How to Resist the Technical Decline That Comes With Age, Part 2
With age, you need richer scoring means, creating scoring chances through variation, rhythm and other aspects, rather than always being bold and pugnacious. Though we cannot rule out some players staying vigorous in old age, learning to play more with wisdom is what not-young players in the new era should do.
1
In their late careers, Ma Lin and Ma Long often played matches by tricking. We too need more pattern balls to score. Down to each of us, you may first need to analyze your scoring means. For example, serve a fast long ball then push down the line; loop one high-hang with spin, then rip a drive to the opponent’s body; serve a spin/no-spin half-long ball to lure the opponent’s attacking error. And so on. These patterns are fairly simple, of no reference value to pros, but enough for many amateurs. Competitively, we need to accumulate more such simple patterns and reuse them. Against the backdrop of aging and declining energy and stamina, we need more pattern balls to score. What patterns work better, we must explore and summarize ourselves.
2
Different life stages, different things. What age to love, what age to push for career breakthroughs, what age to cultivate body and mind. Gradually I find we need this awareness. With age, past a certain age, you do not have to pursue fierce, brutal attack. Power need not be that extreme. You can even accept any win or loss; playing with measured stamina and enjoyment is the new-era playing attitude of some of us. We generally discuss the tactics and gear use before 40 a lot; the content for after 40 is scarce. Maybe going forward, we will expand discussion of this. And the applicable scope for retired pros and amateurs differs too.
3
In the one or two years before the Paris Olympics, Ma Long used over 10 968 blades a year. Not purely because the blade went soft and needed replacing. He tuned out a more suitable elasticity and, by the changing tactical-use ratios, had different adjustment demands for the blade. But effective added spring is the key part. Because with age, Ma Long needs to play more effortlessly, and the blade’s added spring and improved explosiveness are within the demands. We have seen the 968’s evolution these years: the blade’s elasticity ever more prominent, overall rigid support getting better too. For us amateurs, many are actually older than Captain Long. We need a blade’s better elasticity to play more effortlessly. Among middle-aged amateurs, the use of super-fiber blades (like the Super Zhang Jike) is not rare, by similar logic: high spring, effortless, better defense.
4
From early 2021 to April 2022, from club leagues to the Tokyo Olympics, Boll, hampered by injury, replaced the Boll ALC with the Primorac Carbon. This does not mean the Primorac Carbon is a better blade. It is just that after injury, he felt he needed stronger support and a sense of speed from the blade. So he chose the more effortless, thicker, high-spring high-speed Primorac Carbon. Once his body recovered, he went back to the Boll ALC. For us aging players, choosing a blade with better support and more springiness may be a choice many can make. In tuning the Heima-tuned, some players actually reported preferring a large face. But a large face (say reaching the 968’s 160 or 161 length) is indeed more tiring to play, dragging when power is insufficient. I finally chose a moderate Vis-like face, with the power ply slightly thickened, to raise the backhand’s pace-borrowing solidity and ball-release speed. Many players report this blade’s backhand plays like an outer blade. Yes — that is the goal. Playing more effortlessly is very important. For middle-aged and older players’ gear choices, maybe we will have new discussions going forward. Of course, I cannot write rich content alone. I will also need to discuss with more retired players and amateur experts. This is a fresh topic few attend to.