Ask The Coach Show | Table Tennis

Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 1:22 What playing conditions make a difference for you? Floors, lights, table? #PQOTD - 4:03 Which player do you want to play like? ITTF Legends Tour 2015 - 4:30 The winners, the losers, and the different styles as people age. Waldner Loses in the Semi-final - 6:48 Brock: I watched the Legend Tour yesterday and Waldner lost in the semi-final but I thought he would win this time. Did you notice some things he forgot to do or think about that made him lose? Fast Blade Slow Rubber - 7:42 Sam: I was thinking whether I could mix a fast blade with slow rubbers, as the next bat I get will probably be customised. This means that you could start with slow rubbers then when you want faster rubbers you can keep and save money on the Blade? Small Table - 9:50 Akash: If we play table tennis on a small tt table, is it helpful for us or not?  What is the advantages and disadvantages. Serve Etiquette - 11:55 Thomas: Recently I played with someone with a lot of experience and my soft short pendulum serve won me some points, and he criticized this serve and the points won by it. I wonder if there is an unwritten rule that you are not supposed to serve like this. Best Penholder Ever - 13:23 Peerawit: Who is the best penhold player ever? Best Chinese Player Ever - 15:10 Bhaswar: Who is the best Chinese table tennis player ever? The Best Bat - 16:36 Kunaljeet: What's the best table tennis bat? Popularity - 18:16 Brock: How can table tennis be that popular a sport? Winds - 21:02 Haroon: Do you have any tips for playing in high amounts of wind? Robots - 22:37 Brock: How helpful is a robot? Links in this Episode Stellan Bengtsson Vs Chuang* Tse-tung Choosing a Table Tennis Bat Ding Ning Off The Table ITTF Legends Tour  

ITTF Legends Tour - 1:05 The ITTF Legends Tour Ignites Ping Power in Halmstad Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 5:23 Is red really faster? Which colour do you use on your forehand? #PQOTD - 7:01 What playing conditions make a difference for you? Floors, lights, table? Reverse Backhand Serve - 7:26 Johan: Are there any potential downsides to Reverse Backhand serve? I find it  easier to play short with spin than normal backhand serve. People just stare at you like "what the hell did you just do?" if you start with a long and fast serve like that. Rubber Foam - 9:35 Ben: I was at a tournament a few years ago and saw people from new york putting some kind of foam on the rubber blade of the paddle and using a a special sponge to help the rubber more slick, what exactly is it? Slow Topspin Against a Sharp Push - 11:31 Charankamal: How do you hit a topspin on a sharp push and how to make it spinny and slow? Spin with Short Pimples - 14:44 Andrej: I tried two different short pimples out rubbers, both of which are said to generate spin. While I'm aware that there can never be as much spin as with inverted, with my usual technique I wasn't able to get any amount of topspin on the ball. Practicing the Forehand Counterhit - 16:49 Bhaswar: while doing the forehand -forehand counterhit with my friends the ball sometimes becomes too low or goes though the middle of the table .i cannot hit it with the same speed and drop it on the same place..and where do i stand near the table to it the best? Can Waldner Win? - 18:25 Brock: Do you think Waldner can win the Legends Tour? Returning a Smash - 19:02 Jaydon: When I return a slam, is it better to slam back or just to do a backhand topspin? Upgrading Your Bat - 20:29 Jaydon: If I upgrade my bat, what is the best part to upgrade? Links in this Episode Receiving Smashes in Table Tennis Lob Positioning to Return a Smash Slow Spinny Topspin ITTF Legends Tour  

Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 1:14 Does a home ground make much difference to results in Table Tennis? #PQOTD - 2:46 Is Red really faster?  Which colour rubber do you use for your forehand? No spin Tomahawk serve - 3:12 Johan: How would you go about making a tomahawk serve without much spin? Currently I do it by coming under the ball a lot and pushing it forward a bit... It looks like a no spin serve as a variation on pure backspin. Is there any subtler way? Learning the Pendulum Serve - 6:19 Lukas: So when I watch Waldner play, I notice that he ALWAYS serves from his left corner. He does the same swing, but he moves his wrist differently, so he get's different spin most of the time. Is there a good way to learn to serve like this? Random Footwork Drills - 8:51 Ilia: All the footwork drlls that I saw so far are regular,  the active person know where to expect the ball (unless they practice with an inconsistent partner). Does it make sense to add randomness to the footwork exercises? Umpiring Call - 11:33 Phillip: When playing doubles and the server is serving very close to the center line, who has the call if the serve is in or out?  Specifically, if there is a disagreement, (there is no umpire or referee) does the server or receiver have the final say?  Backhand Topspin Contact Point - 15:23 Lukas: I'm trying to get better at the backhand topspin (where you really twist your wrist before you do the stroke). It really depends where I hit on the racket, so I'm wondering; where is the contact point for this stroke? Table Tennis Terms - 16:29 Steve: Terminology in Table Tennis? Links in this Episode PingSkills Training Drills PDF Tomahawk Serve Pendulum Serve Terminology of Table Tennis Question  

Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 1:23 Can Timo Boll & Ma Long win this year's World Doubles Championships? #PQOTD - 4:06 Does a home ground make much difference to results in Table Tennis? Jan Ove Waldner vs Ma Lin - 4:42 Brock: I have been watching some Jan Ove Waldner matches and I was wondering ' Can he match the level and beat players like Timo Boll or Ma Lin? Do you think Waldner would match that level these players are right now? He would crush them in his prime easy. Forehand in a Wheelchair - 6:54 Calle: I sit in a wheelchair. The problem is that backhand goes very good, but I can't take forehands because then I need to move with the wheelchair, so what I choose to do is to hit with back hand...is there anything I can do to be able to hit forehand? Neutralising Spin - 9:15 Johan: You talk about by making a heavy topspin, you will neutralise your opponent's spin. Does the same hold true for backspin or sidespin? If you get a really fine and fast brush, will it counter their spin in the same way as a heavy topspin? Positive Attitude - 13:04 Lukas: On Friday, I was playing matches in my club. I was 2-0 down when I was playing my first match, but then I started telling myself: "I'm better than this guy", "I can beat him easily". I won the game 3-2 after that. Have you done this before? Tips for Smashing - 14:24 Brock: Do you know a special tip to improve your backhand and forehand smash? Plastic Ball Ready Rubbers? - 15:48 Matt: I was just wondering if a change of rubber is necessary for the new plastic balls as I haven't played with them yet, I have seen many stores selling rubbers that sell plastic ball ready rubbers and some that aren't plastic ready. Changing Rubbers - 16:47 Ernest: Is it possible to move our old rubber to new blade? Links in this Episode Forehand Smash Backhand Smash Replacing Your Rubber  

Previous #PQOTD - 1:41 Have you started using the Plastic ball yet? #PQOTD - 3:23 Can Timo Boll & Ma Long win this year's World Doubles Championships? Timo Boll and Ma Long - 3:37 At the World Championships Timo Boll and Ma Long will play together in doubles. Will this be good for table tennis? Manufacturers and Rubbers - 5:55 Nigel: Manufacturers sell a product with low life expectancy for some remarkably high prices. Currently I am enjoying Tenergy 80 but find it is very brittle and at the current disintegration rate will have to replace it before it's 3 months old! Multiball or Regular Drills - 8:23 Matt: My partner and I practice 2 or 3 times a week for 2 hours each time. We have been wondering whether it is better to take it in turns to feed multiball to each other or to do drills by hitting the ball back to each other. Thank you Style of Women - 11:03 Johan: An opponent in a little burst of frustration said I "play like a woman", because I play so close to the table. I thought it was hilarious, but then I started wondering, is there anything to his observation that women play closer to the table? Finger Issues - 12:25 Brock: I forgot to say that I hold down my finger on my bat but it hit either my fingers or the edge on my bat. I feel like I have the most unluck in school. It doesn't hit my finger when I practise in my club, just in the school. I sometimes nearly throw my bat Links in this Episode Introduction to Multiball  

How to Run a Successful Club - 0:24 Guest Mark Taylor talks about how to run a successful club Yesterday's #PQOTD - 18:47 What was the most important thing you learned at your first tournament? #PQOTD - 21:54 Have you started using the plastic balls yet? Club Update - 22:20 Christopher: Hi Jeff and Alois! Just an update on the club, we have implemented a few of the suggestions you gave and numbers have been steadily increasing. We hit our peak a few days ago (about 24 people with 4 tables) and may need to look at another venue. Thank you! Pivoting - 22:52 Bhaswar: When a ball comes (not much fast)on the left side of the table i go to the left hand corner and try to play the forehand topspin stroke...while doing it very fast (the movement) I lose balance and move away from the table. What should i do to stop this? Who is the Best? - 24:41 Brock: Who is the better one between all three of you? Returning a Long Sidespin Serve - 25:05 Lukas: A couple of days ago I started using a fast topspin against a very spinny sidespin serve. It worked pretty good for me. Is this an effective way to return the serve, or is there a better way? (Short push, chop or something else) PingSkills Premium Membership - 26:29 Edgar: I want a premium membership for one month only, but apparently you charge my paypal account every month. How do I get one month only to try it out? Links in this Episode Club Help Website Club Health Check Warrnambool Table Tennis Association Ready, Set, Move  Training Drills How to Return a Long Sidespin Serve

Brock's Update - 0:45 Did Brock beat the tall guy? Yesterday's #PQOTD - 1:29 How long can Samsonov stay competitive with the best in the World? #PQOTD - 3:43 What was the most important thing you learned at your first tournament? First Tournament - 4:08 Andre: I am going for the tournament and I need help with what equipment I need e.g (kind of) clothing, number of bats and so on. I would like to know everything so I don't embarrass myself in the tournament. Thanks in advance? Thumb on Backhand - 7:07 Frendy: I want to ask about the thumb on backhand. Some people told me to put my thumb a little bit up on the rubber but some others told me to only put it on the paddle just like the usual grip. Varying Speed of Topspin - 8:57 Ralph: When I want to vary between a fast loop and slow loop off heavy chop, could explain the two different techniques to achieve those shots.  How open should the blade be? How much should you let the ball drop? how much should the ball reach the wood? Long Pimples with Sponge - 13:18 Nikola: Hello! I am interested in investing in a new sheet of long pimples. I am wondering what the difference between OX (no sponge) and 1-1.2mm sponge. How will it affect the playstile of the rubber and my arsenal of shots? Hitting Your Finger - 15:37 Brock:  have a problem, When I am playing in the school I often hit my finger, very often. nearly all balls I get. the players who is worser than me wins. Do you have some tip to help me with that or there isn't a tip to help that? Links in this Episode Forehand Topspin Against Backspin Advanced Forehand Topspin Slow Spinny Topspin Shakehand Grip  

Alois's Trick - 0:40 Rolling the Ball from Side to Side Playing for Another Country - 2:28 We discuss the rules around playing for another country Yesterday’s  #PQOTD - 6:53 When your opponent makes a service error, do you say "Thank you”? #PQOTD - 9:33 How long can Samsonov stay competitive with the best in the World? Sidespin Backspin Loops - 10:15 Brock: Your tip for the loop with backspin and sidespin didn't work, do you have any other tip to block it? I'm frustrated :D !!!! I'm Improving - 12:40 Lukas: Today at school I played against one of the best player in my club, and he won 15-13, none of us were trying our hardest, but I was still happy about the result. He's been playing a LOT longer than me, so I think that I've improved a lot in just 4 weeks! Tomahawk serve - 13:24 Huzaifa: I have seen many people doing the tomhawk serve and they say that it is a very special serve i don’t seem to see anything special in it   WHY? Tomahawk vs Pendulum - 15:57 Brock: Which serve do you prefer, the pendulum or the tomahawk serve? Wrist Position for Shakehand Grip - 16:47 Nick: It was recently suggested to me by a much better player (I'm a beginner) that I should keep my wrist angled a little down. He says it will be important to move to the next level. I have been using a straight wrist shakehand grip. What are your thoughts? Improving Consistency in Serving - 18:46 Koekjes95: Hi pingskillers, After 10 years of playing I have developed quite effective serves. But still, I keep missing too much serves in a match. Do you have any tips to improve my consistency in serving? Returning Topspin Serves - 20:25 Lukas: And also, when I get a heavy topspin serve, I tend to go a little back and loop the ball back. Should I continue doing that, or should I try and get used to the tips in your video on heavy topsin? Balance - 21:54 Brock: How can I improve my balance? Defenders & Penholders disappearing - 23:05 Viet: Nowadays, I see defenders and penholders are getting fewer. Most of top players now play shakehand style and attack. For example, Joo Se Hyuk is the only defender that is well known. Also, Xu Xin and Wang Hao are the only penholders. Starting Quickly - 26:17 Nick: I am finding it takes me a long time (a couple of hours) of playing to really be able to play at my peak. Any advice or warmups that might help? Links in this Episode Tomahawk Serve Shakehand Grip How to Practice Your Serve Basic Stance Training Drills  

Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 0:54 Should the ITTF put in place stricter rules to stop ex Chinese players playing for different countries? #PQOTD - 5:43 When your opponent makes a service error, do you say "Thank you”? Playing Against Sidespin - 6:15 Bhaswar: How do we play against a very heavy sidespin? The one that spins on the right? I generally use the forehand topspin stroke. Why are the Chinese Better? - 8:15 Brock: How can a Chinese play better at table tennis than a Swedish player? Different tempo or what? Tomokazu Harimoto - 10:06 Lukas: How old do you think Tomokazu Harimoto was when he started to play table tennis? Waldner - 12:40 Brock: Does Waldner still live in China or does he live in Sweden now or does he still compete? 52 week Training Plan - 13:13 Matthew: I’ve been training for a month and I’ve learnt the forehand and backhand counterhit, backhand and forehand push, and forehand topspin. I can do around 100 of these. I am thinking about becoming a Premium member and using the 52 week training plan. Rolling the ball on bat - 16:00 Tom: How do you roll the ball from one side of the bat to the other. In your 'practicing alone' video at 02:05 you start rolling the ball from one side to the other. How do you do this? Preserving a Lead - 17:46 J-B: Playing against an opponent of similar level. Leading with what statistically looks like a decisive margin, say like 8-5. You think that in this position, it would be a shame to not be able to close it.  You play like your grandmother and blow it. Playing tournaments - 22:36 Andre: I have been playing table tennis for 4 years and I want to begin to play in tournaments. There's a tournament in 2 months and it's a regional qualifier.  Should I sign up for it or do I still need more time to practise? Backhand Counterhit Follow Through - 25:08 Bhaswar: When practising the backhand counterhit I don't much follow through but the ball goes really nice? Is it really important now to follow through? Your Idol - 26:31 Brock: Who was your grown-up idol in table tennis when you were kids? Improving Quickly - 26:53 Lukas: It's very impressive, Tomokazu proved how good you can get in a couple of years. Do you think that if you practise hard enough, that you can reach that level in just a couple of years? Links in this Episode 52 Week Training Plan Training Plan PDF Training Drills PDF Pre-point routine Backhand Counterhit Lesson  

Previous #PQOTD - 0:46 Who is hungriest for the World Championships 2015? #PQOTD  - 1:59 Should the ITTF put in place stricter rules to stop ex Chinese players playing for different countries? Discussion - 2:24 Safir Open and Qatar Open Crying Player - 9:43 Nigel: I was umpiring a junior match between a boy and a girl about 10-13 years old. The girl won the first game and the boy the second after that the girl came out crying, this seemed to put the lad off . How should you handle this sort of situation? Counter Long Spin Serve - 11:23 Ernest: Is a topspin stroke the most effective way to counter a long serve? Are there any strokes to return long serve? Maybe you can suggest to me another way to return long serve effectively. Speed and Spin - 13:27 Kaustubh: How does speed affect spin and vice versa? Blocking a Sidespin Loop - 16:07 Brock: How can I block a loop with backspin and sidespin on it? The tall guy started doing this last time. How can I block it? I can block normal loops. Improving Balance - 18:42 Bhaswar: What are the exercises that we can do to improve our movement and balance while playing table tennis? Counter Heavy Topspin - 19:30 Lukas: What's the best way to counter a really heavy topspin? Best Ever - 20:47 Bhaswar: Who is the best table tennis player ever? Links in this Episode Forehand Topspin Against Backspin Counter a Slow Spinny Topspin Sidespin Forehand Topspin  

Yesterday’s #PQOTD - 0:53 What are the critical factors for running a successful club? #PQOTD  - 9:11 Who is hungriest for the World Championships 2015? Brock vs Tall Guy - 9:32 Brock: I played with the tall guy earlier today and he won 2-0 in matches, match 1: 21- 15 and Match 2: 21-17 so I'm really close now and I think I might beat him next week :) just so you know ;) Stopping the attack - 10:05 Daniel Lim: I recently played a player who had a very strong and accurate third ball attack and lost badly. Are there any general tips you could give to discourage or even prevent a third ball attack from an opponent? Cutting rubber - 13:02 Daniel Coto: I am able to glue the rubber correctly to the blade, but I am having nightmares getting a clean cut. I've seen people cut the sponge with the first motion and then the sheet with the second pass. I don't know what knife I should use. Serve choices - 15:33 Geoff: I have settled on the backhand serve for my "bread and butter" serve as it is successful. If my other serve is the tomahawk serve, the sidespin element on all my services would be in the same direction.  Do you feel like this a drawback? Contact point on your bat - 18:03 Phil: For maximum topspin should you contact the ball with the top half or bottom half of the paddle? Fake Rubbers - 19:30 Christopher: What is your experience with fake blades/rubbers? Returning with Backhand - 20:24 Sasha: I have got a tournament on Sunday and I am concerned about an opponent's serve. He does a sidespin backspin serve to my forehand, I can't topspin. Should I play the backhand from the forehand corner. Stronger Wrist - 22:24 Brock: If I would train my wrist and forearm in a gym, would I get more spin then? Links in this Episode Receiving Secrets Replacing Your Rubber  

Yesterday's #PQOTD - 1:02 Without the Chinese players at the Qatar Open, can Ovtcharov win? #PQOTD - 1:50 What are the critical factors for running a successful club? Question 1 - 3:08 Andre: I’ve been think about this for a while now, why don't people hide their strokes, like their serves back in the day? I know it would be hard to master but adding side spin slightly to a topspin ball can really make the difference. Question 2 - 6:10 Martinand: When we play slowly it's easy to know if I play with forehand or backand but when the play is quicker it's difficult to know where the ball arrive for the forehand we have to arm the arm before the ball arrives. Any suggestions? Question 3 - 9:46 DK: Do you have any idea how to practise footwork and connect it with the stroke? Question 4 - 13:17 Jake: In other sports, I've benefited from cross training (such as adding some swimming while training for track and field). Are there non-table tennis activities you recommend as part of a table tennis training program? Question 5 - 15:00 Brock: Do you know a great table tennis exercise that is very effective? Question 6 - 16:25 Brock: How is it going with your cube Alois? Links in this Episode Wobbly Shot Footwork Basics Ready Set Move Master Class Training Secrets Training Drills PDF Download Alois solving the cube in 2006  

Yesterday's #PQOTD - 1:03 What are the critical factors that make the Chinese better? #PQOTD - 3:56 Without the Chinese players at the Qatar Open, can Ovtcharov win? Question 1 - 5:10 Abdul: What did you parents say about playing Table Tennis? Question 2 - 5:53 Brock: How was your feeling after your first loss in a tournament? Did you became more nervous for other matches or did it get better? Question 3 - 8:30 Anthony: When receiving serve, my opponent says that I can not move to step around or anything until the ball has left the racket. Is this true? Thanks. Question 4 - 10:19 Malke: It was 10:9 for my opponent and he served the ball. He pretended to serve backspin service so I tried to push it back. The problem was the ball was so wet that it immediately fell down. Can I make the ball wet to manipulate the surface? Question 5 - 13:02 Marcus: It was my turn to take the U13 team to their match. The doubles was 2:0 start but the boys just did not realise how the opponents corrected their game and adjusted. They lost the following 3 sets. I did not take any timeouts. Should I have? Question 6 - 15:26 Andre: When playing forehand topspin, do you have the same angle for the bat when you focus on both spin and power? or when playing power close the bat and go more horizontal with my arm and forehand and spin more open and have a vertical stroke? Question 7 - 18:06 Brock: This question is to Alois: Do you think your 1990's hairstyle can comeback again? ; ) Links in this Episode PingPod #31 - Chinese Domination PingPod #36 - Giving Advice During a Match Forehand Topspin Advanced Forehand Topspin Slow Spinny Topspin  

Yesterdays #PQOTD - 1:01 In how many countries is Table Tennis played? #PQOTD - 4:23 What are the critical factors that make the Chinese better? Question 1 - 4:59 Matt:  I get nervous during matches. My arm feels very nervous , as if it's almost shaking. This doesn't help my shots as they start to miss. I am an attacker. But sometimes I am too sacred to attack. How can I stop these problems? Question 2 - 9:39 Dieter: Last session our coach taught us the mental device of discharge-relax-recharge between every two points. I was focussing less on tactical plan. It was hard completing this routine against players who served immediately. Is it worth developing this? Question 3 - 14:57 NickyT: I am a beginner and I am trying to learn how to return side spin serves. What tips can you give me? Question 4 - 18:03 Christopher: I have recently started a small table tennis club (4 tables). What are some good ways to attract people to the club? Any other nuggets of wisdom to help with the initial phase? Question 5 - 22:20 Dakota: Do you think there is a limit to how far reading and watching videos can take you? I have put in countless hours of reading up on the many aspects of the game and watching videos. Question 6 - 23:53 Thomas: I am 52 years old and a beginner ((obviously a very rare  and unusual species :-)  ): According to your experience...what is the MINIMUM thickness of sponge of Mark V that you would recommend to learn with? Links in this Episode Sports Psychology Videos Developing a Pre-Point Routine Receiving Secrets Videos Choosing a Table Tennis Bat  

Previous #PQOTD - 3:08 Have you played in a tournament?  If so what were your experiences at your first tournament? #PQOTD - 4:26 In how many countries is Table Tennis played? Question 1 - 5:30 Dieter: I’m following the Chinese trials and none of them were chole-ing ever. Have the Chinese eradicated this altogether or only in trials? Fan zendong used to cho after each point. Ma long would wipe the table. They’re doing nothing of the kind. Question 2 - 7:37 Brock: Hey Pingskills! I practise harder than I have ever done before and I improves really much now. I played with the tall guy yesterday in he won with 21-12 so I'm pretty close ;) I've now noticed that he starts loop both fast long to the FD and BD area Question 3 - 9:28 Zhang: How do you attack a ball that is over the table during a rally (not the first five balls)? My opponents blocks it back with backspin so it is over the table. Question 4 - 11:32 Yazid: Hi Alois . What is the best way to serve. Power serve or slow serve? Question 5 - 14:35 Brock: What is your best bat you recommend on your website? Question 6 - 15:48 Abhiroop: I have seen many international right handed players like ma long stand extreme left or even the corner of the board taking a stance to return serves. Is it to open their dominant forehand? Why do they stay so low while receiving?