Beginner Coach needs help

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Good day everyone,


Questions :
Where do i start in teaching a complete beginner the sport of Table Tennis?
How can i maintain the motivation and Interest of my students (Adult and Children)?
Focus and Teach one skill at a time or Multitask (Teach 2 skills at a time)?

  • Repeating one skill for a long time can diminish the excitement and enthusiasm of the student. It is like food, try it again and again for a longtime brings boredom. Possible solution would be breaking down that one skill; after breaking it down, focus on it one by one and connect everything afterwards.
  • Multitasking gives students the "Feeling" of being more productive. and because of multitasking, you can change in between 2 skills so that it wont be too boring and too repetitive.
  • Any more benefits to both: 1 skill at a time and Multitasking?
How can further improve and deliver information based on the 3 learning stimulus?
(What I've been doing so far)

  • Auditory Stimulus : Explanation of the stroke
  • Visual Stimulus: Perform and demonstrate, Youtube Videos
  • Kinesthetics: Shadow Training, Multiball
What does perceived competence mean?
Sometimes there are students that tests our patience in teaching. Ex: A student who takes too long to learn one skill can sometimes make me feel irritated. "I Know it is not my students fault but my Own". How can i surpass my frustration?
When is it a Good time to Introduce: Short Pimple, Medium Pimple, Long Pimple, and Antispin? Is it when they have mastered the Four Basic strokes: Forehand Drive, Backhand Drive, Forehand Push, and Back hand Push?
Who determines the style of play for the student: The Coach or the Player?(I Have seen many cases where one Coach gets to say and a time where the player has the say)
When can a Complete beginner start to think about his own particular style of play? Should i instruct my student to learn the 4 basic strokes first before heading in to becoming a : Chopper, Attacker, Pips player, etc etc? or Should i show him videos of different styles and start from there?

Best Regards,

Ame-kun
 
I can't answer your questions at all.
In my club we have 3 permanent coaches and 5 visiting on request.
One of the permanent deals with children, the other with the pros and the third with the regular amateurs of the club.
The visiting on request coaches deal with elder, returning and recovering players.
Every one of the coaches has its perticular character, mood, kind of communication and excell in perticular techniques and skills and such division proofs very effective.
So I think that it will be very hard for a single person to meet all of these differences in age, aim and expertise.
But anyway I wish you good luck and I'm sorry I'm not competent to give you any advise.
 
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Soo many questions! :( I don't have enough time to fully explain my opinion, so I try to keep everything short. I am not a coach, just a simple university student, but I like to teach kids and nearly all of my training partners are around 12 years old kids, trained professionally. So I will focus on the kids' coaching, not adults'.
1 skill vs multitask:
I think every drill should focus on a particular skill, and it's good if the session has a 'theme'. We every monday do 1 hour of two point FH and then a little BH to BH looping. Two point forehand has 2 focus: shot consistency and footwork stability/precision. It's a very general, but very important element of the game. The kids do it billion times and they master it (the coach corrects the mistakes every session). So it's very useful but it's boring. The kid's don't like it. The same drill from everywhere and physical training. They hate mondays. I have to highlight that I am in the advanced group, so everyone works hard and understands the purpose, but they still don't like it. In short: good to have focus group in the session, but always give the students interesting exercises. In drills, I prefer the simplier ones, so the students can focus on one element. For example: push, FH opening loop, 2 FH and play a point. Here the student will focus on the FH opening loop.
My tip: Simply drills, 5-10 minutes each then change to another drill. It might be good to use 5 minute drills and after a few different one repeat them. Maybe one or two multitasking drill is useful to improve coordination, but keep them short. After execution becomes motoric, it has no benefit. Connecting 2 shot isn't multitasking.
Stimuluses: Explaining is always good. It's frustrating if the kid is corrected and he doesn't know why. Showing them the execution is important. Showing pro players is very useful to keep their interest. 'I want to play like ZJK!' That's something that gives them motivation. Shadow training is very important when to teach them the strokes and footwork. For practicing footwork it's excellent even after they know the basics.
Slow learning kids: It's not always your fault. The first thing you have to ask, if the kid has motivation. If yes, then he deserves more help. Talent shouldn't be an issue in TT. If he wants to work and he is working, you have to help him. With time, it will give results. It might be a long time. But if the kid doesn't seems to be interested: work with him too. But if he doesn't seem to work well and don't care, punish him, but don't let him do whatever he wants. Tell him that now you will work with other kids, who are willing to work and if he/she feels himself ready, you will come back. Dealing with such kids is complicated, as everyone is different. We had (have) a problematic kid, quite aggressive, only wants to play matches, passionate but don't want to do drills, overweighted (so drills with footwork are hard for him), he even said that he want to quit table tennis. The coach and his father talked a lot with him, he was punished by don't letting him play. Long story, but after some painful months he took a few weeks break and now he is working quite well. He still has behavioural problems (maybe caused by other mental problems), but he's back and enjoys playing. But there might be guys who are simply poisoning the group, mean, just sent by the parents etc.. they are better to quit. It can be hard, especially with the parents. But these are problems everyone involved in pedagogy has to learn to deal with.
Determining style: Basics are needed for everyone, but at the same time I would ask the kids what they want. Show them pro players. Explain them what are the styles. You have to to have a standard, usually two wing attack with inverted, but if someone really wants to learn a particular style, you should let him. If you see someone would benefit from changing style, tell him. I know a guy who is a quite good junior player, only one key was missing: BH topspin. He just couldn't learn a proper BH topspin during the years and his coach gave him short pips. It works for him. You can also choose a few kid to learn defence and ask them if they want. Many coaches are afraid of teaching anything other than two wing attack with inverted, that's why this style dominates so much. But be aware that with inverted the kids will learn reading spin and dealing with spin faster and better than with pips or anti. They can change later. For example Yuto Muramatsu chopped with inverted till he became 14 or 15 or 16, I can't remember exactly.
Good luck!

EDIT: I really tried to keep it short :D
things are still missing
 
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I can't answer your questions at all.
In my club we have 3 permanent coaches and 5 visiting on request.
One of the permanent deals with children, the other with the pros and the third with the regular amateurs of the club.
The visiting on request coaches deal with elder, returning and recovering players.
Every one of the coaches has its perticular character, mood, kind of communication and excell in perticular techniques and skills and such division proofs very effective.
So I think that it will be very hard for a single person to meet all of these differences in age, aim and expertise.
But anyway I wish you good luck and I'm sorry I'm not competent to give you any advise.

We have a similar system, just there are no amateurs (I am but I don't want to be one--->I am working hard :D)
everyone is with the (future pro) kids. There is a 'beginner' or amateur kids' group, but it's not at the same time and with partially different coaches.
 
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I do a lot of coaching with beginners. I keep things really simple to begin with. I show them how to hold to bat and how to stand. We then work on forehand drive and backhand drive. The aim is just to get them to play these shots with something which resembles good technique. As their consistency improves, we then move on to switching between forehand and backhand drives (e.g. 2 backhands, 2 forehands). I then start talking about footwork (basic side to side movement). This is all I do to begin with.

Some beginners we can cover this in an hour. Others it could take a few lessons. The main aim is just to do all of this consistently. If the student feels they having success doing this basic stuff, they are far more likely to want to keep playing.

When I am happy with the player's basic technique and the level of consistency, I will gradually add in new stuff - pushes, topspin, smashes, blocks, serves, receive, match-play. This may take several months/years(!) depending on the learning capacity and motivation of the player. But I do not overwhelm them with things to learn all at once. It's better to focus on a few things and get the player to do them very well, than focus on too many things and the player doesn't do anything well.

Do not worry about different rubbers (long pimples, short pimples, anti-spin) and different playing styles. This is way too much information for a beginner to take on. All this stuff you can explain later when they move beyond a beginner stage.

You role as a good coach for beginners is to get them to do the basics very well with high levels of consistency. You want to develop the building blocks of the player's game. This is the best contribution you can give. It doesn't matter if the player sticks with you or progresses to a more advanced coach, you can consider your coaching a success if you have helped the player develop good foundations (good grip, good stance, good footwork, good technique).
 
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Very good post of TTTom!

I don't know have you noticed that young beginers usually loose more energy shaking hands and horsing arround after a bad hit than between hits?
In my club coaches try to deal with this by forcing them to play double against the coach, or the robbot, consiquently changing position on every 2 balls and changing doubles after the 4th. Very dinamic, involving concentration, and no time to horse arround. Collecting balls for a limited time is a good spin muscles excercise too. And a butterfly jump is good for the business marketing.
 
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This user has no status.
I can't answer your questions at all.
In my club we have 3 permanent coaches and 5 visiting on request.
One of the permanent deals with children, the other with the pros and the third with the regular amateurs of the club.
The visiting on request coaches deal with elder, returning and recovering players.
Every one of the coaches has its perticular character, mood, kind of communication and excell in perticular techniques and skills and such division proofs very effective.
So I think that it will be very hard for a single person to meet all of these differences in age, aim and expertise.
But anyway I wish you good luck and I'm sorry I'm not competent to give you any advise.


No its all good mate. Thats valuable information as well. I do agree that you cant be an All Around coach. Teaching methods for Kids, Adults, Elders, and Recovering players are very different and vast especially on the delivery of Information.

Thanks Mate.
 
This user has no status.
Soo many questions! :( I don't have enough time to fully explain my opinion, so I try to keep everything short. I am not a coach, just a simple university student, but I like to teach kids and nearly all of my training partners are around 12 years old kids, trained professionally. So I will focus on the kids' coaching, not adults'.
1 skill vs multitask:
I think every drill should focus on a particular skill, and it's good if the session has a 'theme'. We every monday do 1 hour of two point FH and then a little BH to BH looping. Two point forehand has 2 focus: shot consistency and footwork stability/precision. It's a very general, but very important element of the game. The kids do it billion times and they master it (the coach corrects the mistakes every session). So it's very useful but it's boring. The kid's don't like it. The same drill from everywhere and physical training. They hate mondays. I have to highlight that I am in the advanced group, so everyone works hard and understands the purpose, but they still don't like it. In short: good to have focus group in the session, but always give the students interesting exercises. In drills, I prefer the simplier ones, so the students can focus on one element. For example: push, FH opening loop, 2 FH and play a point. Here the student will focus on the FH opening loop.
My tip: Simply drills, 5-10 minutes each then change to another drill. It might be good to use 5 minute drills and after a few different one repeat them. Maybe one or two multitasking drill is useful to improve coordination, but keep them short. After execution becomes motoric, it has no benefit. Connecting 2 shot isn't multitasking.
Stimuluses: Explaining is always good. It's frustrating if the kid is corrected and he doesn't know why. Showing them the execution is important. Showing pro players is very useful to keep their interest. 'I want to play like ZJK!' That's something that gives them motivation. Shadow training is very important when to teach them the strokes and footwork. For practicing footwork it's excellent even after they know the basics.
Slow learning kids: It's not always your fault. The first thing you have to ask, if the kid has motivation. If yes, then he deserves more help. Talent shouldn't be an issue in TT. If he wants to work and he is working, you have to help him. With time, it will give results. It might be a long time. But if the kid doesn't seems to be interested: work with him too. But if he doesn't seem to work well and don't care, punish him, but don't let him do whatever he wants. Tell him that now you will work with other kids, who are willing to work and if he/she feels himself ready, you will come back. Dealing with such kids is complicated, as everyone is different. We had (have) a problematic kid, quite aggressive, only wants to play matches, passionate but don't want to do drills, overweighted (so drills with footwork are hard for him), he even said that he want to quit table tennis. The coach and his father talked a lot with him, he was punished by don't letting him play. Long story, but after some painful months he took a few weeks break and now he is working quite well. He still has behavioural problems (maybe caused by other mental problems), but he's back and enjoys playing. But there might be guys who are simply poisoning the group, mean, just sent by the parents etc.. they are better to quit. It can be hard, especially with the parents. But these are problems everyone involved in pedagogy has to learn to deal with.
Determining style: Basics are needed for everyone, but at the same time I would ask the kids what they want. Show them pro players. Explain them what are the styles. You have to to have a standard, usually two wing attack with inverted, but if someone really wants to learn a particular style, you should let him. If you see someone would benefit from changing style, tell him. I know a guy who is a quite good junior player, only one key was missing: BH topspin. He just couldn't learn a proper BH topspin during the years and his coach gave him short pips. It works for him. You can also choose a few kid to learn defence and ask them if they want. Many coaches are afraid of teaching anything other than two wing attack with inverted, that's why this style dominates so much. But be aware that with inverted the kids will learn reading spin and dealing with spin faster and better than with pips or anti. They can change later. For example Yuto Muramatsu chopped with inverted till he became 14 or 15 or 16, I can't remember exactly.
Good luck!

EDIT: I really tried to keep it short :D
things are still missing

Wow Thank you for your wealth of knowledge. I agree with you a 100% especially the part where i need to make a theme per session. For example session 1 will focus more on FH with a little bit of BH thrown in there (80-20) or Bh then FH etc etc. In terms of Punishment, I believe it is best to report to them and they handle it(Correct me if im wrong here). or are there any form of punishments a Coach can do?. it is because after the session they will just go do their usual thing; For example: The kid who isnt allowed to play matches, How will i stop him after the session?

But all in all great info
I wish to speak with you more and get more info out of ya

Greatly appreciated mate
 
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I do a lot of coaching with beginners. I keep things really simple to begin with. I show them how to hold to bat and how to stand. We then work on forehand drive and backhand drive. The aim is just to get them to play these shots with something which resembles good technique. As their consistency improves, we then move on to switching between forehand and backhand drives (e.g. 2 backhands, 2 forehands). I then start talking about footwork (basic side to side movement). This is all I do to begin with.

Some beginners we can cover this in an hour. Others it could take a few lessons. The main aim is just to do all of this consistently. If the student feels they having success doing this basic stuff, they are far more likely to want to keep playing.

When I am happy with the player's basic technique and the level of consistency, I will gradually add in new stuff - pushes, topspin, smashes, blocks, serves, receive, match-play. This may take several months/years(!) depending on the learning capacity and motivation of the player. But I do not overwhelm them with things to learn all at once. It's better to focus on a few things and get the player to do them very well, than focus on too many things and the player doesn't do anything well.

Do not worry about different rubbers (long pimples, short pimples, anti-spin) and different playing styles. This is way too much information for a beginner to take on. All this stuff you can explain later when they move beyond a beginner stage.

You role as a good coach for beginners is to get them to do the basics very well with high levels of consistency. You want to develop the building blocks of the player's game. This is the best contribution you can give. It doesn't matter if the player sticks with you or progresses to a more advanced coach, you can consider your coaching a success if you have helped the player develop good foundations (good grip, good stance, good footwork, good technique).

Noted Mate.

"You role as a good coach for beginners is to get them to do the basics very well with high levels of consistency. You want to develop the building blocks of the player's game. This is the best contribution you can give. It doesn't matter if the player sticks with you or progresses to a more advanced coach, you can consider your coaching a success if you have helped the player develop good foundations (good grip, good stance, good footwork, good technique)."

Is a quote ill always remember.

Thanks mate for the info
 
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