Category: Table Tennis China

Table Tennis Footwork

  • March 1, 2017

Table Tennis Footwork, it feels like table tennis has been stereotyped against footwork.

Everyone plays ping pong but not everyone plays table tennis!

 

When I tell people ‘I play Table Tennis’ I often get two replies:
1. “I used to play when I was younger” while waving their hand in the air (“basically your a ping pong player”). I reply, “Yes, but I play competitively” and their second reply “but it’s easy you don’t have to move much!” 
This is where I get frustrated and bombard them with visual proof, that table tennis requires immense athleticism.

 

Picture
Ryu Seung Min

Jan Ove Waldner

In my younger days, I idolised Jan-Ove Waldner and modelled my game around Jean-Philip Gatien (being a lefty myself). Both were ahead of the game and futuristic in their playing methods. Jan-Ove, moved elegantly like Roger Federer (Tennis), making it seem as if he did not move much! Don’t be fooled, JO possessed wonderful anticipation. This gave him time to move into position, using good footwork which allowed him to execute his magical shots.

Jean- Philippe Gatien

Jean-Philip, mainly had one weapon his ‘forehand’ but due to his lightning speed via footwork. He was able to execute his weapon from almost anywhere giving him an Olympic silver medal and a World Championship Singles title (1993).

Chinese Table Tennis

The Chinese took note from both Waldner and Gatien and today the Chinese National Team possess the shot repertoire of Waldner and the footwork of Gatien making them very nearly unbeatable. The Chinese are table tennis players and athletes and the rest of the world are mainly table tennis players only!

How to improve your footwork:

1. Multiball: There is no better way to improve your footwork around the table, start slowly and gradually build the speed of balls coming at you. This over time, will naturally increase your speed and explosive power.

2. Irregular training: Getting your opponent to block anywhere on the FH side and you play forehands only. Try to continuously move using the balls of your feet and try not to stretch or lean. There is an endless number of footwork exercises so ask your coach or search it on the net. Note: table tennis footwork includes: Both – in and out movement as well as side to side, so bear that in mind when doing footwork training and not just focusing on a side to side movement.

3. Physicals: You need a training regime which includes: Weight Training, for power and strength such as squats. Plyometric Training, such as jumping on and off a box or bench, try to use cones, self-made lines or an exercise ladder for various footwork routines and lastly Isometric Training, using an exercise band to increase fast twitch muscle fibres. 

 

Courtesy of Roger Hance

2004 Olympic Games (Sydney)

I will never forget when I watched Waldner (past his best) at the Olympic (2004) semi final’s stage against Ryu-Seung Min. He was a penholder grip player who possessed a rocket forehand and probably the fastest footwork I have ever witnessed in table tennis. Ryu was so fast, no matter where Waldner put the ball he could not keep Ryu from playing his forehand and the lack of containment cost Waldner the match. 

Ryu, went on to win the Olympic’s that year and I quickly realised that if you possess exceptional footwork (you may be limited in your shot repertoire) but you can still compete at the top level. I also predicted that Ryu would never win another major, I was right! This I believe, is because you can not maintain such a high level of fitness and speed for a long period of time. Nevertheless, Ryu has the most prestigious title in table tennis and no one can take it away from him, mainly due to FOOTWORK!. So if you want to be an Olympic Champion start working on your legs 🙂

Remember if you’re blessed with legs, use them…

Can China’s Table Tennis Team Be Beaten?

  • February 1, 2017
CAN CHINA’S TABLE TENNIS TEAM BE BEATEN?

One of England’s best young table tennis coaches says they can, and believes he has the recipe for success.

Every time I tell people that I’m a table tennis coach and former top player, their response is invariably this: ‘The Chinese are the best. Can you beat the Chinese?’

Coaching empowers
A top coach changes your game a great coach changes your life

 

The Dream Began

I started playing table tennis in the ’90s and was fortunate to witness three Europeans win the men’s world singles title (Swedes Jorgen Persson in 1991, Jan-Ove Waldner in 1997 and Frenchman Jean- Philippe Gatien in 1993) as well as an Olympic singles title (Waldner in 1992). I also saw Sweden become the last nation to beat China in the men’s team event at the 2000 World Championships.
I dreamed of becoming a world champion myself but that was too far-fetched, having only started playing the game when I was 14 years old. So I turned to coaching as a profession and I am still a full-time coach 16 years later. I have produced countless national team, doubles, male and female singles title winners. But my ultimate goal is far greater than national success.

My vision is fixed on defeating China. 

I previously played in Germany, France and Belgium and saw the best table tennis set-ups in Europe. I believe they all lack the full infrastructure needed to develop Olympic and world champions. There are various full-time centres but they are not structured in a way that allows players to develop their game throughout their career, especially beyond the age of 18.
Even for those with a structured system, there seems to be lack of innovation, passion and most importantly motivation. They have a defeatist attitude: “China is too good, so what’s the point?!”
Where’s the gap?

Table Tennis Centre/Club

I currently run a table tennis academy in Harefield in the London borough of Hillingdon which caters for students aged 11-19 (it also has on-site boarding allowing players from all over the world to stay there while they study and train). Here they receive regular table tennis training alongside their education. But we also need top-level coaches from the grassroots level who can develop players from the age of five through to 10. They are then technically well developed and can build onwards from these solid foundations. 
Only then should they be passed on to a full time set up such as The Harefield Academy, which has a full-time coaching team including myself. Here, they are able to train regularly before, during  (in PE lessons and during classes on subjects that they are not taking further) and after school.

Personal Table Tennis Attention

They get personal attention on either a one-to-one basis or in a small group of up to four players. After school, they can then join a larger group comprising the whole table tennis squad, for a few hours. This is where teamwork, ethics and personal development are encouraged and a variety of styles is integrated into the coaching.
It’s an effective set-up but what happens before kids join the Academy and after they leave? This is where my attention are now focused. I am collaborating with The Harefield Academy to try and establish a dedicated table tennis centre of excellence within the school grounds. While we are still in the early planning stages, this is an exciting opportunity. The centre would host local, national and international players and cater for national and international training camps and European matches. Such a facility would provide a clear pathway for young aspiring players, fulfil their needs from a young age and crucially allow them to continue their development even after they leave school. 

Englands current table tennis situation:

The here and now currently in England, we have many exceptionally talented players who dream of pursuing a career in table tennis. Sadly, they either quit before the age of 18 or at the end of their junior years. In some cases they leave home to chase their dreams elsewhere, heading to the likes of Germany, France, Poland etc. Why should this talent have to go abroad? Clearly, I believe they shouldn’t. 

Englands Men’s Table Tennis Team

England’s table tennis team have actually performed exceptionally well over the past two years, resulting in three men now being ranked inside the world’s top 100. They also finished third at the 2016 World Team Championships and reached the quarter-finals at the 2016 Olympics, losing out to China.

Despite the system

All three players in the England team left the country in their teens, in search of a higher level of training and a more financially rewarding table tennis system. It’s a sad indictment on a country that not only invented table tennis but has also had three World Champions: Fred Perry (1929), Richard Bergmann (1939, 1948, 1950) and Johnny Leach (1949, 1951). Indeed, throughout those years the World Championships were often held at Wembley with tens of thousands spectators flocking to watch.
Back in trend: Away from the competitive side of things, the sport is actually thriving in England. With tables popping up in more and more public spaces and bars being themed around the sport, table tennis has become trendy. It is also being celebrated for its long-term health benefits, with the increased blood flow to the brain while playing said to help conditions like Alzheimer’s.

Structured system

All we need now is a structured system to not only keep our players on home soil but also help them to compete with the absolute best. My vision is to create a bulletproof infrastructure by raising the funds to build a centre that will provide a complete pathway for the table tennis players of tomorrow.  
Despite being a coach with limited resources and access to only a small window of a player’s career, I have been able to produce many of today’s top England players. I believe that with a good team and infrastructure in place, China can be beaten and England can be crowned world champions once again. I’m looking for help, not only to make my vision come true but also to make table tennis great again, inspire our youth and give them the best possible chance of becoming the world’s best.
If you’re interested in helping make table tennis great, get in touch: @EliBaraty 

Written by Eli Baraty (Published in various other location ‘Sport Magazine’ ITTF)

ELI BARATY | @elibaraty