tells you or just assumes you already know/do already?

"That you are actually not as good as you think you are."

Table tennis is extremely technical, and many skills sets comes together + strategy to determine a winning formula.
with any parts missing, the "flaws" will be exploited during matches.

With my experience coaching in the amateur to semi pro spaces, it all comes to the same issues - the flaws in the fundamental part of things.

And that is why the pros only practice fundamentals, day in and day out - to reduce the chances of being exploited in matches.

 

[Tyce]

Refining my earlier post as I've been working on increasing my bottom level. I need to stop losing to players (well) below my own rating, and I kinda know what I need to do for that:

1. take proportional risks. It makes no sense missing risky attacks and even balls placed on the white line against someone I can simply block around. It literally made the difference between 11-8 and 11-0 vs a player 200 points below me.
2. active stance, always. Once I get up, my game decreases. It's not correct to call that "taking it easy" because I'm making it harder on myself.
3. don't be afraid of basic strokes. Kind of a variation on point 1, but it's really not necessary to add special sauces, rotations etc. to every single ball. Just driving it into a corner or lobbing it back with no significant amount of spin is perfectly fine.
4. don't play what you don't want to get back. Assume all balls come back. Assume your opponent will return your heavy spin. You have to know how to deal with it and you have to know where it will (roughly) come back. I have relied on serves that just didn't come back, until they did. And then I didn't know what to do or sometimes even what spin was on it. Guess what? That's my own weird ball I'm getting back! Using serves that are more predictable, but doing it with better quality, will make the 3rd ball much easier.

I'm quite proud to have come to a point where I actually do clear someone completely off the table when the rating says I should be able to. Of course, for sportsmanship's sake I could be a little more generous next time, but he just happened to have the bad luck of playing me on a night where I'm working on this aspect.

I have been tantalizingly close to moving up a category in both tournament license (need just over 100 points right now) and league level (approximately the same, just need to actually hit promotion, too) since I restarted playing competitively one year ago, but the journey has been quite difficult to actually improve when I keep combining great wins with silly losses. Starting from a more stable base, and only moving to more risk when I need to, should not only reduce point leakage, but also help in conserving energy making stamina less of a problem. Not just against lower ranking, but also vs higher ranked opponents: if I can depend on getting to 6-7 using a stable base, then I only need to ramp up for 4-5 points.
It's all about that base.

 

[Jslick89]

"That you are actually not as good as you think you are."

Table tennis is extremely technical, and many skills sets comes together + strategy to determine a winning formula.
with any parts missing, the "flaws" will be exploited during matches.

With my experience coaching in the amateur to semi pro spaces, it all comes to the same issues - the flaws in the fundamental part of things.

And that is why the pros only practice fundamentals, day in and day out - to reduce the chances of being exploited in matches.

What do you consider the fundamentals of table tennis?

I'm just a HOBBY player, but these are mine:

1) all the the "stroke" techniques, forehand and backhand: loop, block, counter and push

2) stroke technique transitions (IE, being able to receive a short underspin ball to your forehand followed by a long underspin ball to your backhand, but really these "combos" are endless. short underspin to backhand followed by long underspin to backhand, long underspin to forehand followed by long topspin to forehand)

3) footwork techniques (requires tactical thinking). For example, if i serve a long fast ball, i need to be prepared to recieve a long and fast 3rd ball, so my footwork requires a half hop backwards after my serve. if its a short serve, the return might come short so my footwork needs to prepare for his

4) forehand backhand transition on random balls. i consider this a fundamental because if you cannot effectively and efficiently transition forehand to backhand in a rally, you're not going to win a rally

5) serve techniques- master the variations of 3 serves. in my bag, i have a pendulum serve, a tomahawk serve, and a backhand serve. i practice being able to do all spin variations of each serve while trying to keep the stroke motion and similar as possible. this makes your serves deceptive. you must also be able to fundamentally place your serve in your desired location along with the desired spin.

6) service receive techniques + footwork. this might be one of the most overlooked aspects of training for hobby players. you need to be able to effectively read and return all types of spins and serve placement locations. it starts with the footwork. but you also have to practice returning each type of serve and spin tens of thousands of times before they morph into instinctual muscle memory.

Fundamentals 1-4 are the rally fundamental's and 5-6 are the serve/receive fundamentals. These are the base of your table tennis pyramid. On top of that, comes the strategic and tactical thinking, which i also think a lot of HOBBY players are lacking, but you cannot get tactical or strategic if you dont have the fundamentals.

 

[XpingpingpongpongX]

I keep reminding myself 2 things that are not skill related. 1, keep my body low. 2, focus.

To me, there are different levels of focus. This happened many times when I didn't track the score and just completely focus on the game, I played much much better. But when I realized I just won a couple games against people 200 points above or realized just winning a 11-1 game against someone my level, I would lose that state of focus, and my next game would go back to normal.