The ULTIMATE Guide for IMPROVING, UNDERSTANDING and TRAINING your Shots!

[gordonluvsu]

The goal of this post is that you can UNDERSTAND and TRAIN each part of your table tennis shot.
Having an understanding and a general structure for these types of things is a massive help for improvement and taking action.
I have come up with these 3 metrics that allow you to understand, categorize, train and compare each of your table tennis shots.​

Effectiveness, Usability, Frequency​

Effectiveness:​

• How much pressure can you put on your opponent with this shot?
  • Spin, Speed, Power, Placement, Predictability, Disguise, Variability, Strategic Use, Surprise
• How likely are you to win the point this this shot?
• Examples:
• 3rd Ball Forehand loop that is High quality with speed, spin and placement is much more effective than just lobbing the ball on the table
• Heavy underspin serve can win you a point at the start, but once it becomes obvious and predictable, it wont be effective anymore,
• a simple long no spin or even a bad tomahawk serve could be more effective at 9-9 than the same pendulum serve that you have used throughout the entire match

Usability:​

• Can you use this shot as a tool to win points?
• Can you think one step ahead when using this shot, or are you thinking about technique, movement or something else when performing it?
• Whats the likelihood of you hitting the shot?
  • In percentage:
  • 0-20; 20-50; 50-75; 75-90; 90-100
• How confident are you in your ability to hit this shot?
  • When you are:
    • Under pressure, relaxed, focused, sleepy, jittery
    • In a fast situation, slightly distracted, in flow state etc.
    • In training, in a match, in a tournament,
• Examples:
• If you can hit a Ma Long level step around forehand with 10/10 quality, but only 2/10 times in a practice environment, it is not very usable overall
• Having a 8/10 times usable push will likely be a better shot, compared to a backhand flip that misses the table half the time

Frequency:​

• How often can you get in a situation to use this shot?
• Can you use this shot against different opponents?
• Can you frequently set yourself up to hit this shot?
• Can your opponents deny this shot from you?
• What does it depend on, for you to hit this shot?
• Examples:
• Training forehand only smash for 2 weeks straight is not very helpful
• Practicing backhand receives or 3rd ball attacks will have a much higher impact on your overall game than some infrequent shots like a smash or around the net backhand shot
• You can still train shots that happen sometimes, but not excessively, keep it real

​

Feedback and comments are welcome!​

 

[gordonluvsu]

Training a shot.

Only 1 aspect at a time:​

Effectiveness:​

• Working on certain parts of technique or body movement, one aspect at a time
• A lot of repetitions with immediate and frequent feedback ( after every 1-3 shots, depends on the shot)
• Feedback can be: missing the table, shot not as effective or high quality, the part of technique or movement that you are focusing on is not on point
• Shadow practice the move after an error to do adjust - Not too much information, description or anything alike
• Use a visual of the movement that you are trying to perform
  • Can be: Coach, Other Player, Video,
  • Visualize it in your head, once you get good at this, it will be your best tool for both training and performing in matches

Usability:​

• A lot of repetitions
• Train under pressure
• Set mental challenges, and really feel them
  • Imagine you are in a match and the score is 9-9
  • Tell yourself you MUST hit the next 3 shots
  • Set a goal of hitting at least 8/10 shots
• Once you can hit it consistently:
  • Use it as a tool in practice situations where you think tactically and strategically
  • Go to the next shot after hitting this one
  • Move away from thinking about the shot, start to think about how and when to use the shot in a larger context ( match, training drill with multiple moves, etc. )
• Gain experience with this shot - experience is and will always be your best teacher

Frequency:​

• Find answers to these questions and train specifically to reach those goals
• Do not spend too much time on shots that happen once every 3 matches
• How often can you get in a situation to use this shot?
  • A smash is easy and effective, but rarely happens, 3rd Ball attack and backhand - backhand exchange are more likely to happen
• Can you use this shot against different opponents?
  • 3rd ball attack after serve works against most people, blocks and receives are necessary against almost anyone, serve tactics against choppers and pips not so much,
• Can you frequently set yourself up to hit this shot?
  • Train patterns that lead to this shot
• Can your opponents deny this shot from you?
• What does it depend on, for you to hit this shot?

 

[gordonluvsu]

Partially, what makes the CNT so good, is how effective and usable all of their shots are.
Although they might not suprprise their opponents, or pull off some moregard/a. Lebrun type shots, all of their shots are high in quality and consistency.

Take WCQ for example, his Serves force his opponent to either go into rallies where he can deliver fast and well placed loop after loop with only a few who can keep up with him or they try to keep his Serve short, but he simply Finishes with a deadly 3rd Ball Attack.

ML, FZD and WCQ have almost no weaknesses and rarely give points away for free.

All of the shots they choose, are done with at least 85% consistency.

Ma Long could hit Forehand Loops and Backhand Counters while asleep.

How?
They train every specific Detail that is necessary to make their shots high in Effectiveness, Usability and Frequency.