Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

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@Lula
I think i'm rather good at blocking with BH, less so with FH.

I'd say the main point for good blocking is a good posture and keeping the racket high and not far from the body. If you got both, then half the job is done, whether its active or passive block.

I think the way you are formulating the question is not the right one. I think whether you take the ball before the highest point, at the bounce or not etc... is depending primarily on the incoming ball. Is it deep or not ? is the arc high or not ? is there a lot of speed ? a lot of topspin ? some side spin as well ? are you far from the ball or not ?

if the ball is shallow/ not deep, and you are a bit far you will not try to take it at the bounce, its just impossible, and i don't think its advisable to get specially near to the ball to execute the block with this timing...

with the passive block you want to have a relaxed grip to absorb the energy of the ball. but don't just put the racket like its a wall. even if its very small, always do some action towards the ball to control it better, give it the desired trajectory.

with the active block more action to the ball and/or a firmer grip.

Against higher levels with good drive / topspin, a bad posture is immediately punished.

most mistakes i make in blocking is because my posture is not stable and/or i try to reach for the ball instead of waiting for it
 
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Thanks for all feedback, much appreciated. Yes, i proably used the wrong word. I agree that it is important to be always be active and detemined in all strokes. Soft is proably a better word. I want to be aggressive with my block if i can, it is just that it is not safe enough to do it all the time. Sometimes the loop is just to fast and hard.

I agree with the things you guys say. And i appreciate that i get more general blocking tips. But i think i am pretty good at blocking, it is just which option is best to get the ball low. Against good players i can not do a soft block at the highest bounce, that is to easy for them. I agree that it depends on which loop i get against me. Soft block i only want to do against deep hard or fast loops. If they do a high arc loop, a softer loop, or a loop close to the net i want to do an aggressive block.

The ball will be the lowest if i take the ball of the bounce, but then i am to close to the table. Another option is to have the racket lower, but i think it is better to have the racket higher in general when blocking. So what is left is to have the racket higher, close the angle more and push the ball down to try to keep it low. I think this is the best option. What do you guys think?

Try blocking more with the body and less with the arm while doing fh blocks. Using to much arm while blocking forehand is not safe.

Filmed myself playing yesterday and i think it is a great why to see stuff to change. I think i can pretty much about technique so if i had coached myself i would proably have corrected this. I saw that i angle the racket to the right, without holding forehand grip. I have tried to use the forearm more while smashing forehand. Sometimes i push more and the power do not come from the correct way. I have had tried using more forearm but have still had problem. In the video i noticed that it is proably because i angle the wrist to the right. Tried today to angle it more to the left and it was easier to use the forearm.

Will try to keep filming and maybe post something here, but have trouble getting the stuff to the computer.
 
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NextLevel said:
I don't believe there is anything like passive blocking especially with modern equipment. There is soft blocking and there is hard blocking and both involve fairly active strokes. To block very passively, you need soft rubber and a guarantee that the ball will compress the sponge which only happens if the loop has the right quality. But even them because of spin, most good players will push into the ball a little even if you can't see it. If you take it at the bounce, you will usually be playing a semi-topspin block because being passive and flat will be very risky. This is my opinion and I can be wrong of course.

First off, I agree with the overall idea. Compared to eras past, we are blocking much more actively. And yes, trying to be passive against a loaded block is certain death by couch potato syndrome.

To "Passively" block a spinny (or fast) loop passively (to produce a weaker ball) one REALLY has to have not only a loose grip, not only a CHANGE of grip at impact, but also a movement at impact, however tiny... in order to get the ball to go back slow.

In reality, this is pretty "Active" and skillful to me.

My recent comment to Lula about his desired type of block was to cove ball real loose off the bounce and go forward a tiny few cm. In reality, this is a mini counter topspin. Just sticking the bat out in front of the kind of loops Lula faces and hoping the ball will land is giving you about the same chances of landing a date with any of the James Bond girl actors after working out in the TT gym for a month with no showers stinking to the high Heavens.

Once the ball is well past the endline and has lost some of its "steam", you can get away with being more passive and still land it. (more distance for ball to fall) Sometimes, if opponent can read your touch, you will get errors as opponent thinks the ball will have topspin and he might mis-time the kill. Usually though, he will kill you on time and not miss lunch from your passive block a meter from table.

Where I might have a differing opinion is on slower balls, there, a more non spin reactive rubber helps. Soft hands are a must, but it is harder to block slowly a fast or spinny loop with a fast setup, especially one with a harder sponge.

Those firm setups are great for fast blocking though, much easier to firm up grip a bit and get a fast result. To mini counter topspin off the bounce, I would prefer a rubber with a supple topsheet and a sponge not so hard.
 
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Blocking video.

https://youtu.be/Fl4RDcgpwIE

This guy was taught in part by my main technical coach (Brett Clarke).

I block basically the same way, maybe a bit softer. But i still think his ball bounce pretty high on the other side. But it is proably not possibly to have the racket somewhat high and get the ball lower. So i will go with that way, keep the racket high and try to angle down and push down on the ball. But i do not think i will be that aggressive. Find it a little unnatural, seems hard to be so aggressive if he do not know where the ball is coming. I try to think more that the balls can come anywhere so i do not just learn to block at one place.

Thanks for looking up the video! I think my question is solved. I will ask my our chinese coach about this aswell. It was he that suggested this. Works really well when blocking with the forehand when i know where the ball is coming, but find it harder with the backhand.
 
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How long backswing have you guys when you serve? I use short pimple on the forehand, and i tried to twiddle and i did not think it worked well. So now i am trying to get more spin with the short pimple. I think it works well if i do a higher throw. I have also noticed that some players do more of a backswing than i do when i serve. I think that if i still can hit the ball thin, fast and time good maybe i will get more spin with a bigger swing. What do you guys think?

spin is not the most important thing, but still pretty fun try to fool the opponent haha
 
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I think you can make heavy spin with a very short stroke if the "whip" is right. I get very good spin on my serves and do not have a very long stroke at all.

However, I have be lovingly or not-so-luvingly been assigned the name of High Toss Servy Bastardo for some yet to be determined reason.

I believe a higher toss allows easier ball penetration into the topsheet to go along with your whip to make heavy spion on a really short stroke.

I have seen players with strokes longer than SUVs on serves, and some have heavy serves too. I believe it is the ability to time and whip the ball, simply that.
 
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Yes, i agree timing and snap is important. I can serve long well with the short pimple but i need to get a little more spin on the short serves. That by the way is always way to short.

Have done a higher throw lately. Get more energy against the racket, so as long as i can whip very fast when i hit the ball, so it just not drop on the racket i feel i get more spin. Watched Jesus Cantero play at WTTC. He had a very low throw but did a long motion with the arm and also body and seemed to get a lot of spin. I do not do this. So i think if i can combine both maybe i will get a lot of spin.

But i think the deception is almost as important. If they just think it is less spin than it is, then i really do not need much spin. Also forget to serve with a purpose now when i try to get more spin. Very important to know why you do a serve.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
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Trained for a few days ago. Trying to play a pretty slow tempo and do the correct stroke since i am trying to change my technique a little. Am also trying a new short pimple rubber.

Very good to film like this. I noticed that i turn the wrist to much to the right, so i get a little to much sidespin when looping bh and are pushing a little to much with the forehand, instead of using the forearm. Tried turning the wrist a training after and it was much easier to counter and smash with the forearm. Will continue filming, since i feel it gave so much. I would have corrected the wrist if i saw it as a coach, but hard to do it when you never see yourself play.

I am the righthanded guy, that need to loose some belly fat haha. I hope you enjoy. Unfortunaly i miss alot i think, but early morning and allergies sucks :)

 
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How does that work, @Lula, holding your right elbow with your left hand while playing FH counters? Are you trying to fix that elbow into position to engrain a technical adaptation?

Yes, correct. I think i in the past have moved the elbow forward to much. Like i am pushing the arm forward to get power. I want the power to come from the finger and forearm. I think it is okay if it moves after the stroke is finished, But i Do not want the power to come from pushing the arm forward. That is why i am trying to fix the elbow by holding it with my hand.

If you notice the angle of my racket i think it is to much to the rigth. Almost like i would have heavy forehand grip or play like beginners do. I think this cause me to push the arm forward. If i angle the racket more to the left it Will be easier to get the power from the forearm i think. Or atleast it felt so the training after.
 
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@Lula

nice to see you in a video !
how old are you now ?

I will not comment much on the video apart that you seem to be too much excited to make a movie. LOL

I think your BH is very nice to watch. I don't think You're playing it the way I'm being taught now [a lot of wrist and the tip of the racket is in front of you at the finish] but it reminds me the video of William Henzell and I think its quite effective.
 
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