Feedback on my League games

[McSmasher]

Against the lefty:

As you analyzed I was struggeling mainly when he was serving. My entire brainpower was used on the first return ball. I then had nothing left for the upcoming (block) to keep attacking. But thats a big me problem. I also can´t really practise those serves and I know for a long time I struggle with these serves. Noone in my club does the, I also have no roboter.. Is there an easier way to loop this? Should I ignore the sidespin and just focus on how much backspin/topspin it has and just loop at the back of the ball instead of from the side? I think with my Forehand I tend to hit the ball from the right side more.

Yeah against the lefty, I wouldn't worry too much about the sidespin on his serve for now... it's more important to keep your returns from popping up, which means being able to pick the backspin vs topspin. Against his topspin, you could keep things simple and control drive it back, or if you have the confidence, hit a stronger loopdrive. Against his backspin you can loop it if you want, but you probably don't need to do it all the time if you're not comfortable. If you push it low, it still doesn't give him the height to slap it. His forehand can hit some dangerous loops vs backspin, but there's a lot of arm going on, and is pretty unstable, so if you're going to push anywhere, it'd be at his elbow or occasionally at his forehand.

This game was a lot of confidence Issue on the receive for me aswell. I could serve short to him which I did a couple of times. But I felt like it was very risky when he cuts the ball heavy and even if its half long, he would force me to push back and he starts attacking. So I had to find something where I know I get a long push back or a weak loop that I can block. I also see now that I was too far away from the table to loop.

This is where variety and deception in your serve plays its part. If you can disguise topspin, backspin, and (the very underrated) no spin serves, he won't be able to consistently get a read on hitting a strong push. And if you add some speed and depth variety, this should also help.

The thing is something is fundamentally flawed in my game. Because my opponents are not the fittest or players that move a lot according to the ball. Yet they hit those balls. Meanwhile I have to get "specific" balls to attack. Not sure how to explain this better. It just felt like that they moved on standby mode.

I think experience and knowing your game plays a big part. The lefty had an obvious gameplan to hit deceptive serves to try and get high balls to attack, and on serve receive he attacked just about everything long. That means he's able to dictate the play, so he'll know what balls will come back to him, which buys him more time.

This game I don´t blame my setup or anything. It was more that 3rd game. You will see what I mean by that (vs Dominik) Just feels bad losing to someone who doesnt really topspin and just blocks and smashes.

When Dominik is receiving serve, it looks like he's impatiently waiting in a queue at McDonalds lol. But despite his demeanour, and that he stands up straight and looks like he's always on his heels, he's actually a pretty decent mover. He moves well enough that he's almost always in position to hit a controlled shot. He also has a really good feel for the ball, where all his shots look controlled (if not aesthetically pleasing).

Dominik also has a very simple gameplan: he rallies until you give him enough height to smash. So here's a few things you can work on:

1) Keep improving the quality of your shots: okay this sounds like I'm saying "git gud", but Dominik feeds off tentative shots. So if you can be more proactive against his blocks, this will put him under a bit more pressure. His blocks are okay, but all of them are attackable once you feel comfortable with your game. Your forehand is a bit more proactive, but your backhand is too tentative, and sometimes you just put the ball there for him to hit.

2) Work with depth: Dominik moves well laterally, so try and get him to change between moving closer to the table, and going further back away from the table. One way to do this is to serve short and wide, then hit the third ball deep in the opposite direction. Or hitting stronger shots that force him back. He looked much more uncomfortable when he had to move forward and backward.

No shame in losing to someone like Dominik though, he's obviously honed his own style over the years that works for him.

 

[jk1980]

I just remembered that I weighted the new D09c sheets aswell. My Rubbers weigh the same. Maybe 1 or 2g +-.
So that can´t be it. Also the same vendor. But it legit just feels harder. Back then as I said I had a softer feel, almost like my g1 that I had used previously. Right now it just feels like a new racket and everything "soundwise" it just has this harder feeling. Hard to explain. I don´t dislike it because I actually wanted a bit more harder feeling. But this is just hard without really feeling the ball sink into the rubber. I am just curious how this can happen with the same setup same rubbers..

i have never seen a dignics 09c that felt similar to the G-1, tbh. I do trust you do notice the difference in rubber hardnesses and the like, so it might have been a fluke or was it perhaps a well worn d09c which was your first one ?

If it was just about keeping the spin and slowing down i would have vowed for the Nittaku PK50 Sieger, but unfortunately that is indeed discontinued (even though you can still find it in many shops). It has the tack, the spin, but way lower speed and a different throwing angle which would lead to you needing a different type of angle to topspin and counter topspin.

 

[NetProphet]

This is me ~4-5 months ago against the same player.

You're a better player now but I really don't think that's anything to do with your racket.

I think we are talking about the same but with different reasons. I did say that I want to change to a slower equipment. But I don´t want to give up the spin my current setup provides me. There are videos of me playing with G1 and R7. There is a clear difference.

You are fixating that the spin is coming from the rubber rather than technique in hitting the ball. With poor technique I do believe the odd shot can get easier spin from 09c but I've played all the Rakzas, 09c, G1 and T19 and I can say with absolute confidence that without proper technique and proper power/engagement that 09c is a less effective rubber than any of the others. And you do not (imo) hit through the ball with confidence in a way that makes 09c an advantage.

I normally would agree with you that a fast setup would make someone not experienced worse. But if that would be the case I wouldnt have jumped from 1370 to 1504(my new best) after changing to this setup.

So you put your improvement down to buying a rubber rather than an extra year of training and the fact that playing people the 2nd/3rd time is often easier etc.
1500 is not the stage where you just say, ok, great, now I can use professional rubbers.

My point is I am looking for something slower (base speed of the racket I guess) without losing the spin (keep the same rubbers?) You guys keep telling me that Long 5 is not fast.

It's all relative. For the person advising you it might seem slow V what they can control and what they use. It's not 'fast' compared to anything ALC maybe but for anyone with patchy technique that they need to fix to really improve their game then I would maintain that for anyone without coaching and good training partners it is not the first blade anyone would recommend.

I just watched Game C again. The entire last set especially after I caught up and was ahead by 1 point I was the attacking player constantly.

I read that game as tactically:
- Dominic didn't need to attack because your attacks were (for the most part) comfortable for him so his game was to block you around the table and
- target your BH because it didn't have the speed or spin to bother him.
- Your FH was your weapon that occasionally had the speed and spin to damage him so he tried to neutralise it
- too many of your shots were straight down the middle of the table allowing him to do whatever he wanted.
This is where better tactics would have won you the match imo.
Also, particularly in the last game there were lots of balls you hit with your BH that you should have attacked with your FH.
Two points after 3-3 are almost identical, he serves long to FH, you loop to his FH, he blocks it and you hit a tame BH that should have been a FH attack. You should have been getting your weapon in at every opportunity and you didn't. This handed him control of the point, he targets your BH, you miss a BH.
Among other things your BH cost you the game, that's a technique thing.

My point is how come this dude is standing upright as if he doesn´t give a fuck and still puts the same pressure and sometimes even more than me who topspins?

He had you figured and he was comfortable in his game and tactics and he was clearly relaxed.
If your technique, footwork, decisions and tactics were just 10% better, you'd have won.

Sure I kept playing into his BH mainly but thats because I didnt want him to smash my drive balls with his fh.

You can play to a flat smashers FH, it should just be long and has to be low.
There are do's and dont's for playing these players
You shouldn’t do slow loops, Topspin serves or start flat hitting yourself.
You should keep the ball low, keep your loops deep and loop kill when you can.

Anyway, my main point is if you want more spin speed or whatever focus on technique rather than equipment to achieve it.
You need an improvement strategy for footwork, technique, decision making and tactics. And I still believe a rubber like Rakza 7 is the thing to have while you really focus on improving that technique.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[Zezima]

i have never seen a dignics 09c that felt similar to the G-1, tbh. I do trust you do notice the difference in rubber hardnesses and the like, so it might have been a fluke or was it perhaps a well worn d09c which was your first one ?

If it was just about keeping the spin and slowing down i would have vowed for the Nittaku PK50 Sieger, but unfortunately that is indeed discontinued (even though you can still find it in many shops). It has the tack, the spin, but way lower speed and a different throwing angle which would lead to you needing a different type of angle to topspin and counter topspin.

both new sheets but I didn´t buy them at the same time. Bought this pair 5 months later. But to be honest when I play in our hall with our balls it feels good still. Here I played in a different hall which was very hot compared to ours + a different ball I haven´t played before (quality low even though 3 stars was it tibhar with that big number 40? I dont remember) Anyway the temperature also affects the rubber I think. I feel more comfortable in a colder hall like ours ~20°C.
No I would not try something that is discontinued already. Tbh back then even I was surprised people calling D09c a hard rubber when it felt really "soft". I thought thats because of my blade. But as I said too many different variables especially different glue (back then different prob not so legal "speed"? glue the one from contra) and now the butterfly one. Hard to pinpoint the exact reason when you change so many different things...
I also don´t quite believe in different angles of topspin that much. Sure a little bit but nothing that makes a big impact in terms of having to change the technique.

 

[Zezima]

Yeah against the lefty, I wouldn't worry too much about the sidespin on his serve for now... it's more important to keep your returns from popping up, which means being able to pick the backspin vs topspin. Against his topspin, you could keep things simple and control drive it back, or if you have the confidence, hit a stronger loopdrive. Against his backspin you can loop it if you want, but you probably don't need to do it all the time if you're not comfortable. If you push it low, it still doesn't give him the height to slap it. His forehand can hit some dangerous loops vs backspin, but there's a lot of arm going on, and is pretty unstable, so if you're going to push anywhere, it'd be at his elbow or occasionally at his forehand.

This is where variety and deception in your serve plays its part. If you can disguise topspin, backspin, and (the very underrated) no spin serves, he won't be able to consistently get a read on hitting a strong push. And if you add some speed and depth variety, this should also help.

I think experience and knowing your game plays a big part. The lefty had an obvious gameplan to hit deceptive serves to try and get high balls to attack, and on serve receive he attacked just about everything long. That means he's able to dictate the play, so he'll know what balls will come back to him, which buys him more time.

When Dominik is receiving serve, it looks like he's impatiently waiting in a queue at McDonalds lol. But despite his demeanour, and that he stands up straight and looks like he's always on his heels, he's actually a pretty decent mover. He moves well enough that he's almost always in position to hit a controlled shot. He also has a really good feel for the ball, where all his shots look controlled (if not aesthetically pleasing).

Dominik also has a very simple gameplan: he rallies until you give him enough height to smash. So here's a few things you can work on:

1) Keep improving the quality of your shots: okay this sounds like I'm saying "git gud", but Dominik feeds off tentative shots. So if you can be more proactive against his blocks, this will put him under a bit more pressure. His blocks are okay, but all of them are attackable once you feel comfortable with your game. Your forehand is a bit more proactive, but your backhand is too tentative, and sometimes you just put the ball there for him to hit.

2) Work with depth: Dominik moves well laterally, so try and get him to change between moving closer to the table, and going further back away from the table. One way to do this is to serve short and wide, then hit the third ball deep in the opposite direction. Or hitting stronger shots that force him back. He looked much more uncomfortable when he had to move forward and backward.

No shame in losing to someone like Dominik though, he's obviously honed his own style over the years that works for him.

The question is how come I was mostly not prepared for those placements? He plays so unorthodox that I am one step too late to see where he is gonna play the next ball.
Anything else I quite agree with you. I am just more angry about myself not being able to beat someone who plays as if he doesn´t give a single fuck. Maybe standing just a half step further away from the table would have given me the time I needed to attack his blocks..
I mean I agree what you are saying that I should play deep and so on. But it´s a big problem if it feels like I don´t have time to loop the ball let alone decide how much spin + placements to play.
I also don´t know how you would make someone move forward in a drive rally. He prob played like 10% backspin serve?

 

[Zezima]

You're a better player now but I really don't think that's anything to do with your racket.

You are fixating that the spin is coming from the rubber rather than technique in hitting the ball. With poor technique I do believe the odd shot can get easier spin from 09c but I've played all the Rakzas, 09c, G1 and T19 and I can say with absolute confidence that without proper technique and proper power/engagement that 09c is a less effective rubber than any of the others. And you do not (imo) hit through the ball with confidence in a way that makes 09c an advantage.

So you put your improvement down to buying a rubber rather than an extra year of training and the fact that playing people the 2nd/3rd time is often easier etc.
1500 is not the stage where you just say, ok, great, now I can use professional rubbers.

It's all relative. For the person advising you it might seem slow V what they can control and what they use. It's not 'fast' compared to anything ALC maybe but for anyone with patchy technique that they need to fix to really improve their game then I would maintain that for anyone without coaching and good training partners it is not the first blade anyone would recommend.

I read that game as tactically:
- Dominic didn't need to attack because your attacks were (for the most part) comfortable for him so his game was to block you around the table and
- target your BH because it didn't have the speed or spin to bother him.
- Your FH was your weapon that occasionally had the speed and spin to damage him so he tried to neutralise it
- too many of your shots were straight down the middle of the table allowing him to do whatever he wanted.
This is where better tactics would have won you the match imo.
Also, particularly in the last game there were lots of balls you hit with your BH that you should have attacked with your FH.
Two points after 3-3 are almost identical, he serves long to FH, you loop to his FH, he blocks it and you hit a tame BH that should have been a FH attack. You should have been getting your weapon in at every opportunity and you didn't. This handed him control of the point, he targets your BH, you miss a BH.
Among other things your BH cost you the game, that's a technique thing.

He had you figured and he was comfortable in his game and tactics and he was clearly relaxed.
If your technique, footwork, decisions and tactics were just 10% better, you'd have won.

You can play to a flat smashers FH, it should just be long and has to be low.
There are do's and dont's for playing these players
You shouldn’t do slow loops, Topspin serves or start flat hitting yourself.
You should keep the ball low, keep your loops deep and loop kill when you can.

Anyway, my main point is if you want more spin speed or whatever focus on technique rather than equipment to achieve it.
You need an improvement strategy for footwork, technique, decision making and tactics. And I still believe a rubber like Rakza 7 is the thing to have while you really focus on improving that technique.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck!

I have to disagree with almost all of your points. There is a difference between same stroke of a player with 2 different rubbers / setup.

No I didnt put improvement down. I just proved you that I got better with this setup. Even you said that yourself. I can also feel that I activate the rubber. Of course not always but I am working on it.

Yeah maybe they are using a faster setup I don´t know.

He didn´t figure me out per se. He always plays like this against anyone basically. Thats his playstyle that he forces on others. I mean why should he change it if it works.
You also keep talking about tactics but don´t really come up what you mean by that. I can´t just pivot with the FH when he has the ability to block to my deep forehand.
I also checked the points at 3-3 even pros that are as tall as me play those balls with their backhand. You can see me trying to pivot here on the receive, but he saw it and served to my FH twice.

I still caught up and was up ahead by one point. I just missed 2 "easy" FH Topspins because I didn´t go around enough to make space for the ball.
Also he has no Backhand just good blocking and drive. Just overall felt like I am reacting more and almost no balls that he gave me could have been played low over the net to his FH.
Also his footwork was shiet he is almost upright too and no tension at all.

Generally it feels like especially against block balls I have only 1 Topspin "technique" where I go all out. But what I do wish is that I can chose that myself. I keep thinking that if I loop any slower against those block (slowish medium high balls) that the ball will fly out due to it having less topspin - Also the reason why I looped those 2 balls out even though I was not in the best position. Thats why I want more margin of error so I don´t have the pressure to loop "fast" to make the ball come back to the table. I will also practise to loop against those kind of balls more.

 

[Denso]

Hi Zezima, have you tried the D09C in the 1,9 mm version? If you want to slightly improve your margin of error with minimal loss of spin this is the only equipment change I would suggest and requires a minimum of adjustment...

As far as tactics is concerned, Dominik appeared to be in his comfort zone during the cross-court exchanges. I think you could have been more dangerous by targeting his elbow, or by playing down the line more often. I would suggest practicing placement control and then ideally making the placement deceptive.

The fact that you struggled to loop the block low enough also has to do with your high stance during the FH loop. You should focus on standing lower and hitting the ball earlier with more forward momentum.

 

[NetProphet]

I have to disagree with almost all of your points. There is a difference between same stroke of a player with 2 different rubbers / setup.

No I didnt put improvement down. I just proved you that I got better with this setup. Even you said that yourself. I can also feel that I activate the rubber. Of course not always but I am working on it.

Yeah maybe they are using a faster setup I don´t know.

He didn´t figure me out per se. He always plays like this against anyone basically. Thats his playstyle that he forces on others. I mean why should he change it if it works.
You also keep talking about tactics but don´t really come up what you mean by that. I can´t just pivot with the FH when he has the ability to block to my deep forehand.
I also checked the points at 3-3 even pros that are as tall as me play those balls with their backhand. You can see me trying to pivot here on the receive, but he saw it and served to my FH twice.

I still caught up and was up ahead by one point. I just missed 2 "easy" FH Topspins because I didn´t go around enough to make space for the ball.
Also he has no Backhand just good blocking and drive. Just overall felt like I am reacting more and almost no balls that he gave me could have been played low over the net to his FH.
Also his footwork was shiet he is almost upright too and no tension at all.

Generally it feels like especially against block balls I have only 1 Topspin "technique" where I go all out. But what I do wish is that I can chose that myself. I keep thinking that if I loop any slower against those block (slowish medium high balls) that the ball will fly out due to it having less topspin - Also the reason why I looped those 2 balls out even though I was not in the best position. Thats why I want more margin of error so I don´t have the pressure to loop "fast" to make the ball come back to the table. I will also practise to loop against those kind of balls more.

Ok
If the advice I've had from 3 different coaches doesn't apply to you then.... OK.
You've just dismissed everything I've written without really giving it proper consideration so if you know better, fair enough.
Those points at 3-3 were ABSOLUTELY there to be hit with the FH.
The fact you don't see that is part of your bigger problem, no match tactics, not focusing on technique, equipment centric. FH was the shot you hit most winners with but you didn't make the moves to allow more of it and instead were passive with the BH and lost the points. It's in the actual video.
Hit your FH to where he can't easily block it instead of into his hitting lane, try the elbow or out wide.
If you already know and aren't a listener then you'll just make your own mistakes and realise it all in a year like the 8 examples of playing partners at my club (including myself) that I'd compare you to.
I'll bow out and follow your EJ journey from afar. 😉
Best 👍

 

[Zezima]

Hi Zezima, have you tried the D09C in the 1,9 mm version? If you want to slightly improve your margin of error with minimal loss of spin this is the only equipment change I would suggest and requires a minimum of adjustment...

As far as tactics is concerned, Dominik appeared to be in his comfort zone during the cross-court exchanges. I think you could have been more dangerous by targeting his elbow, or by playing down the line more often. I would suggest practicing placement control and then ideally making the placement deceptive.

The fact that you struggled to loop the block low enough also has to do with your high stance during the FH loop. You should focus on standing lower and hitting the ball earlier with more forward momentum.

No I haven´t. But then it would feel even harder and also harder to spin + lose spin that I can generate. From what I read so far, you should always go for max thickness.

He sometimes pivoted so I was actually scared of him pivoting thats why I prefered to go even wider to his backhand. Sometimes he tried to pivot and then decided not to because I placed it deep into his BH. I was just too scared of the next ball going into my fh that I just reacted with my bh back. Or just generally I didnt really practise looping that kind of balls with my BH confidently. I like lower and not to deep balls to my BH. He gave me kind of high arcing balls. I tend to overshoot those balls trying to apply spin. Which happened in this game. I do think that I sometimes hit it too early aswell.. When is the best timing when its still rising or when its at the highest point?

Anyway I just don´t understand the rallys why I am the one not prepared for the next ball, when I give him spinny balls and he gives me only blocks back? He has no spinny backhand or forehand. Only smash if its high and the right placement. Feels like he should have been more under pressure than me.

 

[Zezima]

Ok
If the advice I've had from 3 different coaches doesn't apply to you then.... OK.
You've just dismissed everything I've written without really giving it proper consideration so if you know better, fair enough.
Those points at 3-3 were ABSOLUTELY there to be hit with the FH.
The fact you don't see that is part of your bigger problem, no match tactics, not focusing on technique, equipment centric. FH was the shot you hit most winners with but you didn't make the moves to allow more of it and instead were passive with the BH and lost the points. It's in the actual video.
Hit your FH to where he can't easily block it instead of into his hitting lane, try the elbow or out wide.
If you already know and aren't a listener then you'll just make your own mistakes and realise it all in a year like the 8 examples of playing partners at my club (including myself) that I'd compare you to.
I'll bow out and follow your EJ journey from afar. 😉
Best 👍

sure when doing exercises you can do that, but not even you know where he would place the ball (mostlikely wide FH) if he sees me moving towards my backhand to make space for another FH shot.

I do have to agree with you that I had to find ways to use my FH more even if that meant to take some risk and let the wide FH open. But I didn´t have the energy for that (empty stomache + 40°C doesn´t help either)

I do have a better BH if I am better prepared and know for sure that the ball is going there again. I don´t know why I kept overloading my brain to think he is gonna hit to my wide FH. So basically I gave up on good topspin shots to cover the entire table in return and wait for a bad placed block by him. So props to him for placing the balls just right.

I also have to admit that so far I just relied on a good topspin stroke to win points. So I didn´t really put the effort to think about my placement (only focused at the ball during my stroke without looking where my opp is standing) and I also didn´t have the energy or brain capacity that day. It just felt like I am doing a multiball drill entire table and my goal is just to bring the ball back on the table.

 

[Denso]

No I haven´t. But then it would feel even harder and also harder to spin + lose spin that I can generate. From what I read so far, you should always go for max thickness.

The difference in terms of spin generation is rather small, but the gain in control might be exactly what you're looking for. And it may help to boost your confidence a bit...

Anyway I just don´t understand the rallys why I am the one not prepared for the next ball, when I give him spinny balls and he gives me only blocks back? He has no spinny backhand or forehand. Only smash if its high and the right placement. Feels like he should have been more under pressure than me.

This is what good blockers do. Even with your best FH topspin, you'll encounter some guys now and then who are specialized on blocking topspins and will return them without any problem, which will put pressure on you. The key is to keep them busy by varying spin and placement to catch them unprepared.

 

[Zezima]

The difference in terms of spin generation is rather small, but the gain in control might be exactly what you're looking for. And it may help to boost your confidence a bit...

This is what good blockers do. Even with your best FH topspin, you'll encounter some guys now and then who are specialized on blocking topspins and will return them without any problem, which will put pressure on you. The key is to keep them busy by varying spin and placement to catch them unprepared.

Exactly. It felt like I was under pressure if I looped with speed instead of a slow loop. Should have tried more slow loops on my first one and then the follow up "faster". Didn´t really think about it in the heat of the moment. Always tried to end the point with the first loop and then was out of position to keep it going

 

[Zezima]

How can I simulate that I shouldn´t force too much on the first loop? I don´t want to think during my swing then I would do even more mistakes. How can I get out of the thought in my brain thinking that if I loop too slow /weak that my opponent gonna make me look like a dumbass and smash it? Against long backspin balls I have no problem only vs block balls or after my opponent does a weak flick to open the rally. Against those type of balls my consious goes like you gotta loop it as hard as possible.

 

[NetProphet]

How can I simulate that I shouldn´t force too much on the first loop? I don´t want to think during my swing then I would do even more mistakes. How can I get out of the thought in my brain thinking that if I loop too slow /weak that my opponent gonna make me look like a dumbass and smash it? Against long backspin balls I have no problem only vs block balls or after my opponent does a weak flick to open the rally. Against those type of balls my consious goes like you gotta loop it as hard as possible.

Flat hitters WILL quite often make you look like a dumbass if you slow loop, so don't do that UNLESS they are really deep and in the corners.

So don't slow loop (unless it's deep) and don't loop as hard as possible either, just loop for placement because, assuming your recovery is adequate, then angles are the issue remaining.
Where are you looping from and where are you looping to?
If you FH loop from middle of table to his wide FH (assumed RH player) now he has the angle to block to your wide FH, as in, off the side of the table.
So, maybe you don't want that, then your loop should go to his crossover or to his BH. If he BH blocks, then:
- if it's to your FH it's (at best) straight down the line where you can more easily reach to
- or he blocks to BH or mid table which is covered by you already.

Alternatively, if you put that same shot down the middle of the table then you're likely to face an effective block but if you put it to opponents crossover then maybe he blocks well or maybe he doesn't, that depends on how well he moves.
But he's gonna have to move to make a FH or BH block right. Whatever he blocks with that's where you loop next.
Ex: You hit his mid, he steps to his left to FH block, place your next shot to wide FH. Placement, don't kill the ball.

This kind of stuff is what I meant by decision making earlier and it should feed into your tactics as you try to do what's most uncomfortable for the opponent.
It's not stuff you can spend too much time thinking about in matches, practicing shot combinations at training is needed.

Roughly speaking:
Training = all thinking is about you.
Match = all thinking about the opponent.

Also practice drill of:
- looping a backspin ball
- partner blocks it
- you put away the block.
It helps the transition from more the more lifting stroke of a loop V backspin to the more forward stroke of a topspin V topspin.
Practice on FH and BH side

 

[blahness]

As a righty, you do not want to FH hook loop any clockwise sidespin balls....just loop it on the back to avoid the sidespin otherwise the contact will be too difficult to time. Have posted a lot of these in various threads.

One thing i noticed is that you are not explosive when you recover your footwork after a stroke (even after pushing). This one is maybe a little difficult but you have to actively recover back to neutral to reset your position fast using the body to bring back your centre of gravity. If you watch pros they all do it even if they look super relaxed - the foot speed can be quite crazy. You got caught in bad body positions quite a few times because of not recovering fast enough.

Have to shadow this though. I do it now too to make my recovery as fast as possible.

 

[dingyibvs]

No its fundamentally different. If I would do the same stroke as him my balls would definetly fly out every single time. He hits the balls from the back and it curves right back on the table still. Meanwhile I have to hit the ball at almost 12 o clock to do the same. But my margin of error is very slim compared to his stroke.

I actually got pissed against the blocked that my spin didn´t bother him at all. All the other players were struggeling against those kind of balls. I guess it´s also because he starts with a topspin serve - so it has generally less spin compared to when I would loop against long backspin serve.

Compared to the first D09c these new D09c sheets on the same racket just feels way harder aswell.. I remember the feeling back then was much softer. Could it be the glue? because I used a different glue back then. It was from Contra I am not sure if its even legal. And now I have been using the butterfly one but I hate it (kept getting off on the edges had to reglue 3rd time already..)

Just feels weird that my margin of error is so slim while my opponents on that day brought balls on the table with a worse form/technique. Just generally it feels like I have to play atleast 40% better than them to win games. The lefty played really well but even he played some strokes where I was like what how can he loop the ball back on the table with that stroke.

Anyway I currently don´t have the trainingspartner and don´t train as much as I should be to move onwards with this setup. somethings gotta change thats for sure. And I really don´t mind giving up on speed for more margin of error. I actually don´t want speed. I want to work with placement and spin.

While I don't love the D09c/HL5 pairing the difference you're perceiving is all technical. I've tried a whole bunch of rubbers on the HL5/W968, the technique doesn't vary that much, just slight adjustments here and there.

both new sheets but I didn´t buy them at the same time. Bought this pair 5 months later. But to be honest when I play in our hall with our balls it feels good still. Here I played in a different hall which was very hot compared to ours + a different ball I haven´t played before (quality low even though 3 stars was it tibhar with that big number 40? I dont remember) Anyway the temperature also affects the rubber I think. I feel more comfortable in a colder hall like ours ~20°C.
No I would not try something that is discontinued already. Tbh back then even I was surprised people calling D09c a hard rubber when it felt really "soft". I thought thats because of my blade. But as I said too many different variables especially different glue (back then different prob not so legal "speed"? glue the one from contra) and now the butterfly one. Hard to pinpoint the exact reason when you change so many different things...
I also don´t quite believe in different angles of topspin that much. Sure a little bit but nothing that makes a big impact in terms of having to change the technique.

Didn't you boost your first pair of D09cs? Are you still boosting? Hope you're not comparing between boosted and unboosted rubbers....

 

[Dr Evil]

Nice progress. Your stance is fine but you're still playing too flat footed. More weight on your toes, less on your heels, and you'll move and recover faster. This is important for your game because you're tall so people will naturally target your elbow, and your footwork for handling elbow shots is poor. Partly because of this you're too passive in rallies, and waste too many opportunities to take control of or win the point.

 

[McSmasher]

The question is how come I was mostly not prepared for those placements? He plays so unorthodox that I am one step too late to see where he is gonna play the next ball.
Anything else I quite agree with you. I am just more angry about myself not being able to beat someone who plays as if he doesn´t give a single fuck. Maybe standing just a half step further away from the table would have given me the time I needed to attack his blocks..
I mean I agree what you are saying that I should play deep and so on. But it´s a big problem if it feels like I don´t have time to loop the ball let alone decide how much spin + placements to play.
I also don´t know how you would make someone move forward in a drive rally. He prob played like 10% backspin serve?

He may look a bit unorthodox, but his game is actually like a metronome, he hits with a pretty consistent pace. So if you keep the ball lower, he'll hit a bit slower, and if you hit the ball higher, he'll hit a bit faster. But he doesn't do anything unexpected to disrupt your game (e.g. big loops or crazy placement). His forehand is a bit more challenging because he can target both sides of the table, but his backhand almost exclusively comes back straight to your backhand. So if you can get him into a backhand exchange, pin him wide into the backhand corner, then change direction on him to the forehand corner, then this would give him some trouble.

For a drive rally, you don't really need to get him moving forward, but you can certainly get him moving back, by again pinning him to his backhand, then switching to the forehand corner. At 2:30 in your video, there's a really good example of this, where you return his serve to his backhand corner, then when he gave you a tame block, you hit the next one to his forehand side. That had him backpedalling like crazy 🤣

Actually, the three points in a row that you won from 2:19 onwards were great examples of you being proactive with both your backhand and your forehand, and you can tell that this put him under a lot of pressure.

So in general, if you can ignore his technique, get a feel for the pace of his game (which doesn't change much), and control him on his backhand, then I think this will help you have more time against him.

One other thing that I haven't mentioned yet is that he's not that good at pushing backspin (he sometimes gives you height to work with), so you could also try to mix up the backspin and nospin serves to get good looping opportunities.

Hope this helps!

 

[Denso]

How can I simulate that I shouldn´t force too much on the first loop? I don´t want to think during my swing then I would do even more mistakes. How can I get out of the thought in my brain thinking that if I loop too slow /weak that my opponent gonna make me look like a dumbass and smash it? Against long backspin balls I have no problem only vs block balls or after my opponent does a weak flick to open the rally. Against those type of balls my consious goes like you gotta loop it as hard as possible.

I agree with Sims that slow loops are probably not the solution here. You should instead focus on the length and placement of your loops. For example, if your opening attack is longer, he will return at a less difficult angle and you will have more time to recover.

 

[Zezima]

Flat hitters WILL quite often make you look like a dumbass if you slow loop, so don't do that UNLESS they are really deep and in the corners.

So don't slow loop (unless it's deep) and don't loop as hard as possible either, just loop for placement because, assuming your recovery is adequate, then angles are the issue remaining.
Where are you looping from and where are you looping to?
If you FH loop from middle of table to his wide FH (assumed RH player) now he has the angle to block to your wide FH, as in, off the side of the table.
So, maybe you don't want that, then your loop should go to his crossover or to his BH. If he BH blocks, then:
- if it's to your FH it's (at best) straight down the line where you can more easily reach to
- or he blocks to BH or mid table which is covered by you already.

Alternatively, if you put that same shot down the middle of the table then you're likely to face an effective block but if you put it to opponents crossover then maybe he blocks well or maybe he doesn't, that depends on how well he moves.
But he's gonna have to move to make a FH or BH block right. Whatever he blocks with that's where you loop next.
Ex: You hit his mid, he steps to his left to FH block, place your next shot to wide FH. Placement, don't kill the ball.

This kind of stuff is what I meant by decision making earlier and it should feed into your tactics as you try to do what's most uncomfortable for the opponent.
It's not stuff you can spend too much time thinking about in matches, practicing shot combinations at training is needed.

Roughly speaking:
Training = all thinking is about you.
Match = all thinking about the opponent.

Also practice drill of:
- looping a backspin ball
- partner blocks it
- you put away the block.
It helps the transition from more the more lifting stroke of a loop V backspin to the more forward stroke of a topspin V topspin.
Practice on FH and BH side

Where are you looping from and where are you looping to?
If you FH loop from middle of table to his wide FH (assumed RH player) now he has the angle to block to your wide FH, as

I actually just loop to win the point straight away depending on what I think where he is weaker FH or BH. I don´t really think about what anglees I give him or which angles I need to cover after my stroke. I always think he can play anywhere on the table so I am mostly not ready for the next ball to attack properly. Thats why you see me return it weak back.

But he's gonna have to move to make a FH or BH block right. Whatever he blocks with that's where you loop next.
Ex: You hit his mid, he steps to his left to FH block, place your next shot to wide FH. Placement, don't kill the ball.

Thats a good point. I will write it down and try to practise this "actively" more. Maybe I do it sometimes unconsiously but even if I do it placement wise I try to end the rally with a fast paced topspin even though its not even needed.
Like currently I feel like I can only loop 100% or 20% (very slow and highish) I can only do like 50-70% when I have to open up on long backspin. But I feel I dont have the control yet to loop it at that pace against float/block highish balls.
Which is weird because I am more upright and technically it should be easier for me? Generally I play much better topspins against lower blocks or lower long backspin balls. Against higher balls that have some backspin on it my stroke doesnt seem to work reliably because it goes off the table. I seem to not realize that I dont need much upwards movement even though the ball has some backspin on it. And its not even that alone but also that when I try to apply spin on the ball -> I try to hit tangential but still upwards to apply spin and the arc. But that is pure luck since I can´t properly control it yet.
Maybe my frustration also comes from this that technically I can do any stroke but during the heat of the moment I don´t know how to loop that certain ball to make it safe over the net and controlled land it on the table.

Also practice drill of:
- looping a backspin ball
- partner blocks it
- you put away the block.
It helps the transition from more the more lifting stroke of a loop V backspin to the more forward stroke of a topspin V topspin.

Been working on this but in training its easy. The balls come as predicted(placement) and I can loop that certain ball back with no problem. Yesterday I did this drill too but I didn´t get to play the block ball because he would block it out 95% of the time. He could only block my topspin against topspin balls because I don´t have as much spin as against long backspin balls. So it´s a bit hard.
And in actual games they don´t really push it back to my FH as much and I seem to be quite late (to not make it obvious that I am gonna pivot) thats why I have been working on my backhand opening lately but it´s not as good as my FH obviously. I am also getting old so I don´t want to rely on pivoting to win games.

Anyways maybe someone who understood what I wrote here knows how I can work on these things. I could try to film my training drills next week after my game on Monday. Which will be against a really strong opponent RC1700 currently 1st 30-1 in the standings.

Played him twice but last time he played even better.

- Here he just casually loops the ball slowly and controlled.
Should I just get low and slap these slow "topspins" or shovels that he is giving me back? The one loss he has was against a young player who smashes aswell. Even though I didn´t see their games he probably did that to him - he has only 1 playstyle. Seems like I just respected those slow openings by him but it doesn´t look like it has much spin on it