Ryu Seung Min equipment in 2004 Olympics
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Lionel Unknown Asked 16 years ago
Hi Alois, Jeff,
Not sure if any of you know the answer to my question above. I was watching YouTube last night of the Men Singles Final in 2004 Athens Olympic, Ryu Seung Min (Korea) vs. Wang Hao (China). I have seen a few times Ryu was making plenty of devastatingly heavy top spin loops which the spin rate was deadly strong that after the ball touched Wang Hao's table, it rushed forward and dipped downward at a low bounce height which Wang Hao could not predict or anticipate. So the ball kept missing Wang Hao's bottom of the racquet.
After watching so many players, finally I have found myself in great appreciation of this looping style. His arm swing speed was fast, and contact point with the ball was almost at the top side of the ball which is quite amazing considering normally people will tend to miss the ball with such tight margin of brushing. It would also have got to do with the racquet combination of Japan-pen-hold blade + rubber. Do you know what types he was using? Xiom Omega III is a good rubber (heard that it was jointly developed by Ryu and Xiom)?
Thanks....
Alois Rosario Answered 16 years ago
Hi Lionel,
Even though I was there for the match, I don't know what equipment he was using. I suppose it reflects the importance I put on it. But I do remember his devastating forehand. I also remember his serves that set up his game during those Games. Especially against Waldner, when he was ripping some unbelievable short topspin serves that even the great Waldner was finding hard to handle.
If anyone does know what equipment he was using it would be interesting.
I do know that XIOM Omega III is a nice rubber to play with.
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Lionel Unknown Posted 16 years ago
Wow, what a history replayed in your memory...Alois... though at that time I was not loving table tennis as a sport. Now it is so different, I am loving this...I played hours everyday with Sriver Red on forehand and Butterfly Chinese Real (Chinese Pen Hold, rating medium hard, Fast-Attack), but I feel psychologically difficult to imitate that looping from Seung Min. I would miss the ball, or get the ball down to the net... I do not have a coach to show me where I went wrong, but I decided not to worry about what went wrong...instead I told myself WHAT STROKES AND POSTURE SHOULD BE RIGHT. And my arm swing not as fast as Seung Min, precision not as good...so I could not brush just almost the north pole top side of the ball, but need to hit it lower above middle. Even so, there were times heavy underspin gets to the net.
Thus, it will be interesting anyone knows which blade and which rubber Seung Min was using, and Alois...you mentioned about Xiom Omega III is great to play with, any experience from you? Especially in terms of looping a heavy back spin ball?
Tony Unknown Posted 15 years ago
Samuel Lim Posted 12 years ago
Actually now RSM, Is back with butterfly again..