Only 1 coach or hire more coaches?

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Only 1 coach or hire more coaches?

I'm 37 years old, love table tennis, and want to improve my skills because more skills are more fun (I usually don't participate in tournaments). My skills may be around 1600-1800 USATT.

I have started training with a coach on and off for 2.5 years due to injury and babysitting my kids.

My previous coach is an ex-national Thai player. He's good for teaching, but he's quite busy (or lazy?) and already gone due to financial problems (maybe gambling), and yeah, my fee is gone too.

Right now I train with a part-time coach. He's a young player, maybe around 2200-2400 USATT. I like him and feel easy talking with him, but he has free time to teach me just 2 times/week, only 1.5 hours each time.

I want a little bit more time to train. There's another full-time coach, but he teaches a different style and makes me a bit confused with the other coach teaching.

Has anyone experienced having multiple coaches at the same time?

Any advice?



PS. In Thailand, the coach fee is quite cheap.
 
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personally i can take lessons from several coaches, but there is only ONE I consider as my true coach. I go see others when he isn't available, or when i want to train with a specific style (for example chopper, or leftie)

there is also many good advices on internet. its easy to get confused. In the end, your best coach is yourself in the sense that you are the one who should know best what works and what doesn't work for you.
 
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I want a little bit more time to train. There's another full-time coach, but he teaches a different style and makes me a bit confused with the other coach teaching.

How different are we talking here? And what's confusing about it?

Ideally, you want to be consistent in your coaching, so you can continuously improve in the same way. Get coaching, practice what you've learnt, get coaching, practice what you've learnt and so on.

If you are practicing 1 forehand stroke with 1 coach, and then a different coach is telling you to do something different, you'll not really improve as much.

Personally, I'd stick with the coach who has the best reputation, results of past students, or has the play style you want to replicate.
 
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How different are we talking here? And what's confusing about it?

Ideally, you want to be consistent in your coaching, so you can continuously improve in the same way. Get coaching, practice what you've learnt, get coaching, practice what you've learnt and so on.

If you are practicing 1 forehand stroke with 1 coach, and then a different coach is telling you to do something different, you'll not really improve as much.

Personally, I'd stick with the coach who has the best reputation, results of past students, or has the play style you want to replicate.

I agree one coach, not agree replicate the coach play style.

Only more coaches if for different reasons:

-Physical trainer
-Mental trainer for matches
-Strategic trainer for matches
-Technical trainer to correct (depending level player) about how to: hit the ball, position before hit the ball, position to receive the serve, position where to do the service (depending where is situated the receiver or if he is right or left handed), this technical trainer it's the most important to improve, me for example I film the player so he can see the fault about the hit movement or position before do the hit, learning to see where is situated the other player and what's the movement he is doing to hit the ball can be very good to anticipate the return, etc.
 
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Only more coaches if for different reasons:

-Physical trainer
-Mental trainer for matches
-Strategic trainer for matches
-Technical trainer to correct (depending level player) about how to: hit the ball, position before hit the ball, position to receive the serve, position where to do the service (depending where is situated the receiver or if he is right or left handed), this technical trainer it's the most important to improve, me for example I film the player so he can see the fault about the hit movement or position before do the hit, learning to see where is situated the other player and what's the movement he is doing to hit the ball can be very good to anticipate the return, etc.
We are talking about mid level amateur table tennis aren't we? 😅

Most places are lucky to have 1 physical coach in a drive-able distance - Let alone 5 all offering different services! 😂
 
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This coaching thing is what made me to almost giving up table tennis, because i have many issues about having coaching around, mainly the fees, which is too much really here, and it is only good for local region which mostly aren't that good globally, because i can see players of the clubs in my country aren't doing good in some recreational ang global events which reflects the level or quality of coaching they have, sure it will make me a better locally, but i feel that at my age now and my situations it isn't worth it anymore, i should have that like 6-10 years ago, i took a coaching last year but i wasn't happy and i felt like i just ignoring his coaching, then i started for short time wit a friend who is so good but we both have issues and he also need coaching, now i can't decide how where when whom i will take coaching then, and most important thing, for what purpose, as i feel i am deciding to stop table tennis soon maybe this year is the last.
 
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We are talking about mid level amateur table tennis aren't we? 😅

Most places are lucky to have 1 physical coach in a drive-able distance - Let alone 5 all offeri

We are talking about mid level amateur table tennis aren't we? 😅

Most places are lucky to have 1 physical coach in a drive-able distance - Let alone 5 all offering different services! 😂
So true.

At my club there were 3 official coaches of which only one was happy to coach “normal “ level and not the top. Even then the schedule at the club made it difficult to get access.
 
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I want a little bit more time to train. There's another full-time coach, but he teaches a different style and makes me a bit confused with the other coach teaching.

Has anyone experienced having multiple coaches at the same time?

Any advice?

I often find humans tend to have different phrases and wordings, but often are already talking about the same thing.

You should ask questions and find out.
 
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What's do you mean? English is not my native language, I don't get what you said.
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We are talking about mid level amateur table tennis aren't we? 😅

Most places are lucky to have 1 physical coach in a drive-able distance - Let alone 5 all offering different services! 😂
Amateur level a lot of clubs without coach if not all.
 
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PS. In Thailand, the coach fee is quite cheap.
Go get more coaching time if you feel the need and it's affordable. Despite teaching a different style, that coach may offer something unique you can learn from.
 
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