Kim Jung Hoon - Thousand Nuggest of Tips

Sooooooo many tips in this vid I had to make a long gist of it for the forums.

This will be a LONG post to get it all. he had more than a tip a minute.

Kim Jung Hoon in nearly 30 minutes gives out a gazillion tips and fundamentals we amatures get wrong all in a manner that is easy to see and understand.

I like how he emphasizes steps of progression and not doing too much at once.

Most of this vid, KJH is showing how to do it vs a block or a topspin. Near the end, he gets into how to hit vs underspin.

Tips everywhere on both FH and BH wings.

Here is the vid and the gist with timelines. Any native Korean speaker out there feel free to inject your views into this. I tell everyone up front, literally translating word to word often results in something even more incomprehensible.


1:43 - 2:30 Impact the ball center of the bat on loops and punches.

2:55 - Use of power on 70% power shots

Arm 60%
Body 30%
Wrist 10%

3:38 - When you have a hard time continuing to use body, firm up your grip at impact, or even way before it will keep you consistent

4:39 - Spectator asks for step by step breakdown of FH loop

Step 1 Catch the ball with your eyes and body
Step 2 Backswing (2 connected parts to backswing one bring bat back to belly two bring bat back to rear)
Step 3 Swing and recover

6:40 - Connect the two parts of the backswing fluidly (he demonstrates 7:05 to 7:12)

7:20 - Question : After your swing, how do you move down?

7:35 - Think back to when you learned the basic FH light topspin drive stroke and increase the spin. DO NOT overdo it at first. He demonstrates at 8:04 to 8:15. Then he adds power at 8:20

8:39 - He adds more back swing and shows it at 8:50 to 9:00

9:20 - Spectator asks something about how to loop

9:30 - KJH says it is tough to say this or that is the right answer, we all learned our lessons differently. However, this is the most important thing: Impact the ball on the center of the bat. No matter where you hit the ball on rise, top or on fall, hit the center of the bat always.

10:07 - There is no right answer, but hit the ball squarely, that is important. Hit the middle of the bat so the spin doesn't do crazy things to your shot. He repeats the importance of hitting the middle of the bat 20 times.

11:05 - BH loop (vs topspin or block) It is a temptation of amatures to go for the big powerloop rip in TT, but the pros mostly will not rip the first BH like that. They might setup a rip chance with a spinny well placed shot first... Somehow, amatures just got a burning desire to try crushing it on BH and that isn't gunna get it done consistently.

11:41 - OK, so here is how you develop a good BH attack. Start with the basic BH punch counter shot. Add to it from there. He does a series of punch shots and then shows how to add more power and spin to the shot.

11:54 - On the BH wing, the body is in the way, so you got less room than you do on FH, which is almost unlimited nothing in your way.

11:59 - Steps around FH to show this

12:07 - KJH demonstrates a turning drum motion a little in front of him starting drum in front of belly button, then moves the drum to belly, then upwards (no higher than chest) and forward in a rolling drum forward to demonstrate the kind of space you have to create for yourself and how to impact the ball.

12:38 Amatures make too many mistakes trying to impact the ball where it is (by not being in position or not letting it come to the zone)

13:06 KJH demonstrates the basic BH loop vs a block. bat comes from belly. When away from table, you bring backswing to side hip bone. When you are advanced, you backswing to side and behind side hip and rotate hips more.

13:40 - The true BH loop is done close to table with a shorter stroke. trying to use a sexy long stroke rip shot is asking for trouble close to the table. Not consistent with long stroke. No time anyway.

14:09 - BIG mistake for amatures to go for too much close to the table

14:28 - Stroke is same way. Use BH not so special. (to pressure opponent) Use the BH to make a spinny loop deep with placement and look to make a strong shot on next ball.

14:36 - He tries to suddenly go for a down the FH line shot. KJH says to be careful with that as the opponent can crossover and make a strong FH loop and you are now not in control. KJH says to keep opponent pinned down (and look for a better ball to attack strongly) instead of going for the FH line winner. (that will likely be seen and countered strongly)

15:04 - from mid to far away from table, you use a bigger backswing and more forearm than wrist. from close to table, you do not use wrist, but very little. it shouldn't feel like you are using any wrist (vs topspin or block) but you do you some as part of your stroke's whipping action. (KJH just prefers to not use a lot of wrist on his BH loops) You should feel that at impact, you are not using the wrist.

15:26 - Your BH loop close to the table does not require much wrist

15:40 KJH demonstrates a series of slow to medium loops using a lot of wrist. Then he says it is better to move weight forward and go to the ball hit with direct contact. That is safer. He says at close to the table exchanges, there isn't any time at all and you cannot prepare the wrist in this kind of exchange, so forget about it. Go direct. You can more quickly and safely employ a short stroke direct contact BH loop in this situation.

16:15 - Spectator asks about how to use a 20%-30% power FH loop how is angle different? KJH tells him yes, but you still gotta hit the center of the bat. You have to decide whether to use the same swing and bat angle or move up and change bat angle.

16:50 - It is better to not use a lifting motion (vs a blocked ball)

17:12 - How to BH loop vs underspin ball? KJH responds by saying you should be looking to step around FH loop those long underspin balls. The FH is dynamic, powerful and consistent. Seeking to BH loop an underspin is illogical. If the ball comes high enough to BH, then a BH kill shot is in order. Easy decision. When you have to BH loop, use depth, spin, and placement (to stop opponent from attacking) and look to strongly attack the next ball.

18:10 - KJH demonstrates some reduced speed spinny BH loops deep. He says if opponent is handling these balls well, then use more pace, sometimes a very flat BH hit. (18:30 - 18:50) However, pros don't do that. they do it like this... demonstrates from 19:00 - 19:15

19:30 - I can get rid of a lot of built up stress playing TT. more important to hit ball in center of bat.

19:50 - When you don't hit for power close to table, don't wait for the ball, take it off the bounce, but on power shots, wait for it more and let it rise high. KJH demonstrates at 20:00 how to "not wait" and take the ball early loop off bounce.

20:30 - if opponent does very well blocking your spinny deep opening loops, then give him a fast no spin ball next shot.

21:15 - Someone asks, "Do you overcome spin with impact, or do you hit ball on side?" KJH says it is not totally wrong to hit the ball on the side. (KJH obviously favors the direct hit) Then he says he favors hitting the ball directly. He says he uses spin and placement, but he prefers direct hit hard balls. Use the spin from the underspin ball and add to your power.

21:54 - I like to BH loop underspin balls early because the spin doesn't bite on my bat as much. I can pressure opponent.

22:05 - If you impact the underspin ball later, it bites on your bat more. If you want to BH sidespin loop the ball, your body is in the way and you need to be away from table to get in the backswing preparation you need. Hitting the ball more direct and closer to table is safer.

22:29 - You impact the ball earlier, because of opponent's spin.

22:35 - Think of a chopper giving you a heavy chop. Attack it early. The spin gets heavier the more it leaves the first bounce. Fast loop the chop while it is on the rise.

23:01 - very easy to learn how to loop an underspin ball off the bounce. do a lot of FH flick reps to learn angles.

23:18 - Practice like this to learn timing and angles. Feel the ball and impact. Learn the touch.

23:42 - Spin one ball up and fast loop the block. Your rhythm is the same for a fast loop. Use body to generate power on the fast loop.

24:15 KJH demonstrates how to use the body

24:23 - KJH says he impacts with his body a lot and that is important to him in his style.

24:35 - Lastly, the BH punch shot.

24:39 - Important to establish a zone from your belly and out. Get the elbow up and stable. Bat tip to the side (3 O'Clock) Move the forearm through the shot.

24:59 - Bring it all forward. You can use different impact point to send ball down Fh line (but that isn't easy and controllable)

25:19 - Use lower arm to make impact. He holds his free hand holding his shoulder to take it out of movement.

25:30 - This is BH defense.

25:36 - Opponent loops and you light punch it like this. Variation: Tighten grip at impact and go through ball. Variation: You can change direction. do NOT use crazy moving elbo position and arm, it is too hard. use rotation of waist to guide ball down the line.

26:00 - Demonstrates

27:00 - Variation: go forward and down at impact vs heavy topspin.

27:38 - Variation: Use body and bicep to add power to the punch.

28:07 - Variation: Block 2-3 balls softly to medium to establish a rhythm and suddenly impact through the next ball strong (to change up timing of opponent and mess him up.)

28:15 - Holds up bat and says to look at bat and see where the ball marks are at (center of bat)

28:25 - There is no "right" answer in TT... but you still gotta hit the center of the bat or you will have trouble. Do not let bat shake or move away at impact. Bat grip at impact must be firm. It should feel like you are clamping down on the bat grip at impact. (곽 잡는 느낌) (This is also a marketing phrase of a denture adhesive commercial famous in Korea) (insadol)

29: 25 - Do not try to wrap the arm around the ball at impact, just go through the ball and you are good to go. Make direct contact.

Haha Irza, it might turn out that we both feel the same way about BH looping, I like to use a LOT longer motion close to table vs an underspin and take it later, but I got a lot of blade speed and I am too chicken to take it off the bounce.

Whatever both of us believe, I gotta say he is right in saying that he choose to play that way for quickness, stability, pressure, safety, and the tactic of making one more shot to get the chance to open up the ole can o' whoop-azz on ur opponent.

Kim Jung Hoon takes away all that guessing the angle by taking it early off the bounce. The spin bites less. That means he got more leeway for error if he doesn't try to rip it.

I have always waited for the ball and spun it vs underspin.

VS a topspin or a block, KJH just goes forward into the ball directly. He generates momentum from his body, he says he uses a lot of body in his impact. He accelerates the forearm and doesn't need a huge stroke close to the table and it is an efficient stroke for him and a safe one. That is why he chooses to play the BH close to the table and you don't se him spinning it up much. The BH he advocates for bang bang BH exchanges doesn't use much wrist, and really, that close to the tablein such an exchange there isn't any time for it.

Generally true, longer swing meens you will take longer to recover, but if you are off the table, there might be time for it.

Problem is at our amature levels, when we take that bigger backswing, we generally mis-time the ball, we generally are NOT using the "Right" in unison in the "right" order and that results in a swing that is often off the mark and off balance. That is what makes it so difficult to recover more than anything.

It doesn't happen right away, but just like Kim Jung Hoon advocates, he uses a LOT more body to generate impact and that also takes timing and strength/explosion too, but it is more direct, less wasted motion, and generally efficient. You will not try looping with less backswing and get good power the first week (or eevn month) you try this, but what he says holds true.

It is HIS style and not THE right style, because there isnt such a thing as THE right way to hit. There are EFFECTIVE ways to hit and KJH breaks this down his way.

I have a tourney starting in 10 hours from now and I just watched this valuable point packed lesson.

There is one thing I need to take away from this vid and use in te tourney soon (besides being in position on balance / timing and hitting CENTER of bat) is that KJH likes to crowd the table and take undespin right off the bounce. It makes his life easy and he can make a quality deep topspin very consistently and rush opponent, so he can get a better ball next ball to attack more strongly.

What I need to adapt to is impacting the underspin deep ball off the bounce. I have always been waiting for the ball to rise, then impact it on the way down. KJH shows me I can be just as consistent and acceptable spinny by taking those off the bounce.

WHY should I do that with the Poly Ball, especially Joola Seamed Poly Ball?

The ball being used for this tourney will be the SEAMED Joola 40+ Poly Ball. The ball bounces VERY INCONSISTENT and ERRATIC. At Boston TTC, many members have been using this ball (since many tourneys use it) and I have missed so many EASY BH loops vs underspin, because the bounce is not only different for different spins and dgrees of spin, the bounce is plain erratic and impossible to predict. It is SO DIFFERENT from a good cell ball. My offense is often setup by doing a shot to a difficult area to opponent to get back a long underspin to attack. Normally, these are the easiest balls to attack with strong spin or strong power. NOT with Joola 40+ Ball, you LOSE more points trying to let that underspinball drop and attack. The ball will rarely be where you think it is when you think it will be. The timing is diferent each time and the bounce is so different, you are also often not in the best position, no matter how you try.

That is what happens to you if you wait for the ball to drop and the ball has a very untrue bounce.

So.... for me, the quick and effective solution is to make the habit of crowding the table (which I usually do well) making a small zone of room between belly and impact point, and being ready to make the impact vs teh underspin ball soon after the bounce with reduced power to result in a medium heavy spun ball that lands deep in a good location... so I can get another BETTER ball to strongly attack.

I think that will be the big profit for me this tourney. ONE thing to rememebr and practice right away when I get to the venue.

Thanks, I haven't done it yet, but I don't think it will be too hard vs underspin at least.

In Korea, in my lessons, coach would have me crowd the table and sometimes I would take the ball early with less power. I know I can impact it early like this, but my normal habit has been to wait for the ball, then use a bigger swing.

KJH said the same thin in the vid. "If you want to use a power shot, wait for the ball and us a bigger swing more power." That has usually been my preference for opening BH topspin. not always a power shot, but usually a bigger swing with a LOT of wrist, I mean a LOT of wrist that produced an extreme heavy ball that most opponents block out and long or are just happy to block... then I got options to go for a stronger attack.

I guess all along my thinking is similar to KJH in that I use the BH opening topspin to create a better chance, but I had a preference for heavier spin and sometimes a fast opening topspin if I saw opponent move early to cover the FH corner.

Still, my approach was way different and I think with this Joola 40+ Poly ball that bounces crazier the further it bounces... I think I had better get into the habit of making my first topsin vs underspin VERY EARLY to minimize my errors and pressure opponents the same.

In Boston TTC where many memebrs like to use Joola 40+ Poly Ball, I lose many points and matches with errors vs balls I NEVER miss an opening topspin against, I mean vs balls that would be surefire 100% landing heavy, I would miss MANY of these. Of course the lighting is different there and it can be hard to pick up the ball in the light sometimes, but at the end of the day, I know I missed more EASY balls when I played most matches using Joola 40+ ball.

I had the absolute worst possible days using that ball, then I go to New York City for my Der_Echte NYC Adventure 2.0 (search for the thread) where I played matches at Robert Chen TTC using mostly Celluloid ball or true bounce Yinhe seamless ball (Cole from colestt.com was nice and included one in one of my orders) (yes, a TT equipment company president can order from another seller, it is OK, Cole is a good guy for the sport and helps many players) (and PP Holic resells Yinhe too) I did that adventure after being TOTALLY wore out from 8 hrs of constant TT matches the day before AND a 6 hour drive with traffic jams (What do you expect on a good fall day on a Friday???!!!) and STILL, I had a great performance. UpSideDownCarl was there and saw it, heck, he played a match vs me and saw my play vs the "Master" Robert Chen himself (a player 2-3 levels better than me) and I BH smacked him upside his Master head and blocked him off the table to make him run around his oun club like i was the one training... yet I still lost at duece in 5th)

I say that to make the CONTRAST of how I play a match when the Joola 40+ Poly Ball is used and when a celluloid or a true bounce seamless ball is used, even if my physical condition the day I used the cell ball or seamless ball was ten times more terible than when I was fresh the day before.

strangeloop said:

I am good at spin ups and I have never learnt to hit the faster one to finish off the point.. I will try KJH's suggestions. I just find that angle awkward. My arm always moves vertically. Needs a slightly different swing I suppose. How does one work on different swings? For example, against chop and topspin does your arm move in different planes? I tend to struggle against good blockers because I hit relatively slow and loopy.

Click to expand...

I re-read this thread, because someone at Boston TTC asked me to explain to him how to hit a very fast BH vs a slightly high ball with a very short swing to result in almost smash speed.

I explained from hte top of the head nearly everything KJH said about BH shots close to the table.

I have to stress (like Irza did) the stroke is VERY forward.

The power starts with a small movement forward. This could be a TINY step, or it could simply be keeping feet planted and pushing off a small amount. This small movement creates inertia that will flow through the body.

Shoulder and upper arm are stable and still. stay loose and use very short stroke. FIRM up grip right before impact. Result will be a very fast drive.

Kim Jung Hoon as a top pro player isn't really dominating any more. He plays K-League but his days as top competitor are likely gone. It is natural for such a player to fade from international competitions. KJH has a GREAT future as coach if he chooses.

You could bemoan the same thing about Oh Sang Uhn, he was still playing solid mid 10s world rank, but his run had to end sometime.

RSM, as good as he was for so long, same deal, he simply wasn't going to stay near the top at that stage. Ryu is coaching on women's team.

Kim Jung Hoon I have met exactly once at Nexy HQ in Korea by chance and also sat in on him discussing with President moon about what specs he wanted for his new (Nexy designed) Tibhar blade and how long it would take for it to be ready for market.

What is different about Kim Jung Hoon is in person, he can can take one look at something and tell you right away what is going on. That could be the property of a blade with just one rally, or it could be a player's impact or other aspect of a player's pre/during/after shot sequence. He will cut right to the root of the problem and tell you exactly what is causing it and what options are effective.

In KOREAN, despite a little accent or style of speech, KJH is very easy to understand and his approach is very direct, without offending. You will always hear him in vids (if you can comprehend Korean) that there isn't just one right answer or one way to do everything. Overall, KJH favors a direct path to the ball and efficient strokes with the eye for the next ball and what to do. That is in contrast to what you see in "Training" vids from the big brands. Solid contact, impact early off the bounce or even late (but in the effective strike zone), efficient movement, balance/recovery, and not taking stupid risks are the big things you see from his style right away.

If you are a flashy player with long strokes and going for too much too soon, KJH will tell you up front how you will be exploited and why you cannot continue the attack or why you will miss.

As much of a spin monster right away I am, it is evident his beliefs of how to play base BH defense, and how to play fast on BH wing close to the table have many things I can apply to my game in those situations.

Watching these vids (and gisting them) has helped me to really think about how and why I do what I do. My BH drive close to table has improves so much, I now am a boss in bang bang BH to BH close to table, where before, I was only a little better than 50/50. My BH finishing shot is now faster than a lot of players' FH smash.

His simple concept of extending the shoulder/elbow forward to make the hitting zone more in front (then keeping them stable) and using quick snap acceleration of lower arm and a little wrist at the end (while staying loose until right before impact then you really firm up grip) has really helped me keep the ball in the strike zone. (or move my strike zone forward)

The small step forward or the explosive but compact "Small Hip" start has really helped me generate kinetic energy that is easily transferred to the shot if done at the right time and loose, which is very natural. This has helped me to generate incredible bat speed and acceleration with ZERO backswing very quickly.

This means I get to BH smash a ball while parked at the table very soon after I realize I got a chance to finish the point.

I use the Kim Jung Hoon blade with Elips on BH, which is really just a slightly faster control rubber than my all time Der_Echte special recommendation of allround OFF XP 2008.

I can make a really sharp cracking sound at impact real sudden like with equipment that is a step or two slower than many players OFF setups. I really value control on BH, because I could always make bat speed, but with KJH help, I discovered how to keep the ball in the strike zone and how to be ready, that made a huge difference.

Even though I have been playing regularly for only two months and also after a major injury that is not yet completely healed (and prolly wont be for another 6-9 months), I can say these vids have helped me have an even better overall BH close to the table and made my overall game comparable to my level right when I left Korea. Remarkable for only two months of play after two years of very infrequent (next to zero) TT.