May 5, 2015

Coaching Between Points?

The ITTF has apparently passed a new rule that says, starting Oct. 1, 2016, coaches will be able to coach players between points. Here's a link and discussion at Table Tennis Daily. Here's an article on it by Matt Hetherington. Here's a Facebook discussion. And here's my primary commentary: What???!!!

Until 2001 games were to 21. This meant that the only coaching in a typical two out of three was after the first game, and if it was tied one-all, after the second game. Since games were longer and you could see more points, coaching was much easier. In fact, I had times where I coached as many as three matches at the same time, by rapidly switching from watching one to the others. (Since most time is spent between points, you don't actually miss much.)

After 2001 things got tricky. It seemed like you'd just be sitting down after coaching one game and they'd finish another, since 11-point games are pretty quick. (They seemed even quicker back then, since we were all used to 21-point games.) I coached two matches at a time a few times, but it wasn't easy. The tide had turned to the point where coaches had a much greater influence than before. I could make a long list of matches where a player I coached probably wouldn't have won if not for all the coaching - in particular, being able to do so in a close match after the first, second, third, and fourth games. Another rule that came out in the early 2000s was the timeout rule, allowing each player one one-minute timeout per match. And so now in typical matches coaches are allowed to coach players up to five times per match, where before it was only two. (In a best of five to 21, you could coach up to four times in a match, as compared to a modern best of seven to 11, where you can coach up to seven times in a match.)

And now we're allowing coaching between points? What exactly are the rules on this? Can I call or signal out things every point? Do I work out signs with my player so I can signal every serve throughout the match? Wow.

And so the tide has swung dramatically in favor of those with a good match coach. Since this is one of my strengths, you'd think I was for this - and deep down, I kind of like the growing importance of what I do well. But is it good for the game, and for the player? Players need to be self-reliant. We're teaching them more and more to just do as they're told.

It also lowers the importance of pre-match preparation. That's where a coach should really shine. Before a match a good coach prepares a player mentally and tactically for a match - both are equally important. If a coach does a good job here, then the coaching between games is often mostly reminders and updates on new things that you keep to a minimum. (If you don't have a coach, you should learn to do these things on your own.)

For example, I recently watched an extremely important match livestreamed with a player I'd coached before against the same opponent he/she was playing, with my player winning easily both times. I was practically pounding my fist on the screen, wanting to tell the player two simple things I'd reminded the player of before, but which the player had forgotten. It would have taken ten seconds. Later I talked to the player, who was rather chagrined at not realizing what he/she had forgotten, and which no one had reminded the player before (and apparently during) the match. It changed what might have been a 3-0 win into a close loss.

I will be watching closely to see the clarification of this rule.

Scientific Discoveries at MDTTC

Yesterday was a day of scientific discovery at MDTTC. Here's a rundown on things some of the things our junior players learned.

  • It was Star Wars Day, and they learned the significance of May the Fourth/May the Force be with you.
  • You can't play table tennis with cheese balls. They don't bounce.
  • The mouse on my laptop computer works from far side of club, probably over 100 feet away.
  • A wet ping-pong paddle will stick to the side of the table.
  • You can fix a ball that's been partly deformed if you know how to work it back into shape, but for some reason it works best if you do this immediately after the ball has been deformed. (Or you can take it home and put it in a pot of boiling water, and let air pressure do the trick.)
  • There's no mathematical advantage to serving first. I had a discussion with someone via email over this, who believed serving first gave a mathematical advantage, but it does not. I discussed this with some of our juniors. I might blog about this later in the week. Is there anyone out there who insists there is a mathematical advantage to serving first? (The faulty argument is that you have an advantage because you get to serve more than the opponent in many games. I'm just waiting for someone to argue this so I can respond with a blog on it!)

Watching the Ball

Here's the new coaching article from Han Xiao. There's more to this than meets the eye!

In Spite Of vs. Because Of

Here's the new coaching article by Samson Dubina.

Was the Ball More Entertaining Part 2

Here's the article about the new plastic balls by Matt Hetherington, with a link to Part 1.

At Mid-Season in the Capital Area League Three Clear Favorites Emerge

Here's the article by Stefano Ratti.

Professionalism Emphasized at New York Indoor Sports Club

Here's the club profile by Barbara Wei.

Point of the Century?

Here's the ITTF press release and link to video (59 sec) to that point I linked to yesterday between Ma Long and Fang Bo in the Men's Singles Final at the Worlds. (The link from the picture doesn't work for me, so use the link below the picture or the one I gave above.) They are calling it the point of the century. What do you think? There've been some good ones!!! (Here's a nice 45-sec one someone posted yesterday.)

Top Ten Points from the Worlds

Here's the video (5:56).

Las Vegas Table Tennis

Here's the video (1:55) - Don't mess with these older players! (That's Errol Resek on the far side, Jiri Hlava on the near side.)

Driving with the Stars

Here's the Qoros Driving with the Stars videos, where they talk with Jan-Ove Waldner, the Saive brothers, Zhang Jike, Elizabeth Samara, Marcos Freitas, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, and Ma Long. Most are for 3-4 minutes.

Allstar Cast Help Raise Raise $350,000 with their Paddles

Here's the article on the fundraising exhibition that featured Scott Preiss, Jim Butler, Eric Owens, David Zhuang, and Mark Hazinski.

Table Tennis Dance Video

Here's the video (3:05) from China.

Zhang Jike and the Avengers

Here's the video (33 sec) - maybe they should do a Ma Long version now, perhaps jumping on the table?

More Mike Mezyan Pictures

NOTE - If you are unable to see these pictures, all you have to do is join the Table Tennis Group - it's easy! Here are all the past, present, and (soon) future pictures he's collected. (I pick out his best ones for here - he has more.)

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