The End of the Harimoto Dream

LGL predicted in an interview in early 2018 that Harimoto's peak would probably arrive in Paris 2024 instead of Tokyo 2020, but whether the coaches could bring him to that level would be another story. By that time, he will be in his junior or senior year, and should have enough credits to graduate. Once he gets admitted to college, he will have more free time. Therefore, education will mostly hinder his progress for another year or two.

Harimoto himself expressed that Paris 2024 wouldn't necessarily be his peak in an interview after Tokyo 2020. The bigger problem right now is he has doubts about his game. It's not certain his coaches could help him overcome that.

https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/politicsaeconomy/politicsasociety/45966-2021-09-08-05-00-07.html

記者：你在今年3月奧運會前的最後一場國際大賽（卡達公開賽）上奪得了冠軍。你説自己擅長的反手處於最佳狀態。     　　張本智和：反手沒有問題，但從卡達回國後，在集訓中打�£手時，發覺「握拍不對勁」。我很想在奧運會上表現出色並為此焦慮，因此覺得自己的姿勢也不太對勁。從（廠商�£�£�）拿到幾十個球拍，廠家滿足了我所有的要求，但自己心�£�仍沒有找到答案，在這種情況下迎來了奧運會。 　 　　在（奧運會）單打比賽中，對方發球時，我沒有用�£手接球的信心，使用的都是（帶有攻擊性的）反手擰拉。一味使用反手擰拉，就算再有威力，對手也會習�£。我有些遺憾，要是能有漂亮的擺短（把球回到離網很近的地方）就好了。這屆奧運會，感覺自己最大的弱項是擺短等檯內技術。包括這一點，覺得自己的調整能力不足。 ... 　　記者：團體賽之前，你如何調整心態的？ 　　張本智和：輸掉單打之後，我跟（倉嶋洋介）教練説：「團體賽請讓我打雙打。（在單打中）我得不了2分（獲得2場勝利）」。在四分之一決賽打瑞典隊時，我贏了一場雙打和一場單打，已經沒有什麼可怕的了。 　　只有握拍方式無法調整，團體賽期間也換了5個左右球拍，一想到自己不是最先出場的選手，心情就放鬆了，就可以放開打了。我想如果一直抱著單打時的心情，一場都贏不了。 ... 　　記者：為了迎接3年後的巴黎奧運會，你長期面臨的課題是什麼？ 　　張本智和：我想成為更有決心的選手。這次奧運會握拍沒有調整好，奧運會前就幻想「希望抽籤分組能對我有利」、「希望遇到好打的對手」等。如果下次不能把抽籤結果不好當成理所當然，還會輕易輸球。�£因為參加過一次奧運會，當然還想參加，我想下次能夠更明確地想好比賽策略。 　　雖然（我的）世界排名很高，但不一定能贏過第30名左右的選手，並且最近完全沒贏過頂尖中國選手。我想今後3年是為了進入真�£世界前5的3年。坦率講，巴黎奧運會也不會是我最高光的時刻，但我希望能填�£�不足。希望進行一些能讓自己內心滿意的訓練。

Edited by zeio - 11/27/2021 at 3:46pm

I do not understand his parents logic.  Harimoto could potentially make mid to high 6 figures just from playing table tennis.  He can always go back to college later.  I don't get it. 

Mentality on education is different in Asian countries.

Edited by zeio - 11/27/2021 at 6:34pm

I wouldn't necessarily write him off yet.  Because he became so good so early, the way he is likely to mature both physically and psychologically is likely a little different from players who were not as successful in their early/mid teens.  

Even if he doesn't improve much, and I think he will improve a lot once he stops growing, he can still make a ton of money playing at his current level.  Even if he goes to a top college and lands some investment banking dream job, it will take him a few years of working 80=100 hours a week to make the money he currently makes.  I am just baffled but it is his life, so maybe it makes sense to him. 

liulin04 wrote: College is overrated.  What's the point of going to college when you're a pro tt player, as very very likely that he will resume tt again once he graduates.  Might as well let him keep playing while making money, and he gets to enjoy what he does.

It’s unbelievable that Harimoto doesn’t feel good with his grip and can’t find a good racket after trying dozens of them. Nope, the problem is his technique and footwork, or more precise, his personal coach(es). They don’t find the right path to develop him. He might be stuck at this level until he has a new coach with new ideas. Meanwhile, other players are improving all the time.

balldance wrote: It’s unbelievable that Harimoto doesn’t feel good with his grip and can’t find a good racket after trying dozens of them. Nope, the problem is his technique and footwork, or more precise, his personal coach(es). They don’t find the right path to develop him. He might be stuck at this level until he has a new coach with new ideas. Meanwhile, other players are improving all the time.

Harimoto's got time. I personally believe he will make atleast one olympic or wttc final in his career. 

mykonos96 wrote: balldance wrote: It’s unbelievable that Harimoto doesn’t feel good with his grip and can’t find a good racket after trying dozens of them. Nope, the problem is his technique and footwork, or more precise, his personal coach(es). They don’t find the right path to develop him. He might be stuck at this level until he has a new coach with new ideas. Meanwhile, other players are improving all the time. Liu said that harimoto coaches are really bad , he feels.sorry about him. Have you noticed that the japanese coach kurosawa wasnt in houston coaching harimoto as usual?

I think he'll be fine, and he might even be better in the long run. Many all time great athletes went to college for a year or two (or in the old days all four) before turning pro. Harimoto has a giant head start and the luxury of time.

I am glad that he is trying to diversify and challenge himself intellectually. If he does not go to school now, his brain will dry up. I am sure he can balance college and training. Maybe he could maintain low course load and stretch college by a couple extra years.

Dream1700 wrote: I am glad that he is trying to diversify and challenge himself intellectually. If he does not go to school now, his brain will dry up. I am sure he can balance college and training. Maybe he could maintain low course load and stretch college by a couple extra years. Money is not everything. And he is not giving up on making money off Butterfly. He will be #1 in Japan for the foreseeable future.

liXiao wrote: tom wrote: manwithabigmission wrote: Harimoto's got time. I personally believe he will make atleast one olympic or wttc final in his career.  that is a far cry from the "next big thing" that was pronounced when he came into the spotlight Considering the ways in which most people across all sports are proclaimed to be the next big thing and then flame out, the fact he has become a top 3 player, won the world tour finals, 2nd place at world cup... He has absolutely lived up to expectations. He is playing below expectations right now, but to act like he is some sort of disappointment is insane.

balldance wrote: mykonos96 wrote: balldance wrote: It’s unbelievable that Harimoto doesn’t feel good with his grip and can’t find a good racket after trying dozens of them. Nope, the problem is his technique and footwork, or more precise, his personal coach(es). They don’t find the right path to develop him. He might be stuck at this level until he has a new coach with new ideas. Meanwhile, other players are improving all the time. Liu said that harimoto coaches are really bad , he feels.sorry about him. Have you noticed that the japanese coach kurosawa wasnt in houston coaching harimoto as usual? Kurosawa resigned from the Japanese coach position after the Olympics. I think Harimoto’s dad is coaching him. However, he has stalled for a few years, not just recent months.  What did Liu say? He mean the match coaching or training coaching?