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My Progress Over Time

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Topic: My Progress Over Time
Posted By: mickd
Subject: My Progress Over Time
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 12:29pm
Every now and then I start to feel depressed because work gets busy, so I can't practice as much. And when I do practice, I feel like I'm not getting any effective practice in, or I just feel like I'm not improving at all. Those times are really stressful, and sometimes it makes me feel like throwing in the towel. But no matter what I keep playing because table tennis is a game I love.

So I started playing table tennis just under 3 years ago, shortly after I moved to Japan. Ever since I was little, I had interest in the sport, but living in Australia, I didn't think there were any opportunities to play (there are, which I know now, but at the time I didn't).

When I started, I didn't have anyone to teach me. I played casually after work with some kids there. They also weren't that great, but of course, much better than I was. I also didn't really watch many videos online (and to be honest, even when I did, I didn't know what I was looking at).

I developed many bad habits. Habits I still have now, but to a lesser degree. I'm sure this is a very familiar experience with many of you. For example, I had 2 fingers on my backhand for the longest time, among many other weird body movements trying to hit the ball.

The other day I was cleaning my computer, and saw some of my old videos. I decided to have a look. Needless to say, I was horrendous, especially the videos from 2.5 years ago (probably less than a few months after I started). I also saw a video of a practice match I had from 1.5 years ago against a then 5th grade girl. It was better but still horrible.

Sometimes I spend so much time looking at my recent videos. Some from a few months ago, and comparing the ones I take now and thinking man, I did that so much better then. Am I even improving? But when you see videos from a year ago, 2 years ago, etc, you really notice the improvement. It makes me all excited about how I'll be a year or two from now.

Anyway, sorry about how this post is written. The thought process is probably all over the place. It's 1:30am here and I just wanted to make this post before I went to bed.

Here are some of the videos I was talking about:

From 2.5 years ago... (video processing, so if you can't see it, wait about 10 minutes! That said, it's quite shocking, so you might want to save your eyes)



A set from a match against the 5th grade girl 1.5 years ago:


A set from the same girl, now in the 7th grade taken last week (she uses short pips on her forehand, by the way):


Basically, I love table tennis! And thanks to the mytabletennis community for helping me with all the threads I've been making over the year in the coaching section. I really do hope to play with you guys sometime in the future when I'm visiting your countries! Until then, I'll keep practicing so that I can be worthy to play with you all :)



Replies:
Posted By: Yasaka100
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 1:38pm
Nice win over shortpips girl, hope she was not too devastated!  haha


Posted By: zeio
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 2:23pm
The definition that would be given of bullying, in terms of table tennis.

On a serious note, you're another example that demonstrates the plasticity of the human brain to adapt. Amazing transformation! From the anticipation to the coordination!

Keep up the good work.

-------------
Viscaria FL - 91g
+ Neo H3 2.15 Blk - 44.5g(55.3g uncut bare)
+ Hexer HD 2.1 Red - 49.3g(68.5g 〃 〃)
= 184.8g


Posted By: balldance
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 2:59pm
Keep going, man! I admire your passion for the sport!
Of course you are improving.
I always believe that I'm still improving in some aspects after playing table tennis for almost 20 years, although there's no result in competitions to prove that :D

BTW, the shortpips girl is so cute haha


Posted By: ameetnsharma
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 3:35pm
Great videos and progress! Short pips girl is super cool! :)


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Get to the chopper!


Posted By: AgavE
Date Posted: 11/03/2016 at 4:42pm
Who is that kid on the last video? ;-))))))
PS: Great progress! Keep do it! You have a big potential with right coaching!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 11/04/2016 at 1:21am
Thanks, everyone! She was okay :) I've won against her the last few times I played her, and this was the closest she got in awhile, thus her reaction at the end! 

She's a really nice and smart girl. Off memory, she told me she came first in her grade on the mid-semester English test, and she's the strongest table tennis player at her school. Her dad is really nice, and speaks quite a bit of English. You can see her younger brother walking across the camera a few times (on purpose!) in the last video, too :)

Her dad is the guy feeding balls on the right in the last video to an 8th grade girl from the same school as her. 


Posted By: skip3119
Date Posted: 11/04/2016 at 9:17pm
Nice video, and very good progress.
Please keep us updated.


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skip3119


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 11/05/2016 at 11:34am
Thanks skip3119.

Actually, there was a tournament in my area today for middle school students. At least a couple hundred students were competing, including the girl from the videos above. Since you guys were interested in her, here's a set from one of her matches. Unfortunately, I took the video with a Surface, so the sound and quality is a lot lower than my usual videos (which I take using my DSLR). It was 2-2, and this is the 5th set. Enjoy!

By the way, I don't know who voted 5 stars for my thread, but thanks! I didn't even realise you could do that! :)




Posted By: zeio
Date Posted: 11/05/2016 at 3:29pm
Thumbs up to Ishikawa!! She knows her game. 1-2-3, you're done.

-------------
Viscaria FL - 91g
+ Neo H3 2.15 Blk - 44.5g(55.3g uncut bare)
+ Hexer HD 2.1 Red - 49.3g(68.5g 〃 〃)
= 184.8g


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 11/07/2016 at 10:55am
Thanks fatt and everyone else who votes for this thread!

Ishikawa did pretty well! She has a mean forehand, but right now it lacks consistency. In the end, their school came about 15th.

I'll post some more matches from the tournament in my other thread :)


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 11/23/2016 at 5:53am
Here are 2 more videos comparing now and before!

I uploaded these awhile ago, but I've been pretty busy. Also looking to upload more videos into my other threads :)

I chose these 2 because both my opponents were probably similarly skilled. Since the second video was quite recent, I do remember thinking that I would just serve underspin because then I could practice my third ball attack. I didn't think my opponent would deal well with my go to serves.

Viewers beware! My form from a year and a half ago was soooooooo bad.






Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 5:40am
Hey everyone. So I've been really busy recently with work, travel and various other things, and haven't been as active on here as I hoped.

The other day I had a competition in a small rural area about an hours drive from where I live. The competition was broken down into 7 divisions, each with 6 teams.

I played in division 5. The other members in my team were all over 70 years old, so my doubles partner did pretty well considering his age!!

Here are some of the highlights! Any comments welcome as well. One of my opponents was actually the top player in her prefecture when she was younger, and even went on to play in the All Japan tournament. You can see the highlights with her from 0:26. I lost that match 3, 3, 5. She had really good placement and she didn't miss much at all.

I'm TEAL SHIRT :)




Posted By: ChichoFicho
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 5:59am
That's a huge progress. I liked the short pip woman and your doubles partner in the yellow shirt. Very experienced

-------------
Darker Speed 70

Hammond FA Speed

Tyotokusen


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 6:08am
I don't get what's wrong with these kids. In that 3 minute video against the girl some kid in the background is just retarded. I'm not against celebrating points, but what is wrong with him. He choed like 6 times at one point.


Posted By: ChichoFicho
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 6:30am
Originally posted by Tt Gold Tt Gold wrote:

I don't get what's wrong with these kids. In that 3 minute video against the girl some kid in the background is just retarded. I'm not against celebrating points, but what is wrong with him. He choed like 6 times at one point.

Yeah, kids these days are so irritating. Nothing motivates me more than beating a dumb kid playing with a 500$ paddle who chos and yells after every point.


-------------
Darker Speed 70

Hammond FA Speed

Tyotokusen


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 8:37am
I also celebrate after certain points, but only after certain ones. Also I at least celebrate in my own language. I find it pretty stupid how everyone celebrates in Chinese or some changed version of cho like chu, Chole or tu even though they don't even know what it means.


Posted By: Lestat
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 9:10am
You've got the legs going really well, that was nice to see.

Now, your form looks correct but there is something that holds you from applying real power and spin on your FH. I can't put my finger on it though, maybe somebody with more expertise can chime in. You're moving your waist/shoulder/forearm as you should but to me it doesn't look like you're getting that compound power which comes from the synchronisation of all your moving parts. Or maybe you're hitting too close to the body? I really don't know.

All in all, very good progress indeed!


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 10:38am
You seem a little too tense when playing. One reason for why you lack power might be your forearm speed. Your forearm is already pretty closed when starting the stroke, and your overall topspin seems like it relies a lot on your arm movement. You should either loosen up and increase forearm speed or if that is not possible hit more through the ball with your body.


Posted By: tom
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 11:06am
keep up the good work.  the most important thing is to enjoy your play.


Posted By: zeio
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 6:09pm
Nice progress there given your circumstances. I see much coordination in the footwork, in a match situation against unfamiliar opponents.

-------------
Viscaria FL - 91g
+ Neo H3 2.15 Blk - 44.5g(55.3g uncut bare)
+ Hexer HD 2.1 Red - 49.3g(68.5g 〃 〃)
= 184.8g


Posted By: Lestat
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 7:11pm
Sorry, I know it's totally unrelated, but have to ask - how do you guys deal with the Fukushima fallout? Are the people at ease about it? Somebody in the hall is wearing a dust mask, is that as a form of protection against inhaling radioactive particles?


Posted By: Chairman Meow
Date Posted: 03/14/2017 at 8:13pm
It's probably just because of your friendly neighbourhood pollution. Inhaling 'radioactive particles' is not really something to worry about- they can damage you easily without having to be inhaled. Just skin exposure to high intensity radiation can cause cancer and other diseases (radiation sickness). A dust mask won't stop it. Why do you think professionals wear full body hazmat suits when entering radioactive areas? 

Many people in urban areas (Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing) wear these masks to gain some measure of protection against the high level of non-radioactive pollutants in the air. Mickd stated earlier that the event was in a more rural area, so it may just be a city dweller coming to visit and wearing a mask out of habit, or it may be a paranoid person.

I live in the suburbs (in the U.S.) and my neighbours are originally from Shanghai. They often wear those masks out of habit.


-------------
-1 ply Cypress 11.5mm "The Castigator"
-H3 Prov. Blue Sponge 2.2mm 41 deg.
-H3 Prov. Orange Sponge 2.1mm 37 deg


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 5:25am
Thanks ChicchoFicho, TTGold, Lestat, tom and zeio.

@TTGold The boy who is choing in that video is not actually playing a match there. He's just choing like that because he's silly, hehe. Once he gets older he'll calm down. I think he has some problems concentrating.

@Lestat I'm actually trying to figure out the same problem. I put in a lot of effort into movement, probably one of the most active on my feet in my club, but lack power on my shots. I think TTGold has it right. I'm too tense and too controlled on my shots. I lack speed on my swing. I need to not worry about missing, loosen up, and try to swing my arm much faster. Once I get used to the faster timing, I could probably do it more in actual matches, too. Opening my forehand angle will definitely help. So many videos of myself I lack any forehand snap. I'm using my shoulder too much.

About the Fukushima fallout, the area around the nuclear reactors have been abandoned ever since. But no one in Japan outside of that area is wearing the mask for that reason. Most people actually wear it to stop the spread of or catching the cold/flu. You see it a lot when it starts to get colder. For example, a month or so back, nearly 15 students in each of my classes were wearing them. Now, as it's starting to get warmer, maybe only 3-4 students wear them. Basically if you're coughing, you wear one of those masks. There are also people who wear it for fashion, though. But yeah, those masks are just as common anywhere in Japan. Rural or city.


Posted By: Lestat
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 8:57am
Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Thanks ChicchoFicho, TTGold, Lestat, tom and zeio.

@TTGold The boy who is choing in that video is not actually playing a match there. He's just choing like that because he's silly, hehe. Once he gets older he'll calm down. I think he has some problems concentrating.

@Lestat I'm actually trying to figure out the same problem. I put in a lot of effort into movement, probably one of the most active on my feet in my club, but lack power on my shots. I think TTGold has it right. I'm too tense and too controlled on my shots. I lack speed on my swing. I need to not worry about missing, loosen up, and try to swing my arm much faster. Once I get used to the faster timing, I could probably do it more in actual matches, too. Opening my forehand angle will definitely help. So many videos of myself I lack any forehand snap. I'm using my shoulder too much.

About the Fukushima fallout, the area around the nuclear reactors have been abandoned ever since. But no one in Japan outside of that area is wearing the mask for that reason. Most people actually wear it to stop the spread of or catching the cold/flu. You see it a lot when it starts to get colder. For example, a month or so back, nearly 15 students in each of my classes were wearing them. Now, as it's starting to get warmer, maybe only 3-4 students wear them. Basically if you're coughing, you wear one of those masks. There are also people who wear it for fashion, though. But yeah, those masks are just as common anywhere in Japan. Rural or city.

Interesting that you're using the masks to protect against flu. As fas as I know, once you are outside the disaster area, internal radiation (hot particles/internal emitters, inhaled or ingested) is much more dangerous long term compared to general external exposure. Hence my assumption.

But back on topic, I would have a look for Brett Clarke's teddy bear video, 'Learn forehand topspin like a bear' or something like that. Pretend for a moment you don't have control over the shoulder joint, and try to swing your arm freely just by using your waist. It should look like your arm is out of the socket. That will give you a clue to what you are looking for. 


Posted By: blahness
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 9:24am
mickd, I have a feeling you're too concerned about your form and recovery and not missing, instead of where you want the ball to go. Your stroke just looks as if it's constant speed, a half hearted shot to put the ball back onto the table instead of one that is intended to go past your opponents. Your stroke structure is good, however you're just running it at first gear and never accelerating to higher gears. I think you would benefit a lot from just a few sessions of hard hitting, solidly through the ball. No need to change your stroke, just hit the ball hard straight through as if it is supposed to be a kill shot. One good way would be to ask someone to feed you high balls that you can smash as hard as you can. 

Another fix could be just changing to hard tacky rubbers like Hurricane coupled with slow wooden blades, to gain confidence in your strokes and to force yourself to hit harder. Because they're really slow compared to tensor rubbers like Tenergy, you're forced to put in a lot of your body and explode into the stroke, otherwise they're going to end up in the net most of the time haha.


-------------
-------
Viscaria
FH: Hurricane 8-80
BH: D05

Back to normal shape bats :(


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 10:29am
Thanks Lestat. Every day I do some shadow practice. Not much. Maybe like 100 times spread through the day. I always feel like I have a very relaxed swing, and I've been doing that exact thing!! Twisting my waist and trying to let me arm swing freely. It all falls apart the moment I pick up a racket, though :( 

@blahness I think your analysis of me is sadly perfect haha. I've actually been using H3 Neo for like 1.5 years, though. Maybe that's why my balls are so slow... I find it really hard to hit the ball fast. Whenever I do, it falls into the net. Since most of my practice time is spent teaching beginners (maybe 5 hours a week), all I usually get to do is block and push. The few hours I do practice for myself, recently I've been trying to swing faster. I'm definitely missing something though. I think my muscles are just too tight.

It's not for sure yet, but I'm likely to go to China for 2 weeks to practice table tennis at the end of April. I'm planning to pay a coach a few times a week to hopefully help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'll probably get to do multiball for myself there. I'm really looking forward to it.


Posted By: kitkit890
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 11:09am
May I ask if you're playing with people you don't know? The one thing keeping me from going to our local table tennis club is my fear of talking to strangers lol

On-topic: Wow, you've improved so much! Nice :D

-------------
Blade: 729 Bomb (penhold)
FH: DHS Hurricane III Neo
BH: 729 Focus III Snipe


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 11:30am
Originally posted by Lestat Lestat wrote:

Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Thanks ChicchoFicho, TTGold, Lestat, tom and zeio.

@TTGold The boy who is choing in that video is not actually playing a match there. He's just choing like that because he's silly, hehe. Once he gets older he'll calm down. I think he has some problems concentrating.

@Lestat I'm actually trying to figure out the same problem. I put in a lot of effort into movement, probably one of the most active on my feet in my club, but lack power on my shots. I think TTGold has it right. I'm too tense and too controlled on my shots. I lack speed on my swing. I need to not worry about missing, loosen up, and try to swing my arm much faster. Once I get used to the faster timing, I could probably do it more in actual matches, too. Opening my forehand angle will definitely help. So many videos of myself I lack any forehand snap. I'm using my shoulder too much.

About the Fukushima fallout, the area around the nuclear reactors have been abandoned ever since. But no one in Japan outside of that area is wearing the mask for that reason. Most people actually wear it to stop the spread of or catching the cold/flu. You see it a lot when it starts to get colder. For example, a month or so back, nearly 15 students in each of my classes were wearing them. Now, as it's starting to get warmer, maybe only 3-4 students wear them. Basically if you're coughing, you wear one of those masks. There are also people who wear it for fashion, though. But yeah, those masks are just as common anywhere in Japan. Rural or city.


Interesting that you're using the masks to protect against flu. As fas as I know, once you are outside the disaster area, internal radiation (hot particles/internal emitters, inhaled or ingested) is much more dangerous long term compared to general external exposure. Hence my assumption.

But back on topic, I would have a look for Brett Clarke's teddy bear video, 'Learn forehand topspin like a bear' or something like that. Pretend for a moment you don't have control over the shoulder joint, and try to swing your arm freely just by using your waist. It should look like your arm is out of the socket. That will give you a clue to what you are looking for. 
This German guy makes extremely good table tennis videos. He also made one for the basic strokes with english subtitles https://youtu.be/zgu07kjb_g4


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 1:42pm
Lest at identified the problem (lack of whip). That TTR hunter video will not solve it. Neither will this one by Brett Clarke but it will give mickd and idea.   Basically,you need to pull your racket into the ball like you are cracking a whip. Will post the link next - you can do this with just your lower arm or wrist as well if your stroke is a bent arm stroke. But the body must lead the racket on the forward swing or your backswing should not be fully completed before the body starts coming forward. Not easy to see in words but once you get a feel for it, then you can't imagine looping any other way.

https://youtu.be/tyCTDQRkPHo

-------------
https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 03/15/2017 at 2:46pm
I just wanted to post that video so some people notice his channel. There are so many useful videos.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/16/2017 at 2:53am
Thanks NL. I actually haven't seen that video before. I love how easily Brett explains and demonstrates everything.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/26/2017 at 9:06am
I've always had problems with long pimples. I think a lot of newer players dislike playing against it because the timing and spin on the ball is completely different.

Here's the first part of a match I played yesterday against a long pimples player. My camera stopped recording, so that's all I got. I play him once every few months. I've always had trouble against him because of his serves, and how the ball just doesn't come at you). I still struggle, but I feel like I'm finally starting to 'get it' a little better.

I actually lost the match, but we played another, and I won that one 3-0, which has never happened before.



Comments welcome.

On an unrelated note, I went to one of the top middle school table tennis clubs in the area yesterday and today to practice with the kids. Man was it a lot of fun. The kids are so good. They practice 2 hours every day Monday to Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday. They have so many styles. At the end we were playing single set matches (rotating every few minutes even if the matches weren't finished). Basically every kid had a completely different style. I would face one with long pips on the backhand, then another with short pips on the forehand, then a regular inverted player, then a player with short pips backhand, then one with short pips forehand and long pips backhand. The first player would be a flat hitter, then a chopper, then a looper, etc. It was a great experience. Since the matches were played like an elevator style (winners advance up one table, losers go down), I ended up around the top 8, with like 30 players.

EDIT: I was really surprised I got the first point of the second set! Usually net balls just completely throw me off.


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 03/26/2017 at 9:11am
You should play long pips all the time.  That is the best I have ever seen your strokes look especially your forehand.

-------------
https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: zeio
Date Posted: 03/26/2017 at 1:29pm
That point in the 2nd game is the one you need to aim for. The impact that feels like you have the ball in your hand and then fling it out.

Simply work on it until you can do it consistently for 11 times.

-------------
Viscaria FL - 91g
+ Neo H3 2.15 Blk - 44.5g(55.3g uncut bare)
+ Hexer HD 2.1 Red - 49.3g(68.5g 〃 〃)
= 184.8g


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/26/2017 at 7:52pm
Thanks NL and zeio!

My general thinking was that since the ball never comes at me as much as I think it would, I need to have more forward movement on my forehand stroke against long pips. For my backhand, I need to close the racket angle a lot more, and not be worried the ball will fall into the net (since I always end up hitting it over).

I had a few points with my forehand where it felt like that, Zeio. Really feels good to hit balls like that!


Posted By: CyberInferno
Date Posted: 03/28/2017 at 2:52pm
Originally posted by Tt Gold Tt Gold wrote:

I also celebrate after certain points, but only after certain ones. Also I at least celebrate in my own language. I find it pretty stupid how everyone celebrates in Chinese or some changed version of cho like chu, Chole or tu even though they don't even know what it means.
That was one of the weirdest things for me to observe when I first started watching matches and tournaments. I guess if you grew up watching it and playing with others, that might become part of your habits. But it seems really odd to me to cheer in a different language.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/04/2017 at 12:20pm
A match from a recent tournament I went to. I wish I could play the better players, but it's a team competition, and my team is stuck in the lower divisions.

My opponent is using short pimples on the black side.

I was really surprised that I countered the ball at 2:13, and I was really surprised he returned the ball at 4:06!!

The video is the whole match, minus picking up the ball. Since I won the first two sets quite comfortably, I decided to try a few things I usually wouldn't do in the third and fourth sets. Namely, different serves to practice third ball, backhand against underspin, and sometimes I didn't try and kill the ball like I would have in the first two sets.

Any comments welcome!

P.S. Sorry about the people standing in front of the camera. They only last for a few points.






Posted By: wanchope
Date Posted: 04/04/2017 at 12:51pm
I just found this thread. Very intersting. I can almost feel the passion that is share by a lot of table tennis lovers. Keep going, man!


Posted By: balldance
Date Posted: 04/04/2017 at 1:49pm
You look better everytime. Your FH seems more solid and consistent. I saw a few good serves and nice rallies. Very good shot at 2:13
I think you should work on your BH and especially your footwork. Better footwork will immediately improve your FH as well.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/05/2017 at 12:43am
Thanks wanchope and balldance.

For the last year or so, I've been working hard on my backhand. I really feel a lot more confident in matches knowing that I can fall back on my backhand more consistently! It's a work in progress though :)

At that last tournament, a chopper backed really far during his match and knocked my camera over... So I won't be able to take anymore videos until it gets fixed :( I'm expecting it to be pretty costly, too. I still have a few raw files that I'm planning to edit and upload in the meantime!


Posted By: CyberInferno
Date Posted: 04/05/2017 at 1:40am
Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Thanks wanchope and balldance.

For the last year or so, I've been working hard on my backhand. I really feel a lot more confident in matches knowing that I can fall back on my backhand more consistently! It's a work in progress though :)

At that last tournament, a chopper backed really far during his match and knocked my camera over... So I won't be able to take anymore videos until it gets fixed :( I'm expecting it to be pretty costly, too. I still have a few raw files that I'm planning to edit and upload in the meantime!

Oh no!

One solution in the meantime is to consider a tripod mount for your phone like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3V6CHX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Iji5ybFJY0JB1" rel="nofollow - this . Videos obviously won't be as good, but it's a relatively inexpensive alternative.


Posted By: chroot
Date Posted: 04/05/2017 at 5:17pm
Very nice progress overall. The counter loop at 2:13 was amazing. Played like a pro!

Work on your BH & footwork in practice and try to get your BH engaged in your offense. At this stage, if your opponent keeps pushing the ball to your BH (He was clearly doing that in the video), try to step aside and use your FH to attack. 


-------------
BTY Viscaria 90g
DHS Hurricane 3 NEO, 39/2.1
BTY Tenergy 05 1.9

http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=62263" rel="nofollow - My Feedbacks


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 04/05/2017 at 10:37pm
The forehand technique is just better with a straighter arm in the backswing.   The backhand is solid as well. Could probably use a bit more whip and power but still a quality shot. I would focus on your serve and serve return a little.

-------------
https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: blahness
Date Posted: 04/07/2017 at 1:32am
I think your FH is progressing extremely well, especially with spin and consistency. I think your BH looks fine, it's just that you need a lot more confidence in it and not do a shot "gingerly". Just go for it with conviction in matches, if you make mistakes and lose, it's really not the end of the world. Another thing with your BH is that you should aim to generate as much spin (by brushing the ball hard) as possible from your stroke so that your stroke consistency can go up (due to the heavy topspin being generated), so don't hold back on your stroke! The more gingerly you approach your stroke, the less spin you generate and the more mistakes you will make. 



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Viscaria
FH: Hurricane 8-80
BH: D05

Back to normal shape bats :(


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/10/2017 at 1:50am
Thank everyone for the words of encouragement and advice! I'll definitely continue to work on my backhand. Since I started working on it a year ago, I've managed to close my racket angle a lot more, relax my arm a lot more, and use my wrist more. I'll keep working on it, especially to gain confidence in being more aggressive with it.

I'm also more consistent at blocking, especially when transitioning from a forehand into a backhand at medium distance (for whatever reason, say, lack of footwork). I used to always stretch my arm too far forward and have the ball fall into the net at those times.

I'm not sure if I've fixed this, but I used to sidestep parallel to the end of the table when transitioning to my backhand, but I've been trying hard to sidestep in a slightly circular motion.

Serve receive (especially receive) is still a work in progress... I have some "better" serves, too. But recently I've been using more "simple" serves because it gives me an easier time with the third ball. Against slightly better opponents, those serves don't work very well, though.

The reverse pendulum serve at 1:27 (side-top), followed by another one (side-under) right after are usually quite effective. Still a little high over the net, maybe. Also, my short backhand serves (side-top and side-under) are usually effective at limiting slightly better players). Backhand serves are very safe for me. 

Serves I find effective against right handers (excluding players way above my playing level) are short/semi-long side spin serves to the far forehand corner that spin away from the table, long heavy side-under (mostly under) spin serves into their middle/slight forehand (forces them to loop instead of drive, or push), and no spin/slight underspin fast long serves to their backhand. Depending on where they stand in their ready position, i might have to change it, though.


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 04/10/2017 at 6:55am
Serve receive is forever a work in progress.   When I look at serves in particular, I am looking at specific things since I worked with TTEdge on mine. Serving is something is well worth taking lessons from a very good server on. Sometimes you learn a lot just by asking good nice players to show you things so that the hours of practice you are clearly putting in don't go to waste.

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https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: yogi_bear
Date Posted: 04/10/2017 at 9:14pm
nice progress. you need to practice more stepping in when the ball falls a bit short or you want to loop the ball above the table.

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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS

ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor, ITTF Level 1 Coach


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 07/05/2017 at 9:39pm
I can't believe it has already been 8 months since I made this thread! I feel like I've improved a lot over that period. I think my consistency has definitely gone up. I feel like I'm a lot more aggressive off serve now. I notice my consistency has gone up because against players who are lower level than me, I can usually win with a much more comfortable lead. For example, a player that I may have won 11-7 or so before, I can generally win 11-4 or so now.

As for players who were better than me back then, well, that is still a work in progress! I think I need to start practicing with more people above my level to really start playing at the next level. I rarely play with people better than me (even with so many people much better than me).

This year my goal has been to develop a backhand. Right now I'm starting to feel comfortable with attacking no spin/top spin balls in training more aggressively, but I still need to develop an opening against underspin. To compensate, I've been practicing a lot more stepping around the table and utilizing serves which come back towards my forehand.

Here are some of the matches from a small local tournament recently. It was more of a fun and relaxing atmosphere than a serious one. The matches I struggled with I'm going to make a different thread to hopefully get some help with.





EDIT: Sorry, I accidentally cut the 3rd point short in the first video. Also, someone stood in front of my camera towards the end of the 2nd video, so I had to cut it short. I won the first set easily, so I was practicing my backhand a little, but I kept missing, so the score was actually 3-8. I went back to being aggressive and won the set.


Posted By: TT newbie
Date Posted: 07/05/2017 at 9:56pm
I like these gyms very much. I used to play in high school gyms or youth club (seinen-no-ie) gyms in Nagoya area.
I can´t forget first time I played in a place like that, I did not carry proper shoes and entered the court with same shoes I was using, something not polite at all.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 07/06/2017 at 12:10am
Haha, yeah. The gyms are great. The city usually keeps them maintained by rewaxing them twice or so a year. In general, most gyms are quite grippy and very easy to play table tennis on. I love how most gyms in Japan have table tennis during some point of the week. That includes the school gyms, too.


Posted By: gts072
Date Posted: 07/07/2017 at 3:51pm
You look great mickd. Seems like your first opponent and maybe at times the second one too were serving illegally.


Posted By: blahness
Date Posted: 07/08/2017 at 2:13am
Hey mickd, I think you're really improving heaps! Those were some excellent controlled play... One suggestion I would have is to hit the gym and do strength training soon, strengthen your body so that you can avoid injuries and extend your playing life... And always try to maintain a relaxed approach to play and use only 70-80% power at most!

You can always start slow and do something like once a week first :)

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Viscaria
FH: Hurricane 8-80
BH: D05

Back to normal shape bats :(


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 07/09/2017 at 9:08pm
Thanks gts072. Nearly everyone serves illegally here in some way. Most are older players who have been playing long before the current service rules were put into place, so it's more of a habitual thing for them.

I used to get really frustrated by it, and I found that what caused me to lose a lot of those games wasn't really the illegal serves, but my mental state overthinking the legality of the serves.

Now I've come to accept them :) These aren't very serious tournaments, and most are just there to be social and have some fun while playing table tennis!

Thanks blahness. Yeah, I really want to hit the gym, but it's so hard to stay motivated to do so. I really need to find someone to go with, so I'll we'll both have someone to make sure none of us slack off.

My right ankle has had some very minor pain if i twist it around a certain way. Not enough for me to notice or affect me playing table tennis in anyway, but it's something I need to be careful about... Same with my left wrist.


Posted By: BH-Man
Date Posted: 07/09/2017 at 10:14pm
MyTT forum member Bogeyhunter convinced me to accept that dealing with illegal serves in a club match or tourney is the opponent giving you free training. I used to get SO hyper upset at that stuff, but he showed me the right perspective in that area.

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Korea Foreign Table Tennis Club
Search for us on Facebook: koreaforeignttc


Posted By: mhnh007
Date Posted: 07/10/2017 at 10:33am
Originally posted by BH-Man BH-Man wrote:

MyTT forum member Bogeyhunter convinced me to accept that dealing with illegal serves in a club match or tourney is the opponent giving you free training. I used to get SO hyper upset at that stuff, but he showed me the right perspective in that area.

I saw a lot of players, specially casual players, got offended and stop playing.  One time I saw 2 players, player A complain about player B's serves, after the match completed, player B left.  Player A has no one else to play, so he sit around for another 1/2 hours, and left as well.  Both players evenings were ruined, which was pity, as they both played at roughly the same level, and could have had lots of fun.


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 07/10/2017 at 5:01pm
I can lose a match to illegal serves and complain after. Both hiding and extremely low tosses affect me as a serve is easy to keep low with sidespin that looks like backspin when you don't toss the ball up. Over time, I have gotten good enough to play through it and I have convinced myself that no one's serves are legal under the new rules, including Timo Boll and Samsonov, and of course myself. You have to just play through it.

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https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: berndt_mann
Date Posted: 07/10/2017 at 6:17pm
When I played tennis back in the '80s, one dude's serve was so illegal he actually started it from inside the baseline.  Needless to say, this gave him a considerable advantage in rushing the net.  

It did not take long for me and a tennis buddy to solve this problem.  When playing this guy, we started our serves from inside the service line.  It took a while but eventually he got the point

There may be a carryover here to table tennis.  Start your serve from 3 or 4 feet inside the baseline of the table, hide it with the most convenient body part, and fire at will.  

You probably won't get many people to play you, since many more than a few serve illegally, but at least you'll have stood up for what's honorable, as opposed to what's a sharp practice as well as, well you know.  
 


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bmann1942
Setup: Mark Bellamy Master Craftsman blade, British Leyland hard rubber


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 02/25/2018 at 9:32am
It's been awhile since I've posted in this thread!!

What a roller coaster 2017 was. I visited and played in China for a week early in the year and was extremely depressed when I came back to rural Japan. I was on the verge of quitting at various points, but I kept on going.

I beat some people for the first time, people who were teaching and giving me advice less than 2 years ago. I also took sets off some of the better players at my local club.

I've started developing a backhand. While far from anything noteworthy, it has helped upped my game a lot. I'm also more confident in flicking short pushes if they look a little high without too much spin.

When I visited my family in Australia and played at one of the local clubs, many people came up to me to ask me to play with them. This was the complete opposite of the last time I went. Even the best few players there who usually just play among themselves (from what I saw) let me play with them. A lot of them complemented my form and even thought I'd received coaching.

I still have a lot to work on. I'm getting close to beating most of the "medium" level players at my main club.

It's actually really exciting thinking about how I'll be a year from now. I feel like I'm EXTREMELY far from my potential.

There are also quite a few cocky players I have to beat haha. Though it's going to take a few more years maybe...

Here's a random video of me doing forehands at practice recently. I've been working so much more on my backhand recently, it felt really nice just to continuously drive forehands.


I've also been testing out twiddling my racket for smashes. Whenever someone lobs for me, they always return my balls so easily. They always tell me I need to use more power, but the more power I try to add, the more likely I was to miss. After twiddling to my backhand rubber, nearly all my smashes went past my opponent. Here are some highlights of a friendly match I had recently (with the twiddling)!



I HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone who is using a Chinese tacky rubber to try twiddling for smashes sometimes!!


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 02/25/2018 at 9:35am
When you smash with harder sponge or with a Chinese tacky rubber, you are better off topspin smashing or hooking and fading the ball in some way than flat smashing harder.

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https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 02/25/2018 at 9:49am
Very quick response, NL haha. It would definitely seem that way since my smashes with a harder sponge Chinese tacky rubber is laughable at best... Something to try the next time I'm in a lobbing situation!


Posted By: emihet
Date Posted: 02/28/2018 at 5:47pm
good job, impressive

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Viscaria, Ma Long 5, Old Clippers, BTY Ovtcharov and Various Custom blades


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 02/28/2018 at 6:09pm
Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Very quick response, NL haha. It would definitely seem that way since my smashes with a harder sponge Chinese tacky rubber is laughable at best... Something to try the next time I'm in a lobbing situation!


Don't take my word for it. Watch Ma Long or Quadri Aruna play vs lob.

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https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 02/28/2018 at 9:08pm
Thanks, emihet!

@NL Yeah, they have really nice topspin smashes. When I mentioned the same problem to my practice partner, he said the same thing. Go for more topspin smashes. I think I usually go for topspin smashes, but it's quite difficult to generate the power needed to decide the point. I probably still need to focus on concentrating my power on the point of contact, increasing racket head speed, and getting into a better position.

After feeding multiball to the little kids at the club for 1.5 hours yesterday, I had 30 minutes to practice after they left. Played a match with one of the older guys and in the last 10 minutes one of the high school boys asked me to hit with him for a bit. He defaults to moving back to counter/lob, so it was a good chance to try it out. Some of the smashes were quite good when I moved into position (not too close to the ball, and waiting for the ball to drop to a manageable height). I still need to work on it though.

To me most of the higher balls were topspin smashes (some were a little flat, though). But I just want to make sure that's what I'm doing. Comments welcome!



P.S. The video freezes for me at 720p60 but works fine at 1080p60. If it's freezing for you.. please try a different resolution. I'm not sure why that's happening.


Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 02/28/2018 at 10:42pm
Watch Ma Long and use the whole arm and body.   Think Helicopter. The key to hard sponge is that it spins better than it flat hits. You don't have to close the paddle or brush too much as you aren't looking for arc. The helicopter motion will turn the racket into the ball. Watch Ma Long smash to Freitas or Aruna to Yoshida until the beauty of the swing inspires you. It should feel like a discus throw. Hook the wrist throughout the stroke.

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https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon
FH/BH: H3P 41D.
Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train...


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 03/01/2018 at 12:36am
Ah yes. The whole arm and body swing. Such a beauty to look at... so difficult to get down right. I do love the look of it, and prefer it too. When I get another opportunity, I'll try it out. It'll probably take a few revisions before I can get the general technique down. I rarely practice against lobbing because most my practice partners can't or don't lob. I'll probably dedicate another thread to it once I get some good attempts in!!

Thanks NL.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/25/2018 at 10:14pm
Yesterday during the last 10 minutes of practice, I played a game against someone that is much stronger than me. She uses long pips on the backhand, which I'm generally pretty weak against.

We play together for about 30 minutes maybe once a week, but we usually do drills. I think the last time I played a game against her was about a year ago.

I did surprisingly well. We only had enough time for 2 sets (11-7, 9-11). I used a lot of short and long serves targeting her forehand, with the occasional long dead serve to the backhand (since I didn't want to deal with the pips).

Unfortunately I didn't record the match, but it was really nice to see I've improved because the last time I played her I only got like 5 points.

I suspect the next time I play her, she going to beat me easily. But I hope this isn't a one off thing!


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 04/26/2018 at 10:31am
Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Thanks, emihet!

@NL Yeah, they have really nice topspin smashes. When I mentioned the same problem to my practice partner, he said the same thing. Go for more topspin smashes. I think I usually go for topspin smashes, but it's quite difficult to generate the power needed to decide the point. I probably still need to focus on concentrating my power on the point of contact, increasing racket head speed, and getting into a better position.

After feeding multiball to the little kids at the club for 1.5 hours yesterday, I had 30 minutes to practice after they left. Played a match with one of the older guys and in the last 10 minutes one of the high school boys asked me to hit with him for a bit. He defaults to moving back to counter/lob, so it was a good chance to try it out. Some of the smashes were quite good when I moved into position (not too close to the ball, and waiting for the ball to drop to a manageable height). I still need to work on it though.

To me most of the higher balls were topspin smashes (some were a little flat, though). But I just want to make sure that's what I'm doing. Comments welcome!



P.S. The video freezes for me at 720p60 but works fine at 1080p60. If it's freezing for you.. please try a different resolution. I'm not sure why that's happening.



just watched this video again and saw something that you might want to pay attention immediately, as you're about to create a bad habit. Whenever he lobbed the ball and you did a sort of topspin smash you always drew your left leg back. Pay attention to that and stop it.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/26/2018 at 11:54am
Hey TtGold. Thanks for having a look! Could you elaborate a bit more on what you mean? Do you mean not standing side on? Or not putting my weight on my left leg before I smash the ball? Or do you mean the angle my foot is facing? Or something else? I'm trying to get some weight transfer in, so that's why I'm leaning on my left foot and standing side on. If I'm making a mistake here, let me know! Cheers!

P.S. The smash at 0:05 was just bad though Embarrassed


Posted By: mjamja
Date Posted: 04/26/2018 at 12:10pm
Very impresses. Looking so much better than in early videos. Keep up the good work and keep posting.

Mark


Posted By: Tt Gold
Date Posted: 04/26/2018 at 1:38pm
At 0.05 for example you raise your right leg. This is a common bad habit among players. It doesn't have any benefits and will only cause trouble once you reach a level where the game speeds up. Also at 10 seconds moving onward your left leg moves back( behind you). That's what I was pointing out. Generally you need to work on having a stable position, so no leg raising or letting your left leg go.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 04/26/2018 at 7:58pm
Oh, I think I see what you mean. Do you mean how my left leg bends up at the knee? I'll need to work on having better balance while smashing. To be honest, I didn't feel out of balance at all during those shots (except for the one at 0:05). But yes, looking at the video, I should probably work towards addressing this, so thanks for bringing it up!

I think there are two factors that come into play that 'forces' me to hit like that. Timing and position.

I think I'm hitting a lot of the balls too high. A lot of the balls I'm hitting above head height, which means to reach above the ball to do a topspin smash, I need to push up off my left leg, which causes the raising and the leg going behind me as I land forward on my right leg.

And positioning. A lack of anticipation and movement means that the ball doesn't enter my ideal strike zone so that I can have a balanced weight transfer without jumping towards the ball, or in the case of 0:05, pushing up because the ball was already too close to my body to hit forward.


Thank you Mark :) Progress has been slow since about half of my play time is spent helping new players. But that's my choice and I enjoy it, so no biggie there! I'm looking forward to more videos from you, too!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 06/04/2018 at 7:02am
It took a little over 4 years, but I'm finally starting to challenge the above average members at my local club!!

I remember losing 0-3, only taking up to 5 points a set with my opponent going easy on me a few years ago.

I barely lost 2-3 this week :) I had a chance at 11-10, but she got the ball back! Here's the last few points of the 5th set and some random highlights! I felt like I'm getting better at controlling the ball, especially against long pips. I liked the point at 1:27.




Posted By: kevo
Date Posted: 06/04/2018 at 10:01am
That's really great play vs the long pips. Really impressed. I always enjoy your videos as I lived in Japan--Aomori-ken--for 5 yrs and really remember it fondly. (Though I hardly played any TT at all at the time! I played football (soccer) seriously then.)

Random question: Do you know what blade and rubbers your opponent with the LPs uses? I play a similar syle and am curious.

Cheers and keep up the training!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 06/04/2018 at 10:50am
Thank you, kevo! Yes, Japan is a great place! Were you on the JET Programme? I've never been to Aomori. Never been north of Tokyo. It's on my to visit list along with Hokkaido!

I'll ask her for you the next time I see her! She's told and showed me her racket before, but I forgot.

Will do!! And I'll keep the posts coming!


Posted By: kevo
Date Posted: 06/05/2018 at 12:44pm
Yes, Mick. I was on the JET programme but also lived there as a teenager as well. Aomori is a wonderful place. Real hidden Gem. People mainly fly over it or pass through it on their way to Hokkaido but it is worth visiting. Lovely people. Great skiing and food!

You keep posting and we'll keep watching! 

Cheers!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 06/06/2018 at 9:55am
I plan to visit as many prefectures as I can, so Aomori is definitely on my list :)

I asked her today and she's using Fastarc G1 on her FH and Tibhar Grass D.TecS on her BH.

She said that Grass D.TecS still creates a lot of variation with the plastic ball, too.


Posted By: kevo
Date Posted: 06/06/2018 at 11:38am
You're a star, Mick, thanks! I use D.Tecs myself though have been toying with anti again. You didn't by any chance catch what blade she's using? It doesn't seem to be a balsa blade. A defensive blade of some sort...?

Cheers!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 07/10/2018 at 10:25am
Sorry for taking so long to reply, kevo! I checked her blade and she's using Nittaku Acoustic! So a slightly offensive blade. She's usually offensive with her forehands, so I guess it works well with that.

Yesterday I went to play against short pips girl (you can see her in the OP). It's been 1.5 years since I last played her. She's now in year 9 and about 2 weeks away from retiring from middle school table tennis to focus on high school entrance exams. Needless to say, she has improved a lot! She has also been taking some coaching classes.

So.. who do you think won?? 2 years ago when she was in year 7, I barely beat her in 5 sets. Of  course, I've improved as well...

Watch and let me know what you think! Sorry about the camera angle. I usually avoid taking it from that side since I'm left handed, but on the other side there was a guy lobbing, so I didn't want him to knock my camera over :)

Here's the last part of our match. For the people who haven't read the OP, she uses short pips on her forehand!




Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 08/31/2018 at 11:54am
As someone who started playing as an adult with no coaching, I think I should be proud of my progress over time. But as the competitive side of me is constantly at the back of my head yelling, sometimes it's hard to stay positive, especially since I always watch videos of myself playing (so easy to nit pick everything in a video). In so many ways, knowing what I know now, I regret so many of the things I did (or didn't do) that really slowed my progress down. Of course, all of us wish we were stronger, but I really feel like I could have been much stronger by now if I was just more disciplined.

Anyway, today I finally had a great moment at the club. I don't really remember the last time I was this happy after playing table tennis. It all started as business as usual. I spent the first 1.5 hours feeding multiball to my students. After they left, usually I'd play with the other coaches. But today we had 4 coaches come to help with the kids. So I let them practice against themselves and went over to the other side (where most the adults play).

One of my long time rivals (not sure if that's the right word for him), or rather someone on my "to beat" list (long story, but we didn't get along years ago. he has quite a stuck up personality. we're fine now tho) was open, so I asked him if he wanted to hit some balls. He said okay. We hit for a minute or two and then he said let's play a match. I said okay.

I've never beaten him. The last time I played him was maybe 8 or so months ago. Maybe more. And to my surprise I actually beat him 3-1. I don't think he was playing as well as he usually does, and I was probably playing some of the best TT I've ever done, but it was still a great moment.

Anyway, I really wanted to share that. I was in such a happy mood all the way home :)

Here's my favourite point from our match.



P.S. Sorry for the long wall of text!!


Posted By: mjamja
Date Posted: 08/31/2018 at 12:03pm
Congratulations. First win against a good opponent is always special. You looked very good in that point. Much more fluid and balanced than in some of early videos. You seem to be more compact in your strokes too. Hope I can get there one of these days.

Mark


Posted By: JediJesseS
Date Posted: 08/31/2018 at 2:52pm
Great point! What equipment are you using these days? As your skill and understanding have improved do you find you have different preferences now?


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/01/2018 at 12:21am
Thanks Mark! I've been practicing a lot more closer to the table table tennis recently, so I think that has helped with making my strokes a little shorter. A little more like the women's game! I think you're already there because from what I've seen in your past videos, you're always close to the table with a fast and powerful compact swing. And with much better placement than me haha. I just put the ball back onto the table.

Thanks JediJesseS. I use Hurricane Long 3 with Neo H3 on the forehand and Omega 7 Euro on the backhand. I've basically always used Neo H3 on my forehand. Over time, I've been trying a bunch of different backhand rubbers though. I went from Fastarc P1 3 years ago to MX-P a year ago to Omega 7 Euro like a month ago. I don't know which I prefer on my backhand, but I generally give each rubber at least a year before I change. MX-P was a little too fast, I think. I found it was making me too passive because I could just block balls back with decent speed. With Omega 7 Euro, passive blocks hardly bounce off the rubber, so it's forcing me to be a little more aggressive (which is what I want). At first most my backhand balls just fell into the net with it, but now that I'm used to it, I'm liking it so far.

Thank you for the kind words, fatt :) He has been on my list for over 3 years, so it was really nice to finally get the win. I was still very humble after the match, but after getting back to the bench I was pretty excited haha. And yes, I welcome all criticism from all players!! So thank you for taking the time to write that out. And of course, you hit the nail on the head because that's something I've been trying to work on! I definitely need to be more aggressive. There was a rally in the 4th set that I lost because I was extremely passive on all my returns. I passively blocked the ball back like 3 or so times before overcoming to his pressure and missing. After reviewing the video, I felt like I had plenty of time to be more aggressive with all those blocks, I just didn't have the attacking mindset there. It's so easy to fall back on what you've been doing since the beginning! There were some very nice short points like that where I was aggressive from the beginning, and they usually start from a slight topspin long serve ;)


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/06/2018 at 11:17pm
Last week I played someone that I didn't think I'd be able to win and ended up winning 3-1 :) It was my first time playing him! I'm finally starting to consistently beat the average club player, and starting to challenge the upper average players, too!

There's still a lot of work to be done, especially against different styles. I got smashed by a long pips player on the same day, though he's one of the top players at that club. Unfortunately he didn't want me to upload the video.

Anyway, here's set 2 from the match! As always, ALL opinions and suggestions are welcome. I'm highly analytical in my play. So even if it's something I won't be able to implement straight away, or something very simple tactically or technical, feel free to post!!



(If it's not clear from my other videos, I'm yellow shirt!)


Posted By: ericd937
Date Posted: 09/06/2018 at 11:23pm
It may just be the location of the camera, but I cant see the the ball contact your paddle during your forehand serve because your other hand is blocking the view. I'm not sure if your opponent can see it or not? Has anyone ever complained to you about that? 

Also, I'm impressed by your footwork. Much better than mine. You have quick feet. 


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Current Setup: TBS FH T80/BH D80
Official USATT Rating 1815
Current estimated level: 1800-1900.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 12:28am
Thanks for the quick reply, eric! I have a lot of the older guys complimenting my footwork all the time, but the younger guys usually tell me how bad it is haha. It's still a work in progress but has definitely improved a lot over the years (more accurate movements, less wasted movements)!

I'm generally really really careful about my serves, so if anything is wrong I'll definitely put it highhhh on my priority list to fix. Could you let me know which serve/s (time/s in the video)? I've never had anyone complain about it, but as you know, most people won't complain about serves. I also rarely complain about serves.

I always move my hand out of the way (or try to!) and always only move my head down after the ball has dropped below head height (or try to!!)

As for the camera, it was 1.5 tables to the left of the table I played on, relatively far back, zoomed in. So it was quite left side bias (from our view).

Thanks again!


Posted By: skip3119
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 2:25am
Looks like you play better than me, so no suggestion from me.
Skip


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 9:59am
Thanks skip, but I'm one of those guys who knows well that playing level and teaching level aren't necessarily related.

You're always welcome to say anything. You've got a load more experience/wisdom than me too (joined the forum in 2006!!), which I would also be honoured to receive!! Everyone has something that they do well :) And I want to know it all haha.

With that said, you'd probably kick my arse if we played :)


Posted By: balldance
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 3:11pm
It's easier to criticize you when you lose. You won convincingly in the last video, so it's hard to give you any advice :D

Your technique is not "perfect" in general but you play pretty smart and have a good approach. The thing I like most about your game is that while you don't have power to loop kill, you almost always get back to the neutral position and be ready for the next shot whether it comes to your BH or FH, and that helps you do well in long rallies.

P.S.: if you want to receive more criticism and advice, I think you should post matches that you lost, but the opponent shouldn't be too much better than you.


Posted By: kindof99
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 4:28pm
What would be mickd's appr. US rating? 1800?

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Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/07/2018 at 10:42pm
Thanks for the replies, everyone!

@balldance I'll get other videos up soon! Ones where I lose :) I don't actually play many matches since I spend a lot of time pretending to be a coach lol. The last tournament I played, I won all 4 matches, but the level wasn't so high. I lost a game on the same day as the video above, but the guy didn't want me to upload the video :( I lost a match this Wednesday against a long pips player, which I'm planning to upload! It was a close match, and the last time we played, I lost deuce in the 5th, so I thought I could win, but a combination of bad decisions and being weak against long pips ended with me losing 1-3, though losing deuce in games 2 and 4.

A guy I played kinda recently (no video because it was at a school) said that my balls have a lot more spin than he expects and since I always move into position to attack the next ball, it forces him to try for higher quality shots and better placements, resulting in more unforced errors.

@kindof99 No idea, but maybe around there! I'm improving slowly but consistently. I think fatt has a good analysis of my style!

@fatt I love playing, and do very well against spin based players. Conventional players, like you said :) I find flat hitters hard to play if they're able to consistently drive low underspin balls, too. I also find long pips players hard to play if they're aggressive with weak/pop up balls. If they're passive, I generally do okay. I think I'm quite strong against choppers, but I've never played a very good one.


Posted By: mjamja
Date Posted: 09/09/2018 at 8:36pm
Looks like you have one of my big problems. When the ball gets faster and with more spin you tend to block defensively. At the camp I attended last week there was an emphasis on hitting higher quality balls back instead of returning safely but weak and hoping your opponent will miss. At higher levels you need to do a little more to force those errors.

We did a number of serve,receive,open drills where the 4th ball was to be counter attacked or at a minimum blocked very aggressively. We also did one where you blocked loops but were always looking to counter-attack any weak or short loop.

If like me you go too long without learning more aggressive blocking and counter-attacking it becomes very hard to break the safe,slow,high block habit.

Mark


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/09/2018 at 9:21pm
Hello Mark! That I do. Although in the video it looks like I have a lot more free time to be more aggressive for most shots, during the match it never feels that way. It's a habit that needs to be broken for sure. Many others have also mentioned it (just last week fatt did too). I need to be more aggressive regardless of having more misses. I think I'm subconsciously too afraid of missing.

In practice I can always be more aggressive. I think it comes down to requiring less reading and anticipation since during practice balls are generally more predictable. I've always hoped that with more practice, better anticipation, I would naturally break this habit. And to some degree I have, being much more aggressive more often than I did in the past, but I'm still plagued with many soft blocks during matches! It's especially noticeable when my opponent opens first.

Actually, there are a few things I'm currently working on which I'm hoping will alleviate this problem a bit. It's actually not a direct solution, but something I feel is an underlying cause of the problem most of the time. The first one is my backhand is too passive/weak. So I've been working on being more aggressive with the backhand. My backhand lacks wrist and is mostly a forearm stroke. When trying to take the ball early and be aggressive, I feel like I need more wrist to generate a quick explosive power burst in a small stroke. The second problem is that I favour my forehand too much. Many of the soft blocks happen when I try to pivot, but I don't move my legs far enough, so I end up moving from a ball coming to my backhand to a ball coming towards my elbow, which is really hard to apply power, so I just soft block it. I need to pivot more wide, or use my backhand instead. So far I'm thinking using my backhand more will be better because I often get punished by the block/counter to my wide forehand after I pivot.


Posted By: blahness
Date Posted: 09/09/2018 at 10:51pm
This is a huge improvement over your last few videos, you've tightened up the backswing significantly and shortened your stroke! I think you're in the right direction, don't worry too much about increasing power....Youve got one of the more deadly styles which is a consistent looping game. It kinda looks like a lower level Ding Ning style haha... What's the use of hitting powerloops if you miss more than you hit and can't recover?

One area I think you should work on is your BH opening loop...right now you're pushing a lot of them back. If you have a consistent spinny BH opening you would be able to gain control of the rally in your advantage which will lift your game significantly. You might have to sacrifice quite a few games and lose lots of points to build it into your game, but I think it'll be well worth it!

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Viscaria
FH: Hurricane 8-80
BH: D05

Back to normal shape bats :(


Posted By: TT newbie
Date Posted: 09/09/2018 at 11:23pm
Originally posted by blahness blahness wrote:

This is a huge improvement over your last few videos, you've tightened up the backswing significantly and shortened your stroke! I think you're in the right direction, don't worry too much about increasing power....Youve got one of the more deadly styles which is a consistent looping game. It kinda looks like a lower level Ding Ning style haha... What's the use of hitting powerloops if you miss more than you hit and can't recover?
I think this is one of the most mental part of TT: calculate the amount of power to apply to the ball and still maintain on the rally without giving an easy ball to your opponent. All in fractions of second.
This is the beauty of the sport, the dynamic thing.


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/13/2018 at 4:09am
Thank you blahness. I've been working on compacting my strokes this last year. I think forcing myself to play closer to the table and versing better players will help keep my strokes more compact. Having my name and Ding Ning's in the same sentence is as big of a complement anyone can give, so thank you :) I do like her style, and I've been trying to play more of a women's style. I think she has a good balance. A women's style, but with her reach, she looks like she plays a TINY bit further than some of the shorter females and adapts well between bigger and smaller strokes depending on time. On the same page, I also like Hina Hayata quite a bit (as she also plays left handed)!

My backhand is still a mess after spending probably 2.5 years working on it quite consistently every week. The consistency has definitely improved, along with taking the ball a little earlier with a slightly more closed racket angle. It still lacks power, and I still lack confidence opening against underspin. During practice I do it decently though. I'm going to try and do it more in games, even if it means losing. Hopefully I'll be able to show some videos with a good amount of backhand openings too in a year or so :)

@TTnewbie Yes, I agree! It's definitely hard to apply heavy pressure on every ball, especially as an amateur player!


My "rival" asked me to play another match with him yesterday after I finished teaching the students. Sadly, I lost 0-3 this time, but it was a very close game. 9, 9, 8 or something. I actually had 3 serve misses in the first set, and unfortunately ended up behind 1-5 at the start of the second set. I still think I'll have a decent chance at beating him the next time we play. He's a lot more passive than me, but there are a few more things I need to work on.

This was an important point. I was down 9-10 in the first set, and I should have won the point to take it to deuce, but couldn't convert it. He chos very loud, by the way!

Unfortunately at the start of the second set, my camera died and I didn't realize. Would have been nice to analyse sets 2 and 3.




Posted By: blahness
Date Posted: 09/13/2018 at 4:41am
Originally posted by mickd mickd wrote:

Thank you blahness. I've been working on compacting my strokes this last year. I think forcing myself to play closer to the table and versing better players will help keep my strokes more compact. Having my name and Ding Ning's in the same sentence is as big of a complement anyone can give, so thank you :) I do like her style, and I've been trying to play more of a women's style. I think she has a good balance. A women's style, but with her reach, she looks like she plays a TINY bit further than some of the shorter females and adapts well between bigger and smaller strokes depending on time. On the same page, I also like Hina Hayata quite a bit (as she also plays left handed)!

My backhand is still a mess after spending probably 2.5 years working on it quite consistently every week. The consistency has definitely improved, along with taking the ball a little earlier with a slightly more closed racket angle. It still lacks power, and I still lack confidence opening against underspin. During practice I do it decently though. I'm going to try and do it more in games, even if it means losing. Hopefully I'll be able to show some videos with a good amount of backhand openings too in a year or so :)

@TTnewbie Yes, I agree! It's definitely hard to apply heavy pressure on every ball, especially as an amateur player!


My "rival" asked me to play another match with him yesterday after I finished teaching the students. Sadly, I lost 0-3 this time, but it was a very close game. 9, 9, 8 or something. I actually had 3 serve misses in the first set, and unfortunately ended up behind 1-5 at the start of the second set. I still think I'll have a decent chance at beating him the next time we play. He's a lot more passive than me, but there are a few more things I need to work on.

This was an important point. I was down 9-10 in the first set, and I should have won the point to take it to deuce, but couldn't convert it. He chos very loud, by the way!

Unfortunately at the start of the second set, my camera died and I didn't realize. Would have been nice to analyse sets 2 and 3.





Yes ignore people who keep asking you to add more power to your strokes...I think you have a very good balance now, as you get better your confidence and power level will increase gradually. Ding Ning and Hina Hayata are definitely very worthy models!

Good luck to your backhand work!

Ps: on the rally, you did really well except at the end where you decided to switch to his FH :( In general once someone is away from the table you keep pressuring their BH until you create a chance to finish them off on the FH. One stroke you could learn (very useful for lefties!) is a slower spinnier FH sidespin loop to really increase the angle they have to cover. Just contact the ball more to the side, watch them run, block their return to their FH next, then end with a smug thug life smile! :))))

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Viscaria
FH: Hurricane 8-80
BH: D05

Back to normal shape bats :(


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 09/13/2018 at 10:13pm
Thanks blahness! I definitely had the upper hand there being the one on the attack. When I pivoted he actually moved towards the forehand side, so if I did go down the line again, he would have been out of position and I probably could have taken the point. In the end though, my intention was to go much wider than I actually did. I never do it, but a fading inside out forehand definitely would have been a better play.

So far I've never played side spin loops. The only time I do is when I'm out of position and late to my forehand, so I end up contacting the left side of the ball. When I'm in position, it's always just a regular drive/loop. I definitely want to add more sidespin balls to my game. I'll start thinking about it and practicing it every now and then. I think I'll aim to practice it consistently early next year. So far I still want to work on my backhand opening, flicks, then chiquitas in that order.

Thanks again for the advice, blahness!!


Posted By: mickd
Date Posted: 10/17/2018 at 10:51am
A small update! I mentioned it in another thread before, but a new table tennis school opened relatively close (1 hour 15 minutes drive away) to where I live. Last month I decided to try it out. I've been going once a week for 5 weeks now. The class size varies, but at the moment it's 3-4 people plus the coach. Each class is 90 minutes.

I have to say, I LOVEEEE the classes so much. It's so much fun and at the end, you actually feel like you've accomplished something. In the roughly 5 years I've been playing table tennis now, this is what I've been looking for! My local clubs are all just for fun, and people don't practice to improve. I only wish it was closer so I could go more often.

Here's a short video of some of the multiball. Unfortunately since there are 3-4 people rotating with the coach doing the multiball, it's generally only like 20 balls until you rotate. I would actually prefer to keep going until my legs stop moving haha.



The first drill in the video (I included 4 but there were many many more) was backhand, middle, backhand, forehand.

The second one was about 80% of the table random with occasional fast balls, use your backhand if it comes to the backhand side, and forehand for the rest. I actually did unexpectedly well considering it was random. Each drill we do 2 times before we move onto the next one, so this was the second time.

The third one was forehand half court random.

The last one was probably the hardest. It was random fast balls to either backhand or forehand, and I need to block them. This was the second time and he actually slowed the balls down quite a lot because I only returned like half the balls the first time.

I'll be continuing to go for as long as I can :) (which might not be as long as I hope I can :( ) I can only imagine how fulfilling practice must be for the people who dedicate hours a session, multiple times a week to training, and not just "playing"... Oh I envy those people!!


Posted By: mjamja
Date Posted: 10/17/2018 at 1:37pm
Mickd,

You are an inspiration. Working so hard to improve your game and at same time helping others just starting out. You are an example of what is the best of the spirit of the game of TT.

Mark



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