How to make the best of what I have available?

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After a very long break from table tennis (over 20 years), I've got back into playing it. However, the only place I've found to play is a government training center focused in developing young players, and the only option for us not so young players (I'm turning 40 this year) is a TT "workshop" for beginners 3 times a week (1.5 - 2 hrs per session).

Usually a session goes like this:
Quick of the table warm up
The coach explains the goals for the day (fh topspin, short serve, etc) and explains the drills we'll be doing during the session (2-3 drills); he gives us some pointers, things to avoid, etc.
Then we work in teams of 2 or 3 people in the drills he showed us.
Now, I'm talking 1 coach for 12 tables with 2 to 3 people each; he's usually feeding multi ball to the absolute beginners, so he rarely goes to the tables to watch you perform the drills and fix your technique.
Last 30 minutes up-down games.

He's told me that their goal for us adults is to play and have fun. But I want to train hard and become the best I can within my abilities and age.

I have access to a table at the gym and it's usually empty, but I haven't been able to find someone as motivated as me to train together.
I've been thinking about buying a robot or maybe a return board, but I don't really know how useful that'll be.

How would you go on to make the best out of the situation and improve your level?
Yes, I do love the fun that's the sport but I'd love to compete as well (we do get invited to local tournaments; you can easily guess that we're not even close in level to the juniors they train and mostly serve as cannon fodder)

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Are you physically fit to train harder? Aside from doing serious training for gameplay and strokes, you should also improve your physical capabilities.
I'm working on that as well, about 3 weeks ago we were invited to train for a week with the junior players and I was able to train at their pace for the first hour of training, but the second hour was loooong. Since they train after school and I'm working at that time, I couldn't attend the whole week, only 3 days. I specifically asked the coaches for workouts to improve my stamina and I've been working steadily on it.

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While improving one's overall fitness and body composition is great for any sport's performance, none of that will help out in the ever-critical basic areas of reading spin, reading the opponent, instinctive footwork, shot selection, control of the impact zone, impact control, tactics, balance, recovery, ability to make a whip... just to name some.

Only structured supervised training, immediate feedback, match training and match play, and playing vs opponents equal to better will be effective to any acceptable degree.

By oneself, the only way I can see to improve measurably is to practice serves with a good approach. One can improve 2 levels or more just by becoming a much better server at your level. I did 3-5 minutes a day for a year in Iraq with zero players available and I went up 2 levels without any match training during that time. All I had was a crappy table in the telephone trailer and a few minutes a day before the ones calling would be disturbed more than needed. They were willing to put up with a little, so that is where I cut it off daily - after just a few minutes.

One can improve in some of the needed aspects by playing with a player a few levels lower (assuming they can do a few basic things). One could improve impact control, control of zone, swing timing, impact close or away from ball, blocking, some footwork, some defense, balance and recovery simply by not trying to win every point right away IF one does that and enough time goes by. It isn't as effective as proper training chances, but improving serves and playing with what players are available can carry SOME kind of significant value if approached a certain way.

Unless one lives where there is great TT action, it ca be tough, sometimes real tough, sometimes impossible.

I can see where the OP is coming from.
 
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Similar situation here.

I stopped playing for almost 20 years and just started to pick up at my 30s.
I have been playing at local clubs, some larger clubs in the city and have trained with different coaches.
Here is what I found

1 on 1 coach is most useful.
If you start to pickup, it's better to have the right technique. 1 on 1 coach does the job. If the cost is Ok for you. (In London the rate is normally at £20-40 per hour.

In the first month since I picked up table tennis. I have one month extensive training with a normal - low level coach in China. It helped find the feeling back and picked up the basic stroke. Bring back the muscle memories I have when I was young. I played 2 hours a day with him and played around 20 days. At the end of the session I am almost back to my level 20 years ago.

I returned to the UK after that, find another mid-high level coach. Did sessions once a week. (1.5 hours) This helped building the technique. But progressing slowly. At this time I was at low-end division 3 level at local league.

But 1 on 1 coach is not sufficient!
If you keep playing with one coach, you will get used to his strokes, lines and pace etc... You need to play with different players for their paces, drills and matches etc. Especially different players' servers.
Then I started to play at local clubs, 2 nights a day. Mainly some normal practice and matches.

After 6 month, ( 1 on 1 coach 1.5 hours / week + 2 club practice nights a week) I am at mid to high end division 3 level.

I went back to China again for business for 2 month. I find a coach again for extensive 1 on 1 training (8 hours per week). Improved my loops and top spin a lot during the time. After I came back to the UK, I won some games in division 2 (as backup players)

Then another 6 month of regular training ( 1 on 1 coach 1.5 hours a week + 2 club practice nights a week) . I feel my self mid-low division 2 level.

I went back to China again last Oct. This time I tried to do it hard. Practice 2 hours per days * 6 days + 4 hours match day.
After 2 month, now I am top division 2 level...


Now,each week, I have two 1 on 1 sessions , with two different coaches, one club night practice, and one night of league game. Keep increasing my level.

Some of my conclusion:

1 on 1 coach is most useful to trained and increase your level. Some of my friends in the club and my teammates in div 3 last year. They just do practice night and matches etc. They do played better a bit but still stays in div 3 this year.

Apart from 1 on 1 coaching, you still need to play in the "work shop" Playing agains different player is very essential.

Regarding robots, I have a robot at home. It is useful when you are mid-low level. After coach taught you some basic technique like push, loop, drive. You can use the robot to further practice the feeling. But after your basic technique is "fixed" (muscle memory is firm). It won't increase your level significantly. It can help a bit to increase your movement (random mode or some drill mode). But limited.

If you have access to a table everyday, daily practice of serves is very very useful.
 
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Three times a week for 1,5 - 2 hours sounds very good and not bad at all. Are your training partners the "problem"? Are you better than all of them?

Even if you are the best in your group you can still improve a lot on different aspects of the game. I think the most important thing is to always have something in mind you would like to work on at a session and not just play thoughtlessly without any goals. If you are playing with a weaker player for example it is safe to say that his placement won't be very accurate. Now your goal could be to focus on good movement, to actually move behind every ball and not just reach out for the ball. This will be very exhausting after some time and a very goog exercise even with a beginner as partner.

You could record yourself and upload some videos here for tipps and tricks.

You could explain your situation and ask your coach to do multiball with you at least once a week for 15 minutes. Even 15 minutes a week only can make a lot of difference to no multiball training at all.

You can always work on your serve, even when you are alone, for example at the table in your gym. Again, record that and upload it here.

There are tons of good videos available in the internet, both for free and purchasable. Also online coaching for money might be a possibility if you have enough money.

I don't think your situation is that bad. Training three times a week, a coach, a lot of trianing partners... could be much worse :)
 
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Hi guys, thank you very much for taking the time to read my post and, most importantly, for taking the time to give me such deep, insightful answers.

Some additional info, I'm better than about 90% of my training partners, and I'll be honest, I try my best to use the slow and unpredictable balls to work on hitting with the proper technique, good footwork, etc since I know I have a lot of time to get into proper position for the next ball. However, it's really hard to stay focused and motivated for the whole session when a drill usually doesn't last for more than a couple of hits.

When it comes to matches against them, 3rd ball is how I win them, even with my "basic" Mark V rubbers they can't control the spin. I've started serving pure topspin in order to be able to get some rallies with them.

Now, I'm not saying that my technique is perfect, that I have mega spin or anything like that, it's just that I have previous experience training properly and they do not.

From all your posts I've come up with a plan
1. Use the table at the gym for 15 minutes of daily serve practice
2. Approach one of the coaches and ask for personal training, even for 15 minutes a week, maybe more if they are willing to charge me and commit to it as well.
3. Ask for the coach to teach/correct my technique for a different stroke each week (fh loop, bh loop, etc), record it and add 15 minutes of PROPER shadow practice after serve practice.
4. I found ...'s post about training with lower level partners (sorry, I can't recall if it was written by Der_Etche of UpsideDownCarl) and I plan to make full use of all your recommendations.
5. Go to class a bit earlier and try to play with different (way better) partners (The junior training sessions ends right before ours start)

Sounds good?

Again, such great answers and amazed at your willingness to share knowledge, that usually comes from passion for what you do.
 
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You already received great suggestions and hints.Here's my 2 cents.

Practice with a good sparring partner as much as you can (I know it's obvious..).
The reason is : he will put the ball in the right spot more often. It means: you can safely focus on the execution of the stroke.
Later, when your stroke is good enough, you can improve footwork and positioning, even with weaker opponent.

A weaker partner will return the ball slowly, but less precisely.
So to me, at least at the beginning, a good player/coach is the key (or even multiball if no good player are available).

Be used to high level of spin.
I have huge difficulties when facing opponents who put a lots of spin in the ball (good opponents). And I'm not prepared /used to it. So I don't know how to menage it. Poor skilled partners cannot provide that "plus" in your training..
 
As a frame of reference, it took me 14 months to locate the 3 clubs in my area. There wasn't much on the internet to help.

Don't give up, keep searching and asking. Places to ask (ie call sports director of) University, your MX TT federation, and finally a TT store (online retailer toi) and ask them if they have sold to a club.

Does any of this help?
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=397505800451087&refid=17
 
I did mention that physical conditioning as important IN ADDITION to doing the usual training for tt. To disregard physical conditioning, is to hamper the growth of an individual in tt. When you are physically fit, you tend to last longer in practice and when you last longer you can practice more. Physical fitness, technique and mental training are part of the the trinity in sports and not just tt. These 3 elements are all essentials to a maximized training program. To disregard one is to going against the principle of what is true and tested method in every sport.
 
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Those are good suggestion chuckjordan2, I'll have to dig through different channels though. The workshops are organized by the local federation, and at least one of the coaches works for several universities. The problem is that I'm too old (the oldest juniors are turning 19) and not a college student. Contacting local vendors is a great idea.

Yogi_bear, I can say from personal experience that you are telling nothing but the truth. I came back to the sport 6 months ago thinking "I'm not in too bad of a shape". oh boy! Was I in for a surprise. The next day I joined a gym and haven't looked back. The real test was when we were invited to train with the juniors a couple of weeks ago, I'm much better now, but nowhere near where I want to be.
You also mentioned mental training, care to explain a bit more? Also, so you have some suggestions on how to do it?


Edit---

Brodolio, sorry forgot to reply to you before posting, my bad.

You, as well as Der_Eche, bring up something very important, the elements of the sport that only experience can provide: reading spin, controlling it, reading an opponent in order to anticipate, etc.
I have learned it the hard way.
As I said, I easily win on third ball attacks against my regular practice partners, so much that I've noticed that I'm starting to stop playing after the 3rd ball, you can guess what happens if there's a 4th ball... no 5th ball, I'm already thinking about next serve.

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Mental training is a combination of self motovation, mental exercises like imagining a stroke of doing it over and over again or picturing situational scenarios i the mind on what to react, what to do. Mental relaxation is also part of mental training. Mental training is the most taken for granted part of sports that is maybe in amateur levels.
 
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Have you also considered learning to feed the ball with a partner? I mean if both of you can learn how to feed multiballs to each other it will lessen the supervision of the coach in your area and maybe he can just guide you with the right strokes.
 
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Yes, you need to find at least one adult training partner at or near your level equally motivated to improve. With that much becomes possible. Without that it is harder.
 
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