Chinese forehand Vs. Euro forehand?

Oh I get it, you're actually talking about learning the loop AFTER mastering the counter. In that case I completely agree with learning the legs/waist first since you already know the correct arm movement anyways...

+1

In a year I have been studying Ma Longs technique because I was very intrested to know how it would feels to play like Ma Long. Under this year of exploration and researching I have learnd so much about table tennis, how the body works, and how I can use my new knowledge in tabletennis in meny other sports like Handball, swimming, Athletics etc. 

I have been struggling a lot under this year, losing to meny bad players, lost my confident totaly because of my technique changing, meny missunderstandings about the how the technique should be, learning the wrong technique, meny peoples who thought I should go back to my normal style, and so on. 

But here and then I got true insights about the technique. I understood which grip i should use, how I should use my legs, waist. I understood how much importans the left shoulders and arm has to be able to have a stable upperbody, and make the rotation in waist much faster and in a more natural motion for the body. A stable body is the most important thing if you are searching for controll in your game.  Ma Long is outstanding in this I think. 

When im playing now, I always know why I miss and how I did that perfect shot. I can always correct myself and it gives me big confidence. Last month I have always been on top every training, every match, because I know how to be on top technicaly. Tierdness is the only treat against a good training session. 

I didn't thought it was possible for me to feel a bit what Ma Long feels when he plays, but atm i think i do so. I feel the controll, power from both wings, I can feel a bit of the quickness of Ma long and ZJK backhand counter, the big natural forehand swing with also fast recovery. And a much faster footwork. 

Im so glad I tried to understand the chinese technique and what benefits it gives me compared to my old playingstyle. Belive it or not but I think Ma Long has the easiet technique of all players. 

Happy it worked for you - you sound like a pretty fit and athletic guy.  Me, I started playing tournament level a year and 5 months ago in terms of training/playing regularly at a club.  My knees are worse, my back has a herniated disc and my arthritis still annoys me.  So I admire Ma Long's loop, but I know that that level of movement and bent knees is not in my future.

Thankfully, I could loop on my backhand long from the very first day I started hitting so I have contented myself that if my forehand loop gets as good as my backhand loop, I will be satisfied.  In practice, it's far more powerful, far less consistent, but still something I am proud of.  

That's the one good thing about the USATT system - it lets you know when you are making marginal improvements.  That forehand is getting me a few more points now that it didn't get me before.

And if I get tired of looping, I will switch to pips - I've discovered that anything that helps your mental approach to the game helps your overall technique in the long term.  Just hope I have the time.

In History the very few times the Chinese have been beaten ( Hungary Sweden) it was because the opponents were playing differently, not copying.

 England has had a Chinese head coach for about 15 yrs now (Jia Yi Lui) and regularly has sent players to train in China, no sign of any Ma Longs yet, I wonder why?

 Back to the history lesson, against the Hungarians, the Chinese were the fittest fastest most agile players on the planet, but they lost simply because the could not cope with the heavy Glue powered topspin of Jonyer, Gergely and Klampar, what did they do about it? they tried to adapt their own style of play to cope using LP combination hitters to counteract the topspin, but were again beaten by the Swedes who had upped the game by taking the ball earlier and with more power. This time they Changed tack and adopted the more 'Euro style' led by Kong Ling Hui, and have gradually become more dominant, using the huge pyramid base of players to perfect the modern style of play. Its impossible to Copy China, but when China copies, beware.

 I really could not have put both points better myself, I also think that the gradual tightening up of equipment regulations over the last 20 years has made an innovation based on equipment far less likely, the main future innovations will have to be technique based, making it most likely that they will come from China anyway ( so everyone else is copying) meaning we are likely to see even more of a Chinese dominance.

1) the ball is bigger - favouring more power

2) no speed glue - favouring Euro Rubbers

3) No hiding services - an area where Chinese excelled and were unequalled. The difference between efficiency of the serve has been reduced.

4) set of 11 as opposed to 21 - giving more frequent breaks, reducing role of pure fitness, and most of all not allowing a Chinese to have 5 consecutive demolarising services against their opponents. 

I think it is hard to argue that any of these changes favour the Chinese, however they actually adapted to the changes and keep flourishing.

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I second that question!

I recently switched back to a Chinese rubber (H3 Neo) on FH and the timing is much different. Yesterday, Tuco observed during a match that my body was way out in front of my arm/stroke. I lost 1 - 3 to a 1650 level player who I usually beat.

Keh?