THE
WINNINGThe official coaching magazine of Table Tennis England ISSN 2059-4925EDGE Edition Three | Spring 2016
Record and play How video can revolutionise your coaching
Brighton rocks Build it, and they will come Hungary to learn Thriving through inclusion and diversity The inspiring story of Joola Plymouth Budapest conference reflections THE WINNING EDGE EXPERTS’ CORNER
S tephen Gersten N ick Jarvis UKCC Level 4 coach and coach National Coach at Table educator, former England, Wales Tennis England and British Paralympic coach
Q: How useful is multi-ball in table tennis It takes practice,. The quality of feed is important, coaching? as is experience of movement patterns and good understanding of the game, especially as you S: Multi-ball is an extremely useful tool. I use it in progress your players up the ladder. The more nearly all my coaching sessions, whether they are coaches using multi-ball across the UK, the better! one-to-one or group sessions. N: Multi-ball is a fantastic tool for coaches and It can be used to develop all different ability levels players to enhance their training programme. The and helps improve consistency, footwork, speed, person providing the multi-ball is in total control technique, reaction and coping with spin, to name of what they deliver to the player. just a few of table tennis’ key coaching components. The versatility can be endless, including technical I know some coaches find it difficult to incorporate development, anticipation and pressure play. it into group sessions, especially as we often don’t have the luxury of assistants. Players can be tested to their maximum in every aspect or be gently coaxed into basic improvements. I therefore think it’s important we encourage our players to learn how to feed, even at a young age. The quality of the multi-ball feeder is of course This can take time and patience but the long- important and does need practice. However, term advantages make it very worthwhile. If you players and coaches of a lower level can put this to persevere, your squad will get more use out a good use even for world-class players. fantastic coaching resource. The Performance team do use this tool during By encouraging this, coaches are promoting the EYS camps that run monthly. Most countries, peer-to-peer learning and teamwork, which I see including China, include multi-ball in their training essential for long-term development. regimes. To promote multi-ball, I would educate the As with all training programmes, practice needs to coaches on best practices, show them how it’s be a varied; one-to-one, group training and multi- used, and show them video footage which will help ball should all be part of any players’ programme. get coaches to buy into the benefits.
91903 Edited, designed and produced by Coachwise Creative Ltd. Published March 2016 Editor: Mike Dale Email: [email protected] Tel: 0113-201 5533 Photography © Table Tennis England unless otherwise stated. LATEST NEWS 3 NEWS U PDATE Portal update It is over three months since the launch of the Table Tennis England coach portal and we now have more than 350 coaches with an active coach license. As part of this ongoing process, we will soon be publishing a list of Table Tennis England licensed coaches (subject to their permisson) which will be promoted to our partners such as schools, County Schools Partnerships and local authorities. It will be available on the Table Tennis New appointments England website for all of our clubs and members to access. We are very pleased to welcome Greg Yarnall back to Table Tennis England as our new Head of Workforce, while Aled Howell moves to a We believe licensed coaches are in the perfect new role as our National Workforce and Education Officer. position to grow the number of people playing the game and would like to support them as ‘Having played table tennis from the age of eight, and coached since much as possible to do so. I was 16, it is an amazing opportunity to be involved again with Table Tennis England,’ said Greg. We have recently developed some online CPD opportunities for coaches and will be adding Greg worked for us in 2005 as a Regional Development Officer and information to the coach portal for licensed since then has worked for Northamptonshire Sport and more recently coaches to access. for Beanstalk, a literacy charity supporting children to read in schools. ‘As Head of Workforce I will be working with clubs, leagues, schools etc to see how, as an organisation, we can support and develop coaches, Latest course dates officials and our many other volunteer roles across the country.’ Level 1: Aled has spent the last four and half years as Southern Regional Coach and Coach Development Officer for the South West area. Joola Plymouth – May 29, June 19, July 24 ‘I am excited to start my new role and make a difference,’ he said. ‘I Pontefract Squash Club – May 29, June 19, July 17 will be leading on the Coaching Pathway and implementation of UKCC The Oaks – May 29, June 25, July 24 courses and introductory courses. BATTS TTC – July 30, August 27, September 24 ‘I took up table tennis aged nine and represented Wales at junior and senior level. Hollingbury – July 23, August 20, September 17 ‘My involvement in coaching started in my late teens and I have been Waterside TTC, Southampton – October 8, passionate about helping players to develop ever since. November 5, December 3 ‘As both a tutor and national officer my aim is to empower coaches to Level 2: take control of their own learning within a framework of engaging and Swerve TTC, Middlesbrough – April 30-May 1, relevant CPD courses.’ June 25-26 Joola Plymouth – September 11, November 13, December 11 The Coaching Department is now on Twitter. Follow @TTE_CoachEd THE WINNING EDGE Brighton Beautiful A fire-damaged squat has been turned into the new home of Brighton Table Tennis Club. Richard Jones finds out how it’s rapidly grown into a thriving, diverse and inclusive community hub. BRIGHTON ROCKS 5
Wish you were here!
ince Brighton Table Tennis Club ages, backgrounds and abilities. The club run sessions was founded nine years ago by for those aged 50+, children and adults with learning ex-international juniors Tim Holtam disabilities and youngsters in care, for example. and Harry McCarney, it has grown from a Since 2012, it has delivered Ping! Brighton & Hove, a Scouple of broken old tables in a youth centre festival of free street table tennis enjoyed by hundreds into one of the biggest clubs in the country. of thousands of people, with free tables, bats and balls © xxxxxxxxxx staying out all year round. The club now has over 100 tables across the city, with more than 1,000 people playing the sport via the club Building on that, there is Over 50s Social Ping! each year. – fun weekly sessions which have also been an overwhelming success. Holtam and McCarney always held the belief that table tennis could be used as a powerful tool in PongPlexed is BTTC’s outreach initiative that is ‘partly engaging young people and transforming lives. How sport, partly game and all party’. It builds community right they’ve proven to be. spirit and initiates a love of table tennis through social events on customised spray-painted tables. Ex-mayor Bill Randall, now a club trustee, described it as ‘one of the city’s brightest sporting lights’. He The poster boy for Brighton Table Tennis Club is Harry added: ‘It helps people from many communities and Fairchild, the future National Down’s Syndrome all ages keep fit and well and brings them together to champion, whose beaming smile and enthusiasm for offer mutual support and friendship.’ the sport epitomises all the club has achieved and their inclusive ethos. The club, which was named Table Tennis England’s 2014 National Club of the Year, has a fantastic track Last year, the 25-year-old represented the club at the record of working with young people, and since it was Malmo Open, one of the biggest disability sporting granted charitable status just over a year ago, it has events outside of the Paralympic Games. made big plans for development and expansion. The whole event, and Harry’s performance in September 2015 was BTTC’s turning point as it particular, was an inspiration to all involved, and as a moved to its new venue – the old The St John The result there are now plans for many more disability Baptist Primary School in Kemptown, a former squat exchange events. just two minutes from the seafront that had been Harry is hoping to play a big part in such exciting seriously damaged by fire. competitions, as well as the club’s future as a whole. He It’s from this venue that Holtam and McCarney are said: ‘I love being at Brighton Table Tennis Club, helping expanding their visionary programme for players of all with the running of the club and being part of the community.’ » THE WINNING EDGE
Brighton TTC members pose outside their new premises
The brains behind Brighton Table Tennis Club, founder and Head Coach Tim Holtam, says empowering their volunteers has been crucial in achieving their astonishing recent growth. ‘I have been asked a lot how we’ve recruited, engaged and retained so many volunteers, coaches and other people that want to be a part of the club,’ he says. ‘The answer to that is to give people something to be excited by, to buy into and feel a part of. We treat everyone with respect and make them feel valued by doing simple things like offering volunteers and volunteer coaches free sessions in exchange for their time and help. ‘Once people are fully on board, we are increasingly delegating as much as possible. That is the key to expansion; playing to people’s strengths and allowing everyone to have ownership of their contribution. ‘The best example of this is our Social Media Manager who does absolutely amazing things every day on YouTube and Facebook, purely driven by a love for the club. His son is a full-time employee and coach, and the club bought him a Macbook for him to crack on with promoting our day-to-day achievements through Club founder Tim Holtam (right) with his first coach Laurie Laken our growing social media platforms.’ BRIGHTON ROCKS 7 What do you love about Brighton Table Tennis Club?
Harry Fairchild, 25 I love playing so much because I really want to be the No.1 Down’s Syndrome player in the world. I come here five days a week and play 20 hours a week. I love the people, including Wen Wei Xu, who is like my Chinese brother. In the future I want to be a very good coach. I already help coaching at St Paul’s and St Luke’s primary schools, which I love, and the children love me. Joe Russell, 16 Being able to win. I started in Year 6 at Patcham High School with the BTTC coaches. It has kept me out of trouble with the police. They are a nice group of people. Jo Pringuer, 41 I enjoy the competitiveness. I like the fact it keeps me fit, socialising and meeting new people. I enjoy volunteering and helping out in Another notable feature of the club is its strong ethos any way I can. I never used to get out but now of inclusion and diversity. The Level 1 and 2 coaching it’s somewhere that I go regularly. It’s lovely to courses being held there in March and May will be able to watch my son while he’s working, feature a rich blend of coaching backgrounds. developing and growing. The club is open, friendly and you meet a mixture of young and The delegates will include the next National Down’s old and people from all over. Syndrome champion, an ex-Benfica professional Portuguese coach, the Chairman of the Brighton Farhad Barakzai, 15 league, a young woman who lives in a care home for I have been in Brighton for only nine months people with Asperger’s, an Afghani refugee in foster since I came from Helmand in Afghanistan. I live care and one of the top 20 female players in England! in foster care and come to play table tennis five Holtam commented: ‘Getting young people playing days a week. I love cricket, but had never seen will always be any sports club’s number one focus, but table tennis before I came to England. Now I table tennis really is for everyone. It has benefits for love it, playing competitions and training at the older people and builds communities. club. I want to be a coach so I can help others. ‘The huge range of interesting people from all walks of Emma Ritchie, 21 life that have got involved here has been inspiring. I am very good at concentrating when playing ‘People involved in the sport should be looking at as I have Asperger’s Syndrome. I enjoy being alternative venues and alternative audiences to bring focused and training hard. I like having different table tennis to. players, styles and personalities at the other ‘Sessions for Syrian refugees in Leeds, mums and end of the table. I started here two years ago toddler groups, Bat & Chat sessions in Jersey and the and now come twice a week. I loved going to ITTF Development projects such as Ping Pong For Sweden three times and Berlin once with the Peace; this is the sort of stuff that generates interest club. I am hoping to give something back once I and that other clubs can learn from.’ am qualified as a coach. WE THE WINNING EDGE
A MATCH MADE IN DEVON
Joola Plymouth has become one of England’s most successful clubs since moving to purpose-built facilities at Eggbuckland College. Mike Dale went to meet two men whose admirable dedication is reaping rewards.
he phenomenal success of Joola Plymouth ‘We’re really proud of players like Gemma Kerr, Holly Table Tennis Club has not been achieved Smithson, Leon Zacharkiw and Uther Kingdom,’ says without blood, sweat and tears. Whiting. ‘Leon and Uther [pictured right] sauntered over from the college without ever having picked up a Their Talent Development Centre boasts 36 bat before. Three years later they’re No.1 and 4 in the young players, they’ve used funding to hire region, entering national 4* tournaments. At the East T coaches, have an army of dedicated volunteers, two Midlands 4* event, we travelled up with a minibus full apprentices, enviable facilities and a vibrant social scene. of 17 people, a people carrier and three cars. The club’s junior coaching set-up has been ‘The culture we’re trying to create is one where the revolutionised since Paul Whiting switched from his players take responsibility for their own development. role as South West Regional Coach to run their Talent A lot of coaching I witness is still instruction-based Development Centre (TDC) that was founded in 2014. and just telling players what to do, but although we do The TDC is split into three: the Hope Squad (roughly guide them and give them the tools, here we ask them 7-11 year olds who do four hours a week), the to take ultimate ownership.’ Development Squad (11-14, seven hours a week) and As well as running the TDC, Whiting, assisted by the Performance Squad (minimum 10 hours a week). an apprentice and coaches from satellite clubs, BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME 9
delivers six-week coaching programmes in local primary schools, igniting kids’ love of table tennis and drumming up new young members. ‘I love the primary school sessions,’ he says. ‘Over a few weeks you see a massive improvement from them, but I constantly have to balance that with my main aim which is developing players that can go on to compete for England. ‘I’m working with kids who’ve never held a bat before, right up to people who are top three in the country in their age group. I do a lot of hours, but I love it and the ‘Tying it into the college’s after-school provision was support we’ve had from Table Tennis England in funding crucial,’ says Buddell. ‘We got their buy-in by stressing my position has enabled me to really grow our set-up.’ the benefits to them; that they could have Zumba, keep-fit, taekwondo and football. It’s very difficult for Asked whether he gets a day off from running the table tennis alone to sustain its own running costs. TDC and drumming up new recruits through coaching Hopefully people realise that to get their own place, in local schools, Whiting replies, ‘Not really, no!’ His working with partners is vital. dedication is unstinting, and it’s a family affair too, as his wife Debbie dashes from her full-time NHS job to ‘Little practice sessions with eight or ten people aren’t run the club café at evenings and weekends. even going to cover the electricity bill these days. Their commitment is more than matched by club The key is to think more commercially. We created chairman Kevin Buddell, who orchestrated the employment out of it within two years with the club’s move to their present home at Eggbuckland café, the shop and the TDC, but that wasn’t achieved Community College in 2012. without a hell of a lot of work.’ Membership had dwindled to such an extent at their On completion, they had a large social area with a previous home at a local community centre that kitchen, café, chairs and tables, a flatscreen TV, WiFi, Buddell says they were ‘virtually starting from scratch’. space for up to five table tennis tables and a viewing area into the main hall. Suddenly, club nights and With Table Tennis England funding and some ingenious competitions could be held within this room, with deal brokering (Buddell swung £40,000 worth of larger events spilling out into the hall. Olympic standard flooring for only £7,000 and sourced a steel frame from Romania) the college hall was made That social area, and the ‘club’ atmosphere it has into a venue ready for top-class table tennis. fostered, has since formed the basis of the club’s remarkable progress. But there was one problem. ‘It was dank. It had no atmosphere. The mums made a cup of tea in an ‘I probably put 60-70 hours a week in as a volunteer,’ unconnected kitchen area, then had to sit on benches says Buddell. ‘It’s tough, but when you’ve built in a big, echoing sports hall during a session.’ something and put your heart and soul into it, you don’t want to see it fail.’ When Table Tennis England then announced they WE had an initial £60,000 available for a project with a short timescale, Buddell, a jack of all trades with an entrepreneurial streak, leapt into action. GET SPORTS COACH UK’S TOP TIPS ON After rushing through the planning applications and i FINDING FUNDING FOR YOUR CLUB HERE. negotiating extra funding from the college to add a dance studio, he built an extra facility on the side of the main sports hall, completing it precisely on CHECK OUT JOOLA PLYMOUTH’S FACILITIES HERE. deadline; 31 March 2013. THE WINNING EDGE
“ It is a very simple way to provide quality feedback to players. We have the technology now, so why not make use of it?” USING VIDEO TECHNOLOGY 11 ‘RECORD’ FOR REWARD
If video technology leaves you flummoxed and frustrated, you probably don’t use it much in your coaching, which in turn leaves your young, tech-savvy players feeling frustrated too! Mike Dale discovers how simple, accessible digital tools can enhance your coaching.
f you don’t use video in your coaching, what’s stopping you? Perhaps you’re ‘old school’ and sceptical of anything more complicated than a stopwatch. Maybe you’re already so overworked that there aren’t enough hours in the week I to spend mucking about with apps. Whatever your excuse, coaches who avoid video analysis tools and performance apps these days risk losing touch with their players. If (as is likely) they were born after 1980, your athletes are ‘digital natives’. That is, they have been immersed in technology all of their adult lives and don’t remember a time when they couldn’t Google an answer to any question within 30 seconds. This generation don’t dabble in technology. It’s their life. They’re always connected; sharing information and demanding instant feedback. They find it annoying when it isn’t there. Recent research by sports coach UK showed participants are frustrated if their coach doesn’t use video feedback, via an iPad or digital camera, to analyse technique and strategy. ‘I just don’t get why we don’t do that,’ said one young rugby player. Young golfers, for example, are less likely to passively accept the coach’s observation that their club head is in the wrong position at the top of their backswing. They want to see the proof. Now. Here, four coaches illustrate how video technology helps them get the best out of their athletes – and themselves. » THE WINNING EDGE
DANIEL IVES HIGH PERFORMANCE TABLE TENNIS COACH, BRISTOL
On many occasions in coaching sessions I have had a lot of trouble convincing players that they are performing a certain action that they cannot feel themselves doing. Their elbow, for example, may be too high when flicking short balls, and no matter what I say, they still believe their elbow is almost scraping the table. A quick recording of them performing the stroke can prove to them their lack of proprioception. It’s the sort of insightful coaching intervention that’s really appreciated by today’s younger, digitally- savvy generation of players. I actually don’t use any fancy coaching apps that often. I do however find myself, more and more regularly, simply using the record button on my phone and playing back footage instantly. It is a very simple and effective way to provide quality feedback to players that, 15 years ago, would have required a big camcorder and a VHS player. We have the technology now, so why not make use of it? If you want to get even more technological, there are many innovative coaching apps that can be really useful, such as Coach’s Eye and Hudl Technique (formerly called Ubersense). They allow you to watch clips back in super slow-mo and add diagrams on top of the footage. You can even send players footage to their own devices using wetransfer.com. Using video analysis to record your players’ matches is also a great way for them to see themselves in game situations, as well as providing you with extra material to watch back afterwards so you can figure out what they need to improve on. If you’re trying to explain how they need to take their time more and not rush points, for example, they will be able to see this very clearly through watching their game footage back. In a recent podcast I recorded with Jorgen Persson at TableTennisDaily. co.uk (shameless plug!) he mentioned that he uses video analysis to monitor his players’ body language. I found this very interesting. His coaching was not just studying and correcting technique but showing players key moments in a game where their body language was good, or perhaps not so good. You can even use video analysis of matches to analyse tactics against certain players so that if they play that player again they will have a better understanding of what worked and what didn’t. When I visited the Swedish Open last year I interviewed the Japanese national team’s Video Analysis Coach. He told me he records every single match that the national team plays, then reports back to the other coaches on what areas were going well and what could be better. For example, when Jun Mizutani lost to Liang Jinkun last year at the Swedish Open, the analysis he recorded showed that when Mizutani flicked first he lost the point on 90% of all rallies. This just goes to show the great detail that elite level coaches go into to provide quality feedback. Now, with easily accessible modern technology, you can too. So if you haven’t done it before, at the next practice session or match night, give it a go! Get your phone or tablet out and start recording. You may be surprised at how effective video analysis can be. USING VIDEO TECHNOLOGY 13
LESLEY TISCHLER HEAD COACH AT ENGLAND NETBALL’S LONDON AND SOUTH EAST PERFORMANCE PATHWAY I have my own YouTube channel and on there I upload clips from training sessions and footage from our matches against other regions. Athletes do things in executing a core skill that they just don’t realise they’re doing. ‘Old school’ coaches would just put them into position, but I’m really into self- discovery. That ability to let them see what their bodies are doing is vital in their development. Video analysis definitely helps them go on that self-coaching journey. Coaches are encouraged to video ourselves as part of our own development too. You find things out about yourself that you never knew. The first time I watched myself it was just verbal diarrhoea! I was just saying, ‘Well done!’ all the time, ignoring people and folding my arms. That sort of reflection is really helpful for my coaching development.
ANDY EDWARDS FOOTBALL AND CRICKET COACH, BRISTOL. During a net session, I film three or four children bowling on the iPad. Literally while they’re waiting for their turn to bowl, I can show them footage of their action using the Coach’s Eye app, show them in slow motion how their arm is dropping down, or what’s happening to their back foot, and give them instructions for their next delivery. I can visually prove to them what they’re doing and give them very immediate technical detail. I would go as far as to say it’s essential in this day and age if you’re going to be the best coach you possibly can. I’ll film a football session for five or ten minutes and come up with a couple of minutes’ worth of clips. It’s dead easy to edit, you can stick arrows and circles over the top and add your own vocal commentary. I’ll then post the clips on the skills section of our club’s website, tweet them and email them too.
ANDREW BRADLEY PGA PROFESSIONAL AND COACH AT CRANFIELD GOLF ACADEMY, WEST LONDON
I use the Hudl Technique app in all stages of my coaching; for the initial diagnosis of my clients’ swing faults and technical issues, to monitor the development of changes, to check and maintain someone’s swing and also to review their technique in slow motion, frame by frame, and identify any movements which could cause injury. Hudl Technique aids the development process via visual learning. You can study what better moves look like, compare them to your own in split-screen and imitate them. Without video analysis you can’t accurately diagnose, can’t track development, nor can you give athletes feedback via video playback. The app allows me to share footage directly with clients who can then review their performance at home in their own time. They can take time to reflect on both their old, and newly improved, swings comparatively. You have to track an athlete’s development over time to help reassess performance goals. WE
This feature was previously published in magazine. Edited for publication in The Winning Edge by Mike Dale. THE WINNING EDGE
STEPS TO SUCCESS Sycamore Talent Development Centre Coach Chris Turner attended the three-day ETTU conference in Budapest. He heard distinguished coach Feng Zhe talk through five elements that make the perfect table tennis player.
SPEED POWER Speed can be the determining factor Power is an element that can be trained. 1 in many sports and table tennis is 2 Some players will have brute force – those no different. Players need to be fast in with the big shots that can score points directly getting into the right position; produce a fast action – while others may have fast movement and focus on on contact to generate high levels of spin and able to consistency, making their shots explosive through the impart speed on the ball. use of their body, forearm, wrist and fingers. It’s important that players who are serious about Again, physical training will support the development improving undertake physical training to improve of power and can take place in the form of body areas such as balance, coordination and strength. weight exercises and plyometric type activities. Skipping improves coordination, leg speed and gets the body warm prior to practice. This ican be more effective than the traditional jog round the tables. SPIN Balance activities, such as standing on one leg Spin relies on power and speed and raises the for 30 seconds with their eyes shut, are also useful. 3 quality of the shot. As players become more This supports greater core stability, helping a player consistent and develop solid technique, the coach to maintain their posture, which will support speed can encourage them to start brushing the ball more. around the table. Fun activities such as getting the ball to spin back to you or round an object can help young players Fun games such as tig, Simon Says and dodgeball can all understand how to generate spin. Shading one half of get a player moving with speed as can relay type activities a ball can provide a good visual aid. that include skipping, shuffling, crawling or jumping. The combination of speed, power and spin is On the table, players can do their usual footwork drills important for young players. It is believed Zhang and can practise putting speed into the ball through Jike has the best forehand, not because it’s the most the use of multi-ball. A good way to measure this is powerful but because it has the best combination of to see where the ball bounces on the floor after it’s these three elements. bounced on the table. The more speed, the further the ball will travel. Giving players knowledge on ‘connections’ (eg serve and third ball, receive and fourth ball) will improve their anticipation. Players should also be made aware of playing of the opponent’s speed. CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS 15
KEY EXERCISES These training methods can be used once a strong foundation is in place. There should be expectations and demands placed on players, such as number of shots, technical quality and precisely what the coach is looking for. Whilst these exercises may seem simple in design, they are a good way of assessing players’ rates of improvement and mental strength. They can also STEPS TO be done with service and receive. Footwork Drill The emphasis is on consistency and coordination of movement and weight transfer, instead of speed, spin and power. SUCCESS Players and coaches should be looking at 30 shots without a mistake, which should increase as the player progresses. If players can do this, ask them to play more spin not power. After one or two months, if satisfied, more power can be added.
3 2&4 1 Once satisfied with power, you could focus one session on generating spin with this exercise and the All FH next session generating power. Progression
Same principles apply as above. Players can ACCURACY AND also progress to playing close to the table and 4 CONSISTENCY further away to develop length judgement. Players should understand the importance of keeping the ball on the table whilst also trying to improve their speed, spin and power. Adaptability is important and can be achieved through training and competing with different players; right handers, left handers, different materials etc. Half table It’s a fantastic tool for young players to have multi- anywhere, all FH ball and/or 1-1 with higher level players but it’s also Practice partners should use corners to create important they play with players who perhaps don’t a larger distance. hit the ball so cleanly or in the perfect place. This will improve the players’ adaptability. Stronger players could also be encouraged to vary their strokes so players aren’t always playing the same ball. Also, the coach can set targets for young players, eg 20 balls on, 30 balls on. If the player is working on generating more speed it could be fewer than this. 2FHs 2FHs
Points to look for: VARIETY • Weight transfer on forehand (twisting in) Players need to have the ability to change spin, • Coordination of arm , body and footwork 5 rhythm, placement and curve of the shot. These parameters can be practised in the set exercises and via multi-ball too. In matches, players should consider changing these, especially when behind, when scores are very close, or at the very last, crucial moment.
2BHs 2FHs
These exercises can then progress into random placement, where the practice partner can play anywhere on the table. Again, the player can practise this close to the table and further away. The practice partner also can play shorter balls and longer balls. If someone can do this exercise for five to six shots with power, speed and spin, they’re developing into a very good player. 愀挀欀愀最攀猀 搀漀漀爀 吀愀戀氀攀 匀挀栀漀漀氀猀漀漀 倀爀 ☀ 伀甀琀 䤀渀搀 愀挀欀愀最攀猀 ☀ 刀攀猀漀甀爀挀攀 倀 䔀瘀攀爀礀琀栀椀渀最 礀漀甀 渀攀攀搀 琀漀 欀椀挀欀ⴀ 猀琀愀爀琀 琀愀戀氀攀 琀攀渀渀椀猀 椀渀 礀漀甀爀 猀挀栀漀漀氀℀ 嘀椀猀椀琀 琀愀戀氀攀琀攀渀渀椀猀攀渀最氀愀渀搀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀⼀猀挀栀漀漀氀猀漀û攀爀