is it luck?

[mrxamad]

it's been a while that i won, i am losing most of the matches i play. From almost all the senior players in my club, i used to be a winner or an occasional loser, but now i am losing to almost everyone only on deuce(sometimes 14-12,15-13). i don't know what has happened to me, if i win i win by quite a margin( like 11-6 or 11-7), if the game enters deuce i am the one losing since a month.. i think luck is not with me or what? And one more thing, how should i improve? should i try something different during a match or i should do it during practice time? like trying backhand topspin on backspin, i do it consistently during my practice as the backspin is not that much severe, but in a game the chop is too heavy that i just cant lift the ball up above the net, so should i try this shot during my match as the spin varies? but this will lead to me losing more often?

 

[azlan]

Honestly buddy, this is quite common. When you play with some one so often, they will begin to read your game. Some players read games better than others. And some improved their game coz they have the drive to do so. In this case, they have the motivation...it's you. You've been beating them for so long that they begin to improve their game playing against you especially. Another possibility that some players have what we call "falling into a pattern". Predictability in this case is your own worst enemy.

It's time for you to assess your game. Are you "falling into a pattern"? Are your team mates returning your shots more often now? Shots that used to be winners, are now put back into play, which indirectly frustrates you, and made you to try harder, hitting harder, inducing you to make more mistakes, easy mistakes. If this is your problem, then maybe this is your problem.

If you're an established player, it's quite difficult to improve even by 5% without a coach. On the other hand, if you're a mediocre player, it's easy to improve even by 20% without a coach. Most established player needs coaches to lift their game, which otherwise stagnant and heading for a plateau.

On the topic of trying new things, I would say yes. BH push, chop, topspins and sidespins are must have if you want to be a complete TT player. If you're not good with any of these, you have to train and learn them. You have to do them in trainings and in matches. You may say it will contribute to your loses even more, but it will be temporary. Get those shots, and it will add more dimensions to your game. Learn, train and apply..don't quit if don't quite get it, keep at it. More often than not, it's all in your head. Train until these shots are 2nd nature to you, shots that you can do without even thinking.

Another, always have a strategy and stick to them. If you miss easy shots, forget about them quickly and get on with the game. And always play 1 point at a time. Stay loose, and don't think about winning so much. I think this is the main culprit contributing to your loses. Imagine..you used to beat these guys all the time, now they're giving you such a hard time. You lose most deuce games, and when you win, you win by a margin. You put too much pressure on yourself to win that you begin to tighten up. I bet you're saying in your head "I can't believe I am losing this match"...Once you have that in your head, you already lost. When you're leading by a big margin, you're able to close the game easily..coz no pressure there.

Remember, do the simple things, but do them well. Don't worry about those flicks, just because the pros do them. I think it's time for you to step up your game (and mind), or otherwise your opponents are going to have a field day with you. Learn those BH topspins and pushes, get new serves..all these will increase your confidence by leaps and bounce. Trust me...I've been there 30 years ago

 

[Anders123]

It can be various things. Maybe the guys from your club are just getting better and better, while you're in a phase where you don't improve as much as they do.
Another reason could be that the members in your club are getting more familiar with your type of playing. That has happened to me. I used to lose the most of my matches when i played one of my good friends, how ever i rarely lose anymore, because i learned to read his serves and his playing style.

You could try and ask the other guys, if they think they are getting better at reading your game, and if they say yes, then try to change some things in your game. Trying out new stuff is the only way to improve.

 

[olvarox]

I'm thinking predictability issues as well.
I play a lot of the same guyz as well, because we have a pretty small club so I don't have many training partners.
Even tonight I played this guy that likes to flick short underspin serves on his FH side.
So every time I serve on an important point (like setpoint), I serve short to his FH side, WITHOUT underspin. In 95% of the cases he flicks it about 10 inches long off the table. He feels like he missed a really really easy ball, gets frustrated and next time he'll miss again because he's so stressed out about the previous 10 easy balls he missed.

My idea is that some of your regular training opponents found something similar with you. A weak spot they try to abuse only on important points...

Just think about your game and try to be unpredictable...

 

[Der_Echte]

Whatever you determine is causing your problem and whatever shot or shots you wish to improve... you should understand that although one can improve a shot in practice, it takes a long time for that shot or combination to become a winning shot in match play. In fact, you will likely go down in matchplay level while your consistancy improves.

 

[Tadex]

Haven't posted in a while but this post piqued my interest so here goes...

From reading about your problem this sounds like at least 75% a psychological issue. Table tennis is no different to any other sport in that a large proportion of the game is won on your mental conditioning as much as your physical and/or technical. If you are winning comfortably but losing close this means that you have a problem with dealing with pressure points. At least this is the way I see it. I personally have the exact opposite issue where I get to 8-2 or something and then would lose 5 or 6 points in a row and that would throw me off completely and lose the game whereas if I have a close one and it gets to 9-9 against technically similar players I would win the lion's share.

How I do this is to remember my game plan, don't start trying new things for the sake of trying to deceive your opponent. I don't mean continuously slinging the same service or returns but you would have had some variation leading up to the deuce or pressure point. Unless you are super confident, the end game is not the time to start throwing in your first ghost serve or flicking that underspin serve which you've been pushing back. Although it may throw your opponent off and you may get a free point you are also to an extent putting yourself into the unknown. You can't be sure of how well your opponent will respond and they can just as easily surprise you. Against stronger opponent it may well be more worth it to try something as there isn't much you're losing by stretching them further.

The other 25% I think others have touched upon and this is a technical/physical issue. Your opponents are catching up to you and as a result is causing you to have to play harder and think harder. No easy solution to this other than working harder on your weaknesses so that you won't be so easily exposed.

 

[YosuaYosan]

So let me conclude it, my friend..
No, it's NOT luck.

 

[mrxamad]

As most of you say it's pressure, i don't really feel much while playing games or even at deuce, i am normal and treat deuce as normal points it's just that i am not finding out a way to win, previously i had 2 serves which always came to my rescue if i needed a point or two, but those serves are now too much exposed that my opponents find it easy to return. yeah they have read my game very well and i am now stuck in their trap. the main reason of me getting into their trap is also because i tried new things(atleast for me which i am not comfortable doing) against them, this resulted me in losing matches from them,they got over me psychologically that they can beat me, so whatever i try against them they have the strong belief that they will beat me so they do. what should i now do as they all know my game very well? i give them tough time though but just can't win.i stick to my strategy but it's not guiding me towards winning, i think i must change but just can't think of any new strategy .
@Azlan: dude you are table tennis doctor, u diagnose very well and i have i read your comments in most of the posts, they are precise and accurate
@all others: thanks for your replies, i know they are correct, i just need to do something new which i myself don't know what

 

[azlan]

On the topic of trying new things, I would say yes. BH push, chop, topspins and sidespins are must have if you want to be a complete TT player. If you're not good with any of these, you have to train and learn them. You have to do them in trainings and in matches. You may say it will contribute to your loses even more, but it will be temporary. Get those shots, and it will add more dimensions to your game. Learn, train and apply..don't quit if don't quite get it, keep at it. More often than not, it's all in your head. Train until these shots are 2nd nature to you, shots that you can do without even thinking.

Like I said above buddy, you just have too. And yes, it will not be comfortable. I know you tried new things, but they're just not working. It's not working because you're not comfortable with it just yet. You mentioned your BH pushes finding the net, could it be you're a little too complacent since after all, you used to beat this guys on regular basis? Maybe you're too upright doing these BH pushes for instance. Little things make a lot of difference.

My advice is, don't play to win just yet. Play to complete yourself as a TT player. You will lose buddy, but you will gain so much more. In the long run, it will benefit you immensely. Falling into a pattern is all so common. That itself is complacency.

Let me give you a simple example, FH topspins. You spin to the baseline, plenty of spin and speed, but after a while your opponents have no problems blocking them. Now, train yourself to spin cross court to the side of the table, on both wings. And suddenly your opponents will not be able to stand at the table blocking your spins. When they block these wide shots, they will step away from the table to receive your subsequent shots. That will give you more options and angles to play your natural game, maybe. Or maybe you have to vary your spins, loopy spinny ones, low spinny ones, slow not so spinny ones. Like I said, little things like these make a lot of difference. Or maybe you need to perfect your BH topspins. These are the things that will make your familiar opponents feels very uncomfortable. Or maybe you just have to learn again the things that all these while you took for granted, like your short and long pushes on both wings, serves with the entire body, instead of just using the arm or just footwork. You may just forgot how since you never has to use them very much since your friends were all easy pickings before... hehe now, you may just have to be more agile since they're better.

So, I say try new things. What do got to lose? You're losing anyway, right? I always tell the youngsters, play to improve then play to win.