Advice for a Chinese penhold beginner?

ProPetrov · Sep 17, 2015

I started playing table tennis a month ago and I'm learning chinese penhold with the new reverse penhold backhand (using H3 Neo Black on Forehand and Tibhar Evolution EL-P Red on Backhand)

Liten · Sep 17, 2015

Try finding a buddy or coach who plays cpen. Study them. Get tips, pointers.Take it slow. Study grips of known penholders. Find a grip that feels good to you. If that middle finger on the rpb is in the way, don't worry. We all have thought about cutting ours off too.

mcaibyz2 · Sep 17, 2015

welcome to the world of CPen. It is the most unique and challenging style nowadays, and even professional players fail in adopting it. I would recommand to watch Wang Hao's instructional video at:

Watch it again and agan untill you fully understand how to use reverse backhand. Two of the most important mistakes I found in many peoples are:

1. Hold the racket correctly. It it very very important because otherwise you will have bad habits and stop imporving at some point. Watch the video carefully and try to find the most comfortable way of holding it with your own hand.
2. Give up using traditional backhand to block. Traditional backhand and reverse backhand are not compatible and your progress will be hindered if you use both.

Have fun and be proud of being different from other players!

ProPetrov · Sep 17, 2015

Liten said:
Try finding a buddy or coach who plays cpen. Study them. Get tips, pointers.Take it slow. Study grips of known penholders. Find a grip that feels good to you. If that middle finger on the rpb is in the way, don't worry. We all have thought about cutting ours off too.

A few weeks ago, I met the best spanish penholder (Jesus Cantero) and he taught me the basics, but he's playing short pips, and maybe my style of playing should be a bit different because I use inverted rubbers.

Liten · Sep 17, 2015

I use traditional backhand to block quite often.

BUT!

Only when Im out of time. The hard smashes to my BH side sometimes come as lightning from clear sky. Its more of a reflex then to block in the traditional way. If you do it as oftens as ive been doing it as of late, sooner or later the balls start to land on the table. Im actually starting to find it useful, not just a last resort, holding my thumbs wishing for that crazy baloonball to go in.

ProPetrov · Sep 17, 2015

mcaibyz2 said:
welcome to the world of CPen. It is the most unique and challenging style nowadays, and even professional players fail in adopting it. I would recommand to watch Wang Hao's instructional video at:

Watch it again and agan untill you fully understand how to use reverse backhand. Two of the most important mistakes I found in many peoples are:

1. Hold the racket correctly. It it very very important because otherwise you will have bad habits and stop imporving at some point. Watch the video carefully and try to find the most comfortable way of holding it with your own hand.
2. Give up using traditional backhand to block. Traditional backhand and reverse backhand are not compatible and your progress will be hindered if you use both.

Have fun and be proud of being different from other players!

I saw that video 2 days ago, very interesting.

1. I think this is my main problem now, because my fingers are longer than WH's, and I can't use is grip 100%.

2. I'm learning full RPB, IMO is better than TBH.

Thanks

fais · Sep 18, 2015

When you practice your warm up drills, pinch the paddle hard enough that you feel the tension in your forearm by the elbow. Playing cpen requires strong hand/wrist/arm muscles to be able to maintain proper control.

Dont concern yourself yet with engaging the wrist flick on your fh loop swing yet. You may be inclined to think the loose wrist will allow you the added spin advantage, but you have not developed control yet and probably lack the firmness in grip you require (being a beginner).

ProPetrov · Sep 18, 2015

fais said:
When you practice your warm up drills, pinch the paddle hard enough that you feel the tension in your forearm by the elbow. Playing cpen requires strong hand/wrist/arm muscles to be able to maintain proper control.

Dont concern yourself yet with engaging the wrist flick on your fh loop swing yet. You may be inclined to think the loose wrist will allow you the added spin advantage, but you have not developed control yet and probably lack the firmness in grip you require (being a beginner).

Thanks

Btw, do I need to attack 3rd balls or just block untill I see the oportunity to loop?

countrybread · Sep 20, 2015

Always punish weak returns if you have the ability. Perhaps even if you don't as its good practice.

Also, traditional blocks can be a nice tool to have in your arsenal. It certainly worked for Ma Lin and Xu Hui. Or you can play like Wang Hao and Wong Chun Ting, who strictly use rpb blocks. Its a matter of preference.

ProPetrov · Sep 20, 2015

countrybread said:
Always punish weak returns if you have the ability. Perhaps even if you don't as its good practice.

Also, traditional blocks can be a nice tool to have in your arsenal. It certainly worked for Ma Lin and Xu Hui. Or you can play like Wang Hao and Wong Chun Ting, who strictly use rpb blocks. Its a matter of preference.

I've tried both backhands, and I prefer RPB for blocking and looping and TBH only for returning a short serve

Liten · Sep 20, 2015

I like using the tbh to cut of shots on my bh, sort of choping them to my opponants bh.. So far they tend to go to long and high, but im working on it.

Hamasaki_Fanz · Sep 20, 2015

are you the guy from reddit?

Liten · Sep 20, 2015

Who? Me? No.

Kaizoku · Sep 20, 2015

Man I love that instructional. I have the top comment. huehue.
That is definitely the best penhold tutorial up on the internetm If you want other valuable videoes. I've made a playlist with the other videoes I found usefull, for learning penhold better. (appart from watching other matches with penhold players ofc)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_m5tBu7867k_cLpExP3ibGI5gJGh97he

ProPetrov · Sep 20, 2015

Kaizoku said:
Man I love that instructional. I have the top comment. huehue.
That is definitely the best penhold tutorial up on the internetm If you want other valuable videoes. I've made a playlist with the other videoes I found usefull, for learning penhold better. (appart from watching other matches with penhold players ofc)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_m5tBu7867k_cLpExP3ibGI5gJGh97he

Great playlist, what's the point of playing Reverse Penhold Forehand?

Kaizoku · Sep 20, 2015

ProPetrov said:
Great playlist, what's the point of playing Reverse Penhold Forehand?

Haha, well I don't think you have to consider that before you're at a high level.
I don't think I've seen Xu XIn use it live in a match either. Just a nice skill + Xu Xin uses chinese tacky on fh, and some tenergy on bh (tacky + european/japanese rubber, same as yourself), so, that would give a slightly different ball I believe. I've tried it though, but feels twisted to execute..

UpSideDownCarl · Sep 20, 2015

That is just a trick. I have a friend who can do that. But it is just for showing off. He doesn't do that in matches.

Sent from TheDepthsOfTartarus via TheHouseOfHades

fais · Sep 22, 2015

ProPetrov said:
Thanks

Btw, do I need to attack 3rd balls or just block untill I see the oportunity to loop?

Depends on the type of player you wish to be. My only recommendation is to practice/train everything that you can (but not at the expense of having fun). Penhold has a higher learning curve and require more conditioning (even more so with RPB), so it is very likely that you will progress slowly. If you are motivated however, it won't matter.

I say this, because I had a basketball coach once tell me "you are only as strong as your greatest weakness", which holds true for just about any competitive sport, including tt. RPB doesn't overcome all of the penhold backhand weaknesses. There are RPB shots which are very awkward and feel unnatural (you will discover soon enough)... so understand that penhold will require patience.

Liten · Sep 22, 2015

I havent given it much thaught before. But that last part made me think: why do I find Penhold so great?
RPB sure is tough the first year or so.
But out of 8 sets to 21 each day, one ball tops, touch my finger on the bh side. In other words: Do something enough times, it won't be a problem.

I guess the angle im trying to explain is the angle itself. The way the blade naturaly just gets the right angle without you having to twist your wrist or arm. (Yeah, sounds crazy, right!? If your arms get twisted, it sure would be using penhold!!??) But it isnt. Not for me.
Im not alone, for example Der_'s buddy who returned to TT after injury and picked up Penhold just for this reasons... Great guy.

My belly sais that penhold will have a renesance.. The Chinese will embrace and love it once more!

fais · Sep 22, 2015

liked for "My belly sais that penhold will have a renesance.. The Chinese will embrace and love it once more!" alone!

Advice for a Chinese penhold beginner?

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