The noble art of slowing things down

[Forte]

Thought I should share my recent experience when it comes to slowing down the pace, learning to relax and leaving the EJ-track. At least temporarilly...

I have been playing with a Stiga Rosewood V and T64 rubbers for about a year now. I chose the RW after some serious testing at my club and loved the feeling. The speed, the wonderful ability to kill by just doing a more or less dead block and still having the possibility to play a decent defensive game (not chopping, more dealing with points where I am under severe pressure). I started out using Donic M2 rubbers but changed to T64s as the M2s died too fast. Never regretted it, the T64s are still great.

But over time I began to realize that I missed many points and didn't really get my offensive play together. I mixed great play with easy misses, usually hitting the ball too long. I discussed it with a coach at my club and he said that it was typical for "my kind of players", meaning "older guys (thank you very much) returning to TT after many years, now with a decent salary to make up for all equipment they never could afford as youngsters". His strong recommendation was to slow down, get something with a lot more control and learn the correct technique. He himself, being a pretty decent player at a very much higher level than me, used a Stiga Energy wood with Calibra LT Spin. I tested his stuff and became aware of what I was missing. I then went and bought an Energy wood of my own and smacked my T64s to it.

The result? I suddenly started hitting the table a lot more, especially with my BH, my ability to spin was enhanced and the number of times when I managed to lift heavy backspin, even on BH, raised extremely much. Previously I had managed to return serves using the backhand flick occassionaly, now I do it as soon as I have the chance. With ease! Of course some adjustments where needed, but in general the transition was very smooth, probably because I suddenly could play how I wanted to play, not adjust to some hard blade. And the feeling, oh that lovely feeling... The RW is great and it has a good feel of the ball, but the EW was better for me. And it is slightly head heavy, which is something I appreciate a lot.

So are there any downsides? Of course, the speed of my forehand loop dropped slightly, but I can already feel that I am hitting the ball better with a relaxed arm, so I think I am back to almost the same speed as I had before. And hitting a furiously hard forehand is of no use if you miss the table one time out of three. I'd rather hit a slightly slower but well-placed loop repeatedly, slowly grinding my opponent to pieces.

So, those of you buying the latest ZJK Extra Special with ZLFALFWhatever and still find yourself missing a lot - maybe you should consider slowing things down for a while, getting your technique right and then move to faster stuff? For me this has made TT great fun again!

 

[Suga D]

Wise decision. Great Post!

 

[kinocchio]

Agree

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G900F met Tapatalk

 

[Der_Echte]

So, those of you buying the latest ZJK Extra Special with ZLFALFWhatever and still find yourself missing a lot - maybe you should consider slowing things down for a while, getting your technique right and then move to faster stuff? For me this has made TT great fun again!

Last week someone at the club I never saw before asked me to play and liked how I looped with "Easy Power" and wanted a crack at it with my bat. This guy was a 1800+ level player with zero coaching, kinda rare, but happens. He was instantly landing Fh loop consistently... his setup he was using was ZJK Super or ZJK ZL-something or AL-Something. His balde felt way too top heavy and hollow light no power.

He looped with my blade and was landing loops like a BOSS.

Read my thread about my Mod to the Kim Jung Hoon blade to make it 10 grams or so heavier in the handle area and my blade is a 7 ply all wood blade very controllable not overly quick-rebound, plenty of dwell.

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?11165-Tibhar-Kim-Jung-Hoon-Beast-Mod

How interesting you discussed this... just saw this last week.

That guy wants to buy a control setup like that now. (KJH with MX-P and Elpis)

 

[TTHopeful]

Wisdom! I like this, do you think its all the marketing why players go for fast setups? also many players will look at what the pros are using and copy, i know i do that

 

[NextLevel]

I would probably play better with an even more control setup and a change in playing style. Not in the mood to try. Cos I love putting heavy topspin on the ball...

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

There are a few things that slowing your setup down can do for you.

1) If the blade isn't doing all the work, if the blade is on the moderate side of slower, you are more likely to start using your body, your hips, the weight transfer and your stroke improves and gets better a lot faster because it has to. Whereas, with a faster blade you are more likely to cut down your stroke to stay in control and as a result of the pace of the blade.

2) Another thing that happens as a result of a blade that isn't as fast, usually they help you get more spin. So the ratio of spin to speed goes up which will mean you will be getting more arc on the ball. That will mean that your accuracy will go way up. But it also will mean that your opponent may start having more trouble tracking and returning your control shots.

3) Another result of having a good high spin/speed ratio is this: You may find that you can start spinning opponents off the table where, they get their racket on the ball, they take the shot they think they should. But the ball shoots off their racket a foot or two too long on your side because of how much topspin you have on the ball.

4) Yet another result of this higher spin/speed ratio is something NextLevel is often talking about. Higher angles. With a slightly slower racket and higher spin/speed ratio you can loop so your ball lands closer to the net with a high angle that you would not be able to get as easily with a faster blade unless you had very high level technique so that your shots still had a very high spin/speed ratio and a lot of arc even with a faster blade.

I think this is part of why the top pros don't usually use equipment as fast as all that, and why they usually are going for a high spin/speed ration in their play.

An interesting thing to watch in the development of a player like Ma Long, if you watch footage of him from 2007 - 2009 and compare it to footage from today, his shots were faster than they are now. But they had way less arc. He was on the speed side of the equation. His shots had a high speed/spin ration = more speed than spin. Now, his shots are not as fast but they are way more powerful and harder to handle than they were back then because of how much more spin he is putting on the ball.

@ Forte: As a result of this spin/speed ratio that I am talking about and the idea of making your shots have more and more spin, and more and more arc, I would recommend you try something like T05 on FH and BH or T05 FH & T05FX BH. T05 is not quite as fast but it gets more spin and has a higher arc. If you add the slightly slower, spinnier T05 to the Energy Wood you may get one or two notches more spin, arc and control.

That may take a few hours of training to get used to, but it may just help your overall level go up even more.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

 

[Forte]

There are a few things that slowing your setup down can do for you.

1) If the blade isn't doing all the work, if the blade is on the moderate side of slower, you are more likely to start using your body, your hips, the weight transfer and your stroke improves and gets better a lot faster because it has to. Whereas, with a faster blade you are more likely to cut down your stroke to stay in control and as a result of the pace of the blade.

2) Another thing that happens as a result of a blade that isn't as fast, usually they help you get more spin. So the ratio of spin to speed goes up which will mean you will be getting more arc on the ball. That will mean that your accuracy will go way up. But it also will mean that your opponent may start having more trouble tracking and returning your control shots.

3) Another result of having a good high spin/speed ratio is this: You may find that you can start spinning opponents off the table where, they get their racket on the ball, they take the shot they think they should. But the ball shoots off their racket a foot or two too long on your side because of how much topspin you have on the ball.

4) Yet another result of this higher spin/speed ratio is something NextLevel is often talking about. Higher angles. With a slightly slower racket and higher spin/speed ratio you can loop so your ball lands closer to the net with a high angle that you would not be able to get as easily with a faster blade unless you had very high level technique so that your shots still had a very high spin/speed ratio and a lot of arc even with a faster blade.

I think this is part of why the top pros don't usually use equipment as fast as all that, and why they usually are going for a high spin/speed ration in their play.

An interesting thing to watch in the development of a player like Ma Long, if you watch footage of him from 2007 - 2009 and compare it to footage from today, his shots were faster than they are now. But they had way less arc. He was on the speed side of the equation. His shots had a high speed/spin ration = more speed than spin. Now, his shots are not as fast but they are way more powerful and harder to handle than they were back then because of how much more spin he is putting on the ball.

@ Forte: As a result of this spin/speed ratio that I am talking about and the idea of making your shots have more and more spin, and more and more arc, I would recommend you try something like T05 on FH and BH or T05 FH & T05FX BH. T05 is not quite as fast but it gets more spin and has a higher arc. If you add the slightly slower, spinnier T05 to the Energy Wood you may get one or two notches more spin, arc and control.

That may take a few hours of training to get used to, but it may just help your overall level go up even more.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

Interesting point regarding the T05. I have always suffered from my opponents spin and as the T05 seems to be very sensitive to incoming spin, according to what I have read, I haven't dared trying it. And of course, its hefty price doesnt make it something that I just try "for fun". But I'll see if I can spot any club member using it and try it out that way.

 

[Forte]

In general I suspect that there are many adults that reasons just like me: When I played as a youngster I never afforded the coolest/best (what!?)/most exclusive equipment. Now I got the money but not the skills. But..what the heck...

 

[guitch]

Got the same!!
Back to TT after a 10 years break.
I had to start again with a very control blade. once feeling footwork back, I then came back to a bit OFF blade, with success.

 

[violoniste18]

is there someone knows "cornilleau" blades ? (simon Gauzy is playing with)

perhaps it isn't known worldwide but like it, a lot of control and cheap.

 

[Abaijon]

I don´t know about blades but my rubbers are definitely getting thinner, well, mainly my backhand rubber.

 

[guitch]

Cornilleau blades and rubbers are GREAT!!!

 

[NextLevel]

Interesting point regarding the T05. I have always suffered from my opponents spin and as the T05 seems to be very sensitive to incoming spin, according to what I have read, I haven't dared trying it. And of course, its hefty price doesnt make it something that I just try "for fun". But I'll see if I can spot any club member using it and try it out that way.

It always depends on what you are trying to do. T05 requires more active blocking and looping game than T64. The reward is that if you are more active, you have more spin to control the ball with. But not everyone likes that pressure of having to be more active. So you make your choice - T64, relatively passive, T80 in the middle, T05, relatively active.

In my experience, if you play often enough and are willing to experiment and make mistakes to learn, you adapt over time. But most people see the early mistakes and don't give it a chance. If after a month or two or trying, you don't like your results, you can always go back.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I like what NextLevel has said here.

Two things I will point out though. T64 is the same price as T05. And T64 has the same sponge and the same rubber in the topsheet. The only actual difference is the pimple structure.

Yes, it is different or I wouldn't be recommending you try it: it is a rubber with more spin and a higher throw angle, which means more grab. But, ultimately, if you were already able to get used to T64, you would, most likely, be able to get used to T80 or T05 very quickly. The reason I think this is because, in many ways they are similar. They are different but similar enough that, if you are using one, getting used to the other should not take more than a few hours of training.

And--with a slower blade that spins the ball better and gives you more accuracy--trying a rubber that has a bit less speed and a bit more spin may also make some sense and be worth trying out. You should get even more of the effect you referred to in your original post where you are landing more, and better placed balls.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia