Wanna turn pro? Listen to a pro himself….

[laowa]

Interesting how he doesnt have any local clients. 🙃

 

[jonol]

Interesting how he doesnt have any local clients. 🙃

He has occasionally played at my club, and from what I know he charges significantly more than local coaches do and only takes on a limited number of students at a time.

Without knowing exact details, I believe he'd be charging for travel costs for overseas players, or his rates are high enough to make it worth his time.

 

[Yurifi]

He has occasionally played at my club, and from what I know he charges significantly more than local coaches do and only takes on a limited number of students at a time.

Without knowing exact details, I believe he'd be charging for travel costs for overseas players, or his rates are high enough to make it worth his time.

I mean, I know he promotes himself as an Olympian, which is a great feat, no doubt, but I got a feeling that if you weren't at the Olympics, you aren't a good coach.

but on the other hand, I know a handful of great coaches, who brought up some of the greatest players from scratch without attending Olympics as a player themselves ...

for me, a good coach is someone who can create a good player from scratch. like I love to say - from zero to hero. again, I do not want to diminish Hemming, he obviously was a great player, but being a great player doesn't mean you are a good coach. and vice versa. a player who wasn't particularly successful can be a great, successful coach.

 

[jonol]

As far as I can tell, his coaching is targeted at club level players.

I find a lot of his videos helpful because he does break down the concepts and often shows an amateur player going through the learning process.

I agree you don't need to be an Olympian to be a great coach, but you need to be at least pretty good. I think there's diminishing returns on your skill level and how it applies to coaching, but skill level is very relevant up to a certain point.

 

[Matteones]

I will go a little bit against the grain here.
Becoming a pro in ping pong is definitely incredibly hard wherever you live, and I am pretty sure the only way to become good in America and Australia is pretty much only to pour money into it, because there are no structures in place and only a few good players.
I think it is different if you are in Europe (not all of Europe but a good part of it) and live close to a big city or a big table tennis club. When you are in a big club with some good (and I mean semi-pro and pro level) players (which means there are good coaches too), you have much better chances to make it, and while it involves luck of being born in the right place it does not necessarily involve money (the table tennis scene is just so much bigger and at a better level here than in the States and Australia).
Whilst I don't know for sure, I suspect the big tabletennis asian countries where there is a good structure in place (China, Japan, Korea) work in the same way, where talent is found structurally.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I will go a little bit against the grain here.
Becoming a pro in ping pong is definitely incredibly hard wherever you live, and I am pretty sure the only way to become good in America and Australia is pretty much only to pour money into it, because there are no structures in place and only a few good players.
I think it is different if you are in Europe (not all of Europe but a good part of it) and live close to a big city or a big table tennis club. When you are in a big club with some good (and I mean semi-pro and pro level) players (which means there are good coaches too), you have much better chances to make it, and while it involves luck of being born in the right place it does not necessarily involve money (the table tennis scene is just so much bigger and at a better level here than in the States and Australia).
Whilst I don't know for sure, I suspect the big tabletennis asian countries where there is a good structure in place (China, Japan, Korea) work in the same way, where talent is found structurally.

This is obvious to most and a bit of a shame it has be "going against the grain", but the tone for this thread was set by someone who's issues with Heming are probably far more personal, and it really has nothing to do with Heming's level of play qualifying him to speak on a pro's journey.

 

[Tyce]

Heming has conviction, and that's a quality you need when you want to make it in a niche sport with little opportunity. He's trying stuff and failing regularly, but that's a real good way to learn what works.
I thought he was arrogant at first, too, but I guess that said more about me than about him.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

Good video to hear of someones life journey, but with all due respect to Heming, I don’t think he is considered a pro.
At best he was a 5th division player (oberliga) in Germany, this is far from levels like the Beast or even ktt’s coach.

Heming may have gone to the Olympics but his level isn’t at the level that would allow him to earn income from playing - an important information to be considered a pro in my opinion.

Australian William Henzell played in the 1st division and Finn Luu has joined Henzell as the second Australian to do so. These two have levels beyond Heming.

I would rather listen to players that has reached at least the top 3 divisions than some 5th division player for career advices and there are plenty of them that have become youtubers and would reply to comments.

What? He might not be a top player but I am sure he could have played in higher leagues. Oberliga isn't all that strong, I could take a set from an oberliga player. 3rd Bundesliga is where the rooster is full of international level pro players.
I think he is probably a decent coach, but in all his videos it seemed like he is just teaching good principles, nothing specific and technical.

 

[Archosaurus]

The thought that someone believes a pro player is at most a regional amateur player is extremely hilarious to me.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

What? He might not be a top player but I am sure he could have played in higher leagues. Oberliga isn't all that strong, I could take a set from an oberliga player. 3rd Bundesliga is where the rooster is full of international level pro players.
I think he is probably a decent coach, but in all his videos it seemed like he is just teaching good principles, nothing specific and technical.

There is ample data to show us that the claim that "Heming is far from levels like the Beast or KTTs coach" is, plain and simply, false. He was likely better than both at his peak, and at worst, at the same level.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

There is ample data to show us that the claim that "Heming is far from levels like the Beast or KTTs coach" is, plain and simply, false. He was likely better than both at his peak, and at worst, at the same level.

Agree. My friend is around the same level as the Beast (they played 3-2) and he isn't even top 10 in our country. I can't imagine oceania's top player would be any weaker. Heming Hu would probably beat them comfortable although not without actually giving some effort.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Agree. My friend is around the same level as the Beast (they played 3-2) and he isn't even top 10 in our country. I can't imagine oceania's top player would be any weaker. Heming Hu would probably beat them comfortable although not without actually giving some effort.

For what it is worth, the Beast has played several tournaments in the USA over the past year. Heming also played one tournament (not a large sample size, but enough matches that the rating seems reasonable enough) a few years back when he was retired and surely past his peak level.

Heming's rating from that tournament is about 50 points higher than the Beast, who seems to still be actively training and competing.

I'm also familiar with some opponents that played Heming and lost handily during his competition days, Heming was likely around 2600 USATT level. Beast and KTTs coach sit in the low 2400s.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

For what it is worth, the Beast has played several tournaments in the USA over the past year. Heming also played one tournament (not a large sample size, but enough matches that the rating seems reasonable enough) a few years back when he was retired and surely past his peak level.

Heming's rating from that tournament is about 50 points higher than the Beast, who seems to still be actively training and competing.

I'm also familiar with some opponents that played Heming and lost handily during his competition days, Heming was likely around 2600 USATT level. Beast and KTTs coach sit in the low 2400s.

KTT coach refers to Olav Kosolosky (belgian guy with glasses)?

 

[ThePongCommenter]

KTT coach refers to Olav Kosolosky (belgian guy with glasses)?

No, KTableTennis a junior from this forum, who was the center of a pretty major thread a while back. Kosolosky was likely a level or a few higher than Heming's prime.

 

[NextLevel]

What? He might not be a top player but I am sure he could have played in higher leagues. Oberliga isn't all that strong, I could take a set from an oberliga player. 3rd Bundesliga is where the rooster is full of international level pro players.
I think he is probably a decent coach, but in all his videos it seemed like he is just teaching good principles, nothing specific and technical.

Where you play in German League is determined by many things and not necessarily your strength of play, it would be interesting to see what his results were whereever he played but one thing of note is that not every player plays equally well in leagues and international, regardless of their "true" level.