Matches Vs Practice for improvement

[JassaTableTennis]

For context I am a fairly intermediate Table tennis player after grinding for 3 years including coaching and playing 15 hours a week.
The one thing I haven’t done though is playing a lot of matches leading me to underperform a lot of the time when i end up playing matches in a competition.
I this year Finally have the opportunity to play in a local League in the top division of my local area however it is the same night I usually get the best training practice (The best player in the area usually trains that day at the university and we practice together).
I am trying to figure out whether I would get more for my improvement by finally playing some matches or by getting that training session in.
For more context I am in UK where opportunities and club nights to practice table tennis are very scarce so it’s hard to find many other nights to practice I usually get 3/4 nights of practice a week by playing a match i would potentially lose 1/3 of this practice as well as the best of it.
I was wondering if you guys thing that playing weekly matches would go a long way to improve me.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

matches is required, as you will face different styles and level of play.
practice partners (if you don't have many of them), will led to familiarity, and that could harm your game when facing strangers.

so you will need to try and balance the best of both worlds

 

[vanjr]

Based on what you write, doing a season of league play sounds like a good use of your time. If you don't like it don't keep on that path.
I will say a caution: to say that you "underperform in matches"-you sound like you are training to train and not to win matches. There is nothing wrong with pure training and no matches. But is the goal is to win matches then playing matches has to be a component of your 15 hours. Where I live we have the opposite situation-no one wants to train, they just want to do matches-so I "underperform" in training.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

For context I am a fairly intermediate Table tennis player after grinding for 3 years including coaching and playing 15 hours a week.
The one thing I haven’t done though is playing a lot of matches leading me to underperform a lot of the time when i end up playing matches in a competition.
I this year Finally have the opportunity to play in a local League in the top division of my local area however it is the same night I usually get the best training practice (The best player in the area usually trains that day at the university and we practice together).
I am trying to figure out whether I would get more for my improvement by finally playing some matches or by getting that training session in.
For more context I am in UK where opportunities and club nights to practice table tennis are very scarce so it’s hard to find many other nights to practice I usually get 3/4 nights of practice a week by playing a match i would potentially lose 1/3 of this practice as well as the best of it.
I was wondering if you guys thing that playing weekly matches would go a long way to improve me.

Watch this video a few times and see if you can sort out how it applies to Table Tennis:

If only 1/3 of your practice is actual match play and your practice properly has the random element included in most or all of your training work, then you would likely perform better in matches.

If your training is mostly block training, you will likely need a few connector things, bridges to help you transfer some of the "skills" you are working on in training, so that you can apply them in match play.

If you want to improve, the more your training replicates match play, the more the skills will cross over into actual match play.

But something like Falkenberg, that is not how match play works.

So, it really depends on what you are doing in training.

Here, have a look at the random element in ZJK's training from years ago:

Particlularly, watch the segment that starts at 4:44 min:seconds:

But a certain amount of match play is useful for how you respond in pressure situations and how you put it all together in a scenario where you are forced to read each new play as it is happening.

 

[JassaTableTennis]

Watch this video a few times and see if you can sort out how it applies to Table Tennis:

If only 1/3 of your practice is actual match play and your practice properly has the random element included in most or all of your training work, then you would likely perform better in matches.

If your training is mostly block training, you will likely need a few connector things, bridges to help you transfer some of the "skills" you are working on in training, so that you can apply them in match play.

If you want to improve, the more your training replicates match play, the more the skills will cross over into actual match play.

But something like Falkenberg, that is not how match play works.

So, it really depends on what you are doing in training.

Here, have a look at the random element in ZJK's training from years ago:

Particlularly, watch the segment that starts at 4:44 min:seconds:

But a certain amount of match play is useful for how you respond in pressure situations and how you put it all together in a scenario where you are forced to read each new play as it is happening.

I found the first video interesting but I don’t know how much it really applies here of course my training consists of a lot of random practice and point practice but i’m thinking about the difference of playing a game under pressure in a competition vs that practice confirm no stress. I wish the first video referred to some sort of 1 on 1 sport as I think there is a lot more to talk about there. I think everyone knows random practice is necessary but I also don’t think in table tennis it replicates playing an actual competition ect.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I found the first video interesting but I don’t know how much it really applies here of course my training consists of a lot of random practice and point practice but i’m thinking about the difference of playing a game under pressure in a competition vs that practice confirm no stress. I wish the first video referred to some sort of 1 on 1 sport as I think there is a lot more to talk about there. I think everyone knows random practice is necessary but I also don’t think in table tennis it replicates playing an actual competition ect.

Yeah. If they made a video on the same subject directly about how it applies to TT, it would be interesting.

If you have a lot of training that incorporates the random element and you do a decent amount of training that simulates game scenarios, then match play is not as important. However, the more different people you play in match scenarios, the better as well. So the format of playing in a league would really be good and valuable experience.

In the end, since your training already incorporates things that mirror and compliment match play, it may be less important to have genuine match play than if you were mainly doing block training (training primarily with standardized drills where each ball placement is based on a predetermined pattern.

 

[Wrighty67]

Having spent far more time practicing and getting coached than playing competitive matches, my take is that match play is very important. Initially I struggled to play well, with confidence and intent in any matches - even club level friendlies and in particular league matches where I was less familiar with players and much more tight and nervous. By playing more matches I have now settled into friendly matches and am slowly improving in more serious matches and tournaments - things such as learning to build a lead, learning to read serves and adjust quicker, spotting weaknesses on their or my side and adjusting etc. For me it is still very much a work in progress as I have recently stepped up to a higher level league and am losing a lot of matches vs players that are better at matchplay than me and a little more consistent in their game but not what I would call a level higher. So I would say that given playing well in matches is the ultimate outcome for you then getting used to this should be a priority - additionally the match learnings serve to drive your practice priorities differently than you might otherwise choose.

 

[henrich45]

For context I am a fairly intermediate Table tennis player after grinding for 3 years including coaching and playing 15 hours a week.
The one thing I haven’t done though is playing a lot of matches leading me to underperform a lot of the time when i end up playing matches in a competition.
I this year Finally have the opportunity to play in a local League in the top division of my local area however it is the same night I usually get the best training practice (The best player in the area usually trains that day at the university and we practice together).
I am trying to figure out whether I would get more for my improvement by finally playing some matches or by getting that training session in.
For more context I am in UK where opportunities and club nights to practice table tennis are very scarce so it’s hard to find many other nights to practice I usually get 3/4 nights of practice a week by playing a match i would potentially lose 1/3 of this practice as well as the best of it.
I was wondering if you guys thing that playing weekly matches would go a long way to improve me. brawl stars modları

Playing matches regularly can definitely help with match experience, mental toughness, and adapting to different styles of play, which could improve your overall performance in competitions. However, the training session with the best player in the area offers high-quality practice that will refine your skills and techniques, which is also crucial for long-term development.

Since opportunities to practice are limited, it may be helpful to try a balance. If you can occasionally prioritize the league matches for match experience while ensuring you don’t miss too many valuable training sessions, you’ll get the best of both worlds. In the end, consistent match play will help improve your adaptability in real competition situations, but training with high-level players can accelerate your technical and tactical growth.

 

[JassaTableTennis]

Having spent far more time practicing and getting coached than playing competitive matches, my take is that match play is very important. Initially I struggled to play well, with confidence and intent in any matches - even club level friendlies and in particular league matches where I was less familiar with players and much more tight and nervous. By playing more matches I have now settled into friendly matches and am slowly improving in more serious matches and tournaments - things such as learning to build a lead, learning to read serves and adjust quicker, spotting weaknesses on their or my side and adjusting etc. For me it is still very much a work in progress as I have recently stepped up to a higher level league and am losing a lot of matches vs players that are better at matchplay than me and a little more consistent in their game but not what I would call a level higher. So I would say that given playing well in matches is the ultimate outcome for you then getting used to this should be a priority - additionally the match learnings serve to drive your practice priorities differently than you might otherwise choose.

Yeah this is fairly relatable to me the people I am beaten by i wouldn’t say are a higher level but they are better mentally and maybe more consistent but i guess that also means they are better but it doesn’t seem like a skill gap

 

[lightspin]

Both are important but if your technique is garbage then playing matches will only take you so far. Playing matches can be useful in finding weaknesses so you can practice them during your other training sessions. Another thing you need to consider are your goals. If you want to beat someone slightly better than you, then playing matches is the way to go. If you want to improve dramatically long term, you probably need to practice 5 days a week, play 1 day of practice matches and 1 tournament a week.