Is XX working on his backhand?

[fais]

Not very stable (after all, he hasn't been at for very long), but I definitely like what I see. I hope he continues down this path, It appears to be to have some dangerous potential in his back

 

[songdavid98]

That's what I've been thinking. After all, he does lose a lot of points on the backhand anyways.

If you look at Xu Xin when he was way younger, you'll actually see that his backhand was actually fine.

 

[shinshiro]

I saw a game from some years ago where XX used the traditional penhold backhand. Does anyone know why he stopped using it?

 

[songdavid98]

I saw a game from some years ago where XX used the traditional penhold backhand. Does anyone know why he stopped using it?

Because it is basically outdated. It's much more passive compared to the RPB. RPB also gives more options when it comes to service return.

 

[Archosaurus]

Is it just me or is he really opening himself up on the backhand flick? Why is that?

 

[songdavid98]

Is it just me or is he really opening himself up on the backhand flick? Why is that?

You mean people take advantage of his backhand flick?

That's an easy way to win points actually. You'll see that Xu Xin does that very well himself.

So, it's not a problem specific to Xu Xin, but it is common across many high level players.

 

[SFF_lib]

I saw a game from some years ago where XX used the traditional penhold backhand. Does anyone know why he stopped using it?

Another reason is the plastic ball is slower and cause less impact. TPB relies on rebound of the incoming ball. If impact is decreased, so is the push of TPB.

Sent from my WAS-LX2 using Tapatalk

 

[Archosaurus]

You mean people take advantage of his backhand flick?

That's an easy way to win points actually. You'll see that Xu Xin does that very well himself.

So, it's not a problem specific to Xu Xin, but it is common across many high level players.

No, I mean the degree of moving out towards his forehand that he does when backhand flicking balls to his forehand. His energy keeps travelling past the point to stop and do the stroke, leaving the backhand wing open.

 

[songdavid98]

No, I mean the degree of moving out towards his forehand that he does when backhand flicking balls to his forehand. His energy keeps travelling past the point to stop and do the stroke, leaving the backhand wing open.

Oh nah, it's not that big of a problem, honestly. Right handed players have to do that to lefties, and left handed players have to do it to righties. So it's quite common.

If you angle your shot wide enough, it's not that big of a problem. I do the same.

But if you don't train enough, it is easy to take advantage of the open backhand side.

 

[Archosaurus]

Oh nah, it's not that big of a problem, honestly. Right handed players have to do that to lefties, and left handed players have to do it to righties. So it's quite common.

If you angle your shot wide enough, it's not that big of a problem. I do the same.

But if you don't train enough, it is easy to take advantage of the open backhand side.

So the idea is to just max out on the spin direction and angle of the shot and you should have time to recover and possibly just win the point there anyway?

I didn't see XX get punished too much for stepping out wide like that, the few shots I remember were winners, so...

 

[songdavid98]

So the idea is to just max out on the spin direction and angle of the shot and you should have time to recover and possibly just win the point there anyway?

I didn't see XX get punished too much for stepping out wide like that, the few shots I remember were winners, so...

Basically, that's part of it. Usually, it's simply an opening. Other times, it's a straight winner. Sometimes, you'll see Xu Xin go for a One-Shot super-wide backhand flick winner.

At high levels, it's really about the quality of the shot. If the flick that you make is good, then it is difficult to capitalize on it.

Again, it's not just Xu Xin. You can observe what happens when Ma Long/Fan Zhengdong play against lefties. They don't get punished too often.

The only exception when it comes to punishing flicks would actually be Xu Xin himself. You'll see him destroy all kinds of flicks with his forehand.

 

[TTFrenzy]

That's what I've been thinking. After all, he does lose a lot of points on the backhand anyways.

If you look at Xu Xin when he was way younger, you'll actually see that his backhand was actually fine.

It was probably fine for his age group, now its certainly not enough, and he never had good BH close to the table, nor a consitent block or punch block or spin block BH close and BH FH transition were always XX's weaknesses

 

[TTHopeful]

Is it to late for Xu Xin to start working on his backhand lol

 

[iammaru]

no offense, but I've heard that (Xu Xin is working on his BH) too many times. I remembered for some periods of time, he used his RPB a lot, even used it for counter loop and counter drive fast exchange, tried not to step around to use his FH. Sometimes his RPB looked good but it was never consistent enough, and then he returned to his FH dominant style.
I think he will never be able to fix it. It's a pity but the future doesn't seem bright for PH/RPB, unless they find new genius like Wang Hao or Ma Lin.

 

[yoass]

C'mon, they're professionals. It's their job to keep going at it with full dedication. To keep improving and adapting — or to wither and retire.
So of course XX has been working on his BH. So has ML, and so has Vladi.

I thought XX looked promising there. Hope to see him in person in a couple of weeks!

 

[ajtatosmano2]

I remember we had statistics about the Marvellous 12 matches. I opened a XX match and his BH success rate was 0%.

I think the main problem is that BH isn't natural for XX. He devoloped a very strong FH based style and when he plays with more BH he does that conscientiously, therefore his reaction time degrades.

 

[Murre5]

Is pro player working on getting better, yes probably all of them.

 

[Sali]

I think all pros work for better technique and game strategy for all carrier, but sometimes there style cannot be competitive. XX style using FH most of time is nice to watch and can be competitive as long as he is fast enough with his feet. But look at those young players who couse many upsets they are fast and the play close to the table. XX cannot compete them in longer period. When was the last time XX won with FZD??? Look at koki niwa strategy deep to XX backhand and then fast block to his FH. He was running all over but most of cases he was too late.
This is the reason he is working on BH to have smaller step to continue from FH side. But in his age it will be very hard to change completely your style.

 

[suds79]

I don't know if Xu Xin's problem is so much that his backhand is bad (and I've been one who has said that several time admittedly) or more so that he puts himself out of position by running around it too much for today's game.

Look at the tactics he selected for this match. He served from the middle of the table a la Wang Hao and simply opened himself up to be able to cover those wide FH shots and was willing to play his backhand. At least for this match it worked.

If into a rally he starts to run around some balls, fine. All pros do that to some extent.

But he had moments of falling back into that old Xu Xin that either with the old spinier ball, or him being younger back then, worked back then but gets him into trouble today.

Check that point at 8:05.

I've even put it in infinite looper here for anyone interested.
http://www.infinitelooper.com/?v=giBQaZU2m-E&p=n#/485;489

That's classic old school Xu Xin that he just cannot do today. Maybe in the past that forehand he'd hit would out-spin someone but he just can't put himself in that position in today's game. Serving from the middle of the table pretty much forces his hand at playing that 3rd ball as a backhand.

 

[sherif_ry2]

Can any one tell me please what is better ... the old timo boll spirit blade or the new one... ... blue box or black one.... thank you