November 3, 2016

High-Toss Backspin Serves Lead to Misreads
Yesterday during practice games with a student at the end of a session I pulled something on him that I used to do in tournaments – I pulled out the super-charged high-toss forehand pendulum backspin serve. By throwing the ball up higher, I'm able to get more backspin on the ball, and so opponents tend to put the ball in the net. It does take practice to graze the ball since it is moving faster at contact – you almost have to scoop it with a very open racket – but it really can make a difference by increasing the spin. However, if that's all one does, it's doesn't put much pressure on the opponent – they can adjust.

Instead, to raise the level of trickery up a notch, I also raise my elbow for the serve, even hunching my right shoulder up slightly. This gave the serve even more of a pendulum look, with the racket seemingly going more sideways, and so it looks like there's more sidespin. But the reality is that if you contact the ball on the downswing, and then vigorously go across after contact, it looks very sidespinny. The combination of this, and the extra backspin from the high toss, leads to a steady barrage of returns in the net. The actual serve, the way I do it, is probably 1/8 sidespin, 7/8 backspin. But receivers see it as the reverse, as a light backspin with lots of sidespin. (When I go for a pure backspin, I get more backspin, but it's too obvious to the opponent, and so less effective.)

This is especially effective against players who try to flip serve after serve, often with backhand flips. They simply aren't expecting that much backspin, and the sideways motion of the serve tricks them further.

However, to raise the level of trickery up still another notch, any time the receiver seems to figure the serve out, that's when you throw the no-spin version at them by contacting the ball near the handle. Watch them pop it up! And now that they are a bit uncertain about the spin, you go back to backspin, and watch it plop down into the net.

And you can raise the level of trickery up still another notch by moving the serve around, to both the forehand and backhand. You can also vary the depth. Your goal isn't just to win the point – it's to get that look of puzzled consternation on your opponent's face  as he struggles to figure things out, allowing you to dominate on your serve. (This should probably be a Tip of the Week – perhaps later.)

Here's my article The Decline of the High-Toss Serve and Why You Should Learn It.

Excuse Monsters: Learn about taking the blame
Here's the article from Samson Dubina.

The Most Successful Olympic Athlete of All Time
Here's the article, where the writer has Paralympics and Olympics confused! The article says, "Natalia also won Gold at the Olympics in Athens, Beijing and London – making this her fourth consecutive gold medal in 4 Olympic games. No table tennis player ever has achieved her success." Natalia Partyka has won four straight gold medals at the Paralympics, not the Olympics. She did represent Poland at the Olympics, the first Paralympian to do so (she is missing her right hand and forearm), but of course the Chinese win all the gold medals there. Here's the Wikipedia entry on Natalia, including her medal record. (I've emailed about this, and perhaps the article will be corrected by the time you see this.)
ADDENDUM: I was asked to correct the article, so an updated version should be up soon. 

Shadow Practice Training Music Video in China
Here's the video (15:15). I may have linked to a version of this once before, but this version just went up.

Bench-Jumping Pong
Here's the video (34 sec) of a rather unique type of table tennis training.

New Belgium Blue Paddle Beer – Real Beer Pong?
Here's the picture – with a worn-out blue hardbat paddle! (Here's the non-Facebook version.)

Chicago Cubs Ping-Pong Paddles and Grown-Up Cubs
Here's the picture – I hear they did something last night? This is what happens when one of those Cubs grows up and takes up table tennis.

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