Advice how do I break through my current level ceiling?

I feel like I'm stuck at my current level. I think I'm somewhere between 1500-1600 USATT currently. But I cannot break past this level. When I practice my little drills, I can hit most shots with a reasonably high degree of quality and confidence. Drive, topspin loop, opening loop, block, push, flick, etc.

But in game, none of those practices seem to matter much. My games don't look anything like my practice drills. I tend to give away a lot of easy points. Some common errors I seem to have in game are:

- whiffing the ball. For some reason, I will just swing and miss the ball a lot
- often the opponent will slice a high ball to me. I freeze at the high backspin ball and am afraid to attack it. This results in me either slicing the ball into the net, or slicing the ball too high to the opponent
- overestimating or underestimating spin on serve. I often will give a way a lot of points on receive. I can see the type of spin, but often times overestimate or underestimate the amount of spin. This will often result in me dumping the ball into the net or hitting the ball long over the table

There are probably other little cheap points I often give away, but there are 3 that come to mind immediately. Any advice for how to break my current ceiling?

IMO, you're thinking too much when playing, so what if you miss an attack shot? You'll not get better if you're afraid to even try to strike it. Just have fun, your body already have the training, let your mind loose and let your body and instinct take over. Goku got stronger this way and so can you.

Yes, I think most of my errors are not mechanical errors for the most part.

Most of my errors are errors of judgement. I slice when I should've looped, or I took a step backwards when I should've held my ground, etc.

Something that I ask myself when I miss was if “my paddle was behind it”. It then keeps me thinking to adjust before swinging- instead of swinging blindly.

I’m sure you’ve thought about getting coached- I don’t know if you are taking lessons, but they know how to take your game up to the next level

Originally Posted by Lazer

When practicing both players do their best to ensure a smooth session with predictable shots and most of the time easy balls. In a match your opponent tries his hardest to give you the most difficult ball possible. And when practicing you don’t care much if you miss and you play with your best effort. In a match you don’t want to miss so you hold back…
This is the same for everyone ( almost ).

You win games by not giving away any easy points…

Cheers
L-zr

Yes, there's a guy in our club who has really terrible technique. His FH drive stroke looks bad, and he cannot loop a ball at all. But he has unusually good hands and he controls the ball really well. In a game, 95% of his shots are over the table slices, but he just has great control over this shot. While he cannot loop at all, his blocking of loop is also very well controlled. In a game, he will not ever give away a point for free.

Another guy has an actual 2000 USATT rating, with powerful loops and aggressive flicks and counter drives. This 2000 guy often loses to the first guy, and the games are always really ugly to watch with the 2000 guy somehow led to make error after error.

So, how do you break through this ceiling?

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

M8, Can you show some footage?

Footage of who? I don't think those other 2 guys would like me taking video of them.

But maybe I can take some video of my own game sometime.

But I mostly know what my game looks like. When I get on the attack with my FH loop, I am usually winning the points. When I am giving away cheap points as I described, I am falling behind.

And I generally have reasonable strategic control when I am serving.

Originally Posted by Lazer

It’s basically a mental thing, you have to teach yourself how to temporarily stop “caring” too much so that you can really play out. If I really want really want to win you can be sure I give away a lot of easy points…

Cheers
L-zr

Yes, I will try to think positively and focus on having quality rallies rather than caring too much about the points.

Originally Posted by TableTennisTom

I suggest you change the way you train. It sounds like you have developed a range of technically sound strokes, I'm guessing by doing a lot of regular or semi-regular drills where you know where the ball is going and what the spin is going to be. To break through to the next level, you should do more exercises which replicates match-play. Lots of serve + receive drills. Lots of randomness. Lots of training matches. Seek out the most awkward players at your club and train with them. Get ugly and get messy. With this approach you will have much more exposure to those uncomfortable balls you currently struggle with. You can still do some of your usual exercises to groove your technique. But embrace the randomness of match-play exercises a lot more. Here's an article I wrote on this topic a couple of years ago... https://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/h...eague-matches/

Yes, I think this is very spot on. I struggle more with random shots (ie opponent slicing a ball too high) rather than purposeful shots. Maybe it's a good idea to play more games.

But what's the difference between serve+receive drill and an actual game? Isn't it basically the same thing in regards to training?

Originally Posted by TableTennisTom

I suggest you change the way you train. It sounds like you have developed a range of technically sound strokes, I'm guessing by doing a lot of regular or semi-regular drills where you know where the ball is going and what the spin is going to be. To break through to the next level, you should do more exercises which replicates match-play. Lots of serve + receive drills. Lots of randomness. Lots of training matches. Seek out the most awkward players at your club and train with them. Get ugly and get messy. With this approach you will have much more exposure to those uncomfortable balls you currently struggle with. You can still do some of your usual exercises to groove your technique. But embrace the randomness of match-play exercises a lot more. Here's an article I wrote on this topic a couple of years ago... https://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/h...eague-matches/

BTW Tom, I didn't realize it was you on this forum, but I watch your youtube videos all the time. Thanks for those, those are great videos.

One unique situation that I often fall victim to, is that I become video to my own spin. For example, I do a heavy sidespin pendulum serve, and my opponent gives a poor return, maybe by slicing a little high. It seems that the ball still has my own sidespin on it, but I'm not sure which direction the ball is spinning at this point. The ball also has the effect of the opponent's own slice. This type of "random" ball is not something you train for during drills. So I don't know how to handle this ball.