Contact problems

Thank you very much Johan!

I was always brushing the ball with open bat without missing the ball. Yes, it is fast and spinny, but it doesn't do enough curve.

Relax your arm and grip just a little bit (the arm accelerates even if you don't force it), then tighten the grip a bit as your wrist whips through the ball.. if that makes any sense.. That's how I feel when I hit a really good shot anyway :) I guess the relaxation helps you to convert more of the power into spin?

To improve your brushing contact I find it very useful to have someone topspin at you and you block, then you try to add more and more topspin to your block until you're maxed out, then add power until you're pretty much counter topspinning the ball during it's rising phase. Since your training partner is providing the ball with speed and spin, you can focus completely on the transaction relaxation, the brushing and the angle of your blade. Obviously, the more power you begin to add yourself, the more accurate you need to be.

(Am I making any sense, Alois?)

Sounds reasonable Johan. I like the feel of increasing the spin and speed on your block.  This is a really good way to get the feel for topspin.

Thank you, coach and Johan B! Your suggestions are just awesome! I am still applying your suggestions!!! 

Ardak,this is majorly a matter of practise I would say.

In reaction to Johan's comment,yes,this thing can be useful,but I do not think this is limited to playing against topspin.
I myself learned the brushing contact aiming against a push.
It is a bit harder in the sense that if you do not do the brush properly,you will not get the stroke on the table,unless you have extreme spinreading skills and can smack through the spin.

Also,Johan, "You can hit a really spinny fast shot if you let the ball sink into the sponge"....
Well,you can impart a spin this way,if you have an especially soft and thick rubber,these rubbers support sucha stroke best.
However,I would not try to compare the spin againsta good brushed spin.

Oh,and also,mopa and Ardak,check whether you are low on your legs enough.
I noticed that I miss more when I am too high.
Or too far from the table.
Or check whether your arm swing is a straight line.
Some players tend to have a curving swing.
This can cause mising too.

Oh and Johan,you were talking abotu relaxing the arm and tightening it just for the contact itself.
I have read this is the approach CHinese or overally professional players use.
This is said to maximize your swing speed.
How much power is transferred to speed is defined by the angle of contact,or in other words,how finely do you brush the ball.

Am I right Alois?

Hi coach! 

I asked this question in this topic 3 years ago. Since then I thought I solved this problem. Because missing the ball was minimized. FH loop became my best weapon. But recently I started to have this missing problems again. So many misses in the games. I can't understand why it happens. Last 3 months I play 3 days in a week. All of them are tournaments. Can it be because I don't practise? Can it be because I changed to a slower blade, with slower blade it is hard to hit more flat, because the bat feels hollow, very light and too flexible, not stiff. With stiff blades I can loop with more open bat. Maybe because my footwork became worse? I even started to afraid that my vision getting worse, id est see worse. 

Have you ever had such problems? or your students? What can you say?

Hi Ardak,

Perhaps go back to the original suggestion of varying between a flatter contact and a topspin till you get the feel of the contact again.  Don't try to do too much, go back a step with speed as well till you gain the feel and confidence in the contact.

Thank you coach!

Before such games(tournaments) with  many misses, I didn't practise even 1-2 minutes. For some reasons I was starting to play immediately, from the first game. 

Now, after you repeat the same suggestion I understand that before the games it is very important to hit flat, practice with flat hits.

Hope and believe there will not be too many missing problems next time. 

Shortly, now, after your suggestion, I think all of my missing the ball problems are the results of absence of practise before the games.