My game needs serious help

Hi all! I have been playing table tennis for about 34 years. I’m currently 46. Started out with a smallleague that is still going today (but I’m Covid pause). I haven’t played in almost 1 year 1/2. I play with a Sardius (too fast, I know), with Tacky Chop on FH side, and Super Anti Butterfly on BH. I am rated about 1100 USATT, but have beaten a player as high as 1940. Have also notched wins vs 1600-1800 ish players. At the same time, I lose consistently to them, and am nowhere near there level. One player that is almost 2000 beats me on average of 11-3 or 4. My grip is a behind a thumb grip, where the thumb wrests on the paddle, and the other 4 fingers grip the handle. My shots are very inconsistent, and it is difficult for me to hit, smash, and kill shot consistently. I can’t loop or even deliver topspin. I push a lot, block and smash. That’s about it. My serves are decent. Pretty spinny with my wrist action. I play in a league where I’m one of the two top players, and the rest are mostly from 400-900. I played a 1250 player about 4 years ago in a sanctioned tourney and he barely won (pips got me). Also, I can’t read spin well. Don’t really have any coaches anywhere near my area (very rural). Nearest coaching is 3 hours away, and maybe 1 hours and 45 mins for a shake hand coach, but I really don’t want to go that route. My goal is simple: I want to improve and reach 1500. I don’t know how to use anti well, and my grip makes it hard to twiddle. I have also thought about changing grips, since so many people say it is what’s holding me back. At my age, the faster I can get better, the better : ). I would appreciate any and all advice. Thank you all in advance. Attached is a oic(s) of my grip. My natural stance is to hold it sideways, and I cover the whole table with it. If I could get it, that would be ideal. But if not, I can go another way.

Originally Posted by pingpongpaddy

I would suggest forgoing the anti and learning to hold the racket normally. tackiness both sides will be fine
It will give you an interest.

good luck

+1. Why not try inverted if you is not good with anti. Just take some FX-S or Rakza 7 Soft.

Thanks for your replies. It is really difficult to switch grips, as I’ve played with the thumb grip for over 30 years. I have been told to go with the Seemiller Grip, because it might be easier. How much do you think my current grip and setup is holding back my game? Thanks

Blue Devil logo, does that mean you're in NC? If so you have some decent clubs (Triangle, Charlotte, Ashville) possibly in a 2 hr drive.

Without changing your grip or taking in person lessons, you are limiting what improvements can be made. There is no magic rubber.

Since you haven't played in awhile, now is your perfect time to make a change as your body's muscle memory has been forgotten. the best time to change your grip.

If you don't want to travel for lessons, learn at home on YouTube. Find a channel and shadow practice (USD Carl show/has video on this). Change your practice, practice your change. It's your opportunity.

BTW, no TT for me either, it's been my time to change my serve and I'm working on it.

Local high school logo : ). I wish I did live in that area. Yeah, I see your point. Good suggestion about the long time off. We are set to go back Feb 6, but that may change again (it was Jan 4). My problem is that I never feel comfortable with the shake grip. It’s almost like trying to learn left handed (I’m right handed). So I’ve just been spitballing ideas. I did try a cheap pistol grip paddle from Sanwei. It feels pretty good. If I went Seemiller , I’d basically be doing the same thing I am now, only it would be an extreme forehand. Jpen , I have been trying it out. No crossover issue, but it will take a year or more, probably to get used to it. But, bottom line, I’m not going to get better with the thumb grip.

Originally Posted by SylviaWhite

How does one go about that?
Changing the whole thing. Right?

Yes, I think so. But do I go Seemiller, shake or Jpen? That’s really my issue. I have tried before to change grips, but unfortunately I always go back to my old setup. I wish I had a good coach that could just lay it all out for me, and I could go to work. People in my area, they just care about playing. No coaching within 3 hours. So if I drive on a Saturday, spend 3 hours there and back, that’s 6 hours give or take, plus training time. That would be really hard to stick to, and like many, I work 5 days a week plus run our club. Another club is one hour and 45 minutes away, but the guy coaches out of a garage. $100 for the 2 hours of lessons.

Originally Posted by Flathitter

Hi all! I have been playing table tennis for about 34 years. I’m currently 46. Started out with a smallleague that is still going today (but I’m Covid pause). I haven’t played in almost 1 year 1/2. I play with a Sardius (too fast, I know), with Tacky Chop on FH side, and Super Anti Butterfly on BH. I am rated about 1100 USATT, but have beaten a player as high as 1940. Have also notched wins vs 1600-1800 ish players. At the same time, I lose consistently to them, and am nowhere near there level. One player that is almost 2000 beats me on average of 11-3 or 4. My grip is a behind a thumb grip, where the thumb wrests on the paddle, and the other 4 fingers grip the handle. My shots are very inconsistent, and it is difficult for me to hit, smash, and kill shot consistently. I can’t loop or even deliver topspin. I push a lot, block and smash. That’s about it. My serves are decent. Pretty spinny with my wrist action. I play in a league where I’m one of the two top players, and the rest are mostly from 400-900. I played a 1250 player about 4 years ago in a sanctioned tourney and he barely won (pips got me). Also, I can’t read spin well. Don’t really have any coaches anywhere near my area (very rural). Nearest coaching is 3 hours away, and maybe 1 hours and 45 mins for a shake hand coach, but I really don’t want to go that route. My goal is simple: I want to improve and reach 1500. I don’t know how to use anti well, and my grip makes it hard to twiddle. I have also thought about changing grips, since so many people say it is what’s holding me back. At my age, the faster I can get better, the better : ). I would appreciate any and all advice. Thank you all in advance. Attached is a oic(s) of my grip. My natural stance is to hold it sideways, and I cover the whole table with it. If I could get it, that would be ideal. But if not, I can go another way.

Can't see any pics attached, but I'm not sure that the grip is the problem. What about your foot work? I mean that if you have good foot work you could create good angles for all shots and placements. Now I have read about the blade "Sardius" and it feels like a really fast blade. I myself have tried Yinhe T11+ and Yinhe T2s and with Chinese rubbers then. I'm playing more Chinese brushlooping style, quite offensive, and requires a good foot work. I'm always trying to improve that . These two blades are really fast, and absolutely too fast for me combined with rubbers like DHS H3, Yinhe Big Dipper etc. Now the Sardius is rated even a bit faster than these two.

Does your short game work good with this setup? How does the Super Anti work with a fast blade like that? Have you used other rubbers than Anti before on backhand? How did that go? How is your foot work? Do you feel that you could be positioned better when striking the ball?

Short game and placement of the ball is often more important than attacking early. This game is like chess in a way, so the thing is to not give your opponent opportunity to attack before you, but it's hard to say because I haven't seen you play, and there isn't much to go on in your description. But a setup like this feels like it's work against itself. A really fast, hard blade with slowish, soft rubbers have always been hard for me to handle.

I really think for developing, you'll have to practice on reading incoming spin and get rid of the anti. Because if you're not especially good in using it any way, your opponent just waits for you to give him the right ball to attack. There are certainly a massive amount of setups that would fit you better than your present one, but we need some more input to help you more I guess.

you can learn a lot from YT videos

and there is also some online coaches=
you send them footage of you playing and they give you feedback / exercises on how to improve

@flathitter. Tell me how many of the top 100 ITTF players use your grip? I bet you can only count the number of penholders on one hand. Now how many use SH? I make my point. You've been buying equipment and that will not change your situation. Just buy an All+ or Off- blade and change.

Yes your footwork may need improvement. change it too.

Get on YouTube, find some instructional vids, change and practice. Switching will change your muscle memory with practice. There is no magic rubber (or sub in whatever piece of equipment here). You're looking for change, here it is.....

Thanks to everyone for the advice. No, I don’t think my footwork is good. Especially when I play a retriever player, drives me crazy. And I am looking into buying a new setup. But as someone mentioned, if I change my footwork, and get a new setup, could this really up my game? Here are some pics of my grip