June 19, 2015

Racket Tip When Blocking

On Tuesday I linked to Racket Position, a 54-second video from Samson Dubina. It brought back a memory of my own during my peak years in the 1980s and early 1990s. In the video, Samson explains why it’s an advantage to keep the racket tip down in the same way for all shots (i.e. an extension of the arm), so you can do different shots from the same starting position.

Unfortunately, when I started out in 1976 I learned instead to raise my racket tip on my blocks, to about 45 degrees on the backhand, and a bit more on the forehand. This led to problems later on, as I’d have to have the racket tip up on some shots, down on others, and I’d often get caught the wrong way. Once I started blocking I tended to continue blocking rather change the racket tip up position. And so at my peak, I went on a roughly two-year mission where I tried to fix this, and forced myself to block on both sides with the racket tip more down. This allowed me to wait until the last second on each shot before deciding whether to block, counter, smash, or loop, and perhaps also kept the opponent in the dark.

However, at that point my blocking with the tip more up was pretty much ingrained, and I was never able to block consistently or effectively with the tip down. After losing numerous matches during those two years because of this I went back to my old way, and to this day I generally raise my racket tip when blocking. It’s especially noticeable on my forehand. On the backhand, I now block both ways, which probably isn’t good. In drills, I’ll often lower the tip on the backhand as that’s how I drilled for those two years, and it became pretty consistent that way – but only in drills. In games, I almost always raise the tip.

As Samson suggests, I recommend learning with the same angle for all shots, with the tip generally a bit down so you can also loop most effectively. But if you’ve already ingrained blocking one way (or some other technique), it might not always be worth trying to fix it, especially if you’re an older, established player. But you can try!

MDTTC Camps

Thursday was another exhausting day. How exhausting? When I got home around 7PM I literally (and I mean literally) sat in my lounge chair and slept for three hours, something I’ve never done. (It was also the first time all week that I didn’t have private coaching after the camp.)

As to the camp, we did a lot more on serves and serve return, as well as more fundamentals. We also played more regular games – and I was sort of floored (but kept a straight face as I explained) when two kids were both mystified with the idea that if they missed a shot, the other person scored a point.

Two kids tried out my racket and liked it a lot more than the slower ones they were using. The problem was I only had two of them, my main one and my backup, and both wanted to use it. I finally gave in, and lent out both for the day, and used one of theirs to feed multiball and rally with beginners. We’ll probably do it again today. I hope the poor parents aren’t going to have to shell out a ton of money for these two eight-year-olds, who I’d describe as advanced beginners (around 800 level). I use a Butterfly Timo Boll ALC ($136) and Tenergy 05 and 25 ($68 each, or $136 total, the same cost as the blade), so a $272 set-up. On the other hand, at least I don’t use a Zhang Jike Super ZLC ($375)! (I still remember buying Sriver and Mark V back in 1976 for $5/sheet…)

My Table Tennis Books

Here’s where you can buy them at Amazon - just a brief reminder!

Serving Grip – Learn How to Maximize Spin on Your Serve

Here’s the coaching video (60 sec) from Samson Dubina. (I’ve never tried the two-fingered version of the reverse pendulum serve – have to try it out.)

Ask the Coach by Richard Prause – All 19 Segments

Here are all 19 segments of the Ask the Coach Show with German coach Richard Prause at the Werner Schlager Academy. Parts 1-6 are in German with English sub-titles. Starting with Part 7 they are in English and more professionally done. Part 19 just came out this morning.

  1. Part 1 (2:24) - What is talent in table tennis?
  2. Part 2 (1:42) - Service tactics
  3. Part 3 (3:13) - How do professionals practice?
  4. Part 4 (2:22) - What is a good exercise?
  5. Part 5 (1:45) - What is the difference between Europe and China?
  6. Part 6 (2:28) - Practice Champions
  7. Part 7 (1:51) - How to begin a match and what to do if you realize that a tactics does not work.
  8. Part 8 (2:18) - Mental Coaching
  9. Part 9 (1:19) - Short Pimples
  10. Part 10 (1:36) - Plastic balls
  11. Part 11 (4:26) - How to beat the Chinese
  12. Part 12 (2:07) - How can the wrist create spin?
  13. Part 13 (3:11) - Footwork
  14. Part 14 (2:44) - Doubles Practice
  15. Part 15 (2:15) - Touch
  16. Part 16 (1:46) - Footwork
  17. Part 17 (1:31) - Beginner's equipment
  18. Part 18 (1:15) - Preventing easy mistakes
  19. Part 19 (1:42) – Short balls

USA World Champions

Recently there was a USATT email discussion about past U.S. world champions, as part of a possible promotional item. So, without further ado, here is the complete list of the ten titles won at the World Table Tennis Championships by U.S. players. (Not including "Consolation Singles” or disabled events.) Here is the wiki list of world table tennis champions, and here’s a more detailed list of the world team champions. Of the players below, one is still alive: 90-year-old Thelma “Tybie” Thall Sommer, who I’m told still plays and attended the 2014 USA Nationals in Las Vegas as a spectator. (I bet she’ll be at the U.S. Open in 16 days as well!)

  • 1936:
    • Women's Singles (Ruth Aarons)
    • Men's Doubles (Jimmy McClure/Robert Blattner)
  • 1937:
    • Women's Singles (Ruth Aarons, co-champion with Gertrude Pritzi)
    • Men's Doubles (Jimmy McClure/Robert Blattner)
    • Men's Teams (Abe Berenbaum, Robert Blattner, Jimmy McClure, Sol Schiff)
    • Women's Teams (Ruth Aarons, Emily Fuller, Dolores Probert-Kuenz, Jessie Purves)
  • 1938: Men's Doubles (Jimmy McClure/Sol Schiff)
  • 1948: Mixed Doubles (Dick Miles/Thelma “Tybie” Thall Sommer)
  • 1949: Women's Teams (Peggy McLean, Mildred Shahian, Thelma “Tybie” Thall Sommer)
  • 1956: Mixed Doubles (Erwin Klein/Leah Thall Neuberger)

USATT Insider

Here’s the new issue that came out Wednesday.  

An American in China: Two Weeks of Training with the Pros

Here’s the USATT article by player/writer Jeff Pepper.

Revenge is a Dish Served Ice-Cold for the Dutch Duo

Here’s the article on the two Dutch players in the semifinals of Women’s Singles at the European Games, which finish today.

Ping-Pong on the Chappy Ferry

Here’s the article from the Martha Vineyard Times.

The Love for Table Tennis

Here’s the video (63 sec) of little Shia.

Quadruple- and Quintuple-Bounce Chop Blocking

Here’s the video (15 sec).

Fan Zhendong – The Dominator

Here’s the highlights video (5:44).

Xu Xin – The “Cloud Walking” Penholder

Chinese Players Training

International Table Tennis

Here's my periodic note (usually every Friday) that you can great international coverage at TableTennista (which especially covers the elite players well) and at the ITTF home page (which does great regional coverage). Butterfly also has a great news page.

Ping-Pong the Animation

Here’s where you can watch all eleven episodes.

Silly Auctioneer-Style Commentating

Here’s the video (69 sec) of Adam Bobrow. On a more serious note, here’s Adam’s coaching advice between games (30 sec).

Some Serious Animated Table Tennis Action

Here’s the animated table tennis cartoon.

More Mike Mezyan Pictures

NOTE - If you are unable to see these pictures, all you have to do is join the Table Tennis Group - it's easy! Here are all the past, present, and (soon) future pictures he's collected. (I pick out his best ones for here - he has more.)

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