Hello, any tips on how to organize one's mind when trying to develop to a better tt player. I read a lot about teqnique and tactics, but every time I go to practice I just play the way I always done. For example, I use to think, "this practice, I must remember to reset my stance quicker after my serve" or "my footwork must be more active" or "I need to use my hookserve more even it's not perfect yet". I often end doing nothing of it because I get so focused on getting the ball on the other side of the net. Any advice on how to organize your mind in implementing or adjusting your technique during practice?
Overwhelmed
- Thread starter matti77
- Start date
says
Spin to win!
says
Spin to win!
Well-Known Member
Hey Matt,
What sort of level do you play at?
Do you have any practice video of you playing?
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
If you want to go with what the current scientific research suggests, then you want to focus on just one particular facet of whatever stroke or skill you're training during a given session. Here's a helpful Huberman Lab video where he talks about this concept:
The whole podcast is worth a listen actually since there are many other concepts we can implement for faster skill acquisition. The important points that I took out of it are the following:
- Skill acquisition is achieved through making errors and the brain using this error information to calibrate. The more reps you can get in, and the more errors you make *while attempting to achieve the correct movement pattern* the faster the skill is acquired.
- You can help the brain do its error correction thing more efficiently by taking random breaks during training and just do nothing (close your eyes for 10 seconds or something). The brain will replay the memory repeatedly, which is part of the correction process.
- Focusing on a certain aspect of a skill (e.g., footwork, weight transfer, bat angle, grip, etc.) while learning it will speed up the process of learning.
So if you are just safely getting the ball over the net, then you're not making any errors and may just be cementing that particular 'skill.' But if you want to add more spin or speed, or to place the ball better, then you're going to need to make errors. You will start missing the table a lot, but those misses will slowly show your brain the right way to do it.
says
2023 Certified Organ Donor
says
2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Hi matti,
You are getting into two areas...
- How to get practice improvements into match play (That can take many months to even break even then get better)
- Mental performance in TT (Which is HUGE in competition)
You will simply have to discover for yourself how to face unknowns, fears, and pressure and figure out ways to deal with it. live with it and overcome it.
It starts by knowing yourself and what you want. You have to accept that you will be under pressure in a number of ways and uncomfortable and not worry about it, but be as ready as you can and see what is happening. You have to be CALM and function at a subconscious level with only small conscious thinking. You have to learn how to be relaxed and confident. you get confidence from seeing you can do it, even a simple shot. You have to accept that you might not succeed on every point, even the pros will not do what they want every point.
You need practice mental reps (you get this in your goof-off and relaxed matches), you need semi pressure reps, like league, and many competitive match reps. Look at you matches and each point on your vid try to tell yourself what you were trying to do, your objective, your plan, your approach, what opponent did to mess you up and how you mentally cope and adjust.
This kind of process goes on and on and the ones who can do this under pressure almost ALWAYS have a big advantage.
You are getting into two areas...
- How to get practice improvements into match play (That can take many months to even break even then get better)
- Mental performance in TT (Which is HUGE in competition)
You will simply have to discover for yourself how to face unknowns, fears, and pressure and figure out ways to deal with it. live with it and overcome it.
It starts by knowing yourself and what you want. You have to accept that you will be under pressure in a number of ways and uncomfortable and not worry about it, but be as ready as you can and see what is happening. You have to be CALM and function at a subconscious level with only small conscious thinking. You have to learn how to be relaxed and confident. you get confidence from seeing you can do it, even a simple shot. You have to accept that you might not succeed on every point, even the pros will not do what they want every point.
You need practice mental reps (you get this in your goof-off and relaxed matches), you need semi pressure reps, like league, and many competitive match reps. Look at you matches and each point on your vid try to tell yourself what you were trying to do, your objective, your plan, your approach, what opponent did to mess you up and how you mentally cope and adjust.
This kind of process goes on and on and the ones who can do this under pressure almost ALWAYS have a big advantage.
I've been learning a lot of new things lately and have the same issue. Just keep training everything you want to improve, but come match time focus on applying one or at most two things at a time. Eventually you'll be able to do it! The time it takes may vary, but it's inevitable. If you've set your mind on changing something, and you keep practicing it, then it WILL show up in games sooner or later.
Like in the link posted by @turbozed your brain will rewire itself over time. One day, all of a sudden, you'll find that you can apply what you've learned. An important thing I've found is that when that happens, don't stop. If you move on to something else right away you may regress in the area that you've improved. You need to keep at it until it becomes solidified in your brain.
Like in the link posted by @turbozed your brain will rewire itself over time. One day, all of a sudden, you'll find that you can apply what you've learned. An important thing I've found is that when that happens, don't stop. If you move on to something else right away you may regress in the area that you've improved. You need to keep at it until it becomes solidified in your brain.
says
Fair Play first
The Centipede's Dilemma" is a short poem that has lent its name to a psychological effect called the centipede effect or centipede syndrome. The centipede effect occurs when a normally automatic or unconscious activity is disrupted by consciousness of it or reflection on it.
Dont be a centipede of a kind. Dont read volumous lecturings, learn the game from youtube video footage.
The Centipede's Dilemma
Poem
A centipede was happy - quite!
Until a toad in fun
Said, "Pray, which leg moves after which?"
This raised her doubts to such a pitch,
She fell exhausted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.
Dont be a centipede of a kind. Dont read volumous lecturings, learn the game from youtube video footage.
The Centipede's Dilemma
Poem
A centipede was happy - quite!
Until a toad in fun
Said, "Pray, which leg moves after which?"
This raised her doubts to such a pitch,
She fell exhausted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.
Last edited:
Similar threads
