How to develop a style and be more agressive?

[Tyce]

Hi, I've been playing table tennis for 2 years, and recently I've reached the point of having a consistent and functional technique. I can finally play matches without worrying too much about my movement, which allows me to pay more attention to the ball (I used to get the timing wrong a lot, I think I focused too much on my movement).

My biggest problem right now is the lack of a style. I end up being very passive when playing. Even when I'm attacking, I always try to put a lot of spin on the ball to feel more secure, and I don't know when I should force a shot to finish the point. So, I usually manage to open the game with a loop on backspin balls. Often my opponents can't hold the spin, and it's one of the ways I score the most points. On slightly higher balls, I can get a loop kill and finish the point. I can open with both forehand and backhand, but I can only do the loop kill with my forehand. But when they defend well, I can't be aggressive enough to finish the point. I end up attacking with spin to be safe, and they keep defending. So I try to move them around by changing the ball's placement, but most of the time I end up being moved and losing the point because I can't reach the ball.

My racket isn't slow, my movement isn't too short, I just can't anticipate enough to finish the point. I simply don't know what to do, and that makes me very reactive and passive. Is there any way to develop a style or some way of playing that allows me to be more aggressive and finish these points?

It sounds to me like you don't feel free and relaxed, you don't find a flow in which you can just launch balls any way you like.

This could have several causes (and maybe more than one).

One is a lack of game plan, or a style if you like, where you play to your strengths and accept that you'll lose some points on your weaknesses. It seems like you're gunning mostly for a killshot, but when you reach the level that it doesn't guarantee points anymore, that's when you want to learn to be more comfortable in a rally.

This leads me to the next point: you might not trust your equipment (usually that's because it's too much) to play a rally. Sure, you can play that killshot with it, because it's fast and highly spinny. You can dish out spin and speed, but you have a hard time dealing with it when people are giving it (back) to you.

As a rule of thumb, you want to be able to deal with your own balls. If you can't, that's an imbalance in your game. So either you learn up, or gear down to create a better balance and then take it from there.

The same applies to creating a more specific playing style: if you like to play the open rally, learn to play against the open rally, too. If you like to play a pushing game, learn to play against that. There's nothing worse than imposing your own game on someone and then getting it fed back to you and failing.

If you are resorting to passive, that means you aren't comfortable with the other options. So get comfortable with them, especially the ones you prefer (attacking?). Again, learning to play a loose, free, open rally will go a loooong way here. Especially if you currently find yourself tensing up after your first attack, or trying more and harder on each subsequent ball.
Equipment can be limiting here in not allowing you to play a comfortable 50-60% shot. Especially in too fast stuff, it's often either passive (10-20% at most) or full blast (90%), or a very brushy loop because adding any power is highly risky. Getting good at the extreme ends of the spectrum is fun, but getting good at the mid range is where you become a good player.

 

[pedro.dantas]

It sounds to me like you don't feel free and relaxed, you don't find a flow in which you can just launch balls any way you like.

This could have several causes (and maybe more than one).

One is a lack of game plan, or a style if you like, where you play to your strengths and accept that you'll lose some points on your weaknesses. It seems like you're gunning mostly for a killshot, but when you reach the level that it doesn't guarantee points anymore, that's when you want to learn to be more comfortable in a rally.

This leads me to the next point: you might not trust your equipment (usually that's because it's too much) to play a rally. Sure, you can play that killshot with it, because it's fast and highly spinny. You can dish out spin and speed, but you have a hard time dealing with it when people are giving it (back) to you.

As a rule of thumb, you want to be able to deal with your own balls. If you can't, that's an imbalance in your game. So either you learn up, or gear down to create a better balance and then take it from there.

The same applies to creating a more specific playing style: if you like to play the open rally, learn to play against the open rally, too. If you like to play a pushing game, learn to play against that. There's nothing worse than imposing your own game on someone and then getting it fed back to you and failing.

If you are resorting to passive, that means you aren't comfortable with the other options. So get comfortable with them, especially the ones you prefer (attacking?). Again, learning to play a loose, free, open rally will go a loooong way here. Especially if you currently find yourself tensing up after your first attack, or trying more and harder on each subsequent ball.
Equipment can be limiting here in not allowing you to play a comfortable 50-60% shot. Especially in too fast stuff, it's often either passive (10-20% at most) or full blast (90%), or a very brushy loop because adding any power is highly risky. Getting good at the extreme ends of the spectrum is fun, but getting good at the mid range is where you become a good player.

I think i can play comfortable with 50-60%, the thing is, this shots just aren’t enough, and i still can’t keep up with long rallies yet, probably bad footwork and lack of awareness, i don’t know when to force the 90% ball with security to win the point.

 

[pedro.dantas]

The only thing about my setup that i don’t like is the fact my shots go fast and return it back fast too, i lose a lot of points cause of that

 

[pedro.dantas]

By the way, i’ll try to record a matche and post here

 

[pedro.dantas]

Second one i played better, but for some reason ball was just going down after touch my racket

 

[Tyce]

Second one i played better, but for some reason ball was just going down after touch my racket

If we're talking about your FH, that's because you are hitting it like you're using a grippy rubber. Basically what happens is you make a very light brushing contact, but at the point where it's so light that you don't take the ball with you. On your BH that works, because D05 is a grippy topsheet.
Your bat angle is too far closed for your FH in all three of these videos. For H3N you want to be thinking about supporting the ball forward primarily, and adding spin as a secondary objective. You'll probably find that once you sink that ball into the rubber, adding spin comes naturally.

Moving on to the rest of the videos, your BH opening seems to be working well, perhaps lacking a little bit in force but it looks like a strong point of your game.
Also, when you go all-out on some FHs you can see quality balls emerging (with an open bat angle! good!) even if they are still highly risky because they are all-out shots.

If I was in your position, I would work on isolating those points that are working well, and making them one step better at a time.
For your BH, I would slowly try to add more acceleration into the stroke. In order to do that, you will need to loosen up, but if you can make it work, the quality of your balls will immediately increase, and your readiness for the next ball, too (because you're more loose you can move better).
For your FH, focus on compact acceleration. Learn to find that point of sponge engagement in as slow a shot as you possibly can. That way, you can control the ball rather than going into the red and exposing yourself to a fast return you can't touch anymore.

Both points are built on playing more loose. That doesn't mean you should have zero muscle tension, but rather that the tension should be in your core, leaving your arms to move freely and accelerate without getting held back by shoulders or arms under tension.
Compact just means to stay within your balance. Sticking out your arm too wide, too far back or drop it down too much will take it outside the circle of balance you're creating with your core and legs.
If you go outside your circle of balance, you will need to use your arms much more in order to make a stroke. When inside, you can let your balance be the foundation of it instead.


Coming back to your initial question about developing aggression and style: I'm convinced that these points will give you more freedom to dictate how much power you give to the ball. As such, it will give you a toolkit that enables you to play more aggressively while retaining MORE control than you have now - essentially leaving you much more on top of the situation.

 

[Archosaurus]

When I was playing around your level, I remember only really developing things after working on being relaxed and spinning the ball more. There's only so far you can really get hitting flat and tense. If you want to develop big shots, learn to loop heavy backspin feed. I would guess that right now as you are, the success rate is almost 0%. You will basically have to learn to grab the ball and brush it with enough energy if you're looping heavy backspin feed.

The main issue ultimately is consistency; are both of you able to perform 20 drives and blocks in a row with no mistake? Doing a drill like that will develop basic stuff like moving to the ball and recovering for the next one.

If the equipment in your signature is correct, then you must buy a slow 5ply blade. I couldn't imagine trying to develop from this kind of playing level if I had to play with a Viscaria. It was hard enough with an Allround Evo which is extremely slow. Think about it in 5 years IMO. I think Provincial Hurricane 3 is also a bit silly at this play level, I was using 729 FX when I was playing like this. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would save the money when it comes time to change.

 

[Tyce]

When I was playing around your level, I remember only really developing things after working on being relaxed and spinning the ball more. There's only so far you can really get hitting flat and tense. If you want to develop big shots, learn to loop heavy backspin feed. I would guess that right now as you are, the success rate is almost 0%. You will basically have to learn to grab the ball and brush it with enough energy if you're looping heavy backspin feed.

The main issue ultimately is consistency; are both of you able to perform 20 drives and blocks in a row with no mistake? Doing a drill like that will develop basic stuff like moving to the ball and recovering for the next one.

If the equipment in your signature is correct, then you must buy a slow 5ply blade. I couldn't imagine trying to develop from this kind of playing level if I had to play with a Viscaria. It was hard enough with an Allround Evo which is extremely slow. Think about it in 5 years IMO. I think Provincial Hurricane 3 is also a bit silly at this play level, I was using 729 FX when I was playing like this. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would save the money when it comes time to change.

Just for nuance: when was this? What kind of ball in particular? Looping through heavy backspin is just so much easier now than it was in the time of the celluloid ball...

 

[Archosaurus]

Just for nuance: when was this? What kind of ball in particular? Looping through heavy backspin is just so much easier now than it was in the time of the celluloid ball...

2018 would be the last time, but we played with cell ball mostly even so late as they were more durable, cheaper and still available locally. The early plastic ball were woeful IIRC. I still don't like the new ones personally but it is what it is.

I found it a bit easier now when I came back to the sport again so you are probably right, but in fact that backspin loop drill is one thing I did yesterday to quickly develop a feeling of brushing again. I'm sure it is worth a try.