Why do professionals like ML keep his free arm near his body?

[sky500]

Hi,

Like in this short reel from Ma Long. Why does he keep his free arm around his body? I mean, surely their has to be a reason but I'm thinking if you do Topspins, does it not hinder you?

 

[Attitude]

Hi,

Like in this short reel from Ma Long. Why does he keep his free arm around his body? I mean, surely their has to be a reason but I'm thinking if you do Topspins, does it not hinder you?

The opposite is the case. An arm further away from the body would result in a bigger but way slower stroke.
For amateurs the free arm is way more needed for such power and for balance purposes. But pros have such a well developed and trained core that these muscles do the job already.

Another reason could be that he got used to it and his body adapted. If he would change how his body moves around, he would become way less consistent right of the spot.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

get better snappier torque.

 

[zeio]

He pulls the left arm near his body to shift the rotational inertia (AKA the moment of inertia) to his right hand side so as to aid the FH swing.

 

[sky500]

The opposite is the case. An arm further away from the body would result in a bigger but way slower stroke.
For amateurs the free arm is way more needed for such power and for balance purposes. But pros have such a well developed and trained core that these muscles do the job already.

Another reason could be that he got used to it and his body adapted. If he would change how his body moves around, he would become way less consistent right of the spot.

So for someone amateur or advanced player. Is it recommended to also do it this way or let it 'free'?

 

[Attitude]

So for someone amateur or advanced player. Is it recommended to also do it this way or let it 'free'?

Hm i wouldnt give any advice for that, because that highly depends on your abilities, technique, overall playingstyle, your physique... so many factors.

But i got curious and wondered what i am doing with my free arm. I guess i would let it fly pretty far away from me but actually, the only thing i sometimes use, is my upper arm. That is moving away from me from time to time to hit harder fh topspins. My forearm however remains still and is pointing forward to the table most of the time.

The main movement should come from your legs, into the hips, rotating through your core into the chest>shoulders and whipping with your arm. That movement would be ideal and is faster if you dont need your free arm for it. But if your core, legs or smth else might be lacking in power, your body will find a substitution for it.
So to somewhat answer the question i would work on leaving the arm tucked or just slightly free. But if that feels awkward or unnatural for you, i wouldnt change that forcefully.

 

[Dominikk85]

Discus throwers are taught to first swing the free arm around wide and then tuck it forcefully back into the side to accelerate the turn and stretch the chest muscles to fire the throwing arm faster.

But of course table tennis is a lot more about control than just max power compared to throwing the discus.

What's interesting that in warmup and training of kids for forehand they will often take out the lead arm completely and press it against the chest all the time

 

[blahness]

Free arm is very important - if you pull with the lats of the left arm it helps with the rotation and you can do it more explosively.

With BH it's also same, you have to use left hand to aim at the ball and help with power.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Do you notice how the ice-skaters do their twirl?
When they extend their arm outwards, the twirling is slower and as they pull their arms in, the twirl gets faster. Same concept, if you have your free arm extended outwards , your torsion power reduces and vice-versa. Try it and know for yourself.

 

[Attitude]

Free arm is very important - if you pull with the lats of the left arm it helps with the rotation and you can do it more explosively.

With BH it's also same, you have to use left hand to aim at the ball and help with power.

So true.
But trained athletes can activate their lats just by pushing down and backwards their shoulders. That is probably the reason why ma long can accelerate his torso so fast without using his arm.

In some of his games you can see his free arm in motion, mostly when he is lower and the affort to balance and accelerate becomes higher.

 

[ZFT]

I noticed this about a year and a half ago. Check the separate topic I created on this topic, it is good to see other folks are noticing too 😀

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/fh-loop-free-arm-movement-elbow-back-or-hand-form-triangle.27552/

 

[superbackhand]

Hi,

Like in this short reel from Ma Long. Why does he keep his free arm around his body? I mean, surely their has to be a reason but I'm thinking if you do Topspins, does it not hinder you?

he forgot to put deodorant that day