Practice Techniques that Improve Your Skills

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I totally agree with scylla24, if you are playing alone, the best way you have in improving is improving your serves. Put a book or something, or mark the table into sections, then aim your serve to get the perfect placement and pace. This will work wonders for your game. Another thing you can try, is to throw the ball and try to hook it with a FH hook shot, this exercise has done a lot of help in increasing the spin on my FH.

If you have a robot, there's just so much that can be done, especially if you know what you are doing. Am currently working on my BH loop against underspin, which for some reason, is so difficult!!!! Also, the step around FH loop-killing exercise is pretty fun and useful too, copied from Ma Lin. It will improve your step-around footwork by heaps!
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
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I totally agree with scylla24, if you are playing alone, the best way you have in improving is improving your serves. Put a book or something, or mark the table into sections, then aim your serve to get the perfect placement and pace. This will work wonders for your game. Another thing you can try, is to throw the ball and try to hook it with a FH hook shot, this exercise has done a lot of help in increasing the spin on my FH.

If you have a robot, there's just so much that can be done, especially if you know what you are doing. Am currently working on my BH loop against underspin, which for some reason, is so difficult!!!! Also, the step around FH loop-killing exercise is pretty fun and useful too, copied from Ma Lin. It will improve your step-around footwork by heaps!

I agree with what you are saying. The idea of this post was to have people mention practice drills that can be done with a practice partner that will improve your skills. If you know any go ahead and list them. There is no doubt that practicing serving is very important and everyone should practice their serves to a certain extent. But then there are serve and attack drills where you can practice serving, receiving and attacking, that simulate game situations without necessarily having counting or the idea of needing to get the point as part of the process. Or stuff like what Ma Lin is doing in the video you posted. :) That is a great practice drill. Multi ball exercises are great for upping your skills.
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
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Here are some serve and attack drills:

One of the best things to practice, in my opinion, when you don't have someone to hit multi ball with you, is serve and receive drills. There are all kinds.

Simplest ones are random. Just serve like you are in a match, but you are not counting points. One player serves a bucket and then the other player serves a bucket. The random ones, in a sense are more advanced than the more specific ones below because the more specific ones below, you know what is coming next and you get to develop specific shots. In the end you want to get to be able to do the random ones though.

Still simple:

1) A)
1) First player serves short underspin to backhand side
2) Second player pushes back to forehand
3) First player attacks
then play out the point.

1) B) same as above put second player pushes to backhand.

2) A)
1) First player serves underspin to backhand side
2) Second player attacks with backhand
then play out the point.

2) B) Second player steps around backhand and attacks with forehand.

3) A)
1) First Player serves short underspin to forehand
2) Second player pushes to backhand
3) First player attacks with backhand

3) B) First player steps around backhand to attack with forehand

3) C) Second player pushes to forehand; First player attacks with Forehand

4) A)
1) First player serves short underspin to forehand
2) Second player attacks with forehand

4) B) Second player does over the table loop with backhand from forehand side ala Zhang Jike.
 
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These drill don't require a USATT 2000 practice partner, but helps to have a higher level player.

Drill#1

Partner serves chop to BH.
You make fast push to jam him on BH.
Partner gives back a long underspin to your BH.
You step around BH to open with a spinny FH to partner near middle of table.
Partner angle blocks the ball wide FH.
You move from extreme BH to wide FH and make strong attack anywhere with intent to end the point.
(Hopefully landed the ball strong to playing elbow, or wide corner either side.)
Partner stays in the point if possible and blocks or hits anywhere.

Drill #2

Partner serves chop to BH.
You make fast push to jam him on BH.
Partner gives back a long underspin to your BH.
You use a BH loop (fast loop to end point or pressure) or a heavy spin BH loop to open to partner near middle of table.
Partner angle blocks the ball wide FH.
You move from normal ready position to wide FH and make strong attack anywhere with intent to end the point.
(Hopefully landed the ball strong to playing elbow, or wide corner either side.)
OR you decide to land a deep spinny FH loop for the purpose of making strong attack onthe return.
Partner stays in the point if possible and blocks or hits anywhere.
 
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