Everyone took notice of Lin, when he started to beat the Chinese a couple of years ago! He was aged 17 back then and was given the nickname Silent Assassin! As his nickname suggests he goes about his business in silence and it’s hard to truly know what is going on in his mind and professional life. Yet his results are clear for all to see; ranked top ten in the world, beaten Ma Long, FZD and won the diamond T2 event and is still only 19 years old. He is certainly Taiwan’s great hope of a medal and this pressure can effect even those (seemingly) the unfazed!
Achievements:
Highest world ranking no.6
T2 & Cze Open winner
Best Wins – Fan Zhendong & Ma Long
Can Lin really win?
Well he comes into the games in unknown form but is definitely feared by the Chinese. I believe Lin has the capability to cause massive upsets and possibly the second most feared player outside of China! Unfortunately, he lacks real pedigree at big and long tournaments. This is due to age, exposure and physical endurance which is may be his biggest weakness?! I have put Lin at 4th spot for my pick of potential gold medalist because he is capable of beating the biggest and best. But does he have the fire power to sustain a lit flame for the entire event? In my opinion NO, he does not!
Why is Lin unlikely to win?
He does not seem to have the physical attributes to last in a long and strenuous situation event such as the Olympics.
I became very interested in Lin after watching him live at the Olympic team qualification in Portugal. He made the game seem so easy and walked through world class players (as if they were beginners).
Silently, people are routing for him to beat the Chinese, for me I just want to see him do well 🙌🏓
I’ve watched Hugo, ever since I witnessed him beating Timo Boll about 6 years ago I believe, in the Bundesliga. His unique style, big backhand and a never ending multi-skills ability, is nothing but mind boggling! His work ethic is a thing of beauty, and it’s clear to see the urgency in upscaling his game and level. If talent was in a bottle Hugo certainly drinks out of it each day. And that may be his down fall!
Achievements:
Former World no.6
Pan American Champion
Latin American champion
Best Win – Fan Zhendong
He has, beaten most players on the planet and has shown that on his day, he is capable of beating the world no.1!
Can Hugo really win?
Well he comes into the games with some form and has been laying a little under the radar (in preparation). I believe Hugo has the capability to cause massive upset and is a player no one wants to face on route. Yet, I think he’s more of a player who lights up in stints and does not have the pedigree to truly threaten for a golden position. I have put Hugo in 5th spot for my pick of gold because he is slightly unorthodox and often this causes the Chinese more worry than someone like Dima. This is one of Jan-Ove Waldners secrets (back when he took out the Chinese)!
Why is Hugo unlikely to win?
In my opinion unlike Dima, Hugo is supremely gifted and that enables him to be super creative and unique. Yes it feels like his balance between solid foundations and creativity is unbalanced and he can go off on a tangent…
He is yet to beat Ma Long but again different to Dima, I don’t think this plays on his mind. Because he has not faced him many times and he is still relatively young and has a free flowing fearless kind of game and mindset.
I think Hugo is a medal contender but the odds are uniquely high for Gold if and that’s a big (if) he gets into the final. Because his energy and power only grows when things go well. Meaning if he finds good form and gets through to the semi finals then anything is possible for him from there!
I am a big fan of Hugo and the whole of Latin America will be backing him. The question is can he be consistent enough to reach the latter stages where he truly does have a possibility in creating history? 🙌🏓
I’ve watched Dima, grow over the past 15 years and become a world class athlete! Hiss work ethic is possibly the highest in European TT, and his achievements can mostly be credited to relentlessness.
Achievements:
Former World no.1
European champion
Olympic Bronze
World Cup winner
Has beaten every player on the circuit accept for Ma Long!
Can Dima really win?
Well he comes into the games in very good shape and form but in my opinion he is my least favourite to come out with the gold medal out of my six picks! (Blogs coming out each day).
Why is Dima unlikely to win?
In my opinion his work ethic is down to his limitations in natural ability. This means he must work very hard to develop certain elements in his game and struggles to adapt (quickly)!
He is yet to beat Ma Long and that must play on your mind never beating a player in over a decade. I think Dima is a strong candidate for a medal (bronze) but that’s about as far as I see him going. Nonetheless, I and Europe are routine for Dima 🙌🏓
I’ll be sharing a blog or two a day on, 6 men that I think can win the Olympics table tennis singles event.
Put aside numbers for a minute, (we all know TT is played in the masses there) but numbers does not guarantee success!
It’s a collaborative system, structure and team work… Unity enables China to dominate TT like no other sport on the planet. If we truly want to compete with China, we must unite nationally and internationally. I have the master plan, now who will join me 🙌🏓💪🏼
It doesn’t matter your level, we all make mistakes in table tennis, in fact, we all make mistakes in life.
The Best Way to Learn
I am constantly looking for ways in which I can grow and develop both myself and those I coach. I’m yet to find a better learning path that is done via mistakes, my whole life has been full of big mistakes. It starts from my parents, them being together was a mistake, my dad and mother constantly making ‘life’ mistakes. I made one right choice in my life which enabled me to grow and learn from all my mistakes (table tennis was that 1 correct life choice). I believe table tennis is the no.1 sport for making mistakes and unforced errors. Every few seconds we make a mistake or error, by missing or misreading an element of the game. This is where we have three choices;
1) quit
2) keep making the same mistake and accepting a limitation or
3) learning from our mistakes.
Table Tennis Disappointments
You are in charge
The amazing thing about this life is the ability to make choices and decisions that can change everything. I made a few mistakes last week, one of trying to help the table tennis community but by expressing my disappointments (directed at the association) I didn’t realise this could be seen and felt by those I was trying to help. So, I took ownership and admitted my mistake and apologised. It’s easy to stand on a high horse and say that’s what I think and I am right! But if you’re true to yourself, you will learn from your mistakes. Table Tennis has enabled me to see mistakes and find ways of growing from them rather than allowing those mistakes to override my desires.
Table Tennis mistakes
We often look for solutions but sometimes making mistakes allows us to find a solution that has long term effects. A quick fix is nice but rarely is it a lasting solution! It’s ok to make mistakes and if you’re willing to go through the uncomfortable process you’ll find greater gains in the long run.
embrace the mistake because it can take you towards your ultimate goal
Many if not all of us have some kind of anxiety and fear pre-table tennis matches!
Table Tennis Match Preparation
I spoke to one of my students recently about an event they have coming up and how they feel and what is their preparation looking like. It was clear from the start of the conversation that they where anxious and wanted to avoid the subject. We are all different and deal with things differently which is why some get better results than others. There is no quick fix to gameplay preparation but there is a guide and a formula I use with my players.
As mentioned we are all unique so bare your personal needs in mind.
3 Types of warm-up;
Short – This is when you’re late or don’t have match time to prepare and need to quickly get your body focused and ready for the match (1-5min).
Medium – When you are at an event and you have plenty of matches that day and you wish to reserve your energy (5-15min).
Long – This is where you’re either a high-level player or have a few big matches in a particular event (20-45min)
Table Tennis Warm-Up
How to Warm Up
Firstly, you must understand that your mind needs to warm up before your body, this means to take a seat or lay down somewhere and focus on how you feel. Be aware of your current state and if you feel anxious, start to focus on positive things. 1. remember when you played well, reenforce that feeling 2. take big breaths, to bring your pulse rate down and increase oxygen in your blood flow. 3. remember if you feel nervous, it’s a blessing because it means you care and the event means something to you.
Second, like a car you need to warm up the engine and tires especially if it’s cold outside, this gives the car maximum performance. For you, a warm-up is to increases blood flow, synovial fluid, concentration, and muscle elasticity. Please note a warm-up should be individual, you need to know what kind of movements suits you best and what works best for your body type.
Third, knock up! often players feel very anxious if they have not had a proper knock up (or what they call a proper knock-up). What is a proper knock up? (it’s subjective) In reality, there is no proper knock up because you will not improve in the 5-10min knock up you can only make yourself feel good or bad depending on the knock you did. Therefore I suggest learning what kind of knock up suits you but being adaptable. Like the above warm-up, you need to have three kinds of knock-ups. Short, medium and long and each one you must come out feeling positive and ready. The best way of doing it is by varying your knock-up every time you train (length of time – short, medium, long). If you have one knock up routine and come event/match day and you are unable to go through your normal routine you’ll automatically use it as an excuse. But if you are able to adapt your warm-up routine, then you can come out feeling good in any circumstance.
Match Play – Prepared
PrePlan
If you know what, where and who you are playing before an event or match, I suggest planning ahead. What I always tell my players, the famous phrase “Fail to Plan – Prepare to Fail” I genuinely believe in that phase. It’s like wanting to go to a new town, getting in your car and hoping you’ll reach the destination. If you plan your journey, surely you’ll reach your destination, a lot quicker and with very little hassle. Same in table tennis do your homework and prepare for a forthcoming match the results will most likely be far more positive, than if you avoided preparation. Some will argue but Joe Bloggs never prepares and he wins! There’s always exceptions to the rule book and mavericks tend to break the rules, therefore, you need to think about yourself and what suits you best.
To reduce pre-match anxiety all you ever need really is one thing, take control of your mind and body by preparing. If you can’t prepare for whatever reason then take control of your mind and remember why you play (because you enjoy or love it) otherwise don’t do it.
Do what you love not what you don’t or hate and the rest will fall into place
Table Tennis flow or ‘zone state’ is possibly one of the hardest things to master and few know how to enter that special dimension.
As a young player
Kids, enter a flow state naturally when they are engaged in something they enjoy doing. Nothing seems to affect their concentration and I believe that’s why their cognitive responses are greater than most adults. As a child, I excelled in physical activities because that’s what I enjoyed doing and when I began playing table tennis many people thought I was on speed. I played the game at such a high tempo and I was truly relentless back in my teens. I clearly remember jumping over barriers chasing the ball in between points, running around to get my forehand anywhere possible and bouncing up and down between each and every point. Where did I get that energy from? I truly don’t know, because I hardly ate in tournaments and barely slept night’s prior to events, due to excitement and anxiety. I may not have been the best player at some events but I would win many tournaments due to my Duracell bunny power.
Table Tennis Zone
How was I able to have this huge energy?
I believe it was due to my ‘flow state’ that I was able to enter into the zone 9 times out of 10. So how did I do it?
The answer is simple from the very first point, I wanted to win so much that my body and mind became in-sink. My mind was focused on one thing and that was winning! This meant I would think about what serves to execute and how I would follow up with a positive stroke or shots until I would come out on top. I truly felt invincible when (entering the zone) and in my mind, I believed anyone could or can be beaten.
3 Steps to enter a flow state:
Picture in your mind, yourself playing a perfect game (before the match)
Focus on the game and let nothing else distract you (stay in the moment)
Have a rhythm and routine which no one or nothing can break (keeps your body and mind relaxed)
Many Distractions
Breaking the flow
I remember when I played, few could break my flow because all I wanted to do was win and that meant I would fight for every single point. This brought fear to my opponent because they knew, no point would be given for free. Due to my youth I did come unstuck occasionally, some players would break my rhythm, some would comment and make me think about something else and some would take their time knowing I love fast tempo matches. Today with maturity and experience I am able to counter these things but now my will to win as a player has gone. This means I rarely enter into the zone because my mind is not focused on a specific task (winning).
Flow State
You see entering into a flow state, in reality, is simple, you just need to focus on the task at hand and avoid all distractions. The best way to explain it is if you are in a life or death situation (hopefully you’ll never have that). But imagine a scene where you must save yourself from a potentially life-threatening scenario. At this moment your brain will shut down all other interference or distractions and focus on the task at hand (survival). This focus gives you the best possible chance of coming out alive.
In the flow state
Flow state is about intense focus on the present task, akin to a life-or-death situation where the brain filters out all distractions. This intense concentration is what extreme athletes use in high-risk sports. In table tennis, instead of dwelling on external thoughts, focusing solely on each point can elevate performance.
In today’s world, where distractions like phones are common, training our minds to focus is crucial. By consistently redirecting our attention back to the original thought, we can enhance our ability to concentrate for extended periods.
I have never seen a top achiever without some kind of obsession, do you have a table tennis obsession? and what are the effects?
Addiction
I think most have some kind of addiction whether it be social media, eating, smoking, running, these things in our lives give us the high’s we crave. Many perceive addictions as negative connotations and in many respects that’s correct. Addiction can cause many issues; physically, mentally and further afield (personal environment and even external-surrounding environment). Furthermore, an addiction is something that you crave and often do without thinking consciously.
Obsession
Like an addiction, it can have many negatives and cause problems in many respects but obsession is often an element that is required for true success. Unlike an addiction, someone who is obsessed often thinks about what he/she is doing and why they are doing it (for an ultimate outcome). It does not feel like a need but instead, it feels like a must. The negatives of an obsession it can cause issues physically, mentally and socially. If an obsession is structured correctly it can have mainly positive outcomes.
My Table Tennis Obsession
Life shouldn’t just happen, I believe you should make your life I look around and so many people choose to follow what they think is right or what others are doing. I ran a table tennis session last night at one of England’s leading clubs. One of the students asked me can we do our own warm-ups? my inner thoughts YES I love that, yet out of 12 students, only 3 did their own warm-up where the other 9 followed one of the students. of course, I had to give a little speech and explain that we are all individuals and each one must find their own pathway.
I found table tennis at 14 and that becomes my pathway, I became obsessed with the sport which meant friends came second, social life came second, in fact, any event would come second to table tennis. I would want to play every day, I wanted to develop and grow, I wanted to study the sport and watch as much as possible. All this hunger and craving for more became my obsession towards being the best table tennis player.
some may relate to this, I remember going to tournaments before the doors would open (I wanted to be the first in the hall). This would strike fear into my opponents when seeing me the only person in the hall practicing his service. I would practice more than anyone there were days where I would enter the hall midday (light outside) and leave the hall in the morning (light outside) Yes, I would play through the night. I would always ask players to knock with me regardless of age or ability and time was unimportant, I just wanted to play.
Is obsession enough?
In short no, you need many elements to become great or the best? but obsession can enable you towards your desired goals. It can drive you towards doing things you wouldn’t want to do but know are essential for success. Obsession has the power to make your own world and forget all the outside noise. Today I am a full-time coach possibly more obsessed today compared to when I was a player. I wake up thinking about the sport, I work in the sport, I go to sleep thinking about the sport and I’m pretty sure I dream about table tennis. Is this an obsession 100% yes! is it healthy? debatable!
Table tennis Obsession
Time management:
Being obsessed allows me to become great/special in my field, I am able to constantly grow and deliver more for myself, students and the sport. The issue naturally becomes where do I draw the line and enjoy other elements of life?
Family: I am not perfect but when I am with my family and kids I do my utmost to focus on them. This means the phone on silent, enjoy a hug and a play and forget the past, or future.
Friends: schedule a time in the diary where I don’t have events or coaching and meet up. No, table tennis talk
A unique experience: I try to do something different once a month – go-karting, swimming, visit a location unseen before, a new restaurant, take my wife out, cinema, etc.
Love: show those around me my appreciation, a little gesture of goodwill; a gift, a letter, a phone call, a text, or a simple beautiful word
No one is perfect:
By sharing our thoughts and experiences we enable ourselves to grow and learn and enable others to do so alongside ourselves. Having an obsession, in my opinion, is the no.1 key element required for true success inside your industry. But remember life is given to us, as a gift so do your best to fulfill your time on this planet which means a little variety, not just one thing.
If you’re doing something you love and the positives out way the negatives then just keep doing it.
There are 3 table tennis characters and you fall into one of them!
History of human survival
Humans have evolved with a “fight or flight” response when facing danger or potential dangers. Our ability to flee or stand up and fight has helped our ancestors avoid or even defeat predators. There is another system we use to avoid harm which is the freeze effect. This is when running away may not be an option and escaping is too late but fighting may prove too hard due to strength or being outnumbered.
When under stress or when we feel our safety is compromised, that’s when we typically will experience one of these three physical reactions: Fight, Flight or Freeze.
Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier two Warriors
Which response is the most effective? and do you see yourself in one or all? Let’s find out!
Flight:
In today’s table tennis tournaments and events, we often see the flight reaction, this is where players will avoid certain tournaments. They may lose to someone on purpose to avoid another player later on in the event, fake an injury, enter low-level events to accumulate points but avoid facing higher level players.
Pro – From all angles, this seems like a very negative approach but there is one positive notion from a flight response. If you pick certain events and schedule your calendar properly, it can allow you to prepare for events, avoid injuries, and provide longevity. This is the positive aspects of “live to fight another day”
Con – Hiding, avoiding, faking an injury mid-match, selecting events that only suits you criteria will only have a negative outcome. Eventually, the lions will find you hiding place and when they do, your number will be up.
Freeze:
Lin Quayan Freezes from 10-4 up to lose the match at the 2017 World Cup
I believe we have all experienced this before, we have prepared and yet when it comes to the big occasion our mind and body’s don’t align. Our mind says let’s do this but our body starts shaking, we struggle to serve, we think about the consequences and nothing seems to work.
Pro – Again not many positives can be found here but there is one, this means you have not truly prepared or over-prepared. There is something missing or you’ve done so much that you expect a certain result and it put too much pressure on yourself. This is where you must learn to prepare as best as possible but at the same time when the moment comes to understand that the outcome is not always in your control. Therefore all you can do is provide your best with what you have done and can do.
Con – You think and know your ability is far greater and you’ve proved it in the club or in the past but yet occasionally or often you freeze. The freeze effect can become habitual and cause plenty of distress, sometimes have such effect players move into the flight mode. This is when they leave the sport and feel the best way for them to come out on top is by disappearing altogether.
Fight
At the 2 minute mark of the video you see Kalinkos start to make a mountainous fight back (an amazing match to watch – but notice how Kreanga starts fighting mentally, physically and vocally). Its a shame about the poor video quality video
For survival and sport, this is the role we must possess to come out on top more often than not. This character is often the toughest to possess because you must have courage, be willing to face defeat and a lot of pain.
Pro – Fighters are often seen as heartless or pure heart regardless of view its the heart that will get you to your chosen destiny. If you fight each battle and you’re willing to accept losses on the way you will win the war and the journey will have been great no doubt.
Con – You may be seen as a mean or bad person and you’ll face lots of hurdles all in an attempt to stop your inner desire of becoming a true champion. There will be times when you don’t feel the power or energy to fight but you know deep down those are the times when it truly counts.
Can we change our character?
It’s said our response cannot be controlled and we never truly know how we will respond to a crisis situation. But I have two theory’s
Uncomfortable situation: I like to put myself and my players in an uncomfortable situation as often as possible. This shows me their character and which one of the above they truly are! We can then work together to develop all three and find a way of making the fight (character) their no.1 characteristic.
Breathe: Lots of research has shown me that deep breathing (trigger’s your parasympathetic nervous system) which can ground into the moment. This method enables you to notice more clearly (be aware) by seeing, hearing and physical (not emotionally) feel. This method reassures your mind and body that it’s ok and this period will pass and you will soon regain control.
In the wild it’s all about survival of the fittest, do you have what it takes to become king of the jungle?
I will be attending the inner game conference held by Timothy Gallwey himself in Hertfordshire University on April 29th, 2019. It’s a full day packed with guest speakers and information provided to uplift your sporting game. If you wish to be a part of this special event see details below.
“Knowledge is Power”
I’ve grown as a person and coach because I’ve opened my mind to learning. Join me at the… THE INNER GAME
Conference with Timothy Gallwey
Venue: University of Hertfordshire, De Havilland Campus, Hertfordshire, AL10 9UF.
