We all go through table tennis ups and downs but what are the lessons? Ups:
Table Tennis has a special hypnotic effect and the game often is played in a trance-like mode. This is when you feel like you’re flying or hovering above the ground when moving, you see the ball like a football and time slows down. This feeling is experienced by most table tennis players and that high feeling is like a drug which leads to addictive thrive for more play.
Downs:
Table Tennis can also be one of the most frustrating things on the planet. Forced and unforced errors consistently occur in every play. What seems easy can feel impossible and development is only done through vigorous training.
A sport that gives in many ways but also likes to take in abundance.
Fun Table Tennis
How to increase the good times:
First and foremost we must remember good times are subjective. We manipulate reality via our thoughts. Someone may play a forehand and to one person it’s incredible but to someone else, it may seem average.
We must define our reality in a positive and productive way. This allows you to enjoy more positive feelings and outcomes, furthermore, it can enable a faster development process.
The game can be lost or won, this is subject to our personal game play which dictates the outcome. Meaning, some play to win and others play not to lose and some do both depending on the situation. If we play not to lose often you will beat yourself up, if and when you do lose. If you play to win, often you will look at losing via the question of why? And how the outcome was not what you wanted it to be.
You see our mindset is the key component here. When you have the will to enforce positive actions your brain will seek ways to deliver your desired outcome.
Three elements to keep the good times in Table tennis
Remember why you play, because you love the game
Mindset: Every event or circumstance is subjective therefore you can make it a positive or negative scenario.
Table tennis is a sport that gives through life’s lessons. Use your losses, and wins as life learning experiences. Develop yourself through the sport that enables in so many ways.
Life has its ups and downs, and our character is built via the way we deal with those experiences.
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Written by Eli Baraty
I went to the Junior British League event, last weekend and listened to people’s voices.
We all have a voice:
The beauty of going to an event as a freeman it enables you to view an event from all angles. You have time to observe players, coaches and spectators. Most importantly you have time to speak to officials, coaches, players, and parents.
We all have a voice and not always but on occasion you will hear some great ideas and suggestions.
Listening over reading meetings:
I know TTE send out emails and hold little meetings for our sport but I also believe going out into the field is hugely required.
When we receive emails we express our ideas and some are read some are dismissed and few are implemented. When we have meetings, time is limited, few can truly express themselves and often there are many disagreements (unproductive).
I am not saying stop the email surveys and meetings, all I am saying is we need soldiers on the field. So people inside table tennis can be heard because we all have a voice.
One on one:
If we had a TTE desk/stand or a TTE representative in every tournament (I believe it’s not hard, a TTE person attends his local tournaments). E.g Simon attends 4 events, Alan 4 events, Sandra 4, etc.
This would allow personal conversations and I believe the benefits would be huge:
Table tennis people would feel valued and TTE representatives would see first hand what events look like and feel like. Furthermore, they would be able to interpret the events better from an inside perspective.
This would give an opportunity for all table tennis people to approach the representatives and personally express ideas and thoughts.
The list goes on…
What did I learn by going round and listening?
The love table tennis people have for the sport is amazing. Every person I spoke to commit and sacrifice in so many ways to enable themselves to take part.
Everyone has a gripe, unfortunately, nothing is perfect but if we try to find solutions I’m sure there we would far less negativity.Some have amazing ideas but because our system has such poor communication links these ideas cannot be implemented or even attempted.
Everyone wants more and better. This was music to my ears when you want more it can only mean one thing. If you work for it you will get it.
Lastly, most speak in the same fashion and views but express themselves differently. And unfortunately, in many ways, it feels like we are all individuals wanting the same thing. We have to find a bridging system to unite our visions.
Junior British League 2018
The aim is simple:
Listen, unite, implement!
Table tennis is an amazing sport with incredible people all we must do is take the multi colours and draw the picture that everyone can and will admire.
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Written Eli Baraty
Building table tennis foundations are one aspect of the game, few are willing to focus on in today’s modern society. We live in an instant gratification bubble, (surrounded by layers of protection and technology creating a virtual world).
After watching the European table tennis championships this weekend. I quickly realised why Timo Boll is the most successful player in the European Championship’s history. Timo Boll is without a doubt the most stable player in Europe and this is because he has put in the graft for many many years. Commitment, persistence, repetition and hard work is something many younger players lack in Europe.
Building a foundation:
Timo started from a very young age on his home table with his dad. It was clear back then that the aim was to develop his strokes and craft his shots. Technically his forehand is not textbook but Timo has manufactured a solid forehand shot. Years of controlled footwork enables Timo to play high-quality shots from both wings, whether at a standstill or in motion.
The difference between Timo and the rest of the European players:
Timo Boll at the European Championships 2018
The difference between Timo and the rest of European players? He is the safest player on both wings, his shots may not be as powerful as Carlderano’s or as fast Harimoto’s shots but they are of extremely high quality. Every shot is positive with plenty of energy on the ball and both wings have a very low margin of error. Timo’s stability on both wings enables him to slowly break down his European opponents. No matter what the score is or how good his opponent/’s are playing, they often question themselves. In their minds, “Timo won’t miss, will I start missing? “I must play super high-quality shots to win, otherwise Timo is too consistent for me!” Those factors, put huge pressure on players to play at a high-risk game constantly and mentally they doubt their personal ability.
Why has Timo never won a Worlds or Olympic title?
Over 15 years ago I told, my students when Timo was world no.1, he will never win the Worlds or Olympic title!
Why such a bold statement? For me Timo is a complete player, unfortunately being complete is not enough! Many Asian players are complete players and this means they can able to go toe to toe with Timo. You need a weapon, Timo has no real weapon, his weapon is his solid foundations. In Europe, that’s enough to be on top of the pack. Most European players don’t have a solid base but many have a weapon and those weapons can inflict shock results. Examples of weapons:
Liam Pitchford – Backhand Switch
Par Garrell – Service
Ma Long – Huge Power
Harimoto – Speed
Zhang Jike – Mental toughness
All these players have the X-factor and that’s why they have won majors or are capable of pulling off extraordinary performances.
What European players need to become world beaters:
They must work on: Dedication – Developing strong foundations, lots of time spent on basic stroke development. This entails lots of repetition and many hours in the practice hall. Footwork – Understand and develop correct footwork to enable powerful shots whether at a standstill or in motion Middle Game – Hone in on high-quality shots constantly without breaking down, enabling continuous rallies when their weapons are not working.
An example of a hard-working European Player but started too late – Click Here
The secret:
Start young, work on consistency and repetition, developing high tension shots on a regular basis. Be patient and over time those building blocks will have formed a solid foundation. At the same time develop a weapon and then you have all the attributes to be great like Timo but also win majors like Ma Long and Zhang Jike.
There’s no tree on the planet standing without strong routes if you want to stand strong build strong foundation!
Written by Eli Baraty eBaTT (Eli Baraty Academy of Table Tennis) Coach Me Table Tennis – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
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Starting a new sport can be daunting but being a table tennis player is a whole new ball game.
Where do I begin?
The innocence, when you begin playing or take your child to the local TTC it feels amazing. Unfortunately, the fairy-tale diminishes as you incorporate yourself into the sport. Table tennis is often seen as; a game, recreational sport, an office pass-time and a home family game/activity.
Forehand Topspin Eli Baraty
Table Tennis is so much more!
Firstly it’s an Olympic sport and to all those who see it as something else, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Today table tennis is such a lucrative sport in Asia, and many start training from as young as one year old. Parents take full advantage of a sport that can be developed before you can even walk.
Before you can walk!
What sport can you begin playing before you can walk? I believe there isn’t one. Furthermore what sport can you play aged 100 years old and you can beat 95% of the world’s population? Again, only Table Tennis!
Our sport is so dynamic, so versatile and yet it fails to be a mainstream sport in most countries.
Being a table tennis player
It’s possible to make a good living out of table tennis, you must be in or around the top 100 ranked players in the world. Having this level can generate you an income of up to £1000000 per year. This includes prize money, endorsements, sponsorship, club representation and other sources of income.
The sport of table tennis is so tough:
Even though table tennis is not a mainstream sport, it’s the second most played sport in the world. Making the competition so high. Years of training is required and even though you may have the best shots you could still be beaten by players far less skilled. Table tennis has so many elements required in order to master it which is why some will train over 8 hours a day to perfect their game.
Nothing easy is special which is why table tennis is so special…
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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
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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