Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[ttmonster]

For me it has always been a case of trying to contact it too low and ending up pushing it long , so I try to make sure I contact it higher with a softer grip whenever I start going long ...

If you can serve it short, then do so but, as a general rule, if you are trying to serve a server short, you don't have control over it. It's a Yoda thing.

 

[Vrael]

I see that You are talking about reverse pendelum serve, so perfect timing

Today I had league match. My team lost 2:8 and I did 2 points (I tried rasanters in the 2nd match, but it is still not enought to say something about them). My 1st match had some nice momentum changes in the last set, so I have uploaded it.

Just try to keep eyes on the score, the points were not great, so it shouldn't be hard . There are 2 important things:
1. We played that match for 35 minutes and this is the last set.
2. My opponent was killing me with his hidden long top spin/little sidespin serves to my backhand (sometimes with no rotation). When I was returning those serves he could easly make strong 3rd ball attacks, because I was just putting the ball on the other side of the table (yeah, long serves to my bh are my worst enemy and I try to work on that).

 

[Archosaurus]

What is the purpose of that tactical head pitching?

 

[ttmonster]

To add some special weight transfer to the blocks

What is the purpose of that tactical head pitching?

 

[Archosaurus]

To add some special weight transfer to the blocks

Gotta keep that topspin low somehow...

 

[ttmonster]

any reason why you were not trying to loop or redirect the serve receives to his backhand @Vreal ?

 

[42andbackpains]

42bp,

It's hard to comment without video.

That said, looping half long balls is a forearm snap issue. In general, many of your comments about your game don't show you have fully accepted that with your health, you are capped by your forearm snap speed and power. Most of your strokes should be played over your right hip and should be forearm snap powered.

2. It's a common and unfortunate belief that a forehand needs to be a full power stroke for everyone. For a long time, all I wanted was for my forehand to be competent. I suspect that you are still hitting the ball way too hard on your forehand. 05 does feel softer than MX-P and my opinion is that ball quality should be the focus not the feeling of the shot. An opinion earned through lots of EJing...

3. Can't help without video.

4. Reverse pendulum is the most difficult serve to do, had to become a religious practice or it falls apart. Use every time until it clicks. Do not try to serve it short.

Yeah, i will try to get some video up next week or the week after. I have been going to the club once or twice a week to get in 10,000 steps and practice serving only. I may get some video of me serving reverse pendulum and under spin serves first. Trying to work on these two serves because they are my weakest. But do you ever notice when you start working on new serves, your regular serves start to degrade a little.

 

[yoass]

What is the purpose of that tactical head pitching?

Eyes always on the ball.

 

[Der_Echte]

Everyone sees how mile high I impact my serves and still keep them tight. Everyone experiments and finds their impact and flight path. There are several paths.

 

[Der_Echte]

Monster gave great advice a couple pages back, a massage can do great stuff for TT too.

 

[Vrael]

any reason why you were not trying to loop or redirect the serve receives to his backhand @Vreal ?

Actually I was trying to return it to his bh in previous sets, but I was unable to hit it with more power anyway and he was just stepping around and hitting it with fh, so I decided to just change the placement of the return in 5th set a little without risking too much.

It also helped me to setup that return at 8:9. It was first time when I felt confident to step around and hit the ball hard with my fh to his bh. He didn't expect the step around, but it might have not been enough if I were returning all the balls to his bh before and he was used to it.

 

[suds79]

Night of Ups & Downs: Mostly downs.

So recently I've been trying to consider a style switch. I was considering more of either

- Penhold Duel Inverted
- Shakehand. Modern Defender.

Basically trying to play a little further from the table, bigger spin, more modern approach.

It largely failed. I'm 38 and am in good shape however I've kinda known about having a bum right knee that gets tendentious and always on Mondays after Sunday, my legs just feel achy. I know they're not injured. I just call it old man knees.

During the week of practicing at home & last night I found out first hand why the older you get, it's advised to play closer to the table. You have to move much more & engage your knees & less so much more when playing modern defender (get low for those chops) or duel inverted off the table as the loop is a fully body stroke. I didn't play that well (tried both styles) and after 3 hours my body felt like it was done. Club is usually 5 hours.

I don't know if I have the patience to wait out several months to perhaps get even to the level where I am know with my style I know. Furthermore, it might be a moot point. My body might make the decision for me.

So I think going back to having that poor man's He Zhi Wen game might be it for me.

Short & long pips combination twiddling.

I still am a fan of the short pips because there are some strokes where on inverted you might try to loop that you can simply counter or hit through it. Just seems so much easier. IDK. Probably just what I'm use to.

I've got at least two matches from last night I owe a little payback to next week I know I can get with that style.

It's different and more of a slow play style but perhaps I my age & body limitations, I should just play the style I enjoy & the one my body will allow for and take that as far as I can go.

 

[yoass]

Yes, aging is a thing. I'm slowly recovering from a cervical disc herniation, the cause of which might not be entirely unrelated to my taking up tabletennis again. That, and intensifying my piano practice.

Anyway, that came with immense pain and severely limited my FH play for a few months. So now I'm getting back, and my FH is getting back at a snail's pace. I'm a doublewinged looper, close to the table, so it's a frustrating process. And it's not just that; more practice is required to maintain power and stamina, increasing it requires even more effort. And of course, at some point eyesight deteriorates, and that's a very slow process. One might start to question basic movement and timing, but sometimes that's just a result of slowly, slowly losing more and more focus at closer range. Table tennis is a game in which the smallest of details matter.

But one abides and makes do, I guess, with the limits imposed by the frailties of our bodies.

 

[Archosaurus]

I captured nearly an hour and a half of footage today. I have condensed the first 7 minutes or so of this video, but I fear to edit the rest as YouTube's editor is very unstable. I'm running somewhat short on time today, so I can't edit an hour+ of footage. I might do it later, with proper software.

Here is another angle. Perhaps better, perhaps not as good. Give me some feedback.

I think the nr. 1 thing I need to do is to just relax. I'm very tense in these recent videos, proper mechanics are impossible to execute. I can just do slower shots if I want to hold back. I think it'd help me to bend my knees and back more when I do strokes, because there's nothing stopping me.

The reason I post these videos, even if they're not fully edited, is mostly for transparency. What you see here is mostly what you get.

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

I will acquire national issue clothing as soon as possible. With the visual anomaly dealt with, surely my game will raise 1000 USATT points or perhaps even more!

19 points please!

 

[Archosaurus]

19 points please!

Once I'm a solid 3000+ USATT player, thanks to my national issue underwear, socks, and wristband, not even 19 points can help you my friend.

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Numnutz, a shoe. As long as the lens is up, it works. If your phone is too thin, a sock in the shoe with the phone. Do you really need it spelled out:

Yes, that is me taking a photo of a phone in my shoe on an NYC Subway train. It's the Q train so I didn't get run off the train for smelly feet. On the Q they are civilized these days. [emoji2]


Sent from The Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

i was going to say on any other train, if jammed packed, there may have been trouble...

...trouble for the other passengers from fainting and causing train delays for the trains behind your train lol

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

How do you stay calm in game play and stay focused?

Wrote this ages ago, some of this may help - obviously adapt it for gameplay situations:

These work for me, I offer you these in hopes it can help you or set you on a Path of Self-Discovery to see what works for you.

1. Sit and just breathe. Concentrate on the in-breath, concentrate on the out-breath. Zone out background noise, only 'hear/feel' your breath. Long deep breaths.

VARIATION: breathe in for a count of 4 (or 3 or 2 if you can't do it for 4 count long deep breaths) - hold for a count of 4 - exhale for a count of 4 - hold for a count of 4 - repeat = inhale 4/hold 4/exhale 4/hold 4

2. IIRC, this is called 'progressive relaxation'.

Relax your body by tensing each body part up, and then let go/relax. Feel that letting go after the tension, that's relaxation physically, mentally just let all thoughts go. Proceed to next body part and repeat throughout your body.

When you need to relax, recall that relaxation after the body part tensing. If you cannot get into relaxed state during TT, physically tense your body and then let go. In time, you shouldn't have to tense up to relax, you will be able to go straight to relax.

If you need to 'anchor' it to some act or thing ... if you touch your racket a certain way, or bounce the ball off the racket, or bounce ball off the floor, or think of a word and associate it with the relaxed state, or a routine of a few motions and/or coupled with the 'trigger word'.

Personally, before a serve, i hunched my shoulders up to tense up, then exhale and unhunch my shoulders simulataneously, bounce the ball off the floor 2x and then serve. I can't get into a relaxed state right off the bat. Still need to physically tense up. Sometimes I just breathe in/out with 2 long breaths.

3. Close your eyes, visualize/recall pleasant times or a beautiful scene... mountains, fields, waterfall, virgin snow, good beer/drink, good food, sharing intimate moment with loved one, recall childhood vacation, etc. Feel how happy you are in that visualized/recalled scene. Feel relaxed.

At some point, you don't have to close your eyes, you should be able to get into that relaxed state.

Truly hope these helps.

EDIT: Baseball players have a whole routine, generally tar the bat, loosen/tighten their batting gloves, take a few swings then approach the batter's box ... once in, dig in and it's on

Basketball players before foul shots will bounce the ball a few times, look up at the basket, etc.

You get the idea.... good luck in finding what works for you!

Bottom line: be mindful of the moment ... play each point ... don't get into a downward spiral and dwell on previous lost points ... take deep breaths ... described above is some NLP physical anchoring technique ... perhaps replay a song in your head you use for relaxation ... as i played our mutual friend H. in the past, i always barely hear him, but i see and hear him singing to himself ... his anchoring/relaxation is to sing songs ... visualize your high percentage shots ... find what works for you.

HTH!

*gets ready to request 9 points from 42&bp*

 

[NextLevel]

Night of Ups & Downs: Mostly downs.

So recently I've been trying to consider a style switch. I was considering more of either

- Penhold Duel Inverted
- Shakehand. Modern Defender.

Basically trying to play a little further from the table, bigger spin, more modern approach.

It largely failed. I'm 38 and am in good shape however I've kinda known about having a bum right knee that gets tendentious and always on Mondays after Sunday, my legs just feel achy. I know they're not injured. I just call it old man knees.

During the week of practicing at home & last night I found out first hand why the older you get, it's advised to play closer to the table. You have to move much more & engage your knees & less so much more when playing modern defender (get low for those chops) or duel inverted off the table as the loop is a fully body stroke. I didn't play that well (tried both styles) and after 3 hours my body felt like it was done. Club is usually 5 hours.

I don't know if I have the patience to wait out several months to perhaps get even to the level where I am know with my style I know. Furthermore, it might be a moot point. My body might make the decision for me.

So I think going back to having that poor man's He Zhi Wen game might be it for me.

Short & long pips combination twiddling.

I still am a fan of the short pips because there are some strokes where on inverted you might try to loop that you can simply counter or hit through it. Just seems so much easier. IDK. Probably just what I'm use to.

I've got at least two matches from last night I owe a little payback to next week I know I can get with that style.

It's different and more of a slow play style but perhaps I my age & body limitations, I should just play the style I enjoy & the one my body will allow for and take that as far as I can go.

Was thinking of you when I played this match.

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Night of Ups & Downs: Mostly downs.

So recently I've been trying to consider a style switch. I was considering more of either

- Penhold Duel Inverted
- Shakehand. Modern Defender.

Basically trying to play a little further from the table, bigger spin, more modern approach.

It largely failed. I'm 38 and am in good shape however I've kinda known about having a bum right knee that gets tendentious and always on Mondays after Sunday, my legs just feel achy. I know they're not injured. I just call it old man knees.

During the week of practicing at home & last night I found out first hand why the older you get, it's advised to play closer to the table. You have to move much more & engage your knees & less so much more when playing modern defender (get low for those chops) or duel inverted off the table as the loop is a fully body stroke. I didn't play that well (tried both styles) and after 3 hours my body felt like it was done. Club is usually 5 hours.

I don't know if I have the patience to wait out several months to perhaps get even to the level where I am know with my style I know. Furthermore, it might be a moot point. My body might make the decision for me.

So I think going back to having that poor man's He Zhi Wen game might be it for me.

Short & long pips combination twiddling.

I still am a fan of the short pips because there are some strokes where on inverted you might try to loop that you can simply counter or hit through it. Just seems so much easier. IDK. Probably just what I'm use to.

I've got at least two matches from last night I owe a little payback to next week I know I can get with that style.

It's different and more of a slow play style but perhaps I my age & body limitations, I should just play the style I enjoy & the one my body will allow for and take that as far as I can go.

My 2 cents:

1) Decide if you are playing for Fun, Exercise, Challenge or for a Rating Level.

If for Fun, stick to the PH twiddling game then as I believe you enjoy this style. If for Exercise , then it doesn't matter which style. If you play for a Challenge, then you probably should go for SH modern defender. And if for a Rating Level, then you have to figure out which style you play the best at in addition to factoring which style will give you the best chance to win vs your Partners.

2) If your Body is speaking to you, then you may have to make do with what you have and bottom line, embrace it and have fun with it!

Is it more important for you to be healthy for your non-TT aspects of Life? or to stroke your Ego and get your way? May seem like a no-brainer but some people can't get over the Ego and be a slave to it.

Ultimately ... [begin NextLevel voice]

"...Like I said already, do whatever you enjoy..."

[/voice]

Good luck in your play!