How to move up to next level?

Putting long pips OX on your BH is the most efficient time wise to move up a level.

mjamja wrote: Ok Larry, I already posted a link to that article early in the thread, but you like most of the other forum members just ignore my posts.  Seriously, I would appreciate your comments on my takes from that article. 1.  To go to the next level you general need to bring all phases of your game up to that new level.  If you don't, then players at that next level will find the weaker areas and exploit them. 2.  To judge whether various parts of your game are at the next level or are still lower you have to look at matches against players already at that next level and compare you performance in the listed areas to their performance.   Questions: 1. Is the best way to accomplish #2 to video matches and then do some kind of points won/lost comparison between you and them in each of the areas.  Something like your serve return errors vs theirs.  What other comparisons that are not quite so obvious might you use? 2. Could you get feedback from comparing a next level player vs you to a match between that same player and another next level player? 3. Any more specifics in how to determine which (if not all) areas need the most work and what methods (multi-ball, drill with partner, professional coaching, shadow or solo practice, etc) are critical to each area you mentioned. Mark - The most ignorable man in the world.  Stay attentive my friends.

My best advice would be to constantly record and review your practice sessions. I think I have close to 2tbs (or maybe more) videos of myself practising and at competitions.

But threads about improvement always pique my interest.  I play in MDTTC, a full-time TT facility so I am always glad to see players improve.  I take pleasure in thinking "Whoa, this kid just started 5 years ago and look how much he's risen in ranking."  I see this a lot.  But don't be fooled.  Junior training does not automatically mean improvement to a higher level.  As a matter of fact, I see lots of kids stuck in the 1300-1700 level and eventually just quit.  But definitely, the juniors that stick with the training and put concepts together, they improve rapidly.  For adults, even the ones that take lessons and train, I see improvement much slower as would be expected.  So this post is focused more on my observation of adults that have improved.  Even more specific, these are adults that I have witnessed move from 1700-1800 level and break the mystical 2000 rating and not all of them take lessons.  Here are some things they did or are doing correctly:

I was talkind as two inverted rubber's player.

JacekGM wrote: assam wrote: Probably you are not a very skilled player.  If that is the case, to move to the next level (probably it seems to simple and obvious) you just have to put the ball to the other side without letting it too easy for the oponent. Just try to pass the ball on the receive of service and block without rushes. Probably that's enough for a 2000 US. At that level it is easier to loose points attacking because there can be a lack of consistency (as far as you just don't block it always to the same place, so your oponent as to attack while moving) That is if your opponenta aren't choppers, just attacking people. To get a higher level you do have to get coaching. Is this evaluation of our 2000 level players a joke or a misunderstanding?  Bad attempt...

Need more details on the "put the ball to the other side without letting it too easy for the opponent" part, which depends on personal preference, equipment and experience, but he IS telling the truth

JacekGM wrote: assam wrote: Probably you are not a very skilled player.  If that is the case, to move to the next level (probably it seems to simple and obvious) you just have to put the ball to the other side without letting it too easy for the oponent. Just try to pass the ball on the receive of service and block without rushes. Probably that's enough for a 2000 US. At that level it is easier to loose points attacking because there can be a lack of consistency (as far as you just don't block it always to the same place, so your oponent as to attack while moving) That is if your opponents aren't choppers, just attacking people. To get a higher level you do have to get coaching. Is this evaluation of our 2000 level players a joke or a misunderstanding?  Bad attempt...

assam wrote: Probably you are not a very skilled player.  If that is the case, to move to the next level (probably it seems to simple and obvious) you just have to put the ball to the other side without letting it too easy for the oponent. Just try to pass the ball on the receive of service and block without rushes. Probably that's enough for a 2000 US. At that level it is easier to loose points attacking because there can be a lack of consistency (as far as you just don't block it always to the same place, so your oponent as to attack while moving) That is if your opponenta aren't choppers, just attacking people. To get a higher level you do have to get coaching.

Play in tournaments.Coaching, practice and experience. You need all 3.

Lightzy wrote: I really think a coach is your best shot. Also do small simple things. I'm not telling you "be ma long". Just take one whole practice and use it to look as intently as you can on the ball, without looking at anything else. I'm promising that if you haven't done this before you'll see huge improvement in anticipation and the whole game will become easier. You talked about anticipation and I think this is the main component of it. Getting used to tracking the ball as intently as possible.

I'm going to try this next session. I have this feeling that I do it already but I suspect I could do more.

I think it depends on your current level, and what level you want to move up to.  Say to move from Div4-Div3 is hard, but from Div3-Div2 is triple hard, and Div2-Div1 is 5 time as hard as from Div3-Div2. To move up one level (Div) you need to be able to beat around 90% of player at your level (Div), so you can see why the higher level you are, the harder it is to move to the next level.  Talk to coach, or player at a higher level, they can tell you what weakness your current level has, then learn to improve on those weakness, and explore those weakness at the same time.  This is where training with a coach will certainly help.

Swiff wrote: bard romance wrote: Swiff wrote: You may be asking for advice in the wrong place.  If you're goal is 2500, don't take advice from a group of 1800 players. lol I think a lot of us here wouldn't fit your definition of "next level".  Or maybe we do, I don't know.  I don't think if he were in the realm of 2500 he would be asking here. I also don't think the average level of posters here is as high as 1800.  You're probably right.  My post made me curious, so I just made a poll.

Swiff wrote: You may be asking for advice in the wrong place.  If you're goal is 2500, don't take advice from a group of 1800 players. lol I think a lot of us here wouldn't fit your definition of "next level".  Or maybe we do, I don't know.

It really depends what resources you have access to. Can you hire a coach? I guess not or you probably wouldn't ask here. If not, subscribe to ttedge or pingskills and use their videos to compare your technique.

If you have a table at home practice your serves. Use video and compare your technique to the online coaching service videos.

If you have a training partner (or ideally more than one) then work on set plays and receive by doing 3rd ball drills.

If you are hardcore, or have more time, or just want to get fitter anyway, then do shadow footwork like sidestep, cross-step, pivot, in-and-out. Compare your footwork to the online coaching service and video yourself so you do it properly.

Choose equipment that suits your style and is not too fast. Then stick with that same setup for at least one full year or more. After that you can ej if you want. It probably won't move you up a level on its own, but staying with one setup for a long time has value,imo.