Show #368 - Choosing A Playing Style

Ask The Coach Show | Table Tennis

Mid-Length Topspins

When I get short balls, I like to flick them, and when balls are long I topspin them; however, mid-length balls are difficult. They are too long to flick, but just enough over the table so that I can't lower my bat. I generally automatically prepare for a long stroke, but then at the last second recognise that it will not be long, and awkwardly lunge forward with a weak return. Passive or defensive players generally have more half-length balls than aggressive players, so I tend to struggle against their returns, especially if it is backspin. The main questions are, what stroke should I use for those type of balls, and how should I prepare to avoid weak returns and getting off balance?

Knowing When To Commit To A Playstyle Change

Due to a shoulder injury, I played mostly defensively with my backhand (pushing, chopping, blocking) the past couple of months, instead of being more active. I just slapped a random thin (1.3) inverted control rubber on the backhand and started defending, and to my surprise, did quite well with it. Now that my shoulder has mostly recovered, I'm wondering, should I stick with it or should I switch back to my old style? My backhand was never my strong suit, however I was decent at opening up the game with it but I was never able to keep the pressure up because I think my movements were too large and inefficient. Also, if I keep playing defensively, should I adjust my setup? I tried long pips but that was catastrophic and broke my brain a bit. Maybe short pips or a 1.5 rubber to block more aggressively?

Plastic Ball Debut

Hi coaches! sam here, im just really curious... what year was the celluloid ball last used, and when did the plastic ball make its official ittf debut?

Muscle Memory

The latest research into muscle memory seems to indicate it takes about 10 hours of practicing one skill to train your brain to have good muscle memory. Doing two activities during the 10 hours reduces the learning of the first training. The other thing that was suggested was to push the boundaries in learning the one skill you are training for. I was told the Chinese when training young kids focus on one stroke for 3 months. How would you do this in training without becoming boring? Do you think there is any validity of this approach in Table Tennis?

Links In This Episode

Singapore Smash

Who Am I Episode 10