Young Coach vs Old Coach

If you had the choice to pick between a young coach (who actively plays) and an old school coach (was pretty good in her/his youth, but doesn't play anymore), who would you pick? Assume both coaches are Chinese coaches.

I prefer a younger coach since younger coaches can teach you modern techniques.  From my experience, some old coaches seem to be outdated on technique.

ohhgourami wrote: I prefer a younger coach since younger coaches can teach you modern techniques.  From my experience, some old coaches seem to be outdated on technique.

APW46 wrote: There are good and bad examples of both.

Yes, I have personally experienced both kinds.  Another thing to consider is that if you are not that young yourself, a somewhat older coach may have a more realistic approach to what you can actually do to make yourself better given some limitations.

APW46 wrote: There are good and bad examples of both.

true, but if the younger guy is still competing in tournaments, then he's not gonna teach you much of anything, cuz it's not in his best interests to show you how to beat him.

takaaki wrote: APW46 wrote: There are good and bad examples of both. true, but if the younger guy is still competing in tournaments, then he's not gonna teach you much of anything, cuz it's not in his best interests to show you how to beat him.

Hookshot wrote: Young and old,,,how to define. I am 67 and am always being checked at senior events for my age. Usually by people I beat that are in their 50's. "He can't be 50!". Hear it all the time.  So old is not something you can define. Coaches or players. I chose the "older coaches" in their 20s over the 17 year old because of their experience. The owner used "old methods" and did not teach what I wanted to know. He was about 40.  And yes, the methods a coach uses will reflect the methods they were taught with.

Let me give you an example of something I learned from Perry Schwartzberg, once a US team member, he is 50, still plays 2400+.  For awhile I was playing with him a couple of times a week.  He suggested that I should consider  serving and returning serve from just a little bit closer to the center of the table, say 8-10 inches or so, which is something he does himself.  Also, to really develop backhand openings which a twenty year old might step around and hit with a forehand, also something he does himself with great effectiveness and deceptiveness.  I have worked with him a lot on how to disguise direction. All of this is an accommodation to some loss of explosiveness that is natural and unavoidable in a person in middle age compared to really athletic players in the twenties and thirties.  It helps one maintain one's balance in attack. It works.  (He is chock full of useful stuff like that).  The first thing a young and pretty Chinese coach wanted to do was move me back over to the left, change my grip, etc. etc..  It never occurred to her for a second that there might be cogent reasons for some players to not do that.  (I wasn't actually looking for help from her, but she was, I think I mentioned, young and pretty and fun to play matches with).  I honestly do not think many younger coaches can see or think that deeply.  Certainly not one in their teens.  Hookshot maybe you are a freak of nature, I have no doubt you are quite remarkable.  I tried one of the exercises you mentioned on another thread somewhere.  It was a mother%%%%.  I am in 53, a guy I beat last week is rated 2217, I am in pretty good shape, but I can't move like a twenty year old and my tactics have to account for that or they are not realistic. 

Too many coaches spend too much time trying to change the way you move your arm when you hit the damned ball.  Chances are most of the players on this forum especially regular posters, are pretty well grooved in their stroke, with good points and bad points, but pretty much formed as it is.  Chances are remodeling a forehand loop to make it "more Chinese" or more "up to date" or whatever is not the area that is not going to help you win more matches.  Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't work on your strokes, but you need to work on making them better in real game situations, which means you can't be thinking about it too much.  Guys like Perry and ApW46, they can teach you how to win with what you have and make what you have work better.
  

Good example of "age". I was coaching a student at the college today. About 20 years old. I kept telling him he needed a lower stance. He would do it for one or two minutes and then he was straight legged again. I finally told him, that is hurting all your strokes. He said his legs get tired. He does not do any other sports and has a car. He said he would not walk one block to the food store, he drives his car. He looks like he is in good shape but he really is not.

You guys have very good points.

What do you guys think about female coaches? Obviously as a kid little girls and boys were trained differently. Perhaps, in the girls side they have been trained more on the BH, whereas boys focused more on the FH. Looping and blocking strokes could be different as well, since physically we are different.

Does having a female coach benefit more than a male coach in one way or another?

Good thread. There are older coaches who stick to what they were taught 25 yrs ago, there are older coaches that keep up to date, there are young coaches who coach on the edge of fashion, there are younger coaches who coach on the edge of fashion (notice the last two statements are the same)

Edited by APW46 - 10/07/2010 at 5:55pm

 

pipigrande wrote: Does having a female coach benefit more than a male coach in one way or another?

Call me immature, but, if I had a good looking female coach, I would be totally motivated to train hard, play hard and impress her. 

If i had female coach,a beautiful one i would train so hard that after the training i wouldn`t even hold my blade.