November 6, 2015

Serve and Forehand Attack, and Serve and Two-Winged Attack
Ilia asked the following on the TableTennisCoaching forum:

In your amazing book "Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers" [Larry's note: I'm blushing – but I also added the link] I read that it is beneficial to be able to have different tactics for games, i.e. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. I can loop both with backhand and forehand, but my backhand open-up against backspin is weaker. So my Plan A is to use forehand loop whenever possible, and use backhand loop for receive and when caught off-guard. The Plan B is to play forehand from the forehand side, and backhand from the backhand side. I have two questions:

1) What is the best recovery position after the serve for Plan A and for Plan B? Should they be the same?
2) How to practice these two plans with the best efficiency? Should I spend, say, a few weeks strengthening the Plan A, and then a few weeks on Plan B? Or it is better to interleave the practice? I play 4-5 times per week for 2-2.5 hours for each session.

It was such a great question that I decided to use it in my blog this morning.

First, remember that favoring your forehand is probably the right thing for you to do tactically, based on what you wrote. Strategically, even if you always favor your forehand, you should make sure to strengthen that backhand! (Tactical thinking is what works now; Strategic thinking is thinking long term. You need both.) But now let's look at the two questions.

>1) What is the best recovery position after the serve for Plan A and for Plan B? Should they be the same?

For Plan A, where you are looking to play a forehand from the backhand corner if the ball goes there, you should be a bit to your left (assuming you're a righty), in a slight forehand stance. There's a simple way of judging how far over you can stand. Imagine your opponent returns your serve somewhat aggressively down the line to your forehand. Stand as far to your backhand side as you can where you can still get to that ball effectively. (If he's able to consistently attack your serve down the line very aggressively, then you both need adjust for that, as well as work on your serves.) 

For Plan B, where you are looking to play forehand or backhand, depending on where the return is, go to a neutral position and stance. Clear your mind and just use whichever side the ball goes to. One thing that many do effectively is to look to follow the serve with the backhand loop, and so stand in the middle of the table, looking for that shot - basically saying, "Go ahead, I'm planning to backhand loop, but if you go to my forehand, I'm ready and waiting." If they do go to your forehand, you don't have much table to cover, so you just rotate that way and loop the forehand. The only tricky part here is if they go after your middle, where you have to choose. 

>2) How to practice these two plans with the best efficiency? Should I spend, say, a few weeks strengthening the Plan A, and then a few weeks on Plan B? Or it is better to interleave the practice? I play 4-5 times per week for 2-2.5 hours for each session.

First, focus on developing your backhand so it is at least consistent. It doesn't need to be as powerful as the forehand, but it needs to be dependable. Once you have that, you can wear an opponent down with it. Putting that aside, practice serve and attack using both Plan A and Plan B. Many focus on practicing their Plan A, and wonder why their Plan B doesn't improve. There's usually more room for improvement there. So develop both roughly equally. If you are really having trouble with Plan B, focus on that for a while, then go back to 50-50. You want to both get rid of weaknesses and develop overwhelming strengths. 

Podcast with Dora Kurimay
Here's the new podcast (54:05) from Expert Table Tennis with the championship player, sports psychologist, and author. Here are a few of the questions Dora answered during the interview:

  1. How to deal with nerves and conquer fear.
  2. How to clear your mind in between points.
  3. How to focus and stay in the moment.
  4. How to play as well in matches as you do in practice.
  5. How to use “deep breathing” to improve your performance.

ITTF Spins and Skills
Here are new coaching videos from the ITTF. I ran this before, but I don't think all at once.

MDTTC November Newsletter
Here it is. (I'm the editor.)

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.

Marcos Freitas Looping and Moving
Here's the video (24 sec) of the world #7 from Portugal. (See hos "007" picture below!)

A Little Counterlooping?
Here's the video (1:43) as Samson Dubina and Liang Jishan have a counterlooping practice session. Notice the simplicity in their strokes?

Werner Schlager's Backhand Loop
Here's the video (42 sec, including replay) as Schlager unleashes a series of power backhand loops against chopper Joo Saehyuk.

Table Tennis Coffee Mug
Here's the picture – "I might look like I'm listening to you, but in my head I'm playing table tennis." (Here's the non-Facebook version.)

Curving, Colorful Giant Pong
Here's the picture! (Here's the non-Facebook version.)

Freitas. Marcos Freitas. 007
Here's the picture! (Here's the non-Facebook version.)

Timo Boll and KUKA Have Fun with Fans in China
Here's the video (3:01).

Ping Pong Matrix BLAXX BLACKLIGHT SHOW
Here's the video (3:39) of a version that I've never seen. Here are five other versions, including the classic original, and four takeoffs.

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