Kanak Jha

[Gozo]

Kanak is a USA professional TT player. I am not a fan of him and seldom notice him until by chance I viewed this video. I am impressed and the video made me take notice. He is not a powerful all out attacking style player and his style is what I would called a controlled offensive player. His stroke is so clean and technical, it is almost text-book perfect.

Which brings me to the next question below:

In the Sino-sphere, majority tend to reference Ma Long as the text-book example of a perfect FH hand loop ( Chinese style ). All others are benchmarked against Ma Long.

However, if the Eurozone, who can we assign such title to? is it Timo Boll? Who can we say is the equivalent to Ma Long in the Eurozone?

Discussion welcomed.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

In Europe, Dima has the best stroke mechanics to my eye.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

I really don't like Kanak's stroke. It looks very ugly to me, and it gives me the impression of a crab. When he wins points, I have this uneasy feeling of "he didn't deserve to win", or he won in a cheap way

 

[yoass]

However, if the Eurozone, who can we assign such title to? is it Timo Boll? Who can we say is the equivalent to Ma Long in the Eurozone?

Here's where ye olde fartes like me would mention Dragutin Šurbek and Jean-Philippe Gatien. In modern players, I rather like Kristian Karlssons's strokes.

 

[Lazer]

I’m with Gozo on this Jha guy, but he doesn’t show much powerful looping, great blocker though but that could be attributed to the type of game.

I agree with Yoass on Kristian Karlsson, he’s one of the most outright offensive players I’ve seen.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[jammmail]

And by contrast to Jha - Arunas 'style' would never be in a text book, but it works for him. Is there such a thing as the perfect way to play? 😀

 

[AndyK]

Kanak's a great player, but I find his style a little too structured and robotic. His consistency and ability to actively block are a strength, but he tends to get a little too passive in his attacks and doesn't have any big weapons (unlike Aruna's nuclear forehand). Unlikely he'll ever see the top 10.

 

[Draycott old man]

And by contrast to Jha - Arunas 'style' would never be in a text book, but it works for him. Is there such a thing as the perfect way to play? 😀

Totally agree!!!! Jha's style works for him we are human beings and not robots!!!!! We are all individuals with our own different styles!!!!!

 

[Wrighty67]

Kanak is a USA professional TT player. I am not a fan of him and seldom notice him until by chance I viewed this video. I am impressed and the video made me take notice. He is not a powerful all out attacking style player and his style is what I would called a controlled offensive player. His stroke is so clean and technical, it is almost text-book perfect.Which brings me to the next question below:In the Sino-sphere, majority tend to reference Ma Long as the text-book example of a perfect FH hand loop ( Chinese style ). All others are benchmarked against Ma Long.However, if the Eurozone, who can we assign such title to? is it Timo Boll? Who can we say is the equivalent to Ma Long in the Eurozone?Discussion welcomed.

I agree with you - to my eye he has a great stroke technique and in particular good movement. His style is pretty offensive but as you say, well controlled and not all out.I particularly like the way he switches between BH topspin and BH block and shapes the rally in this way.

 

[karupinkun]

If we just talk about the stroke I strongly disagree. In my eyes his strokes and technique is clumsy and ugly. Espacially on his forhand...

 

[tabletennisdaily1]

I appreciate players with unusual styles. It brings interesting variety to the game and shows that you can develop your own style and still be a top player.

 

[matt243385]

Kanak is a USA professional TT player. I am not a fan of him and seldom notice him until by chance I viewed this video. I am impressed and the video made me take notice. He is not a powerful all out attacking style player and his style is what I would called a controlled offensive player. His stroke is so clean and technical, it is almost text-book perfect.

Which brings me to the next question below:

In the Sino-sphere, majority tend to reference Ma Long as the text-book example of a perfect FH hand loop ( Chinese style ). All others are benchmarked against Ma Long.

However, if the Eurozone, who can we assign such title to? is it Timo Boll? Who can we say is the equivalent to Ma Long in the Eurozone?

Discussion welcomed.

Form doesnt really matter, as long as you are spinning the ball and can transfer your weight evenly. The chinese just wind up with the best looking forms because of how much technical training they do.

 

[iammaru]

I don't like Kanak Jha's technique at all, it looks very stiff and robotic, especially the FH topspin. I'm sorry I don't think it's "text-book technique" by any means. The proof is he couldn't generate too much power with that FH technique.

I used to think Kanak would never make it into the top 50 with that FH. But he surprised me TIME after TIME, beating top players who have better-looking technique and becoming a consistent top 50 player. So he deserves my respect. He shows that even if you don't have the perfect technique, you can still play very high-level table tennis if you have a strong work ethic and develop your own game that gets the maximum out of your technique.

European players don't often have text-book technique. I'd classify Waldner's FH and Jorgic's BH as text book.

 

[NextLevel]

The funny thing when I read all these comments is that I remember someone who I used to hang around with who was a CNT fanboy of the highest order. We hung together in around 2015/2016. He felt that Kanak had perfect strokes and the best technique in North America. Technique is so subjective...

And all in all, while I have a friend who is a high level coach and a Chinese fanboy who doesn't like Kanak's forehand, again it is all relative. The best forehand is the one that wins the point for you, not the one that someone put into a video for you to print out and pin up on your wall.

 

[Gozo]

I don't like Kanak Jha's technique at all, it looks very stiff and robotic, especially the FH topspin. I'm sorry I don't think it's "text-book technique" by any means. The proof is he couldn't generate too much power with that FH technique.

I used to think Kanak would never make it into the top 50 with that FH. But he surprised me TIME after TIME, beating top players who have better-looking technique and becoming a consistent top 50 player. So he deserves my respect. He shows that even if you don't have the perfect technique, you can still play very high-level table tennis if you have a strong work ethic and develop your own game that gets the maximum out of your technique.

European players don't often have text-book technique. I'd classify Waldner's FH and Jorgic's BH as text book.

I speculate that Kanak tactics is not to over-power his opponent but rather to keep the ball in play with placement and variation and let his opponent make unforced error to get the winning points. All-round attacking style perhaps.

 

[Trinity]

I watched his match with Filus and...just amazing. He can feel every ball he knows how when and everything, Easy job for him

 

[jammmail]

The funny thing when I read all these comments is that I remember someone who I used to hang around with who was a CNT fanboy of the highest order. We hung together in around 2015/2016. He felt that Kanak had perfect strokes and the best technique in North America. Technique is so subjective...

And all in all, while I have a friend who is a high level coach and a Chinese fanboy who doesn't like Kanak's forehand, again it is all relative. The best forehand is the one that wins the point for you, not the one that someone put into a video for you to print out and pin up on your wall.

Plus is FH is much better than anyone commenting here! 🤣

 

[Draycott old man]

I appreciate players with unusual styles. It brings interesting variety to the game and shows that you can develop your own style and still be a top player.

My table tennis hero has a unique style!!!! Werner Schlager was upright and stiff but he was a world champion 🏆 im sure lots of coaches would of said his technique was wrong but his belief in himself and his game made a legend!!!

 

[burhanayan]

I think Apolonia's technique is very aesthetic.

Karlsson doing too much power shots. I think he could play better with tacky rubber. It doesn't seem that aesthetic to my eyes.

Khanak Jha's forehand... No comment.

Young Chinese players seem very identical.

Alpha Chinese players have different spice in their playing styles.

XX's helikopter side spin FH,
LJK's wristy power FH,
ML's trademark FH,
ZJK's wristy brushy FH with BH grip.

 

[Metaxa]

I really don't like Kanak's stroke. It looks very ugly to me, and it gives me the impression of a crab. When he wins points, I have this uneasy feeling of "he didn't deserve to win", or he won in a cheap way

Indeed, I saw him play in Belgium in October 2017 and already thought his game was too clinical. Now so many years later, his game hasn't changed at all.