Starting Out as a Defender
How do you start out as a defender?
The proper way, for the modern game, seems to be to go from an attacking player into a defender. This allows you to have a solid attacking game as well as defence. That's how I did things and I believe it was the right way to go.
But what about someone who wants to become a defender, who's currently an attacker and has very limited technical skills at present. Making someone like that change their style seems like suicide. Changing styles is hard at the best of times and defending is no different. There's just so much to learn: How to change your mindset to suit the new playing style, adjusting to the new equipment, different strategies and of course drastically different technique.
But the problems don't end there. This particular player, whilst lacking technical skill, also lacks the necessary time to invest in learning and training (a new style). For me it all adds up to a recipe for disaster. No solid foundation, no time to train, no people to train with. I wouldn't recommend it.
What would your advice be to such a person?
Comments
how your born
you either are a defender or are an attacker...its how your born...what you are..its a natural thing and anytime you try and re shape something that is genuinely natural, you are destined to frustration and misery
you either hate maths and love english, hate running and love swimming etc....or you dont...you will ALWAYS hate the thing that is not natural to your personality in my view...i know i do anyway
ill try long pimples one day, but so i can attack a loose return....not so i can win on people hitting it into the net or long...and thats the difference
I think one must learn to be a defender or anything
After a while we do set in our ways. I think early experience shape us. I can still remember playing in the basement. Winning was good but my favorite thing is to win clear winners where the opponent can't even get his paddle in front of the ball. That is a moral buster. I still like doing that when I can.
Most of us start out playing at home in the basement or garage in pretty much the same way. We experiment/learn. Eventually we find what works for us.
I have a defensive paddle but I am not a defender. I can chop now but I rarely do. I attack with my FH when possible. I attack with my LPs too. I don't just wait for the opponent to hit the ball into the net. My playing style is weird are far as what I can see. What ever defense I have is used only to slow the game down until I can gain the upper hand and start ball whacking. I don't hit real hard and rarely win outright winners. I usually work the opponent around hitting angles until they miss. Sometimes I miss the side of the table but that is the risk I take.
Barkj, here is a video of Greg Letts hitting with LP and anti against backspin. You can see that one can attack with LP and anti.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2XjFa43bno
I have watched this a few times because recently since I have learned to play with anti and LP. Notice the BH roll. This is what I am referring to in my blog about hitting with top spin with LPs. It is devastatingly effective. With anti it is a little less so but hitting with anti is easier. I don't hit near as hard as Greg Letts does but my percentages are better.
Boz vs Pan
I got a session in against Panpong last night.
I am not sure it would make much difference if you had a "normal" backhand or not.
I do however think when you use LP and attempt to chop you are going to be at the mercy of how well I am playing. Most shots I can choose to just weak return to your backhand. Most the time you will not step around and if you do you know a block is coming back and possibly wide away from you. Once you run over to that one you are open for a backhand cross court finish.
Most LP players are open to this and also just no spin long serves that I expect back ready to be attacked full power. If you step back you are lucky to chop a full powered shot. If you step back and I choose to go safe loop then yes you can chop it back, but usually I will real you in with as short a shot as I can and then reattack hard the next ball and so on it goes.
I think it would be good for you to spend more time playing out points then constant long rally, because the first part is the main part.
http://tabletennisyoutube.com
Boz vs Pan. So what happened?
Reading between the lines it sounded like a looper vs chopper duel.
Details.
Low grip
Actually had to play him in fixtures tonight - but I feel it is better he say if he wants to.
To put simply pnatch, I am playing much better than I did when I was 8 kg heavier. Also I have NOT given up on my very low forehand grip. It is starting to come in fruition after all these years of trying and running away from it. I don't ever choke the blade now. The two put together I am trying to use my forehand for everything which is pretty stingy with anything remotely near the edge of the table.
My backhand is still there but I am not trying to use it, it's more of a back up if it goes there to wide.
Pan or Ben if they come on can comment from their perspective.
true
I had a small hit with the bozinator after matches on monday night. He came out like a demon and was just swinging away (and landing i might add) at his forehands, especially on my serves that weren't tight enough. Took me by surprise. I wish i lost 8kgs as well, then i'd be as fast as boz ^^
Boz defending?
I have tried many times to go the pimple route, but as soon as I play the higher levels get totally destroyed.
I think for now I will practise combination bat till I get bored or frustrated.
I know I need even more court speed to play at the higher levels, so that I can move out and in when playing a hard looping attacker.
will see, ankle is bugging me heaps now - I think dropping weight would help greatly.
http://tabletennisyoutube.com
weight
hey boz
ok fill me in and have just got back from japan...are you still living o'seas? and has married life fattened you up or what?
defending? Boz?? seriously i think i have been away too long although i am seriously considering playing this comp left handed, so maybe trying a different style is a better compromise than swapping hands. i couldnt do defending though unless it was from off the table looping and hook spinning or something with normal rubbers
japan and prediction
How long you been away?
Anyway just as usual I get bored and just play a new style for a while (that's my guess for now) I want to keep at it and see if I can become a super weird kind of player.
Pimples make me come up with weird windshield wiper shots as avoid the pips at all costs. It's fun for now. As usual for me the pips are there as a last resort when I can't predict the direction they aim at, stick the arm out and prey or if a bit time away from the table try a chop of sorts.
to me it is always trying to predict and direct the player to one side of the table. It means having to cover more distances as well when getting on the table with better players. for now I'm still rediscovering what this particular pip can do.
I'm married and getting fatter!
http://tabletennisyoutube.com
stop eating !
hey man...i was there snowboarding for a month...prob shouldnt have gone at all but what the hell, i had a great time and wish i could play TT as well as i snowboard.
still having thumb issues actually from months ago when i went through a press the thumb in really hard on loops period...seems to have given me arthritis or something just from poor technique...hence why i am thinking of playing left handed. I won everything in the last comp though...did that last time i used the short pimple rubber....think ill go back to smooth for a bit but still try the bitch slap.
i wonder if its possible !