The Best State Is Being Relaxed
This is a brand-new, technique-focused column in a question-and-answer format. The mystery figures answering are two former national team members, both now veteran coaches. So the “Reaching the Summit” column was born.
(Heima-tuned PLC, a Jun Mizutani with better bottom power.)
The thing is, often against an unfamiliar player, I have to finish a whole match and think for a few days before I figure them out, and the second time is much easier. Any secret to adjusting quickly the first time? I recall Waldner saying he sized up the opponent in the first game and only set countermeasures from the second. I feel my adjustment ability in matches is not strong enough, which affects my performance.
This is a matter of mindset. In the first game, there is no opponent — meaning you should not think about your own style; you should watch the opponent’s traits. What is he good at? In the second game, avoid that. So you must have at least two sets of your own pattern plays. The best state is relaxed, including in thought. After a game, think about the opponent’s scoring methods that game, and you basically have it clear; the next game you should know how to avoid giving him easy chances to get on the offensive and score. That is, in the first game you focused too much on your own style, too eager to make the opponent follow you. But a match is like chess — the opponent has his own patterns too, and he also hopes you follow him. So we often say the first game is for probing: you should try all sorts of angles, spins, speeds and rhythms, as comprehensively as possible. Power you do not need to test — everyone fears it. Including the serve. Remember the opponent’s scoring methods and patterns, and later you can be targeted.
Q: In matches, is sidespin-underspin harder to handle than underspin? The receive easily pops up.
A: Underspin has no power — just cancel his underspin. Sidespin-underspin requires judging exactly how much side and how much under — both spins must be read clearly. Otherwise, either it goes off the table, or it pops up.
Q: Against a short-pips expert, whatever I serve gets flicked or looped along a line. It feels fast and heavy, and I cannot withstand the next ball.
A: What are short pips’ traits? Fast, do not catch spin, cannot loop spin. They are fierce only when you pop up. If you serve a fast long underspin to the baseline, what can he do? A weaker player pushes one; a stronger player hangs one. Are not both returns yours to play with? If you cannot even handle this, that is a level problem. If the opponent flicks fiercely and you still serve short, no wonder you lose. To deal with the opponent, best loop a spinny loop, not high, as close to the opponent’s baseline as possible. Loop to mid-near table and you get smashed. With spin, short pips cannot speed up. Short pips fear rhythm change — now slow, now spinny — and the opponent is annoyed to death. The premise is it must be long.