Perform in multiball but not in game

[TensorBackhand]

I recorded some multiball practice with a friend. My friend is just working on looping underspin and the followip attack. He does it fairly well in practice, but often fails in game.

Im practicing looping the receive. I do it ok in multiball, but cant execute in game.

 

[Migzkulit]

There's a lot of reasons why someone can't perform in matches what they do in Practice.
A common one is they fail to watch the ball. They can't recognize if the serve is going long and they end up playing safe. A lot of the game is muscle memory or just memory. Gotta remember what to look for and then what to do.

 

[NextLevel]

In a match, you rarely get the same serve over and over again every 5 seconds or so. To simulate match practice, after doing some block drills like practicing against a specific serve, you have to have your server mix up spins and location so you can practice skills closer to what would happen in a match. You can even have the score at 9-9 and see whether you can attack the serves to win the game.

 

[dingyibvs]

I recorded some multiball practice with a friend. My friend is just working on looping underspin and the followip attack. He does it fairly well in practice, but often fails in game.

Im practicing looping the receive. I do it ok in multiball, but cant execute in game.

The common reason is footwork (and by that, I mean also body positioning in general). His feet are glued to the ground during those loops, because he's standing already at where he needs to be for the balls you're serving. Will that be the case in games? Of course not. A simple and quick way to get start fixing that is to serve your multiball at a relatively high speed, say 1 ball per second or slightly slower, all to the BH side, but make him loop it alternatingly with his FH and BH. He'll then get used to moving very quickly before looping each ball. Alternatively and only slightly more complicated, you can also serve a short one to his FH, making him step in to push the ball, then immediately serve a long one to his BH or FH.

Incorporating movement into each shot is the key. If someone is mobility limited, then at least you need to stress their balance, make the person shift the balance from one leg to another. Your friend looks pretty young and healthy, so just stress his footwork should be fine.

 

[blahness]

The other major problem is that usually multiball has way lower sidespin content than a serve receive, especially off pendulum serves. If the guy wants to loop the 3rd ball well he needs to train against sideunder of the same type, not just underspin balls. Or learn how to serve without sidespin.

 

[TensorBackhand]

What's the purpose of doing multiball then if it doesn't really simulate game performance?

 

[TTWiz]

What's the purpose of doing multiball then if it doesn't really simulate game performance?

How Important is Multi-Ball in Table Tennis? - eBaTT table tennis centre

I believe Multi-ball in table tennis began in the 70's in china and today, it's rare to see advanced coaching sessions without it.

ebatt.co.uk

Gives a good explenation

One of the recommendations regarding multiball: “Use thought process exercises and irregular formats to truly develop your game”

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I recorded some multiball practice with a friend. My friend is just working on looping underspin and the followip attack. He does it fairly well in practice, but often fails in game.

Im practicing looping the receive. I do it ok in multiball, but cant execute in game.

I see the problem:
1. Practice partner serving the same spin to the same spot. He is helping you to learn a stroke.
2. In real match environment, opponent serve will read your body language, your distance to table, are you gonna use a BH or FH return and he adjust accordingly. In short, he is there to make life difficult for you, very difficult.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

What's the purpose of doing multiball then if it doesn't really simulate game performance?

Multiball is to help you build muscle memory for a stroke.

Game time is Show-Time! Your chance to shine!

 

[Amayzde]

The reason it doesn't translate to matches is because you guys are only training 1 specific incoming ball. Which is great if you are practicing a new stroke or trying to improve the quality of your technique. But in matches you will get many different kinds of different balls.

Start adding more variety in the balls you are feeding.
For example for your friend thats training his backhand against an underspin push. As soon as he can loop a 'regular' underspin push, slowly start adding different kinds of pushes into the mix. Add a halflong push for example, now he has to focus on 2 different balls. If he is comfortable with that, add a new one: fast and deep push maybe? Pushes with more or with less spin.

Lets not forget about placement: aim the balls slightly wider or slightly thowards the elbow. Most people only train into the forehand; into the backhand, and maybe the elbow. But these micro changes in placement that are only 2-3 inches to the left or right are also important!

Try to add enough variety so the session is challenging, you are allowed to make mistakes in training, but avoid making it overwhelmingly difficult. If you or your training partner are struggling with 1 type of ball, try to highlight that ball by calling it out as you are feeding. For example your friend struggles with the long and deep push, say "DEEP" right as you are about to feed it so he has a little more time to execute it correctly.

So the same goes for you practicing the receive on his serve. It looks like you can receive it well. So make your partner add different serves he usually does from that same serving position. Or make him serve it slightlty wider or more thowards the elbow... you get the drill by now.

So try incorporating this in your next sessions.

 

[TensorBackhand]

The reason it doesn't translate to matches is because you guys are only training 1 specific incoming ball. Which is great if you are practicing a new stroke or trying to improve the quality of your technique. But in matches you will get many different kinds of different balls.

Start adding more variety in the balls you are feeding.
For example for your friend thats training his backhand against an underspin push. As soon as he can loop a 'regular' underspin push, slowly start adding different kinds of pushes into the mix. Add a halflong push for example, now he has to focus on 2 different balls. If he is comfortable with that, add a new one: fast and deep push maybe? Pushes with more or with less spin.

Lets not forget about placement: aim the balls slightly wider or slightly thowards the elbow. Most people only train into the forehand; into the backhand, and maybe the elbow. But these micro changes in placement that are only 2-3 inches to the left or right are also important!

Try to add enough variety so the session is challenging, you are allowed to make mistakes in training, but avoid making it overwhelmingly difficult. If you or your training partner are struggling with 1 type of ball, try to highlight that ball by calling it out as you are feeding. For example your friend struggles with the long and deep push, say "DEEP" right as you are about to feed it so he has a little more time to execute it correctly.

So the same goes for you practicing the receive on his serve. It looks like you can receive it well. So make your partner add different serves he usually does from that same serving position. Or make him serve it slightlty wider or more thowards the elbow... you get the drill by now.

So try incorporating this in your next sessions.

I'll try adding more variety for my friend today: length, spin, angle. The truth is there already is quite a bit of variation simply because I can't do the same feed everytime. Sometimes I find myself feeding long or short or high or low just by accident.

 

[blahness]

The reason it doesn't translate to matches is because you guys are only training 1 specific incoming ball. Which is great if you are practicing a new stroke or trying to improve the quality of your technique. But in matches you will get many different kinds of different balls.

Start adding more variety in the balls you are feeding.
For example for your friend thats training his backhand against an underspin push. As soon as he can loop a 'regular' underspin push, slowly start adding different kinds of pushes into the mix. Add a halflong push for example, now he has to focus on 2 different balls. If he is comfortable with that, add a new one: fast and deep push maybe? Pushes with more or with less spin.

Lets not forget about placement: aim the balls slightly wider or slightly thowards the elbow. Most people only train into the forehand; into the backhand, and maybe the elbow. But these micro changes in placement that are only 2-3 inches to the left or right are also important!

Try to add enough variety so the session is challenging, you are allowed to make mistakes in training, but avoid making it overwhelmingly difficult. If you or your training partner are struggling with 1 type of ball, try to highlight that ball by calling it out as you are feeding. For example your friend struggles with the long and deep push, say "DEEP" right as you are about to feed it so he has a little more time to execute it correctly.

So the same goes for you practicing the receive on his serve. It looks like you can receive it well. So make your partner add different serves he usually does from that same serving position. Or make him serve it slightlty wider or more thowards the elbow... you get the drill by now.

So try incorporating this in your next sessions.

Not just that, he should try pushing on the left side of the ball or on the right side of the ball during multiball, and the opponent needs to adjust accordingly. TensorBH is giving straight backspin which almost never happens in his partner's matches because he never serves straight backspin either, it is always sideunder or sidetop which when pushed will always result in sidebackspin.

 

[backspacer]

Don't you have a tripod? I couldn't get past the first minute with this viewing angle.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Don't you have a tripod? I couldn't get past the first minute with this viewing angle.

Yes I do, but I didn't bring it with me on this day. I will try to record better video next time.

 

[_ak]

It's very typical.
For example my FH opener disappears when my footwork is off after some break and I rely more on BH.
Another issue: I stay in a perfectly low stance, move to incoming ball but I actually rise and move instead of staying low and just miss the ball. On another side I turn into a looping machine when my legs work properly (or close to it)

So just stay the duck low and keep moving your (_._) around

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

first video, your feed is way too high, this is not match realistic
second video, it is the same serve

multiball is using many balls to do drills
you guys are not using doing mutiball drills
you guys are just doing a 1 ball drill.

its okay to do 1 ball drill, but make it match realistic.
this is where a coaches brain will need to come into equation
i understand you anti coaching, but then your partner need to be your coach and you need to be your partners coach and think what is the problems of such drills and how to make it more realistic

i guess that is why coaches can charge per hour.
just like this

 

[canonFH]

For me, any skill goes like this:
Multiball -> Rally -> Simulated match practice -> Actual match

I suspect it is similar for most people.

Rarely have I ever had something progress directly from multiball to a match. I think your expectations are way too high.

 

[Sherpa]

A good way to practice is to have two serves each, but don't keep score. That way you can practice different serves, service returns, loops, blocks, pushes, whatever you want without any pressure. If you can't produce better shots in a match under pressure then you have a lot of improving to do

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

For me, any skill goes like this:
Multiball -> Rally -> Simulated match practice -> Actual match

I suspect it is similar for most people.

Rarely have I ever had something progress directly from multiball to a match. I think your expectations are way too high.

multiball is for movement, quantity and pushing the player to over 100% capacity.

a proper multiball coach can do a alot, and that is why even the elite makes use of such training many hours a week.

 

[igorponger]

Have now got this apparatus from Taobao. A great assistance for multiball drills, worthy bargain anyway,