Improving your forehand topspin technique (with TTEdge)

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One thing I notice (I just finish two matches). My loop has gotten much much better from dropping the paddle more. I drop it straight back keep a loose arm. I finish like NextLevel shows in his videos. I can get a very sharp drop on the ball as long as I drop the paddle low enough. Mistake for me is not dropping paddle enough, that usually means the ball goes long.
 
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One thing I notice (I just finish two matches). My loop has gotten much much better from dropping the paddle more. I drop it straight back keep a loose arm. I finish like NextLevel shows in his videos. I can get a very sharp drop on the ball as long as I drop the paddle low enough. Mistake for me is not dropping paddle enough, that usually means the ball goes long.

I don't drop the paddle, I just straighten the arm a little. IT looks like I am dropping the paddle but I am not. In fact, the higher the ball, the more I have to stay at the height of the ball. The most important thing is to brush - if the ball goes long, come around the side more and finish forward.
 
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Thanks for posting this topic next level I found it very helpful. In fact I found much of your documented improvements to be helpful. I think it's really great that you've been so open to sharing your constant effort to improve your game. It takes a lot of guts to be that open.
I found this topic particularly helpful because my natural tendency is to drive the ball finishing lower in my swing instead of finishing at Eye level brushing the ball and keeping my swing on the half circle plane as Carl explained. I'm tall with long arms and also have a tendency to drop my bat to much and have swing that's to long. because of this I can end up cheating and I take a more direct path to the ball which makes my swing more direct this requires the finish to be lower and across the body more to get it on the table. I'm actually pretty good at this shot and because it's natural it's been A hard habit to break. I was thinking about this and casually work on it before seeing this post but after seeing NL Video, and reading the post something clicked and I made finishing with my bat at the eyes, swing path, and contact point a priority while training. Since then i have become much better at it, but just when I think it's something thats behind me I can find my self falling back in to bad habits. Just yesterday did a training session that I actually recorded and when I saw the recording I was horrified at how I reverted back to bad to habits much too often. It was very disapointing!

I wanted to add some realizations and positive byproducts that I have found from focusing on this. When I have managed train and execute the proper swing path and finish point it forces me to using better footwork and When this becomes the priority you quickly see ( for me) shorter swing and a proper swing path requires more movement to be in proper position to attack the ball. I've find myself reaching less needing to cheat my swing less with the lower finish. This has been good lesson that's opened my eyes on other aspect about my game and progress. two of my only real strengths are quick hand reflexes, and hand Eye coordination. When you add this to long arms, good reach I have slowly realized unconsciously relying on these strengths can and has at times actually impede my growth. Just because I can reach the ball and maybe even play a decent shot does not mean I'm in proper position to play the Optimal table tennis shot. It's all commonsense really and its things I theoretically knew, but I can be thick headed and this has illustrated the point that there is a difference between experiencing, or internalizing something and theoretically knowing it. It's been nice experience see that by simply focusing on good technique reinforces and helps to internalize other positive lesions in the game.

I now I feel the urge to practice and make up for my recent regressions. It's never end this game.[emoji1]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Stick your elbow a fists distance away from your waist and swing from your waist, think as if your racket arm is like a string with a ball ( racket ) attached to its end. If you can drill this into your head, the rest will take care of itself.
Thanks for posting this topic next level I found it very helpful. In fact I found much of your documented improvements to be helpful. I think it's really great that you've been so open to sharing your constant effort to improve your game. It takes a lot of guts to be that open.
I found this topic particularly helpful because my natural tendency is to drive the ball finishing lower in my swing instead of finishing at Eye level brushing the ball and keeping my swing on the half circle plane as Carl explained. I'm tall with long arms and also have a tendency to drop my bat to much and have swing that's to long. because of this I can end up cheating and I take a more direct path to the ball which makes my swing more direct this requires the finish to be lower and across the body more to get it on the table. I'm actually pretty good at this shot and because it's natural it's been A hard habit to break. I was thinking about this and casually work on it before seeing this post but after seeing NL Video, and reading the post something clicked and I made finishing with my bat at the eyes, swing path, and contact point a priority while training. Since then i have become much better at it, but just when I think it's something thats behind me I can find my self falling back in to bad habits. Just yesterday did a training session that I actually recorded and when I saw the recording I was horrified at how I reverted back to bad to habits much too often. It was very disapointing!

I wanted to add some realizations and positive byproducts that I have found from focusing on this. When I have managed train and execute the proper swing path and finish point it forces me to using better footwork and When this becomes the priority you quickly see ( for me) shorter swing and a proper swing path requires more movement to be in proper position to attack the ball. I've find myself reaching less needing to cheat my swing less with the lower finish. This has been good lesson that's opened my eyes on other aspect about my game and progress. two of my only real strengths are quick hand reflexes, and hand Eye coordination. When you add this to long arms, good reach I have slowly realized unconsciously relying on these strengths can and has at times actually impede my growth. Just because I can reach the ball and maybe even play a decent shot does not mean I'm in proper position to play the Optimal table tennis shot. It's all commonsense really and its things I theoretically knew, but I can be thick headed and this has illustrated the point that there is a difference between experiencing, or internalizing something and theoretically knowing it. It's been nice experience see that by simply focusing on good technique reinforces and helps to internalize other positive lesions in the game.

I now I feel the urge to practice and make up for my recent regressions. It's never end this game.[emoji1]

/QUOTE]
 
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Stick your elbow a fists distance away from your waist and swing from your waist, think as if your racket arm is like a string with a ball ( racket ) attached to its end. If you can drill this into your head, the rest will take care of itself.

My approach is slightly different but related. Fix the upper arm and only move it in conjunction with your core. I also sometimes lock my shoulder tightly to my body when practicing or try to wrap my elbow to my body on the backswing. But if you have the TT Edge app, there are 3 different loopers in there with high level but different technique. You can't go wrong mimicking any of them.
 
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I like that one Phillypong!
 
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UpSideDownCarl;130584 [B said:
THAT IS GOOD.[/B] If you do that so the hand is always in the same plane THAT IS GOOD.

Sorry, but 'that's good' grab my attention and I couldn't read your post properly because of laughing. Go to 2:31!


I can see some similarities between you and Yoda. The two ultimate wise guy!
 
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