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Small movement, change in position or rotation of a part of the body, can influence the position or movement tendency of another part of the body, and all together result in different, and differently felt, movement chain. I'd like to mention couple of such small details. It is basic mechanics. I think they do have some logical basis, which you can verify easily for yourselves, but I don't want to claim that these details are of some high importance for the game play. This is a learning process for me. They are important for me, and I'd enjoy if you can point some other such movement details (I believe there are many) which you consider important for yourself, or perhaps just interesting. The common theme is "smallness", like rotate it so or so, and then see what happens, but each of those points must be seen in the context, which is usually a preparation for a stroke.
1. Position of the thumb on the left hand when preparing for the topspin (right-hander). Pointing towards body or even down, or pointing up? Try to do the preparation movement in both cases. Notice how it (how the palm is rotated) influences the left elbow and shoulder. If the thumb points towards body (pinkie edge up), the body tends to rotate more (kind of from itself). It depends what stroke you want to perform. When Ma Long prepares for loop-kill, the pinkie edge is up, and big body rotation. When he prepares for normal topspin say during warm-up, the thumb on left hand is not that much down. But still you can clearly see a difference to FZD in this, during usual topspin.
2. If you are in ready state and say long push is comming and you want to FH loop it. How is the right palm with bat rotated (right-hander), right before and during backward move? Do you see the FH rubber, the BH rubber or is it just vertical? Try to do the backward preparation movement for the FH loop in all 3 cases. Notice how the palm rotation influences the right elbow. If you see the FH rubber, the elbow tends to go back close to the body, and the rotation backwards feels natural. If you see the BH rubber, it tends to go "around" the body and the rotation is a bit slower and feels a bit less natural. Ma Long tends the have the palm rotated in the first way (see FH rubber, elbow close to body), especially if the preparation involves a step to the left to make place.
3. When you finish FH topspin and your right hand with bat is up, and then you do the preparation for the next topspin, what route back does the whole right hand take? Does it go backward the same way it went forward, or does it go backward like this: elbow down first, and then the whole hand down (while body rotating). Try to do both ways. I've already mentioned this in another thread, I'm repeating myself, also because it is related to point 2. Ma Long clearly does the elbow down, and hand down elbow close to the body. The rotation back is faster. But there are top-level players who do it differently.
4. When you have prepared for the FH topspin and you are down, right before you kick the ground and go up, how is the right foot rotated, where does it point? Toward the table, or parallel to the back-edge of the table, or something in between? It is easy to try different positions, different angles. Notice how it influences not only the right knee but the rotation of the whole body. Obviously it feels more natural when it is more close to parallel, because the hips are more open and the body is rotated more, and thus can rotate more when actually going forward. This is not black white pick between two extremes. But notice also that when the foot is more rotated (more parallel), then also the left foot tends to be further away and the stance tends to be wider. Often, had the foot been more pointing outwards, I'd have better prepared for the FH topspin, and I saw this in top players too.
No doubt for some of you it is like I'm trying to tell you how to read. Just ignore it then, or better, add something more advanced. Also please don't misrepresent when I tell "try this, try that", that I am trying to teach someone. I just want to make sure that the movement and the difference is "felt"
I know that photos or videos would be better. Forgive my laziness. I admire people who do videos, too much work.
1. Position of the thumb on the left hand when preparing for the topspin (right-hander). Pointing towards body or even down, or pointing up? Try to do the preparation movement in both cases. Notice how it (how the palm is rotated) influences the left elbow and shoulder. If the thumb points towards body (pinkie edge up), the body tends to rotate more (kind of from itself). It depends what stroke you want to perform. When Ma Long prepares for loop-kill, the pinkie edge is up, and big body rotation. When he prepares for normal topspin say during warm-up, the thumb on left hand is not that much down. But still you can clearly see a difference to FZD in this, during usual topspin.
2. If you are in ready state and say long push is comming and you want to FH loop it. How is the right palm with bat rotated (right-hander), right before and during backward move? Do you see the FH rubber, the BH rubber or is it just vertical? Try to do the backward preparation movement for the FH loop in all 3 cases. Notice how the palm rotation influences the right elbow. If you see the FH rubber, the elbow tends to go back close to the body, and the rotation backwards feels natural. If you see the BH rubber, it tends to go "around" the body and the rotation is a bit slower and feels a bit less natural. Ma Long tends the have the palm rotated in the first way (see FH rubber, elbow close to body), especially if the preparation involves a step to the left to make place.
3. When you finish FH topspin and your right hand with bat is up, and then you do the preparation for the next topspin, what route back does the whole right hand take? Does it go backward the same way it went forward, or does it go backward like this: elbow down first, and then the whole hand down (while body rotating). Try to do both ways. I've already mentioned this in another thread, I'm repeating myself, also because it is related to point 2. Ma Long clearly does the elbow down, and hand down elbow close to the body. The rotation back is faster. But there are top-level players who do it differently.
4. When you have prepared for the FH topspin and you are down, right before you kick the ground and go up, how is the right foot rotated, where does it point? Toward the table, or parallel to the back-edge of the table, or something in between? It is easy to try different positions, different angles. Notice how it influences not only the right knee but the rotation of the whole body. Obviously it feels more natural when it is more close to parallel, because the hips are more open and the body is rotated more, and thus can rotate more when actually going forward. This is not black white pick between two extremes. But notice also that when the foot is more rotated (more parallel), then also the left foot tends to be further away and the stance tends to be wider. Often, had the foot been more pointing outwards, I'd have better prepared for the FH topspin, and I saw this in top players too.
No doubt for some of you it is like I'm trying to tell you how to read. Just ignore it then, or better, add something more advanced. Also please don't misrepresent when I tell "try this, try that", that I am trying to teach someone. I just want to make sure that the movement and the difference is "felt"
I know that photos or videos would be better. Forgive my laziness. I admire people who do videos, too much work.
