For those over 30yo, what could you have done differently?

[JJ Ng]

That’s my issue too 😂 I pivot way too often

I played Jpen growing up. I pivoted all the time.

Yes to prevent injury, maybe everyone should pivot less. I am working on my backhand loop right now so I hardly pivot at all.

 

[blahness]

That’s my issue too 😂 I pivot way too often

I played Jpen growing up. I pivoted all the time.

Yes to prevent injury, maybe everyone should pivot less. I am working on my backhand loop right now so I hardly pivot at all.

I almost never pivot, but its really annoying to get all those balls that look like opportunities on the BH side but because they're kinda awkwardly deep and high I can miss a lot of them or attack it too weak. Whereas these balls are kinda mincemeat for FH pivots. So basically either I develop a BH smash loop against high ish balls, or I pivot. But pivoting to FH loopkill also has the problem of getting it blocked to the wide FH and then I'm screwed.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I almost never pivot, but its really annoying to get all those balls that look like opportunities on the BH side but because they're kinda awkwardly deep and high I can miss a lot of them or attack it too weak. Whereas these balls are kinda mincemeat for FH pivots. So basically either I develop a BH smash loop against high ish balls, or I pivot. But pivoting to FH loopkill also has the problem of getting it blocked to the wide FH and then I'm screwed.

Its OK, it is like a gun duel in Ol'Western. Its a duel. Only one outcome, either you or him. You feelin' lucky today?

 

[Gozo Aruna]

That’s my issue too 😂 I pivot way too often

Pivot with a forehand winner is what makes TT appeal to the audience. Not someone standing on one spot hardly moving at all and only blocking with some weird rubber and winning the match. It is a total bore-fest to any spectator.

 

[lodro]

Pivot with a forehand winner is what makes TT appeal to the audience. Not someone standing on one spot hardly moving at all and only blocking with some weird rubber and winning the match. It is a total bore-fest to any spectator.

I agree but I am one of the bores. My double partner reckons that I am steady as a tree trunk but at least he always knows where i will be during a rally. 😇

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I would have hired a personal coach. I started doing that only at 40. lost 10 years.

 

[BaRanchik]

I highly recommend checking out KneesOverToesGuy on YouTube, and taking collagen powder. This combination improved my knee by A LOT, in just a few weeks. That being said, it was never badly injured, but it was constantly hurting while playing, and I had to use a knee strap when I played. No more.

 

[SFF_lib]

I actually wished i would have used my brain earlier. I simply played in my earlier days. Unstructured, no training goals and nothing to look up to. I mean i didnt even watched the pros back then.
I assume that was the some kind of tt-midlife crysis that forced me to stop playing this sport.

Besides that i dont have any issues just the slight regret that i didnt start playing more serious earlier. But either way i had and still have a lot of fun relearning TT and striving to become a better player.

Same I had so much time while in university. I regret that I didn't pursue tt more seriously back then 😖

 

[SFF_lib]

I highly recommend checking out KneesOverToesGuy on YouTube, and taking collagen powder. This combination improved my knee by A LOT, in just a few weeks. That being said, it was never badly injured, but it was constantly hurting while playing, and I had to use a knee strap when I played. No more.

Wow this guy is amazing. I've watched a few videos. Do you remember which one(s) are related to knee? I do stretch all the time so I can actually do many of the moves.

 

[SFF_lib]

Pivot with a forehand winner is what makes TT appeal to the audience. Not someone standing on one spot hardly moving at all and only blocking with some weird rubber and winning the match. It is a total bore-fest to any spectator.

Yeah totally. I started Jpen after watching the Athen MS Final. RSM's style is full of energy, yelling and a thirst to win.

 

[Metaxa]

I played with this for many years, on both knees. Until they gave me a new left knee at the age of 49 and a new one for the other side 1.5 years later.

 

[mihalichtheone]

I don't know why, but I lost my connection to table tennis around the age of 17 where I finished my school and went to the university. I played just OK, not so great.
I mostly studied and played video games at that time, not much physical activity.

Then I graduated and at the age of 25 the table tennis table arrived to our office. This is where my journey of reinventing table tennis for myself started and boy that became a big passion (plus it's much better for the body, since my regular job is in front of the computer).

Since then I became top 10 of my region. Many trainings, 2TB of videos of myself training and analysing my mistakes, footwork, multiball, drills, learning technique from every YouTube channel possible, finding out my style, finding out equipment that I like, etc.

Great journey. Of course I missed so many years of training where I could've become better tt player, but there's no way to go back in time. So i am very grateful for what I had, and so much grateful that tt is now my passion and that I am a part of this great community.

 

[Dominikk85]

Play like he zhiwen

 

[SFF_lib]

I don't know why, but I lost my connection to table tennis around the age of 17 where I finished my school and went to the university. I played just OK, not so great.
I mostly studied and played video games at that time, not much physical activity.

Then I graduated and at the age of 25 the table tennis table arrived to our office. This is where my journey of reinventing table tennis for myself started and boy that became a big passion (plus it's much better for the body, since my regular job is in front of the computer).

Since then I became top 10 of my region. Many trainings, 2TB of videos of myself training and analysing my mistakes, footwork, multiball, drills, learning technique from every YouTube channel possible, finding out my style, finding out equipment that I like, etc.

Great journey. Of course I missed so many years of training where I could've become better tt player, but there's no way to go back in time. So i am very grateful for what I had, and so much grateful that tt is now my passion and that I am a part of this great community.

So much dedication!! I wished I did that instead of aimless hobbies

 

[BaRanchik]

Wow this guy is amazing. I've watched a few videos. Do you remember which one(s) are related to knee? I do stretch all the time so I can actually do many of the moves.

As far as I can remember, he doesn't have too many videos of his own, but he appears on other channels too.

In this video, he shows a couple of great exercises.

My (partial) routine is:
Tibialis raise - 3 sets of 25 reps.
Body weight squats with the knees going past my toes, to a point where I am on my tiptoes when I'm the lowest - 3 sets of 12 reps.
The lunges he showed in the video - 3 sets of 7 reps per leg.

I should mention I was working out for years (and still do), both in a gym and outside, and I was under the false impression that your knees should never go past your toes while doing leg exercises. Every trainer, every YouTuber, everyone I learned from taught me it's bad for the knees. Well, I guess this is not the case, and my past training did strengthen my legs, but weakened my knees.

I treat this leg routine as physiotherapy more than anything, but to my surprise it also helped get my legs stronger, more muscular, and leaner. Just make sure to do these exercises very slowly to avoid injury, and if you need -- support yourself by using a table or a chair to push yourself up with your hands. As you get more comfortable with the exercises you can add more reps, start doing them without support, etc. Just listen to your body and stop if it tells you to. If you need to start with one rep, then do it. It's going to take some time for the body to adjust if you have never done these exercises before.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I played with this for many years, on both knees. Until they gave me a new left knee at the age of 49 and a new one for the other side 1.5 years later.

This is the deluxe version and it comes in worker yellow as standard.

 

[impluse101]

Should have continued TT in my mid 20s. Instead of restarting again (maybe near scratch) now in mid 30s - just returned 4mo. back. Dang.

 

[Jslick89]

A lot of our injury is related to genetics. For example, Lebron was blessed with good genes and good luck. He has not had any bad injuries. Michael Porter Jr just has a bad back starting at a young age. So I am not sure if you could have done anything differently.

For example, I am 45 and I got a back surgery done at 39. My dad also had back surgery when he was in his 30's.

Now, I am going to say something semi-serious and semi-joking: maybe you should have picked up long pips ten years ago! Or maybe you should bring long pips into your arsenal now.

Sorry to hear about your back surgery. I will have to disagree that a LOT of injury are related to genetics. They can certainly play a part, but the number 1 factor in injuries is incorrect movements over time. An injury doesn't just happen. It's a build up over time. Think of it like a cup of water filling up. Each bad movement adds more water. The injury is when the water fills over the top, but really it started to happen long before that.

As far as I can remember, he doesn't have too many videos of his own, but he appears on other channels too.

In this video, he shows a couple of great exercises.

My (partial) routine is:
Tibialis raise - 3 sets of 25 reps.
Body weight squats with the knees going past my toes, to a point where I am on my tiptoes when I'm the lowest - 3 sets of 12 reps.
The lunges he showed in the video - 3 sets of 7 reps per leg.

I should mention I was working out for years (and still do), both in a gym and outside, and I was under the false impression that your knees should never go past your toes while doing leg exercises. Every trainer, every YouTuber, everyone I learned from taught me it's bad for the knees. Well, I guess this is not the case, and my past training did strengthen my legs, but weakened my knees.

I treat this leg routine as physiotherapy more than anything, but to my surprise it also helped get my legs stronger, more muscular, and leaner. Just make sure to do these exercises very slowly to avoid injury, and if you need -- support yourself by using a table or a chair to push yourself up with your hands. As you get more comfortable with the exercises you can add more reps, start doing them without support, etc. Just listen to your body and stop if it tells you to. If you need to start with one rep, then do it. It's going to take some time for the body to adjust if you have never done these exercises before.

also...if any of these things are painful....do not do! THe very first and most basic exercise is simply walking backwards (toes first, then down to heels). You can up the ante by walking backwards on a treadmill that is not powered on. Or if you have access, a sled with being pulled by a belt strapped around your waste.

Also, collegen is great. i prefer to intake mine via bone broth (cooked in my rice!)

 

[beeray1]

also...if any of these things are painful....do not do! THe very first and most basic exercise is simply walking backwards (toes first, then down to heels). You can up the ante by walking backwards on a treadmill that is not powered on. Or if you have access, a sled with being pulled by a belt strapped around your waste.

I just wanna reply to +1 this comment as it's an overlooked bit of all of kneesovertoesguy's content. He preaches the importance of your starting point being a spot where you don't experience pain and building from there. When I first saw his stuff I just thought he was another social media grifter, but I no longer think of it that way. The content might not be ground breaking, maybe it is. But I've found it helpful and personally rewarding. I also just want to reply to the thread OP in general with my own life experience and things I've learned that I wish I could go back and tell my 19 year old self about - that guy was OBSESSED with table tennis.

Obviously this is all just anecdotal and I'm not a doctor. As someone who has taken my knees from an absolute garbage fire (thinking I just had 'bad' knees) to generally fine and still improving, I can't recommend those exercises enough. I would take it farther and say that once you can improve your mobility and reduce the pain level to do some of these things, that general strength training supplemented with some kind of mobility training (don't have to go crazy) will improve your life tremendously as well even if you only have time for a couple hours a week. I've made these things a non-negotiable in SOME way for the past 8 or 9 months and without trying to sound corny, it's literally saved my life.

I've strength trained on and off a lot of my adult life. Used to care more about my power lifting numbers than I do now, but after I got to the point in my life of having a desk job it was hard to keep pain away completely in some way even while I was still strong. Lower back, knees, whatever. It would then get even worse when I stopped strength training. Then I'd get depressed, gain weight, get weaker, and pain would just get worse. Felt helpless. Try to start doing something, hurt too much. Gave up. Just thought the ONLY cure was strength training the way I knew how paired w/ dealing with certain pain levels. And eventually didn't want to do this anymore. While experiencing this when I hadn't left the sport yet, I really started listening to the attitude of people around me telling me I can only be so good, to be realistic, to set realistic expectations, some people just 'are' a certain level, and certain people aren't, etc. Eventually just stopped playing table tennis altogether. Would show up once every few months at first, then just stopped that too. I don't think like that anymore.

I'm 33 years old. I started table tennis when I was 18. recently off of a 5 year break from competitive play, 2-3 year break from just general club goer levels of play. Started playing table tennis again back in December as a way to start losing weight (I got big AF boiii), and ended up finding a practice partner. In part, I've learned some lessons dealing with ailments/injuries (shoulder dislocation, severe piriformis syndrome, etc) but while a year ago I would have thought my best table tennis level was way behind me, I now think it's still in front of me. Improving my knees allowed me to handle my body when playing table tennis and training at home. Playing more table tennis gave me more confidence and conditioning, and those things allowed me to be successful in other parts of my life. It helped me lose more weight. I'm now down 70lbs and climbing, and I can attribute the start of all this to simply learning I can actually improve things I'd written off as things I'm stuck with, like my 'bad' knees or my 'bad' shoulder.

Now I treat table tennis as if I'm a professional athlete (lol I'm obviously not): I take a dedicated time to warm my body/muscles up properly before I get on the table - I'm usually sweating before I pick up my racket. I put my work in on the table, and the first thing I do after just taking some general FH/FH or BH/BH to warm up my eyes and feeling is immediately into footwork to get my legs and core pumping before moving onto more table time. The session is a success as long as I pushed myself in some way. I (not as consistently) cool down/get a recovery session after I'm done. I static stretch before I go to bed. I do mobility work, a bit of yoga, and while I haven't been able to do general strength training the past couple months for home reasons, I plan to start back at that very very soon as I can tell the difference in performance not doing that compared to doing it. Overall it sounds like way too much for an adult with a full time job and family - It makes me sick typing it, but my thinking has adjusted to taking these things incredibly seriously because it really does enable me to be a completely different person and enables me to actually enjoy table tennis and handle practicing more than I ever have in my life. Even if I can only dedicate a little bit of time during the week, I make sure to get some of this done, for no other reason that to do something for ME.

 

[turbozed]

One thing that isn't mentioned enough is the loss of power and explosiveness at advanced age.

Many people in the fitness community know that you'll lose somewhere between 0.5% to 1.5% of your muscle mass per year from 30-60 years old. That can be ameliorated through strength training.

But one thing I wasn't aware of until recently is that power and explosiveness declines at nearly double the rate as strenght, as our fast-twitch muscle fibers reduce in size much faster than slow-twitch fibers.

For the past 15 years I've been focusing more on limit strength thinking that would keep me relatively fit. But in those years, I've devoted maybe only a fraction of my time to actual power and explosiveness training and my lack of speed and agility has noticeably waned since I was younger. This was already obvious when I did kickboxing, but now is painfully obvious when I watch tape of myself playing TT.

I used to be a nimble, fast, and agile guy. But now I look like a slow lumbering oaf.

I've cut down my strength training to maintenance level and am in the process of doing more power and agility exercises to regain some of that.