Unless you're living under a rock, you know all the good matches around the world are transmitted live in the ITTF homepage (terrible quality, by the way) or posted short after in YouTube.
You probably also know the reason why the ball size was increased from 38 to 40 mm was because the ITTF wants table tennis to be easier to follow on video. Also, matches were shortened to 11 points and 2 un-hidden serves per person to accommodate short attention spans and reduce the difficulty of following the game.
Ping Pong (or table tennis) is fast, tactical, and complex. Each paddle motion imparts both directional momentum and rotational speed, not in 8 directions but in all possible combinations of a sphere (360° by 360°!). Reading spin is one of the most important aspects of the game and very difficult to grasp unless you play the sport.
What I want in TV broadcasting (and possibly in game screens for the live public) is a ball that has sensors (or from which data can be measured with optics) and transmits the information so that every stroke has its spin and speed recorded. A minuscule sensor on top of each player's blade could also be used to measure the stroke speed and angle shift.
In real time, I would love to see a live data, in the lower right corner of the screen, telling me the amount of spin and its direction on the ball, and the force applied by the paddle at the moment of contact. This would give fans who play the sport all sorts of insights into how the pro's play and their capabilities and strategies.
Can you imagine? Almost overnight, you would know who has the spiniest and most powerful shots and serves. It would revolutionize the sport for spectators forever - you would know exactly what happened and why, or could deduce it with some time.
I know technology isn't ready for this - but it will be someday. I'm sure within my lifetime.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Chinese over the table backhand loop
As most people have noticed, table tennis has changed in the last years thanks to the "over the table backhand loop" that Petr Korbel perfected and the chinese team so effortlessly use. There was a very good article in the usatt magazine detailing it not long ago.
It is a complicated technique, involving stepping into the ball, leaning your elbow forward, using a very small window of contact, and trying to hit the ball on the perpendicular of the direction of the incoming spin to minimize the effort; the revolutionary concept was that having the paddle in a very closed angle could be offset with a very fast twist. Notice in the videos the angle of the blade's handle just before the snapping starts, and how fast this snapping motion is.
Some great links I have found are:
http://bbs.chinatt.com/tt/dispbbs.asp?boardid=584&Id=258833
(if only I understood chinese)
and
and
It is a complicated technique, involving stepping into the ball, leaning your elbow forward, using a very small window of contact, and trying to hit the ball on the perpendicular of the direction of the incoming spin to minimize the effort; the revolutionary concept was that having the paddle in a very closed angle could be offset with a very fast twist. Notice in the videos the angle of the blade's handle just before the snapping starts, and how fast this snapping motion is.
Some great links I have found are:
http://bbs.chinatt.com/tt/dispbbs.asp?boardid=584&Id=258833
(if only I understood chinese)
and
and
Monday, August 20, 2012
2012 achievements so far
While I am still far from my goal of reaching a USATT level of 2000 in 2012 (and honestly it's probably impossible in Colorado, since the USATT ranked tourneys are over; but I'm looking more at the playing level than the actual score), I wanted to post my 2 big achievements so far.
In the bi-monthly round robins at top spin, I managed to place first in the medium category. It was not easy but it was a good day:
http://www.butterflyonline.com/static.asp?htmltemplate=/2012/12TSJRR.html
In the 2012 Rocky Mountain state games (which was a USATT ranked tourney) I managed to win the under 1700 tourney. The picture actually has my good friend and coach Angelo Gandullia, who won the Open in an exciting final.
http://www.butterflyonline.com/static.asp?htmltemplate=/2012/12COSG.html
However good these achievements are, the really unsatisfactory performances in bigger tourneys have instilled in me a greater urgency to gain fitness and practice more the attacking style. More on that in another post.
Ariel
In the bi-monthly round robins at top spin, I managed to place first in the medium category. It was not easy but it was a good day:
http://www.butterflyonline.com/static.asp?htmltemplate=/2012/12TSJRR.html
In the 2012 Rocky Mountain state games (which was a USATT ranked tourney) I managed to win the under 1700 tourney. The picture actually has my good friend and coach Angelo Gandullia, who won the Open in an exciting final.
http://www.butterflyonline.com/static.asp?htmltemplate=/2012/12COSG.html
However good these achievements are, the really unsatisfactory performances in bigger tourneys have instilled in me a greater urgency to gain fitness and practice more the attacking style. More on that in another post.
Ariel
Saturday, August 18, 2012
I hadn't posted but... Zhang Jike is olympic champion and fastest grand slam winner!
At age 24, Zhang Jike is the world's number one, reigning world champion, world cup champion and Olympic champion, breaking all known records in table tennis! Zhang Jike has set a new standard and made another milestone in his career that will be written in table tennis history.
from http://tabletennista.com/2012/8/zhang-jike-grand-slam-winner-in-445-days-p/
I told you back in April I was cheering for him. He's young and still hungry, still looks like he has something to prove.
http://tabletennista.com/2012/8/zhang-jike-aims-to-surpass-liu-guoliang-ph/
from http://tabletennista.com/2012/8/zhang-jike-grand-slam-winner-in-445-days-p/
I told you back in April I was cheering for him. He's young and still hungry, still looks like he has something to prove.
http://tabletennista.com/2012/8/zhang-jike-aims-to-surpass-liu-guoliang-ph/
Saturday, July 7, 2012
one of the most amazing Zhang Jike matches
That show his tremendous willpower and courage in the face of adversity
On producing spin
One of the most difficult things to master is producing spin.
A beginner to intermediate player will think spin depends solely on the rubber characteristics. This is not so; the rubber characteristics dictate maybe half of the final spin.
Advanced players know that spin depends more on incoming spin, motion, tempo, velocity, contact depth and grip.
Sure, you need a good rubber to produce massive spin, but it's akin to having a good weapon - you need to know how to extract the most out of it. This is why an advanced player can produce deadlier shots with seemingly inferior equipment.
the following covers mostly inverted rubbers; long pimples and anti spin normally can only add to spin, not counter it.
Incoming spin:
This is perhaps one of the easiest to understand principles. When you successfully counter or add to strong incoming spin, you are using the potential force of the ball already to your advantage. Knowing how to return strong spin, and how to add to strong incoming spin, are two different matters altogether, though. the following techniques are needed to add to strong incoming spin.
Motion:
You have to know the correct motion for producing the most spin. It normally is a more parallel trajectory, in regards to the table plane, than normal reason would say, with a slightly longer follow-through. When you achieve the best motion, you are countering and adding spin. The motion is thus longer and more fluid, with a higher velocity. When facing incoming spin, you are effectively slicing it more than the original slice.
Tempo:
You normally want to hit the ball in its apex or at the point that gives you the most dwell time. For chops, it can be from bounce to apex; for loops, from apex to fall. You have to look for the biggest range of motion (which helps the final velocity of the movement), and lowest height in relation to the net.
Velocity:
The velocity at which your paddle slices the ball must be higher than the incoming spin. incoming spin varies your angle, but the velocity of your paddle must be as high as possible. Normally big movements allow for the most velocity, and grip "seals the deal".
Contact depth:
merely grazing the ball will not be enough, but you cannot allow for the wood to come into play at the time of contact either. you want to use the flexibility of the rubber topsheet and let the ball "dig into" the rubber to create the maximum potential "spring rebound" effect (think of a tightened coil), while maintaining a perpendicular motion to the point of contact of the ball.
Grip:
In grip there are 2 aspects to mention:
- The wrist must act as the tip of a whip. When you start contact, your wrist must be tilted (sideways always, not to front and back) to your back; and when the motion finishes, it must be tilted towards your opponents side. The wrist effectively moves also in the direction of your movement, adding tangential momentum to your final stroke. the momentum of your wrist performing this movement adds to the final productive spin your rubber imparts.
- the grip must be soft at the beginning of the slice, but be very hard at the end. this neutralizes the harmonics of your force and consolidates them into one strong motion. Consider the catapult effect of something in motion tightening, like when brakes are applied on a car - the rubber responds to the concentrated force at the moment of impact. Note this only refers to the grip of the paddle - your wrist must remain loose. the timing for when to tighten grip is at the moment of contact.
These tips will improve your chops, serves, loops and other variants where maximum spin is desired. Note also, that when performed correctly, the ball has also great velocity and will normally dart in a very direct manner - the spin curve will only be seen over greater distances. thus, learn to adapt this in your game.
A beginner to intermediate player will think spin depends solely on the rubber characteristics. This is not so; the rubber characteristics dictate maybe half of the final spin.
Advanced players know that spin depends more on incoming spin, motion, tempo, velocity, contact depth and grip.
Sure, you need a good rubber to produce massive spin, but it's akin to having a good weapon - you need to know how to extract the most out of it. This is why an advanced player can produce deadlier shots with seemingly inferior equipment.
the following covers mostly inverted rubbers; long pimples and anti spin normally can only add to spin, not counter it.
Incoming spin:
This is perhaps one of the easiest to understand principles. When you successfully counter or add to strong incoming spin, you are using the potential force of the ball already to your advantage. Knowing how to return strong spin, and how to add to strong incoming spin, are two different matters altogether, though. the following techniques are needed to add to strong incoming spin.
Motion:
You have to know the correct motion for producing the most spin. It normally is a more parallel trajectory, in regards to the table plane, than normal reason would say, with a slightly longer follow-through. When you achieve the best motion, you are countering and adding spin. The motion is thus longer and more fluid, with a higher velocity. When facing incoming spin, you are effectively slicing it more than the original slice.
Tempo:
You normally want to hit the ball in its apex or at the point that gives you the most dwell time. For chops, it can be from bounce to apex; for loops, from apex to fall. You have to look for the biggest range of motion (which helps the final velocity of the movement), and lowest height in relation to the net.
Velocity:
The velocity at which your paddle slices the ball must be higher than the incoming spin. incoming spin varies your angle, but the velocity of your paddle must be as high as possible. Normally big movements allow for the most velocity, and grip "seals the deal".
Contact depth:
merely grazing the ball will not be enough, but you cannot allow for the wood to come into play at the time of contact either. you want to use the flexibility of the rubber topsheet and let the ball "dig into" the rubber to create the maximum potential "spring rebound" effect (think of a tightened coil), while maintaining a perpendicular motion to the point of contact of the ball.
Grip:
In grip there are 2 aspects to mention:
- The wrist must act as the tip of a whip. When you start contact, your wrist must be tilted (sideways always, not to front and back) to your back; and when the motion finishes, it must be tilted towards your opponents side. The wrist effectively moves also in the direction of your movement, adding tangential momentum to your final stroke. the momentum of your wrist performing this movement adds to the final productive spin your rubber imparts.
- the grip must be soft at the beginning of the slice, but be very hard at the end. this neutralizes the harmonics of your force and consolidates them into one strong motion. Consider the catapult effect of something in motion tightening, like when brakes are applied on a car - the rubber responds to the concentrated force at the moment of impact. Note this only refers to the grip of the paddle - your wrist must remain loose. the timing for when to tighten grip is at the moment of contact.
These tips will improve your chops, serves, loops and other variants where maximum spin is desired. Note also, that when performed correctly, the ball has also great velocity and will normally dart in a very direct manner - the spin curve will only be seen over greater distances. thus, learn to adapt this in your game.
another Zhang Jike video
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