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How to speed up reaction time?

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    Posted: 06/24/2018 at 4:24am
Did a search and did not find topics so here goes.

I'm no longer 15..... Much older and not played seriously since I was 15 (dabbled 10 years ago and now back and most serious I've ever been in trying to improve), my reaction time has slowed down. I know that when I play more, I will speed up my anticipation and read. However, I'm still a far cry from the pros obviously.

Is there anything that one can do to speed up reaction time in TT?  Any drills? Exercises?  Or just play and play and play?

Thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lightzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 5:12am
More practice.
Speed in TT is mostly being able to read where the ball will go by all sorts of cues, the other player's stance etc.

Also yeah age slows. Not much to do about that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote haggisv Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 6:23am
Yes i agree, reaction time is mainly improved by lots of training, but anticipation is far more important. Check out the TTedge App to help you improve your anticipation, I found it to be really helpful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote APW46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 6:42am
As you go up through the standards, the use of peripheral vision gets more important, what often looks like lightening reactions is in fact good reading of where the ball is going combined with complete understanding of the limitations of where the ball can go from the state of the angle of play. To improve understanding of this, try knocking the ball around the table randomly with a partner but at a pace that is comfortable to you both so you can play a long rally. As soon as you hit the ball look at your opponents bat then pick the ball up again when he hits it. This is what a quality player is doing to you when he stands just off the table and knocks everything back for you to beat yourself. You are hitting the ball hard at him, he's not reacting, he's one step ahead of you.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LUCKYLOOP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 8:04am

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Edited by LUCKYLOOP - 06/24/2018 at 9:37am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Baal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 11:40am
Originally posted by MTMT MTMT wrote:

Did a search and did not find topics so here goes.

I'm no longer 15..... Much older and not played seriously since I was 15 (dabbled 10 years ago and now back and most serious I've ever been in trying to improve), my reaction time has slowed down. I know that when I play more, I will speed up my anticipation and read. However, I'm still a far cry from the pros obviously.

Is there anything that one can do to speed up reaction time in TT?  Any drills? Exercises?  Or just play and play and play?

Thanks.


Just play.  It is not really reaction time you need, it is anticipation.  They are not the same thing.  Experience will tell you where the ball is going earlier, from body position of opponent and all kinds of other cues.  Edit, which I now see APW46 has described in more detail already. 

So what he said.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richrf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 12:37pm
Relaxation and flexibility exercises. The looser you are, the faster you can react. Fundamental to all martial arts and sports.

Edited by richrf - 06/24/2018 at 12:38pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote balldance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 1:46pm
I'm surprised nobody mentioned multiball training with random placement.
Anticipation is one thing, I agree it's very important, but reaction is another thing. Your shots can't always be quality enough to force a certain placement. Sometimes you can't anticipate where the opponent aims and you can only react to the shot. If you watch women table tennis, reaction time is super important because they play close to the table, hit the ball early and they change the placement in a very small fraction of a second.
The only way to improve reaction time is training. A good exercise is fast topspin multiball with random placement, or even adding random speed and trajectory for more advanced exercise. Doing this exercise often, you will get used to the speed and (more importantly) to reacting as soon as the ball leave the opponent racket instead of waiting until the ball coming to your side, and also returning to the ready position as quick as possible.








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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kenneyy88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/24/2018 at 4:08pm
You can train "reaction time", but I don't think it has much benefit unless you are a pro. Most reaction time exercises require another person to throw or drop balls randomly and you catch them. Or there are different drills where you are supposed to move towards cones and the partner will randomize the direction of your movements. 

Better training is just to do multiball, which will train your muscle memory under pressure. 


Edited by kenneyy88 - 06/24/2018 at 4:09pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote igorponger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/25/2018 at 1:56pm
BETTER REFLEXES WITH THE RUNNING DINO.

While on CHROME browser, just print down in the browser address bar
chrome://dino
and play the game. You shall get your motion reflexes greatly enhanced after a while.
   Set up a target score for yourself of 700 points. It is a "master level" indeed.

   Be sure to stand up on your legs while playing, an "ass-in-chair", sedentary mode not allowed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stavros Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/25/2018 at 4:26pm
Table tennis edge, from Google play
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fulanodetal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/25/2018 at 4:47pm
I love that Dino game. Im up to 4000.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wilkinru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/28/2018 at 12:06pm
Originally posted by APW46 APW46 wrote:

This is what a quality player is doing to you when he stands just off the table and knocks everything back for you to beat yourself. You are hitting the ball hard at him, he's not reacting, he's one step ahead of you.


This is pretty important to grasp...They are using all of that information to put the ball back.

It's why multi-ball with someone blocking for you is really useful and more useful than a robot. Over time you gain a sense of where the ball is going to go. It's also why players with entirely different techniques than you are used to are hard to read at first.

The nice thing about someone who gets back and just "blocks you down" is that you know they won't go for a big attack so you can go ahead get ready for the next shot. Make sure you can go to multiple places on the table with similar looking shot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PythonMonty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/29/2018 at 10:00am
Originally posted by APW46 APW46 wrote:

As you go up through the standards, the use of peripheral vision gets more important... As soon as you hit the ball look at your opponents bat then pick the ball up again when he hits it.

This is worth underlining a few more times. There's a big payoff from doing random drills specifically to form the habit of focusing on your opponent's racket as soon as possible after you hit the ball. As you get better at it you naturally start to use peripheral vision more efficiently. Basketball players on defense work on developing peripheral vision for a similar purpose, needing to see the ball and the man they're guarding at the same time. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APW46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/29/2018 at 4:35pm
Originally posted by PythonMonty PythonMonty wrote:

Originally posted by APW46 APW46 wrote:

As you go up through the standards, the use of peripheral vision gets more important... As soon as you hit the ball look at your opponents bat then pick the ball up again when he hits it.

This is worth underlining a few more times. There's a big payoff from doing random drills specifically to form the habit of focusing on your opponent's racket as soon as possible after you hit the ball. As you get better at it you naturally start to use peripheral vision more efficiently. Basketball players on defense work on developing peripheral vision for a similar purpose, needing to see the ball and the man they're guarding at the same time. 
 This is so true in many sports. In soccer for example, players from a basic level even to advanced will have really good ball skills, but the level that gets on to pro at basic and upwards is a different world, at those levels the awareness of other players, either on the team or opposition becomes so important. The ability to produce the skill, combined with awareness is paramount. Another good example is Boxing, you might have the hardest punch known to man, but if you can't see what your oppo is about to do you are on the canvas.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APW46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/29/2018 at 4:43pm
 In around the 80's Des Douglas, the English player who got to around 6 in the world was known as  'the black flash' because of his supposed lightning reactions, he was a blocker/counter hitter. They tested his reactions electronically and he came out the slowest of all the English players. it was his reading of the game that made him so fast, not his reactions.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APW46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/29/2018 at 4:45pm
Originally posted by wilkinru wilkinru wrote:

Originally posted by APW46 APW46 wrote:

This is what a quality player is doing to you when he stands just off the table and knocks everything back for you to beat yourself. You are hitting the ball hard at him, he's not reacting, he's one step ahead of you.


This is pretty important to grasp...They are using all of that information to put the ball back.

It's why multi-ball with someone blocking for you is really useful and more useful than a robot. Over time you gain a sense of where the ball is going to go. It's also why players with entirely different techniques than you are used to are hard to read at first.

The nice thing about someone who gets back and just "blocks you down" is that you know they won't go for a big attack so you can go ahead get ready for the next shot. Make sure you can go to multiple places on the table with similar looking shot.
 If you can imagine what happens when you play someone that is quite inferior to you in standard, that is what you are doing to them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APW46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/29/2018 at 5:00pm
 the important thing is that everyone can improve their standard by working on peripheral vision,In almost every example, a local player who becomes a local legend and wins loads of local titles is better at this than his compatriots. Too much emphasis is put on technique by many players who want to succeed locally, but put all their efforts into training like a pro for technique while they never ever have a chance of success because they cannot put the hours in for it to be effective.  The local legends, City, county, state or otherwise, usually have sound technique, but realise early on that the art of watching your opponent gets them the wins. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kenneyy88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07/15/2018 at 4:39pm
Example of reaction training. 

Edited by kenneyy88 - 07/15/2018 at 4:39pm
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