Match vs drills
Training and Drills
D K Asked 5 years ago
Hello Pingskills Team,
I am sure someone asked this question before me,but I was not able to find any such,so sorry for repeating :)
I have talked with my new head coach,who has been in China recently with his main apprentice (U15 No. 4 of Europe).
He has asked me how much I would like to train and how much I would like to participate in team's matches (in the First District,which is 3 leagues above my true level,and he denies it and says I am fully competitive in the First).
I was a bit shy but I told him I decided for his club majorly to increase the quality and quantity of my training drills,while having only a little interest to play many matches.
The reason is that I have absolutely dominated Fourth DIstrict League without having any serious superior there. I have lost only 4 times,from which I lost all four in their halls,but I was able to defeat them in my homeclub hall,earning total of 84 victories,and I felt overconfident afterwards.
He told me that Chinese train similarly to what I want: they play a lot of drills while having matches only occassionally.
I would like to ask you on your opinion on my decision too.
Dan
Alois Rosario Answered 5 years ago
Hi Dan,
I think there always has to be both training and matches but you can make your training more match like so that you are getting the benefits of both. Challenge yourself in your drills with more open play.
Thoughts on this question
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D K Posted 5 years ago
I know there should be always both,but I was speaking about the most efficient ratio in your opinion.
From what I heard,China uses approx 80% drills 20% matches pattern.
I cannot confirm if it is true,but the coach who I was talking with said "they do MOSTLY drills"
Also,I would like to ask for opinion about why I decided to change myratios.
To compare,previous ratio was 30%drills 70% matches
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 5 years ago
I think there should be a heavier ratio of matches if you are not training 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. The Chinese system is not something that most of us can compare ourselves to as they have such a high volume of training.
D K Posted 5 years ago
hm,also fact...
Though,I am not interested in matches too much until my technique is perfect.
My long-time plan is to continue with this ratio until my stroke technique is perfect and THEN start to paly more matches,so that I win by my ability and not opponent's unability
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 5 years ago
If you are not learning to play your strokes in a match situation then you aren't learning them in correct context.
D K Posted 5 years ago
Yes,but you mean what I call "opened" drills,dont you?
("opened" drill = I mean that you have first few strokes given and the next ones are normal rally,for example forehand backspin serve to backhand-long agressive push-forehand pivot and loop down the line-finish the rally)
I meant I want to avoid the situation that I am playing counted matches with someone most ofthe training.
Marcin Lonak Posted 5 years ago
I love Drills and Multiball. Unfortunately if you’re older, there are very little opportunities to have training like this. Saying that, i believe the best to get better in shortest time ist through matches. There are so much more aspects playing a huge role, wich we skip, in order to polish our technique or footwork through drills.
also only in matches you can find out your at the moment weakest spots, wich can then be fixed by a specially designed drill or multiball.
to learn staying concentrated during a match, watching the ball, applying tactics, controlling the psychic, reading the opponent, reading the game, tracking the game, knowing what ball likely will come back, there is no better way to learn this than through matches.
And Footwork plus staying low is to me even more fundamental part then technique. But most fundamental to me are Timing and Watching the Ball. Especially watching the ball is complicated, since its, i believe, very easy to do, but at the same time hard to keep doing it. Easy to catch and easy to loose.
For me one match per training session (2-4hours) is enough. But there has to be a match.
D K Posted 5 years ago
Marcin,there are several factors why I decided how I decided.
One is abovementioned fear of getting overconfident,having no serious rival in my League.
Another one is the fact that I feel that 90% errors done against me is unforced.
And the last one is that I see more and more people at much lower level than me with incomparably better technique.
I am not completely against matches,but with my previous coach I had 80min long training from which 10 min was warmup,20 min was forehand loop drill and 50mins were endless sets!!
At the end of 2+ hours long session one match is totally OK.
You are right that there are many more factors a good player must control to be good.
But even if I could exactly know what ball will come to me etc.,what value this has for me if I am not physically able to respond to that ball.
I am 21y old and I joined team led by Petr Korbel,where professional coaches work. With that,I DO have access to such a training now,and I have at least one multiball session of high quality every training.