How to move up to next level?

How does one move to next level in their game?

I know short answer is practice, but what makes you move up to the next level /division?

Is it consistency? Is it anticipation?

Im afraid I am getting stuck at my level (Australia - old level when I was a kid was division 4) and now I am getting back to the lovely game :-)

Im just thinking what could I focus on so that I can get to elite level? more faster reactions, practicing set plays etc.?

Also I find when I play higher level guys, they can get all balls back onto the table, but for me I feel like I am rushing to get to the ball...maybe I am too slow in this old bod.


Hoping for some good advice on what to work on to reach my goal!

Thanks!

If you look at the ball, you won't know where it's going until your opponent hits it.  If you look at your opponent, you'll know where it's going before he hits it.

Footwork, footwork, footwork.

I absolutey agree with the comment re. coaching. You don't have time to waste and you want to ensure that your practice is productive and moves everything in the right direction.

The other bit of advice I have is to enjoy the process of improving and don't get too fixated on the end goal (not sure what your definition of 'elite' is).

You do this by measuring yourself against yourself, rather than some stretch end goal. You may not reach your end goal but you absolutely can and should improve when measured against yourself.

E.g. is my forehand better now than it was 3 months ago? Has my service return improved this month after all the effort that I have put in etc. Improve all the components of your game systematically under the eye of a coach and then that takes you where it takes you.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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

I was talkind as two inverted rubber's player.