Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

OldschoolPenholder · May 8, 2019

JeffM said:
Thank you Si Hing!
You are a way better hitter than I am!!
Did you mean you want to see my BH?
I am having another coaching session this Friday if I can manage it, after the first session, my shoulder and posterior section of my upper forearm was very sore because I kept it very stiff to minimize the arm movement. It is getting better now so hopefully i can make it for Friday!
Note to self, need to figure out a way to stay relax yet have a short stroke.

Curious what your coach says about FH. I know some coaches teach to flat hit, I know some coaches teach to add spin.

Having learnt in late 1970's/early 1980's with short pips, I'm a better flat hitter than looper. Also fortunate to work with a 2400 SH that was great at lobbing.

I don't move my upper arm that much as I do my forearm... maybe I'm used to it and comfortable and relaxed about it

Easy for me to say and hard for you to do, relax Si-hing!

Lula · May 8, 2019

The coaches that teach flat hit with inverted rubbers so not know What they are talking about. Do not listen to them. It is okay to flat hit some time. Spin is much much more safer because of the arc so that is prefered.

Der_Echte · May 8, 2019

Lost to the kid Akul I support with uniforms for second night in a row both times tight in 5th...

I realize I am crap reading the touch of Indian kids. Difficult for me to play my best shots when I do not read the ball right and all those kids can play fast and flat close to the table.

Credit Akul with great performance on serve receive forcing me to try other ways to setup offense when I cannot setup clear cut offensive chances... and these are the tactical things I strategically need to develop anyway... so those two losses will contribute to Der_Echte becoming a sandbagger to opponents unfamiliar with me down the road.

TTD member erm re-outfitted me with all new modern dynamic soft sponged rubbers. They do not lack any power on the top end. I actually hit a few more by Scoobie Doo Tsos with either wing... I can rally super (if I maintain my crouch and move my feet)

So... the bat and rubbers are not much a concern. They are pretty much as optimized for my game. (Although I could play just as well with slower linear stuff).

Issues going forward are more like...

- Am I gunna keep my crouch?
- Will I move my feet?
- Will I see the impact and touch?
- Will I get to position on balance?
- Will I recognize what opponent is doing to me and adjust?
- Will I find opponent's middle?
- Will I construct points well?
- Will I make good decisions on power and grip pressure for the ball and situation?
- Will I play efficiently with a plan?
- Will I play like "Tourney" Der_Echte or "League" Der_Echte at next few big tourneys?
- Will I cause TROUBLE with my friends?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

yoass · May 9, 2019

Lula said:
The coaches that teach flat hit with inverted rubbers so not know What they are talking about. Do not listen to them. It is okay to flat hit some time. Spin is much much more safer because of the arc so that is prefered.

I find it wise to keep both options open and to be somewhat unpredictable in stroke deployment. Open the rally with heavy spin and varied pace — and every now and then change rhythm&pace dramatically with a flat hit. (Spin, spin, step in and hit for the kill, ...)

NextLevel · May 9, 2019

yoass said:
I find it wise to keep both options open and to be somewhat unpredictable in stroke deployment. Open the rally with heavy spin and varied pace — and every now and then change rhythm&pace dramatically with a flat hit. (Spin, spin, step in and hit for the kill, ...)

My coach thinks that you should spin everything. But sometimes these issues are about definitions. The best players seem to topspin against everything except lob and high balls to the short forehand.

NextLevel · May 9, 2019

Der_Echte said:
Lost to the kid Akul I support with uniforms for second night in a row both times tight in 5th...

I realize I am crap reading the touch of Indian kids. Difficult for me to play my best shots when I do not read the ball right and all those kids can play fast and flat close to the table.

Credit Akul with great performance on serve receive forcing me to try other ways to setup offense when I cannot setup clear cut offensive chances... and these are the tactical things I strategically need to develop anyway... so those two losses will contribute to Der_Echte becoming a sandbagger to opponents unfamiliar with me down the road.

TTD member erm re-outfitted me with all new modern dynamic soft sponged rubbers. They do not lack any power on the top end. I actually hit a few more by Scoobie Doo Tsos with either wing... I can rally super (if I maintain my crouch and move my feet)

So... the bat and rubbers are not much a concern. They are pretty much as optimized for my game. (Although I could play just as well with slower linear stuff).

Issues going forward are more like...

- Am I gunna keep my crouch?
- Will I move my feet?
- Will I see the impact and touch?
- Will I get to position on balance?
- Will I recognize what opponent is doing to me and adjust?
- Will I find opponent's middle?
- Will I construct points well?
- Will I make good decisions on power and grip pressure for the ball and situation?
- Will I play efficiently with a plan?
- Will I play like "Tourney" Der_Echte or "League" Der_Echte at next few big tourneys?
- Will I cause TROUBLE with my friends?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

First rule of DerEcthe TT - if you return his serves reasonably well, you have a good chance of beating him.

Did you ever try a Korbel?

yoass · May 9, 2019

NextLevel said:
My coach thinks that you should spin everything. But sometimes these issues are about definitions. The best players seem to topspin against everything except lob and high balls to the short forehand.

Might be a question of semantics (as if those are unimportant... well, d'oh). Even my flat hits will have a little topspin, and I've seen some refer to these hits as "drives" and consider them to be loops, albeit rather shallow ones.

Yes, definitions, probably. Still, I like to consider it a flat hit if I go from playing a heavy tangential contact (a spinny and powerful loop) near peak bounce to some form of a counterhit (or is it a counterloop?) right off the bounce. It's mental imagery that helps me visualize, which helps me make the actual stroke. It might be spinning it anyway (definitions definitions) but to think that doesn't help me prepare for it.

JeffM · May 9, 2019

My coach prefers me to top spin too, but I didn't ask him that specific question whether to top spin or flat hit. He teaches that the arc is what makes the shots safer.
I will be having another session with him tmr, on my day off.
So looking forward to it! (and the soreness the few days after).

ttmonster · May 9, 2019

JeffM said:
So looking forward to it! (and the soreness the few days after).

Do cool down stretches Jeff/ roll around on the foam roller and you will be ready to play the next day ... btw your forehand was looking good !!

suds79 · May 9, 2019

Just out of curiosity, have you guys ever been in a bit of a slump and what'd you do to break out of it?

I'm almost laughing myself but including Sunday, I've played 3 times now and each time it's like I've forgotten how to play or something. I don't know if it's a mental block that came out of nowhere but all of a sudden I'm lacking confidence in my strokes.

Sunday - Lost 0-3 to a kid I beat easily 3-0 just the week prior and consistently every time before that. In that match, as an attacking player I couldn't hit any of my normal forehands in and in that match I probably had a total of 5 fault serves which frustrated me to no end.

But I wrote it off as "well I guess i was due for an off night at some point" given I hadn't had one in several months and the last couple of weeks had been playing above my normal level.

Tuesday - Go to hit over lunch with my coworker who is pretty new. We met an older couple there playing. The guy is solid but below my level. The lady is about my coworker's level. They beat us 3-1. In that match my coworker served her his usual no-spin serve, she chops reglardless, pop up high with little to no spin. I smacked it long 80% of the time.

Thursday (today) - my other coworker who goes to club with me go to hit. They're both there. We play doubles. Match 1, they beat us 3-0. Same thing in that I miss her popups. All of a sudden out of nowhere for some reason I'm feeling nerves and faulted 4-5 times in that match. We run it back and win 3-1 as I loosened up a little bit but normally I'm telling you we'd beat these guys 3-0 easily just on total team talent alone.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm going through some kind of confidence mental block thing.

I don't know if I should try to play through it and not worry about it assuming I'll play back to normal soon enough. Or if I take a few week break from the game a little and clear my head. Sometimes I do that and I've felt it's good for me but I usually do it when I'm feeling a little burned out from the game. So it's to recharge the batteries. Right now I feel like playing but just getting tired of this slump.

Anybody ever had a similar experience?

Takkyu_wa_inochi · May 9, 2019

suds79 said:
Just out of curiosity, have you guys ever been in a bit of a slump and what'd you do to break out of it?

I'm almost laughing myself but including Sunday, I've played 3 times now and each time it's like I've forgotten how to play or something. I don't know if it's a mental block that came out of nowhere but all of a sudden I'm lacking confidence in my strokes.

Sunday - Lost 0-3 to a kid I beat easily 3-0 just the week prior and consistently every time before that. In that match, as an attacking player I couldn't hit any of my normal forehands in and in that match I probably had a total of 5 fault serves which frustrated me to no end.

But I wrote it off as "well I guess i was due for an off night at some point" given I hadn't had one in several months and the last couple of weeks had been playing above my normal level.

Tuesday - Go to hit over lunch with my coworker who is pretty new. We met an older couple there playing. The guy is solid but below my level. The lady is about my coworker's level. They beat us 3-1. In that match my coworker served her his usual no-spin serve, she chops reglardless, pop up high with little to no spin. I smacked it long 80% of the time.

Thursday (today) - my other coworker who goes to club with me go to hit. They're both there. We play doubles. Match 1, they beat us 3-0. Same thing in that I miss her popups. All of a sudden out of nowhere for some reason I'm feeling nerves and faulted 4-5 times in that match. We run it back and win 3-1 as I loosened up a little bit but normally I'm telling you we'd beat these guys 3-0 easily just on total team talent alone.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm going through some kind of confidence mental block thing.

I don't know if I should try to play through it and not worry about it assuming I'll play back to normal soon enough. Or if I take a few week break from the game a little and clear my head. Sometimes I do that and I've felt it's good for me but I usually do it when I'm feeling a little burned out from the game. So it's to recharge the batteries. Right now I feel like playing but just getting tired of this slump.

Anybody ever had a similar experience?

it happens to play badly. maybe you're just tired mentally, or tired physically.
your opponent might also have had a good day, or is improving.

I lost two sessions in a row to a guy I'm easily 1 or 2 levels higher but I played badly, these things happen. You can't be always at your best. I'm trying to peak for tournaments.

yoass · May 9, 2019

Yes. Slumps happen. I don’t know how to break out of them; that also just seems to happen.

Maybe letting go of the notion that the performance matters helps. I have them; and when they happen I still seek to have fun in playing, even when poorly.

Der_Echte · May 9, 2019

NextLevel said:
...Did you ever try a Korbel?

Is that some kind of candy bar?

I did use the KJH for 2 yrs and the Perrsom Power Play for a year... The Lissom in between everything the last 5 yrs...

That should be close enough.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Der_Echte · May 9, 2019

Suds, you could play bad for lots of reasons.

Lots of time, one had crappy sleep, work that didn't go well, spouse on ur case, or different place with disagreeable light.

Usually, with good routine, it goes away if it was for those reasons.

I only recently discovered why I am not performing at tourney level on Mondays... after I see I have 3 or more of those happening, it was a No Shyt Sherlock thing.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

NextLevel · May 9, 2019

suds79 said:
Just out of curiosity, have you guys ever been in a bit of a slump and what'd you do to break out of it?

I'm almost laughing myself but including Sunday, I've played 3 times now and each time it's like I've forgotten how to play or something. I don't know if it's a mental block that came out of nowhere but all of a sudden I'm lacking confidence in my strokes.

Sunday - Lost 0-3 to a kid I beat easily 3-0 just the week prior and consistently every time before that. In that match, as an attacking player I couldn't hit any of my normal forehands in and in that match I probably had a total of 5 fault serves which frustrated me to no end.

But I wrote it off as "well I guess i was due for an off night at some point" given I hadn't had one in several months and the last couple of weeks had been playing above my normal level.

Tuesday - Go to hit over lunch with my coworker who is pretty new. We met an older couple there playing. The guy is solid but below my level. The lady is about my coworker's level. They beat us 3-1. In that match my coworker served her his usual no-spin serve, she chops reglardless, pop up high with little to no spin. I smacked it long 80% of the time.

Thursday (today) - my other coworker who goes to club with me go to hit. They're both there. We play doubles. Match 1, they beat us 3-0. Same thing in that I miss her popups. All of a sudden out of nowhere for some reason I'm feeling nerves and faulted 4-5 times in that match. We run it back and win 3-1 as I loosened up a little bit but normally I'm telling you we'd beat these guys 3-0 easily just on total team talent alone.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm going through some kind of confidence mental block thing.

I don't know if I should try to play through it and not worry about it assuming I'll play back to normal soon enough. Or if I take a few week break from the game a little and clear my head. Sometimes I do that and I've felt it's good for me but I usually do it when I'm feeling a little burned out from the game. So it's to recharge the batteries. Right now I feel like playing but just getting tired of this slump.

Anybody ever had a similar experience?

You can't always play at your best but a lot depends on how much margin for error there is in your game while not radically changing your playing style. You also don't play often enough to have your game fully calibrated (we have to place our performance in the context of our training and experience). Everyone goes through ups and downs and no one knows how long they lasted for if you stopped playing. Perspective determines a lot.

pgpg · May 9, 2019

suds79 said:
Just out of curiosity, have you guys ever been in a bit of a slump and what'd you do to break out of it?

....
Anybody ever had a similar experience?

Do I ever?! Thanks for asking, plenty of slumps to go around. All it takes is you being somewhat under the weather, mind preoccupied with something at work/home, couple of misses/edges/nets, opponent having a "can't miss" day, unusual light conditions, your technique taking a day off because it felt like it and let's be honest you have not practiced it enough yet, etc., etc... Sometimes few of these things together.

Laughing it off and moving on usually helps me. I'm not making my living with TT, so it's all relative. Eventually it comes back, regression to the mean and all that.

mart1nandersson · May 9, 2019

NextLevel said:
My coach thinks that you should spin everything. But sometimes these issues are about definitions. The best players seem to topspin against everything except lob and high balls to the short forehand.

Your coach should team up with the guy coaching the kids in one of the clubs where I play every now and then. Short little Indian guy who mixes mumbling and shouting out "topspin, topspin, topspin" as soon as he sees anything he doesn't like (i.e. one of the kids not looping a long push or smashing something). Like a mental tic. Highly entertaining.

(Initially I didn't pay much attention to him until I was told about his background and the guy is not to be messed with. WSA, ex national coach etc. Now I ask way too many question making him avoid me like the plague... hahaha)

Lula · May 9, 2019

Do not have much of slumps But if i Do it is because of hesitation, the timing is off, bad footwork, bad serve and return. I think it always have a cause and it is one or more above. Proably for you too.

ttmonster · May 10, 2019

You can try taking some time off ... like a week or so to get it out of your head ... it has worked for me in the past when its the mind .. basically give your body some rest and tell your self that you have zero expectation since you did not play for a week or two ... you are rusty .. it will automatically force you to focus on fundamentals and stop you from overthinking and complicating the game in your head ..

Lula said:
Do not have much of slumps But if i Do it is because of hesitation, the timing is off, bad footwork, bad serve and return. I think it always have a cause and it is one or more above. Proably for you too.

Der_Echte · May 11, 2019

Had real crap rest or sleep, a friend of mine was in Korea and I gave him live assistance/cheering to ensure he got to a during his 14 hr layover. Had 3-4 hrs sleep frequently interrupted poor quality... An O50 dude wont function well doing that.

I was pretty much unfit to anything but make opposing team happy... so it had some value.

Will get some sleep some where and a power nap too... plus eat my super duper Peperoni cheese herb rolled stuffed braided egg bread hot and fresh and turn a corner Saturday. I see it coming.... after I get me 40 winks and eat sum spinach.

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