Have lost my game completely

Table Tennis Mental Preparation

Last updated 8 years ago

Shaheda Banu

Shaheda Banu Asked 8 years ago

Hi Alois/Jeff,

I have been playing TT for the past year and fairly good with most of the strokes until recently. I was even able to defeat a few of the top players in our company(in last years tournament they were the winner, runner-up and second runner up). But for the past 2 weeks my game has taken a nose dive. I am not able to even beat players who have been playing TT for just a month or so... and all of my strokes either go into the net or off the table. the push always goes into the net or outside.. so do my FH & BH topsins. None of my earlier doubles partners are willing to partner me during our games. Plz help cry cry cry

Thanks,

Shaheda


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Shaheda,

Firstly understand that you don't lose skills that easily.  Therefore it is more psychological.  You may be worrying too much about your results or forgetting the basics that you have learned.

Take a look at our lesson on Recognise Your Feelings on the site.  This may also help.

The most important thing is to remember to keep things simple in your games.  Go back one step to playing a bit slower and gaining confidence in your abilities again.


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Thoughts on this question

Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago

If you have the opportunity, go to a different club for a few times, or enter a tournament somewhere you know nobody. I think you might get stuck in a downward spiral if you focus on proving your team mates that you can still play at their level and stress too much. With new people, there will be no expectations. Or even play with a robot. Everybody has low times where nothing seems to work, but feeling forced to improve by peer pressure makes it harder to recover.


Ilia Minkin

Ilia Minkin Posted 8 years ago

I feel like whenever I try to do something different my ability to win matches fades away, but gives results long term. When I started using BH loop against backspin in matches, I entered a six month period when I was losing literally to everybody. It was very depressing. But at some point, I started to win against people who used to always push to my BH. Recently I visited a training camp, where I significantly changed my forehand loop. Now it has more spin and safer trajectory, I like it much more. But consistency just went out of the window, I can't play more than a few balls in the simplest footwork exercices. It is not surprising, that I'm losing all the time again. However, I believe that longterm this change in my forehand will lead to a breakthrough.


Shaheda Banu

Shaheda Banu Posted 8 years ago

Hi Ilia... looks like you figured out my problem... I started to play the backhand side spin flick shot two weeks back.. the first 2 days this shot came out perfectly each and every time (maybe beginners luck wink )... my opponents were awestruck with this shot.. even the serves with heavy backspin were returned and there was no way the players could return it....   and after that it never connected and that is when my game started taking a nose dive and I started missing all my other strokes as well.. 

@Alois: do you suggest I continue to practice the BH-SS-flick or stop and work on my other strokes?

 

Thanks,

Shaheda.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Hi Shaheda,

I would continue to practice the BH-SS-flick but also practice the follow up ball.  It is a really good lesson for us here, that the strokes are part of a series of strokes not a stroke in isolation.  You need to be able to read what happens after your new stroke.  This can take time.


Shaheda Banu

Shaheda Banu Posted 8 years ago

Hi Alois,

I am continuing with the BH-SS-flick with lesser focus, and more focus on the other strokes.. but now most of the time when making the BH-SS stroke my view is blocked by my hand/racket and I am not able to see the ball and it ends up in the net or off the table. What do you think I am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Shaheda


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Try starting with your bat further to the right.



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