Category: Table Tennis Ideas

How Important Are Parents in Table Tennis?

  • September 21, 2018

It’s a very difficult question to answer, how important are parents in table tennis, or as a sporting parent in general?

Personal experience:

Many know by now from previous blogs my story. A single parent and a single child, but did my circumstances enable or disable me?

My mum was very supportive in terms of giving me free will. This enabled me to express myself as a competitor and I thoroughly loved representing myself when competing. If I lost, I was upset with myself but took full responsibility. If I won, I had done me proud and I may have received a small tap on the back from mum and a few others.

Self-pressure:

I enjoyed the self-pressure and more often than not performed under pressure. My mum never came to watch me play. I did not have a coach or corner support which meant whether I won or lost, the outcome was not amplified from external sources. The aim is to impose personal pressure in order to achieve and like many I am my own worst critic. Something I like to do is bet on myself but never gamble on external entities. Unfortunately, self-pressure only lasts for so long! As I got better I also got a coach, friends and family would start to support me. The pressure increased more and more and playing for big clubs in England and Europe, changed everything!

Pressure:

This is my weakness, and as external support increased, I felt the pressure to perform for others. I really struggled to control my nerves, often wanting to win for my supports and teammates. I was not used to playing for anyone but myself.

Table Tennis Family
Table Tennis Family

One small event called Maccabi Open was clear proof that I struggled to perform when others support me. I was the best and most well-known player in the event. All the young players, parents and even opposing players inflicted pressure on me to win the event each year. For 10 years I lost in the semi’s or final, I was unable to control my nerves. If you took the external pressure away I may have won the event 8 out of the 10 years. I wanted to perform so much for the people who supported me and instead of the support elevating me, it deflated my performance. Aged 29, I finally crossed the line, I became more accustomed to the pressure and my close family did not attend for the first time. I was also able to focus on secluding myself from people on the day due to experience. Even though the tournament is insignificant in the grand scheme of table tennis, it was a huge success in my mind. I was able to absorb the external pressure and managed to handle my nerves.

Handling Pressure, internal and external

I was accustomed to self-pressure and enabled myself on most occasions to perform at my personal peak. Unfortunately, I was not exposed to external pressures and when they sneaked into my playing career it changed my whole world. I believe if want to be great at any given industry we must learn to develop ourselves under both scenarios. Self and external pressures.

Parents contribution:

I’ve read many books and seen many world champions and world-class athletes achieve because of their parent’s or loved ones supporting them.
For example Lewis Hamilton, Tiger Woods, William sisters, Timo Boll, Federer, Mayweather etc.

All of these extraordinary athletes achieved because of their supportive parents.

It’s a balance:

I do believe parents have a huge role to play in making their kid’s special but I also believe they can destroy them too. I’ve witnessed parents so hard on their kids the child often quits, sometimes they may also resent the parents. Worse case, again I’ve witnessed this, the child and parent fall out and communication is broken.
It’s a fine line between support and pushing your child, (often) the parent push due to ‘personal dreams’.

Good sporting parents:

The secret in my mind;
1. Provide opportunity (find what your child loves and enable them to pursue a pathway in that field.
2. Support but don’t push, this means to guide them in the right direction but don’t push them there.
3. Love, the number one rule, show love to your child regardless of the result. Express your belief in them but at the same time make them understand that a result does not define them. And they are your special one and you love them regardless of any given result.

How to develop regardless of your personal circumstances:

1. Communication
If you feel pressure from your parents, then the first thing to do is communicate. Often parents will put pressure on their kids unintentionally, even sitting in the corner quietly can have an effect on the child.

Tip: When I first started coaching I wanted my players to win so much I was nervous, anxious and even angry sometimes. Kids have a sixth sense they feel your anxieties subconsciously and even though you may think you’re not showing it they feel it. Like when someone walks into a room very angry, they may not say anything and try not to show it but more often than not we feel the tension in the room. I’ve learnt to really stay calm and be compassionate with my players. Now, I am controlled in the corner, show signs of; belief, support and focus. This enables me to enjoy the performance and give the best advice possible.
We forget to enjoy the performance! Do your best to stay positive regardless of the situation rather than allow your emotions to have an effect on the player.

2. Handling external pressure 

Everything we do (that we good at) is due to one fact developmental repetition. If you struggle in a certain area the only way to develop it, is to do it over and over again with a purposeful outcome.

Roger Federer, said many years ago walking into a Wimbledon final (the crowd, stadium, family, friends and supporters overwhelmed him) he thought he was going to faint. Years later that environment has become very normal to him. Because he has repeated that scenario so many times.

*We must go from an uncomfortable environment to making it comfortable via purposeful repetition.

3. Understand 2 things:

Those that support us want us to win but they will still like or love us when we lose, sometimes even more so.
Pressure is a choice we make, a tournament is no different to a training hall, the difference is a title and maybe prize money. The game is the same the pressure has been amplified via your personal thoughts. The best in the world know how to switch off all the outside noise and focus on producing what they do in practice.

Side thought

Interesting thought, the superstar athletes mentioned above, where or are in an individual sport. Team sports as much as parents are involved in the background it does not seem to have the same effect as it does on an individual sport. Is this because the team and coach are practically your families? Parents are not allowed to be involved as much because the team help and drive each other on!

Purposeful repetition, support, guidance and love no matter what are the keys to success. With this in mind, we can all achieve great things!

Written by Eli Baraty

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)                          
Coach Me Table Tennis 
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Liam Pitchford, Becomes the 3rd Person to Beat Ma Long Outside of China

  • September 7, 2018

Liam Pitchford has developed the perfect modern table tennis game. He is the 3rd Person to beat Ma Long outside of China.

Having followed Liam, since he was aged 12, I’ve seen him come a long way. I remember it like yesterday (Essex Junior 4*), the hall stopped. Everyone began to watch Liam Vs Danny Lowe in the final of U13’s category. Every time Liam was trailing tears flooded out of his eyes. The exact score has left my mind but I believe it was in or around deuce in the fifth with Liam triumphant. Back then he showed signs of a future champion but few took real notice. This was because we had the no.1 European player U13’s Gavin Evans and they were in the same age category, Gavin overshadowed his compatriot.

Golden age:

Youth players back then included; Paul Drinkhall, Darius Knight, Danny Reed, David Meads, Gavin Evans, Chris Doran, Matt Ware, David McBeath, Danny Lowe, Sean Cullen, and behind them, Zak Zilesnick, Sam Walker, Helshan Weerasinghe, Igor Morias, and plenty of others I’m failing to mention due to memory.

These sensational young players all had each other to feed off and there was a feeling of healthy competition. Paul and Darius had top senior players of which pushed them onwards. Senior players included; Gareth Herbert, Andrew Baggaley, Terry Young, Mathew Syed, Alan Cook, Carl Prean and others. Most-played the national scene which enabled our youth to see and compete against the best in the nation. Liam and Gavin saw the likes of Paul and Darius, Zak and Sam saw Gavin and Liam and Helshan and Igor saw Zak and Sam, each generation fed off the other.

Conveyor Belt

All these players could compete against one another and a chain reaction of great players emerged. Today many have dropped out of that list but few remain and those strong enough to have stayed for the long hall are reaping the rewards.

Broken system.
Liam was exposed at an early age to all styles levels and abilities. As a fighter, he continued to grow and find ways of winning. England’s table tennis system was great for developing young player’s at that time. But if you had reached a certain level there was little which catered for your needs.
From memory, Liam left England aged 15-16 and took his first international camp in Denmark. This was followed by a German camp where he stayed for many years alongside lots of young European hopefuls such as Simon Gauzy at Oschenhausen (OX).

Liam Pitchford - eBaTT
Liam Pitchford – eBaTT
Something is not working for Liam:

Liam, aged 18-19 was beginning to show signs of world-class ability. Over the course of 5 years, Liam had beaten almost every top player outside of China. But was unable to cross the line when it came to big singles events. He was the player seen as, “ I want to avoid but he won’t win the tournament”.

Why was Liam capable of beaten almost anyone but unable to win any tournaments?
A few factors come into mind: new girlfriend, physically weaker than most other TT players, possibly not the golden boy at his former German club and lastly as Liam recently confessed (personal fights with depression).

Make a change:

Liam made a bold change and signed for Hennebont in France. Possibly a stronger league compared to Germany now! Hennebont is also a club that has achieved many great things over the past 15 years. Liam plays, at Hennebont but mostly trains in Denmark and Sweden.  The change seems to have given Liam exactly what he needed to perform at the highest level on a more consistent basis.

My Opinion:

When Liam was 13-15 years old I had the privilege of working with him at the English Youth training camps. I remember the coaches would often have a drink at the bar and naturally discuss players. One evening a parent (Mark Bates) asked all the coaches who has the most potential in 5-10 years time? All said, Paul Drinkhall and Gavin Evans. both I and Mark said, Liam Pitchford.

Predicting the future

I don’t think any person can pinpoint potential greatness, but its a sort of human instinct or hunch as such and not everyone has this ability. This is because it’s not a thought its a feeling of “I know” not “I think” its a gut like feel. Of course, Paul was going to be great and Gavin would have been great if he did not have his injuries but Liam had something different, something extra!

​Physical strength

I wanted Liam to bulk up for many years, I always felt he lacked true power and saw him as more of a counter hitter. When he played in small halls he seemed unbeatable but big halls that’s where he struggled. I noticed Liam’s legs have gotten slightly bigger over the past year and all of a sudden we are witnessing power produced from his shots.

Liam is extremely smart, everyone is flicking serves now and because of this I noticed how he is serving everywhere and placing himself in different positions when serving.  Lastly, he is able to counter almost any shot and has the best backhand switch in the world.

Speaking to Liam

I spoke to Liam briefly after his huge wins, and he said one of the most amazing things. His words were “I am my biggest critic” Wow, when a person is able to criticise themselves then they are not only seeing the issues but they are also able to correct themselves. I was so impressed to hear this from Liam because we all criticise people but often forget to look in the mirror.

European Champion

I see Liam, winning the European Championships, it may be a bold statement but for me, Liam is currently Europe’s best player. Dima is not in form after his back injury and Timo as magical as he is and possibly had the best season of his career last season, I feel age has no choice but to catch up with him.

Today, Liam has developed the perfect game in table tennis and there is no one he can not beat on his day.

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Written by Eli Baraty

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)                          
Coach Me Table Tennis 
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Table Tennis, When You’re Aged 17-21 Years

  • August 10, 2018

Table Tennis seems to target two age categories, youth and senior (Vetts) players.

Junior Table Tennis (8-18yrs)

At a young age, there is lots of coaching and plenty of systems in place catering for juniors;
– Private and group coaching
– Breakfast, lunch and after school clubs (some schools). A good number of schools have both in and outdoor tables.
– Plenty of tournaments, locally and nationally
– Many young groups (social)
– Systems aiding development and progression (clubs, coaching, events & tournaments)

Adult Table Tennis (18-40yrs)

Once you’re out of the junior ranks, table tennis seems to desert you, somewhat. Naturally, at 18 many things change; University, jobs, driving, sex, clubs, drinking, social life and general life.

Should these life-changing scenarios affect your table tennis?

Of course, change will have an effect on present scenarios but without a support system, the effect is much greater.

Senior Table Tennis (40 years plus)

Aged 40 plus many seem to have a renaissance in table tennis. People start to use table tennis to regain their health and fitness. Many miss the sport and due to more stable lifestyles, they are able to reestablish their passion.
Access back into the sport includes:
– Local leagues
– VETT tournaments
– Social table tennis scene
– Financially able to pay for a group or personal coaching

What can be done to cater for players at the most crucial stage of their playing career?

Tournaments: for players aged 18-30. This will provide a bespoke feel for players in that age group. It will also encourage participation via a social scene.

National Team: Have two or three more National teams (England A, B and C). Each team comprises of 4 players. This means even if you’re no.12 in your country you could be selected for representation at international events. France has this system and it provides hope and drives for late bloomers.

Incentives:

– Sponsorship, companies provide small sponsorship for aspiring players
– Grants, financial aid towards training and coaching
– Special Under 25’s league’s, can be implemented to give young adults more encouragement, towards continued play, inside table tennis. Better formatted local leagues

England Table Tennis Youth

such as (Davis Cup for example).
– Club roles; assistant coach, sparring partner, admin, etc.

With the will and correct systems in place, there are ways of catering for everyone in our sport…

Those that don’t truly know me, I’m a person always looking to share and develop table tennis. “Emma from PongBoss has a few articles on improving your table tennis and other related articles on her website, check it out by clicking here.

Written by Eli Baraty

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)
Coach Me Table Tennis
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Twitter: @elibaraty
FB: Coach Me Table Tennis
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Comfortable With The Uncomfortable – Secret Table Tennis

  • July 12, 2018

As a single child with a single parent, I had no choice but to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. I didn’t know at the time that it would be my secret table tennis success. Many days and nights I would roam the streets in our local neighbourhood/area. Aged four it all began, my father left and my mother worked many jobs to provide a roof and food over our heads. A bicycle was our form of transportation and staying with local neighbourhood friends was our close nit base. The neighbourhood was often used for food and passing time while mum was out working.

Dealing with difficulties:

Many times I would find myself arriving home with a note left for me. Unfortunately due to my dyslexia reading was something I found extremely difficult. I would try my best to read the letter which would often take a lot of time and mental effort. Other options included taking the letter to a neighbour’s house to read on my behalf or more often than not I would ignore it and assume all would be fine.

Life was presented to me with, “this is the way it is” deal with it! I was given a difficult scenario’s from a young age and having no choice but to accept it, I found ways to make the most of my circumstances. Viewing my options I found coping mechanisms and problem-solving tools to the scenarios in front of me. Many times I made mistakes but the beauty of it all, (which often youth of today fail to do) I learnt from my mistakes. Our personal fortunes never got better in fact financially and mentally it got worse for my mum.

Making a change

At 17 I decided it’s time for me to break away from a seemingly tough life. I packed my bags and went to live in France. Due to many years of survival experience, I was able to self-control my life out there without speaking a word of French (initially). I had a map and used my rollerblades for the first two month that was my form of transportation. And admittedly I would find other illegal ways of using public transport to get to other clubs or tournaments. I did have a little money but that was used for Table Tennis equipment, food and living costs. I’m not saying my life was like living in poverty but I faced many tough situations. The beauty of it all, I found it easy taking care of myself because I was doing what I loved and my passion for Table Tennis overshadowed the difficulties.

Today I realise all the uncomfortable scenarios which felt comfortable made me “comfortable with the uncomfortable”

I believe we are wrongdoing our future generations.

We look at given our players the best opportunities: top coaches, top facilities, best equipment, treat them well and look at avoiding making our players uncomfortable.

That’s where I feel we are going wrong! If I gave you a million pounds today, statistically speaking most will have blown the lot within 1-5 years.

If I teach you how to make a million, it’s likely that million you made will increase over time. And if you lose the million you have knowledge of how to rebuild if your willing to do so.

Make your players uncomfortable:

We are all far more resilient than we know or are given credit for.
For example, if I said don’t eat for a full day, most will say what are you mad! “I can’t do that I’ll starve or I will die” lol. If you were forced not to eat for (24 hours) the worst thing that would happen, you would feel hungry. Your body would adapt to the situation and slow down your metabolism and take energy from current body fat stored. Your mind will switch from I’m hungry to Ill be OK, I know the food will be provided in 24 hours. both your mind and body will work together to find solutions.

We don’t like feeling uncomfortable and look at every way possible of making ourselves comfortable.

Table Tennis Match
Ping Pong World Championships

 

Tips to develop yourself as a person and table tennis player:

Every morning: do what you don’t normally do! This includes: making your bed, brushing your teeth with the opposite hand, do not touch your phone for the first hour etc. You will develop self-control and built new neurological pathways in your brain.
Play in uncomfortable conditions:
– Make the floor slippery by not cleaning it.
– Start a league match without a knock up.
– Play using your opposite hand for 5-10min per training session,
– Play a shot you don’t like doing in a practice match
– Dim the lights
– Have a freezing cold or far too hot playing conditions in the hall for a training session.
The list goes on, be as creative and imaginative as possible.
Challenge yourself: to do something you don’t enjoy/want or believe you can do. For example, go and play golf, football, skiing, bungee jumping etc. Do an activity which you have never done before or fear.

Draycott table tennis club

I was at Draycott TTC last weekend and the players possessed many of the characteristics I speak of above.

The conditions were super hot that day, and I provided exercises which most were unfamiliar with or struggled to fully understand how or why it’s done. But yet most took on board the variety of uncomfortable scenarios. This showed me the character and ethos of the club which explained why Draycott is possibly the no.1 TT club under 17’s in England (currently).

Unity:

I loved seeing all the players wearing Draycott’s club shirt, something I enforced in my former clubs and academy. I originate from a country where military service is a must, I was taught about forming a unity which begins with the uniform. You are given the opportunity to be yourself but when you’re tackling a certain cause or vision, that’s when it’s key to unite, in other words (assemble an army to tackle your desired outcome).
I’m an individual but I am also willing to unite at any given moment when I’m thriving towards success and need help getting there.

If you are wearing your clubs kit, it means you have created a bond and one that many fail to understand. Often due to ego or ignorance of unity, many fail and few succeed.

I urge all players, clubs and coaches to develop elements of uncomfortable situations and by doing so you will reap the rewards in the long term.

Check this unique uncomfortable training click HERE

Written by Eli Baraty

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)                          
Coach Me Table Tennis 
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Don’t be Blind to the Importance of Vision in Table Tennis

  • July 6, 2018

Don’t be Blind to the Importance of Vision in Table Tennis
See, Respond, React.

Steve Brunskill
Steve Brunskill, is one of England’s best and most respected coaches. Stevie has spotted one element of table tennis often untrained.

Sports eye training

I am personally a stickler for marginal gains and often research into elements where it may give my players the edge over others. I must admit visual training is one that slipped through my net. Luckily for me, Steve caught it and has produced a course and package for all to benefit from.

How important are your eyes?

I was coaching one of my players a few years back and one parent sat next to me. The parent watching my player, said a few words that unleashed the ‘Marvel’ superhero mindset, I’ve always had. They said, “your player is like a fly, his reflexes are amazing and he seems to have more time than anyone else” From that moment on I started to study increased reaction time.
This included:
– Using a reaction ball
– Non-visual cues with on coming table tennis ball/balls
-Strengthening and conditioning muscle speed and reflex
The results were great but I always felt there was something more…

Visual Fascination 

I’ve been blessed with perfect vision and its something I’ve acknowledged but at the same time neglected. My eyes were one of my childhood superpowers, seeing further than anyone. I’m blessed with good vision but due to my gift I took it for granted, not training the eyes to even greater abilities.

I’m an observer and often look at my surroundings for gains inside my coaching structure. Seeing how peoples eyes flicker from side to side when looking at moving objects I find/found it fascinating.
Due to my fascination I wanted to know how fast can something travel and at what speed do our eyes lose track of the moving object. I watched and read about some extraordinary people who are able to seemingly do inhuman capabilities through vision. For example, hit a baseball oncoming at them over 100 miles an hour through a machine at less than 15 meters, in distance. A man who can catch an arrow being shot at him. To this day I’m unsure as to how they did or are doing it, but its clear to me that the eyes have the secret ingredient I’ve been searching for.

Vladimir Samsonov

As a young player, I didn’t enjoy watching Vladimir until I saw him in front of my eyes live. I remember being in awe of his canning ability to block and retrieve balls coming at him at super speeds. The players on the other side were faster more explosive and dynamic compared to Vladamir! So how was Samsonov able to make most world class players look amateur?

The Answer

Does Stevie Brunskill have the answer?  Samsonov (I believed used his eyes to assess your body language which gave him clues as to where you were/are going). Despite your level, age or ability you can benefit from visual eye training. Below is Steve’s story into how he stumbled onto his new mastermind and you have the opportunity to develop your game or players using his vision training programme.

Written by Steve Brunskill
Table Tennis Vision Training 

This programme is an eye-opening project that seeks to not only improve the skills and competencies of table tennis players but ultimately seeks to offer a modern and fresh outlook upon the importance of vision training and how it is perhaps neglected within the sporting culture and training of table tennis. Current traditional coaching techniques appear to consequentially ignore the unlimited possibilities that the implementation of visual training as a fundamental practice could bring to not only table tennis but sport in general. I believe that this new but exciting project for table tennis is an opportunity that should not be missed.

How it all began

My fascination and obsession with vision training originated upon the fortunate meeting of Mark Holmes, one of Briton’s top shotgun shooters, who had called into Swerve table tennis club to speak to me after reading an article I had written in regards to fitness. He was interested in receiving  1-to-1 coaching in table tennis as he had been researching vision training and had been training his eyes for the past year. He believed this training was the reason he had progressed from just an average shooter to become the English Open Champion in a record time of two and half years.

Mark also completed this feat with the best-recorded score in the past forty years. I asked, “why table tennis?” He said his research had brought him to table tennis as the eyes needed to track a very fast object in a split second. He believed that playing table tennis would give him an edge over his shooting competitors. Mark achieved this success in less than three years from picking up a shotgun for the first time and he endorses his vision training regime as an essential factor that contributed heavily to his remarkably quick success.

How Important is your Sports Vision?

Sportsmen and women in all sports are often unaware of how much their performance depends upon their sight.
This is none more so than in table tennis.
Table tennis players have to be able to distinguish objects from a distance and from a variety of backgrounds, judge distance, height, bounce, flight, spin and speed.

So I thought I would look to reverse the process and therefore ask Mark what training he did to help his vision and shooting. My reasoning being that if table tennis training can help Mark shoot, then, in theory, the training a shooter undergoes should help a table tennis player.

After conducting research into visual training I discovered that there are vast amounts of research for other sports such as Archery, Shooting, Baseball etc.. but very little in the way of table tennis, yet a table tennis player needs to have incredible visual ability to be able to pick an opponent’s positioning, posture, movement and even expression as well as watch the contact of the ball, watch the balls rotation, speed, flight and bounce and still have time to make a split second decision to choose a correct response move and implement the correct stroke/technique. My research found that studies have shown table tennis players naturally develop very high visual skills over years of training without realising. Other studies showed that people with well-developed visual skills progress fast when taking up sports similar to table tennis (food for thought with ways to train beginners). 

Knowledge without practice is useless!

Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice and therefore this is a huge opportunity for the sport of table tennis to not only modernise itself with its sporting competitors but to adapt and overtake them.
Table tennis players train for hours working on techniques, movement and drill patterns looking to add that extra point, all of which are totally reliant on their vision but how many players ever think about training or strengthening their vision? The eye is made up of several muscles and just like any other muscle it will strengthen and it will fatigue depending on the demands placed on our site.

Specific table tennis visual training 

This got me thinking about using specific eye training methods with skilled and unskilled table tennis players. Using specific visual training methods may give players that extra edge as it did with Mark the shooter whom I had spoken to. Over the past two years, I have invested time studying, reading books, attending lectures and seminars, and I have researched a variety of sports and their use of visual training. I have chosen the methods I believe fit best to table tennis players. The more I have studied and learned about vision training the more excited I am at the prospect of the effect vision training can have on players and how easy this training can be implemented into regular table tennis sessions.

Tested

I have designed a visual training programme which starts with a basic introduction to vision training exercises that progress into dynamic vision training exercises which are specific to table tennis.
I have been trialling this training method with a small group of players at Swerve over the past year. The player’s feedback has been encouragingly very positive which has only added fuel to the fire in terms of my belief that this project has an overwhelming possibility to change the trajectory of fundamental training within table tennis as this possibility offers boundless opportunities.

Would you like to get the edge over your competition?

This programme is offered to clubs, coaches and players.
I am offering to run a 1-day course to clubs, coaches and players, where I will explain and demonstrate each exercise, its benefits and how it relates to table tennis.
I will also show how easily the exercises can be delivered and how the equipment needed can easily and cheaply be purchased or obtained and how the exercises can be advanced and adapted.

The Visual Training Course

The course will demonstrate how the method of training can be implemented by the coach. The Programme can be implemented as a one-off specific training session or as part of a regular training session. It can also be used by a player as part of the player’s pre-match preparation. The exercises learned on the course can be used singularly or collectively and can be done in a few minutes as a warm up or used as a full training session. The programme can benefit complete beginners to elite level players.

“You can’t HIT what you can’t SEE”

A quick video to demonstrate this Click HERE

The first Vision Training course is being held at Swerve on 21st July 2018 for further info contact
Steve Brunskill (Head coach at Swerve table tennis centre) Email= garret163@aol.com

Written by Eli Baraty and Steve Brunskill

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)                          
Coach Me Table Tennis 
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Twitter: @elibaraty
FB: Coach Me Table Tennis 

Table Tennis Speed, Spin, Power, Who Wins?

  • June 22, 2018
Table tennis is one of the most dynamic sports on the planet requiring three key game elements: Table tennis speed, spin, power, who wins?

If you had to prioritise the three elements, which would be your top choice?

 

Let’s discuss all three elements, then I’ll place my personal order and leave you to ponder.
Xu Xin - Aerobic Table Tennis
Xu Xin – Photo courtesy of Steve Rowe (Aerobic Table Tennis)

 

SPIN

Spin started playing a huge part in the game once technology kicked in and this began in the 1960’s. Many Champions were formed via the ability to produce lots of spins, through new high tech rubbers.
Nobuhiko Hasegawa: World Singles title, famous for his heavy topspin and high arching lob shots.
István Jónyer: World Singles title, famous for inventing the sidespin loop shot.
John Hilton: Famous for winning the European Singles Championships, using deceptive chop and float shots. John used a normal spin rubber and an anti-spin rubber on the other side. Both rubbers were coloured red (allowed back then) making it very hard to distinguish what spin was imparted on the ball.
Jan-Ove Waldner: Grand Slam Champion, famous for many shots including; the chop block, BH punch, hook and fade shots. The variety of spin shots, Jan-Ove possessed gave him the upper hand on most via adaption and continuous change at will.
At a young age or lower to advanced level of table tennis, Spin is by far the most effective element and skill.

Table Tennis Speed, Spin and Power, Who Wins?

 

Power

Early 2000’s power began to overwhelm spin. The ball was increased in size reducing spin and players like Ryu Seung Ming(2004 Olympic Champion) crunched every ball regardless of spin. Wang Liqin won the world singles titles  3 times, with his gigantic forehand topspin. Table tennis began to a new breed of stars focusing on hitting the ball harder, rather than spin focused. Table tennis has been dominated by power players for the past 20 years now.

Speed

Jean Phillipe Gatian, comes to mind when speed is the main focus. He won a world championship title using his lightning footwork. A few other examples include Desmond Douglas and Wang Tao, they both gave every player a run for their money because they took the ball super early. Nevertheless, back then speed was unable to contain speed and neither won a major title!

Are we seeing a new trend coming into play?

 

Spin was the major killer initially, but over the past 20 years power has taken command.
But…
I have been keeping a close eye on China vs Japan for the past 3 years and I’ve noticed a new trend which may be tomorrow’s winner.

Speed has not had the success compared to the other two elements but Harimoto is proving that speed does actually kill.

Harimoto, as we all know gone from strength to Strength and is still in his early teens. He has beaten the best players in the world including Zhang Jike, Fan Zhendong and the Dragon Ma Long. All three, Zhang , Fan and Ma are renowned for their awesome power and they have dominated table tennis over the past 5-10 years.
Harimoto seems to have found a chink in their armour, SPEED!
He played Ma Long two weeks ago and with all of Ma’s awesome power, it seemed nullified. Harimoto, did not give ML time to wind his big shots and even if he did Harimoto used it against ML. Ma Long, would rocket a ball and Harimoto would counter, firing ML’s power straight back at him. Furthermore, Harimoto used speed alongside good placement which saw him win many points by either wrong footing or disabling Ma Long.

Are we seeing a new powerhouse trend emerging?

I believe we are, and Harimoto, still a teenager is proving that speed does truly kill.
Table tennis speed, spin and power, who wins? My personal order:
At no.3 Spin, it had its day but can not live with power at pro level. But it is still king at lower, intermediate to advance level of play.
At no.2 Speed, today I believe power is still the dominant force but very soon I can see it changing and speed will be the new king
No.1 Power is a force not many can deny but speed likes to kill, so let’s see what will happen in the very near future!

My coaching theory and coaching methods:

First ball: Serve or return, the focus should be on high-quality spin and placement.
Second ball: 3rd and 5th ball, the focus should be on good placement alongside speed taking the ball early and putting your opponent on his/her back foot.
Your 3rd ball: 5th and 7th ball, focus on producing a powerful attacking ball with good placement and lots of energy on the ball.
Spin Video
Power Video
Speed Video
There you have it, three key table tennis elements that have evolved and change our game over the last 60 years.

3 Ways to Win a Table Tennis Point!

  • May 28, 2018

Have you ever thought about how you can win a table tennis point?

Each table tennis point is evidently different and no player plays the same way!
But there are three different ways we approach a point or match.

Play not to lose:

 I believe we all start playing with a winning mentality, we want to win. As we develop expectations enter our environment each individual responds differently. This is where some become fearful of losing. They want their opponents to make mistakes and lose to them rather than find ways of beating their opponents.

Sardina World School Games 2012
Middle game:

This is where players enjoy the process, winning or losing is of little importance. They enjoy a good game, with a positive outcome and the journey is their main concern.

Play to win: 

Keeping a winning mentality at all times is very tough. Very few players are able to sustain a winning mentality at all times. This is where you want to beat your opponents at all costs. Regardless of level, event and personal circumstances, ‘the will to win’ drives that kind of person. Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Wayne Gretzky and Rocky Marciano are good examples. They are athletes with a winning mentality, they find ways to win more often than not! Michael Jordan, famously said, training is no different from the competition. I hate losing in practice as much as I do in an official event. This mentality enabled him to excel under severe pressure and come out of the sport as the best player the game has ever seen. You must develop the character of ” I want to win a table tennis point at all costs”.

 

How do you approach a table tennis point?

 

Look at the three key points above and ask yourself who are you? How do you win a table tennis point?
Do you enjoy playing? Do you have a fear of losing? Or do you have a winning mentality?

Regardless of your answers, there is pros and cons to each one. I believe you can change your mentality depending on what you want. You’re in control of your pathway but your choice will require certain sacrifices.

 

Sacrifice:

 

Play not to lose – mentality: You will never achieve your potential and in time your level will decline.
Middle game – mentality: You will enjoy playing and progress or decline a little, more often than not you’ll sustain your playing level.
Play to win – mentality: Progression is practically inevitable as long as you are training correctly and if you are you will, most likely become a winner. The issue, it’s often a lonely road with many sacrifices. Including external jealousy, hard work, selfishness, and a huge amount of energy will be expelled, sometimes unnecessarily. Click here to see a young man training with a winning attitude

So, how do we win a point? It’s down to us to find out who we are or what we want to be. Once we truly know ourselves and our character, then we can develop methods to suit our mindset.

Written by Eli Baraty 
eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)
Coach Me Table Tennis Instagram: _elibaraty
Twitter: @elibaraty
FB: Eli Baraty
W:  www.coachmetabletennis.com
E:   elibaraty@hotmail.com
M:  07900401144

Can Table Tennis Be a Popular Sport in England

  • May 18, 2018

I was asked by a student this week, can Table Tennis be a popular sport in England?

Sporting Ignorance:

I must admit it disappoints me when people think something just is! Rather than something has been created and moulded into what it has actually become. Can table tennis be a popular sport in England? well, 200 years ago football, Rugby, Cricket was not created and definitely did not have their popularity 80 years back. All things that are man-made were originally created, then developed and then it becomes big or not!

United Table Tennis Coaching Team
United Table Tennis Coaching Team
Making a Culture:

We have the power to make, create and destroy. England has created a footballing culture, America (Basketball) China (Table Tennis) etc.
I believe Table Tennis can be very special not only in England but all over the world.

Table Tennis is the only sport in the world that caters to every single person regardless of age, skill, physical and mental ability.

How can we make table tennis popular in England and develop into a mainstream sport?

 

  1. Open full-time centres nationwide with surrounding feeder clubs, schools and draw in the local community.
  2. Professional league’s, with lots of money (via investors and sponsors) distributed between players, coaches and clubs.
  3. All players, coaches and people involved in table tennis must market our sport, this includes posters, word of mouth, social media and all marketing avenues.
Changing a culture 

If we all work together to change the culture of our sport, it will change for the better. It’s time to unite and build our sport starting today!

Written by Eli Baraty
eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)                          
Coach Me Table Tennis Instagram: _elibaraty 
Twitter: @elibaraty
FB: Eli Baraty 
W:  www.coachmetabletennis.com
E:   elibaraty@hotmail.com

How to Uplift Your Game by Having Table tennis Targets on the Table.

  • April 1, 2018

How I uplift my player’s games by having table tennis targets on the table. I’m going to explain the benefits of my methods below.

I love coaching and the more players I coach the more I learn. But one thing seems to stand out with 95% of the players I work with. They all fear the opponent standing on the other side of the table.

The 5% of players who don’t fear the opponent have a secret!

When playing someone of our level or above we find ourselves, feeling uncomfortable and going for a little extra which often results in unforced errors. We often complain by saying I played badly today but in truth it’s our awareness of the opponent that causes anxiety, making it hard for us to win.

Gregoire, placing his shots
Table Tennis Targets
Learn to win rather than lose:

We are not always beaten by players of our standard or slightly above our level but commonly LOSE tight matches to those players. What do I mean? We fear our opponent in most cases and we tend to make unforced errors hence a loss rather than the player creating winners and beating us. We think too much in an attempt to foresee the future which disables our execution or forces an overload of information causing a poor shot selection and ultimately deliver a weak or failed shot.

Opposition awareness

Being aware of a player’s ability is good but it should not override your shot selection. If we think that our opponent has an answer to all our shots, then we won’t be able to beat them mentally and that is often half the battle. The aim is to execute and deliver your game with the best strategy possible. A game plan (can be changed) and is adaptable according to the situation but we must give ourselves the best opportunity of beating a player regardless of their ability!

So, how can we give ourselves an upper hand in executing what we can do, regardless of the opponent?

Here are the simple secret top players use to focus on their capabilities rather than the opponent’s repertoire.
Please note: top players will and can manipulate the ball in many different ways and you will need to adapt accordingly.

3x Table Tennis Target Tips:
  1. You must focus on ball placement but it must be precise placement to ensure greater success. Pick a point on the table you wish to hit and aim there, in doing so your focus will shift away from your opponent. To enhance this skill place targets on a table and aim to hit them, notice what targets are easier to hit and take note of where you are hitting the ball from, (understand you angles) ‘scroll to the bottom of the page’. When you play a match, you can visualise the targets on the table and aim to hit one of them, depending on the ball given, your body position and angle you are hitting the ball form.
Target Focus

When focusing on a specific target your mind will hone in on the goal set and shift away from your opponent’s possibilities. You are only in control of your own shots and if you are unable to execute them due to fear of his/her reaction, then this will often lead to poor results your end. By placing targets in a practice session gives you the ability to visualise those targets in a real match which can help you to execute your shots. If the player can counteract your shots, then either you change placement or they are just too good on this occasion. Nevertheless, if you execute your shots at least you know where you stand rather than be dictated to, by unknown future events.

  1. Take the ball as early as possible, this will give you less time to worry about what your opponent will or can do and it will also give your opponent less reaction time.
  2. Lastly, use your peripheral vision, try to notice where your opponent is standing or itching to go towards then have your target in your mind and go to that specific zone.
These three tips will give you a more zoned mindset and provide a simple tool to beating players your level and above more often than not.

Place table tennis targets on the table when you train and make target hitting second nature when playing matches.

Here is a nice little target practice I use with my players (Filip Szymanski Polish International).

Written by Eli Baraty

eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)
Coach Me Table Tennis 
Instagram: _elibaraty
Twitter: @elibaraty
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W:  www.coachmetabletennis.com
E:   elibaraty@hotmail.com
M:  07900401144

Are You Ready for Table Tennis Success?

  • March 3, 2018
Are you ready for table tennis success? Something many don’t fully understand.
Forrest Gump
22 years ago, I saw a man on-screen hitting a ball up against a folded Table Tennis Table and become World Champion in what seemed to be a few months! Unfortunately, and fortunately, that scene made me think that I could also become a World Champion one day! I was a natural sportsman and I felt with hard work I’ll achieve the same goal with relative ease.
Today’s youth have the same issue I had back then but it’s on a much bigger scale, everything must be or is INSTANT!
Local League
Older and wiser, its clear to me how ignorant I was and what a tough sport, Table Tennis truly is I ponder across many playing memory’s but the initial stumbling blocks always stick in your mind. For instance, back in 1998 after being playing table tennis for around 2 years and climbing up the junior ranking list very fast, I believed myself to be a skilled player.
Losing to unexpected opposition

One week at a local league match I lost to a man in his mid-60’s who only pushed and chopped both sides. The same week I lost to a man over 20 stone in weight who just downed a few beers prior to our match. Admittedly, unbeknown to me John Taylor was Barnet league’s leading player for many years and top 40 men at the time. The man enjoying his beer while destroying me was former England senior no.2 Graham Sandly, a gentleman who lost to Desmond Douglas deuce in the third twice! (back then up to 21 points) at the Senior Singles National Championships.

Don’t Judge or let others misdirect you, be in control of yourself!

Their record and ability were unimportant to me, due to their physical appearance and I was truly devastated as an aspiring World Champ. I remember being awake in the middle of the night (unable to sleep) replaying both matches. I was thinking of, losing to an old man who only pushes and a man who can’t move “what’s the point?” I felt demoralised and defeated and on the brink of throwing in the towel. Fortunately for me the love for the sport kept me playing and I went on to beat John the following season. Graham does not play anymore, so I was unable to get revenge.

Cippenham Men's Single Winner

 

Personal Development

my development enabled me to represent England as a player at Safir’s (Sweden). My skills continued to grow to a point where I was able to beat and train with some world-class players. I did not manage to become World Champ because I ultimately quit playing competitively at a young age (that’s another story). I changed my pathway from player to coach but the dream is not over! I still believe I’ll win a world championship title one day, whether it be as a coach or possibly as a player aged 60 years old plus 🙂

Reflecting: 

I look back and think the key was pushing beyond that horrible feeling. This enabled me to achieve as a player and today as a coach. I have developed such grit that hearing negative comments such as; “I can’t make a living from being a coach”, “I’m a rubbish coach”, “I steal players”, “I’ll never be a good coach”, “get a proper job” just makes me stronger. Furthermore, it makes me better and inspires me further towards my quest of becoming a world-leading coach.

Never Give Up

There have been many occasions when I felt like, maybe it’s time to get a “normal job”! But something deep down pushed me further, especially when tough times hit. I looked at how I could better myself?!  and kept driving forward and I realised without the tough times I would not have the knowledge or success. I honestly believe that my journey has just begun even though I have been coaching for 18 years. My ambitions of changing the face of table tennis for the better continues to grow. I will achieve my dreams because I refuse to quit. Each time I fall or get hit it makes me smarter, stronger and pushes me forward ten folds.

I’ve come to a realisation;
  1. We may have a vision but if we are not willing to face the tough times, we will never achieve great heights.
  2. Losing and going through difficult times is the best thing you could ever ask for. At those moments and times, you truly reflect and this enables you to grow as a person and player.
  3. Greatness is achieved in time, if you want something special to be instant it will never happen. You will surely never achieve anything special with that kind of mindset.
Its a long journey, so put your seat belt on and get ready for some bumpy rides:

I coach some very rich and influential people, some that can buy and have almost anything on earth.
The reason they love Table Tennis is that they know it’s impossible to be a good player instantly. They want to grind and work towards success. There’s no better feeling than working towards a big goal and achieving it.

You are in control:

If you have a mindset of I’m willing to; work, learn, and face the tough times plus get through them, then you’re ready for Table Tennis Success.

Written by Eli Baraty
eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis)
Coach Me Table Tennis 
Instagram: _elibaraty
Twitter: @elibaraty
FB: Eli Baraty
W:  www.coachmetabletennis.com
E:   elibaraty@hotmail.com
M:  07900401144