Backhand Block feedback

[Zandastu]

Hey guys this is a video of me doing the backhand block to my colleague doing a mixture of counter drive and forehand topspin. Any feedback will be really appreciated for me and i will take into mind. But i know one important thing i wasn't doing during the blocking was keeping my position low but regardless enjoy. I'm in the white shirt by the way.

 

[Dan]

Hey @Zandastu

Awesome stuff it's great being able to give feedback when a user has posted a video of themselves playing.

It already sounds like you have learned a lot by watching the video on playback. I think you have a good contact when hitting the ball, just sit in your knees more, and press the bat more forward. If you notice sometimes the angle of your bat is going to far over to the right. This is sometimes forcing the ball to the right missing the table which you can see at 38 seconds.

Bend your knees and press more forward with the block in the direction where your playing the ball to.

Hope this helps buddy.

 

[Zandastu]

Thank you Dan for the feedback i will take the advice to mind for my next practice. I really appreciate it and i will try post more content on my training in future time.

 

[Der_Echte]

I did a gist of a Korean pro giving a lesson to an amature player about Bh defense a while back, look at some of the key points.

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?9017-Kim-Juhng-Hoon-teaches-basic-BH-defense-at-table&highlight=soft+defense

I think the most important points of blocking on either wing are to be in position on balance and take the ball early, Then it is a matter of hand pressure and follow through (if any).

You often do the task well enough right, but I am with Dan (and You) in that you could be a little more wide and lower (squat with knees and waist a tad more)
If you look at the misses you made, you were reaching, so it looked like you were a little off time & rhtym on those. Think about allowing the ball to come to you some more. Sometimes that means waiting some more, sometimes that means taking a min step forward. When you get in a position looking over the ball at impact, you see the ball better and can instinctively control your bat angles subconsciously a LOT better.

 

[izra]

your forearm is completely horizontal, it's hard to block with your elbow so high.

 

[NextLevel]

For someone standing straight, that is a good block. The only thing I would change is that your wrist is a little stiff. On a backhand block, your wrist should be loose and the motion should be backward to forward as if doing a backhand counterhit (or a backhand loop without lifting the ball). That's the main reason you are pushing the ball to the side so much. If you wrist came backwards, it would give you more control over racket angles and enable you to do other strokes if you choose to based on the time you have.

 

[V-Griper]

It's not quite a block but more half way between a block and a counter hit as you are extending a little more then a block stroke would. I think that could be because the other player isn't hitting the ball hard enough that you actually need to block, and in order to get the ball back to where they are standing you have to add more energy to the ball.

In general though your stroke is very good imo even without getting lower because you are using more of your body to help control the whole stroke instead of just your arm.

The problem is directional control because your arm is more horizontal and your grip is neutral when you extend your forearm(open the elbow joint) the paddle swings in a small arc from left to right. Looks like an opening door. As a result the paddle angle is constantly changing as you make the stroke so that it's difficult to direct the ball.

You want the face of the paddle to be traveling in the same direction as you want the ball to go lightly before, during and after ball contact.

Some options-

You can keep your arm position and change your grip to have more bias towards the BH in which case your block would have more of the Fan Zhendong flavor, or lower your elbow and bend your wrist slightly back towards you in order to keep the paddle oriented in the direction you hitting the ball. Regardless of which way you go you will need to play with the angle of the forearm so that tip of the paddle is pointed more up and to the side (looking from the front).

Here is an example-I realize that this is more of counter hit than a block but it is essentially the same motion. A block is just much smaller.
Note that you look very similar until you get to the elbow movement where you can see it dip down changing the angle of the forearm and the wrist flexing backward slightly. And it is very clear that he is extending in the direction he wants the ball to go until he has to recover the stroke.

 

[Sheng07]

Bend your knees more so that your arm is lower. The lower your position, the lower the ball will bounce off your paddle. I also noticed that you are approaching the ball too early, that's probably why there is no directional control. Let the ball come to you- waiting is very important for you to have a great contact. Good luck and have fun!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[atomant]

There are quite few methods of blocking and not including blocking as a player or blocking as a coach/sparring partner.

To be a blocker for training the other player, couple of points should be taken into consideration for the returning ball.
- no side spin
- little top spin is preferred
- should land almost the same area/spot
- the power should be consistence

For a new blocker, it is important to have knees bent;legs further apart and lean forward. This posture provides stability and alsobringing the blade nearer to eye level. It is also easier to judge the heightof the incoming ball and getting the blade to block it (unless you want theball to hit your face).
The arm should not be extended and the elbow should be bentabout 120 degree. Use only short forearm movement to push the ball back if theincoming lack power and spin. The body should be in relax mode to absorb theincoming ball impact. The body (actually the legs are creating the movement)can also be used to push the ball back too.
If the trainee/player returning ball lacks power, standnear table and return the ball off the bounce. The higher the ball bounces, theharder to control the ball. If the returning ball has power and lands deep, stand further back.

If blocker is also a player, try adopting a neutral grip.For coaches or blocking for long hours, pro BH grip is generallyused.

 

[atomant]

Bent the knees, slightly wider stand and leaning slight forward has it advantages.
- stable
- bringing the blade closer to the eyes level
- easier to judge the height of the incoming ball

Elbow should not in drop position and the arm should be bent about 120 degree. It should not be extended. Use short fore-arm movement to push the ball back if the incoming ball lacks power. The body should be in a relax mode to absorb the impact of the incoming ball. The body (actually is the legs) can be use to push the ball back. Stand near table if is the incoming ball lacks power and block the ball immediately when it bounces. The higher it bounces, the harder to control the ball.

For starter, no arm movement is required especially when the incoming ball has power. Use neutral grip if not doing it full time like a coach. If blocking for hours, pro BH grip is quite often used.

 

[raazzz]

I'm not the best coach but I would try to be a little more relaxed in the wrist. It can be hard to get a good feeling and also change the placement easily with a to stiff wrist! Maybe try to get down a little deeper with your legs also