Relax your Grip You !! Grip Matters.

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Here is a Korean coach I never shared vids beofre, but he nails a very important topic... GRIP... and how it affects your play.

Knowing how to relax grip to make relaxed arm and actually make power seems to be a national secret somehow... knowing how to adjust grip for shot situations to affect result of ball is bg time as well.

The balls he is POUNDING after 6:10 are what Koreans call the BANG Impact. You can only get that kind of accelleration and bat speed by relaxing body, shoulder, arn, and grip... then at impact firm it up.
 
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Love the way the guy demoed it by leaving the fingers open 😑

My personal experience as a guy starting with a weak wrist was that I held the bat by the palm, making everything too stiff. Gradually after 1 year, today I hold the bat mostly by the tips of the fingers. If you feel hollow in the palm, it's great. It was weird when I tried but didn't take long to get hold of.
Spin is in the thumb and the index. Speed is in the other 3 fingers.
 
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Interesting. He leaves the ring-finger and pinkie in the air and puts the middle finger on the blade - untypically. What is the purpose of this exercise? The translation - is he really saying what the translation says?

I'd think the most relaxed grip is when all fingers are equally relaxed - like, the relaxation distributed equally between the fingers.
 
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Interesting. He leaves the ring-finger and pinkie in the air and puts the middle finger on the blade - untypically. What is the purpose of this exercise? The translation - is he really saying what the translation says?

I'd think the most relaxed grip is when all fingers are equally relaxed - like, the relaxation distributed equally between the fingers.


Well yes and... no.

Having the fingers relaxed is NOT having them straight in the air like the coach is doing in that video. The natural neutral position of the whole arm + wrist + hand section finishes with the fingers being curled a bit, this is how the tendons are actually the more relaxed, simply do this: let your arm fall down as if it was weighing a ton, what do you notice ?
-- > wrist is flat (your hand's back is following the same line as the arm) and then fingers start to curl with the thumb being outside and straight.

The coach here isn't relaxing his fingers AT ALL ! I think it's either he just put them straight in the air to show WHEN to thighten the grip, or either if he really plays like this he's got a serious neurological problem...

Instead of talking about "relaxed grip" and showing a fingers motion like that, he sould have better used a closed camera angle to show his fist opened with loose curled fingers, and then when hitting the ball the fist closed showing the fingers closing and applying pressure.

Concept is right, but... the way he's demoing it is wrong.

 
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Music&Ping;342607 said:
The coach here isn't relaxing his fingers AT ALL ! I think it's either he just put them straight in the air to show WHEN to thighten the grip, or either if he really plays like this he's got a serious neurological problem...

Instead of talking about "relaxed grip" and showing a fingers motion like that, he sould have better used a closed camera angle to show his fist opened with loose curled fingers, and then when hitting the ball the fist closed showing the fingers closing and applying pressure

:) I tend to think he knows what he's doing and we may be just lost in translation... I hope Der_Echte explains. Gamsahamnida :)
 
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:) I tend to think he knows what he's doing and we may be just lost in translation... I hope Der_Echte explains. Gamsahamnida :)


I think that you are correct and he is merely demonstrating where the emphasis of the grip should be. That is, thumb and forefinger.
I don't know how or why this relaxes the whole process of the stroke but I tried it today and it does work somewhat. It sorts of ties in with 'whip mechanics' as put forward by Next Level.

 
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I think that you are correct and he is merely demonstrating where the emphasis of the grip should be. That is, thumb and forefinger.
I don't know how or why this relaxes the whole process of the stroke but I tried it today and it does work somewhat. It sorts of ties in with 'whip mechanics' as put forward by Next Level.

This is a good post with important information. Worth digging into what is being said and alluded to here. :)

Thanks Tinykin.

 
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Yeah, I miss MOG! What happened to him?

MOG is far more on FaceBook these days. He's also an umpire, referee and tournament organiser, sometimes performing all 3 functions in one tournament.
He has several tournaments planned for this spring and summer.
So basically I think that he's way too busy to start any conversation on here.

 
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:) I tend to think he knows what he's doing and we may be just lost in translation... I hope Der_Echte explains. Gamsahamnida :)

Tell me the start and end period where he is doing what you want to know... and I will take a focused look at it.

I looked through the video, and I can see the transalation is NOT an auto-translate, but a competent transalation throughout the vid. Whoever made the subs script has an idea of how to communicate.

 
Grip is important, b to much focus on it will get you mad.

That's why grip lessons should be done at the very beginning, and further polished during the development of every kind of stroke.
Than you wont need to consciously focus on the grip alone, as it will become a native part of the stroke itself.

 
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Tell me the start and end period where he is doing what you want to know... and I will take a focused look at it.

I looked through the video, and I can see the transalation is NOT an auto-translate, but a competent transalation throughout the vid. Whoever made the subs script has an idea of how to communicate.

6.08 the middle-finger on the bat, touching index-finger.

Edit: I posted a jpg image of it, but it is not shown :-(
 
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Around that timeframe latej, he puts up some English, then the Korean. The translation is way better than most Korean vids, and if I did not look at for you, I think you would get the important points. I will not repeat the Korean, but he was saying basically this:

"Even though you grip the bat lightly, the bat is still stable (doesn't move all around the place), so I did this (demonstrating strongly striking the ball with an obviously loose grip (until impact) ) to show that it is possible to use this technique."

We can slice and dice and get picky about lteral translation and semantics and all that, but he was really saying something simple - that he can use loose grip, have bat be stable, and still pound that ball. My personal opinion on WHY he was holding the last two fingers off the bat was to show he wasn't holding the bat tight at all, just holding with thumb and first two fingers... which is showing the grip is loose. This also reminds me of a time in Korea when I was a TT club. I was showing the owner and a member my BH topsin vs underspin. (In 2010, there were ZERO SH players in the city who could make a strong topspin slow ball vs an underspin, I mean no one.) I have a very fast bat at impact and do a similar thing to what TT Naru shows in the vid (about being loose). I explode up and forward with regular loose grip (Thumb in center bottom of rubber), and am FINISHING with thumb first finger only holding the bat. The last three fingers are not gripping at the end at all.

The club owner could not believe that just the thumb and finger could support the bat with such a power shot (my super heavy, slow topspin loaded)... and this guy coached Jeong Young Sik for a little bit when JYS was a kid.. but it IS true, just thumb and first finger can support the force and keep bat stable. For the BH loop vs underspin, I keep the last three fingers touching the bat, but they are not doing anything except being a reperence point - those 3 fingers are not really gripping the bat... and at the end of the stroke, the kinetic energy might make them come off the bat as part of the whip - they are no longer needed.
 
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That's why grip lessons should be done at the very beginning, and further polished during the development of every kind of stroke.
Than you wont need to consciously focus on the grip alone, as it will become a native part of the stroke itself.

IF and I say IF we are working with someone who has committed to learning TT for years (these are typically kids or yung adults) and starts training, then yes, this is a good approach I think.

However, in reality it isn't always this situation... in some places, mostly outside of Europe, you have very large numbers of adults who may not have had significant structured formal training, had very little or zero, but have been playing for years or decades... and now you are trying to help them.

In this situation, Lula's approach is proper I think. This kind of player will not respond well to excessive emphasis... it is almost like you are working with ADHD and ADD... and in a sense, you are. These players are trying to make new nueral pathways for this... and overload is tough on them.
 
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We can slice and dice and get picky about lteral translation and semantics and all that, but he was really saying something simple - that he can use loose grip, have bat be stable, and still pound that ball. My personal opinion on WHY he was holding the last two fingers off the bat was to show he wasn't holding the bat tight at all, just holding with thumb and first two fingers... which is showing the grip is loose. This also reminds me of a time in Korea when I was a TT club. I was showing the owner and a member my BH topsin vs underspin. (In 2010, there were ZERO SH players in the city who could make a strong topspin slow ball vs an underspin, I mean no one.) I have a very fast bat at impact and do a similar thing to what TT Naru shows in the vid (about being loose). I explode up and forward with regular loose grip (Thumb in center bottom of rubber), and am FINISHING with thumb first finger only holding the bat. The last three fingers are not gripping at the end at all.

Cool, I see FZD doing this too with the thumb.
The club owner could not believe that just the thumb and finger could support the bat with such a power shot (my super heavy, slow topspin loaded)... and this guy coached Jeong Young Sik for a little bit when JYS was a kid.. but it IS true, just thumb and first finger can support the force and keep bat stable. For the BH loop vs underspin, I keep the last three fingers touching the bat, but they are not doing anything except being a reperence point - those 3 fingers are not really gripping the bat... and at the end of the stroke, the kinetic energy might make them come off the bat as part of the whip - they are no longer needed.

Thanks a lot for the explanation. This middle-finger surprised me, that's all. I am better not going to be picky this time...

Agree with your description of loose grip and 3 fingers barely touching the handle.
 
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Around that timeframe latej, he puts up some English, then the Korean. The translation is way better than most Korean vids, and if I did not look at for you, I think you would get the important points. I will not repeat the Korean, but he was saying basically this:

"Even though you grip the bat lightly, the bat is still stable (doesn't move all around the place), so I did this (demonstrating strongly striking the ball with an obviously loose grip (until impact) ) to show that it is possible to use this technique."

We can slice and dice and get picky about lteral translation and semantics and all that, but he was really saying something simple - that he can use loose grip, have bat be stable, and still pound that ball. My personal opinion on WHY he was holding the last two fingers off the bat was to show he wasn't holding the bat tight at all, just holding with thumb and first two fingers... which is showing the grip is loose. This also reminds me of a time in Korea when I was a TT club. I was showing the owner and a member my BH topsin vs underspin. (In 2010, there were ZERO SH players in the city who could make a strong topspin slow ball vs an underspin, I mean no one.) I have a very fast bat at impact and do a similar thing to what TT Naru shows in the vid (about being loose). I explode up and forward with regular loose grip (Thumb in center bottom of rubber), and am FINISHING with thumb first finger only holding the bat. The last three fingers are not gripping at the end at all.

The club owner could not believe that just the thumb and finger could support the bat with such a power shot (my super heavy, slow topspin loaded)... and this guy coached Jeong Young Sik for a little bit when JYS was a kid.. but it IS true, just thumb and first finger can support the force and keep bat stable. For the BH loop vs underspin, I keep the last three fingers touching the bat, but they are not doing anything except being a reperence point - those 3 fingers are not really gripping the bat... and at the end of the stroke, the kinetic energy might make them come off the bat as part of the whip - they are no longer needed.
So true Der, !!!
Having a nice relaxed grip and allowing thumb and index finger to control the bat is key, the other 3 fingers, in general terms, are used more for a hard grip, especially the last 2, holding a hammer for example, you try nailing in a 4inch (100mm) nail holding the hammer with thumb and index finger!!!

when you grip with the bottom 3 fingers, I think different muscle groups in your arm and wrist are activated.
Try holding a pen with thumb and index finger, then try flicking your hand about, snapping it thru as it were, there’s loads of easy fast movement.
Do the same but only grip the pen with your bottom 2 / 3 fingers and the movement becomes less and harder to do, slower and is also way,way,way more tiring.
I notice this when I Hoover the stairs!!! Yeah I know, whatever!!
Using the hose and small brush head I tend to grip too hard when hoovering the treads and risers after 4 steps my hand and arm below the elbow start to ache, I have to remind myself to loosen up and grip lighter, after which no more aches!!
So, if your reading this and wondering why your hand, wrist and arm aches during multi ball training....

 

IF and I say IF we are working with someone who has committed to learning TT for years (these are typically kids or yung adults) and starts training, then yes, this is a good approach I think.

However, in reality it isn't always this situation... in some places, mostly outside of Europe, you have very large numbers of adults who may not have had significant structured formal training, had very little or zero, but have been playing for years or decades... and now you are trying to help them.

In this situation, Lula's approach is proper I think. This kind of player will not respond well to excessive emphasis... it is almost like you are working with ADHD and ADD... and in a sense, you are. These players are trying to make new nueral pathways for this... and overload is tough on them.

So What?

My first post in this thread is mentioning MOG.

My first comment in MOG's threads was "mind your grip", no other blade nor rubber would help if you don't change and mind your grip.
He said "Naaah, too late for that".
And the result was tenths of threads for blades and rubbers that might help.

So what is more important - the 101, or the never editable 1001?

 
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