Service Return Secrets – Content Suggestions
One of our readers has suggested a suggestions blog for our upcoming DVD on Service Returns. What a good idea. Thanks Ji-Soo.
This is the general outline that we have at the moment. Please let us know if there are additions that you would like to have. To make a suggestion, just add a comment to this Blog.
Effect of Spin
How does spin effect your return
How to Counter Different spins
Key Principles to help you return the ball
Receiving Position & Footowork
Receiving Position
Receiving footwork
Getting back to ready position after short ball
Types of return
Short push
Long push
Flick/ Flip
Topspin
Sidespin backhand topspin
All with Forehand and Backhand
Placement of return
Where should you return the ball
How to Train
Returning Drills
Multiball returning drills.
Ji-Soo
commented on June 25th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Looks great! Can’t wait for the DVD!!
Just a couple of things off the top of my head.
1) most of the service return videos I’ve seen tend to assume that the server always serves short and low (as you are supposed to) and usually with backspin. While this is useful, it’s not the complete picture. In lower levels of club table tennis, people usually serve long (primarily sidespin with a touch of top or back) and it would be great to see the DVD also address the various ways to punish such low-level serves (which in theory we KNOW are bad serves but which not all of us can exploit). I don’t know what the best way to do this would be. It probably is hard for you and Jeff to do bad serves convincingly! Maybe get a few mediocre club players to serve to you on the video???
2)It would also be useful to have a section on READING SPIN…especially covering the main ways servers can disguise spin…for example, very fast action, extra motion after contact, foot stamping, contact with different parts of the rubber etc…
Cheers
Ji-Soo
Tevia
commented on June 25th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
I like Ji-soo’s idea of a section specifically on reading spin, If you could do something like a quick step by step method to analyse what spin is on the ball, how much and then what options of returning it are available. Then, If possible you could get club level players to do their serves and you go through analysing the serves step by step. Therefore we could get practice analysing different looking serves and returning unorthadox serves. This, in time will be very helpful to return serves that we are unable to read at the moment.
I hope this helps, Good Luck with this DVD Pingskills I expect it to meet your usual very high standards.
Thanks
Ji-Soo
commented on June 26th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Yeah, I think it would be great if you could recruit a variety of different servers of different levels (at least for one segment of the DVD, not necessarily for every section – probably the one on reading spin). It really helps to see different styles because everyone is so different. Maybe you could record yourselves dismantling their serves with brutal efficiency (as well as showing some more conservative returns) and then explain how you did it, how you reacted and adjusted for their spin, etc…
Juan Carlos Pacheco
commented on July 8th, 2010 at 3:10 am
Good suggestions from Tevia and Ji-Soo.
Please don`t forget to teach us how to return the corkscrew serve when the ball is coming to you spinning clock or counter clockwise (axis of rotation parallel to the table, different from sidespin)
I think another interesting serve is the reverse tomahawk.
Waldner had great difficulties returning Kong Lingui`s serve as Ma Lin had with the serve from Kenta Matsudaira.
Best regards from Argentina
Ji-Soo
commented on October 7th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Alois, I know you are busy with the Commonwealth Games at the moment, but any ballpark estimate of when the return of service DVD will be out? I have to say, if there is one aspect of my game whose improvement would make the most impact on my overall results, it would be return of serve!
I almost never can beat someone if I have trouble returning their serve. On the other hand, I almost always win if I can easily handle their serve. It’s just such a crucial factor in the game. Can’t wait for the DVD!
Jeff Plumb
commented on October 9th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Hi Ji-Soo,
Yes Alois is busy in India at the moment. We have planned out a lot of the content and now need to get to work on filming it. We are hoping to have the DVD ready early in 2011.
It is amazing just how important the return of service is. As you say it often is the difference between winning and losing.
pek
commented on October 20th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Hi,
I bought your service DVD sometime back and it was great. One idea may be to utilize those same services presented in the DVD and show us one or more ways to return them.
Another idea, if at all possible, to get an experienced penholder to serve, ie. long/short bottom, top, bottom with L&R side spin components. Selfishly, I am assuming the DVD will be targetted to purchasers with shakehand grip
like youself and Alois.
Third idea. Some coach once said that regardlesss of the side spin component, if the opponent serves long (ie. over the table), one just have to work out whether it is bottom or top spin and ‘attack’ it by looping. Whilst I can witness this in professional level matches/videos, executing loop shots especially at the beginners/intermediate level is a ‘big’ ask. What are the alternatives? In other words, options to handle the service depending on the confidence and level of experience.
Lastly, maybe invest in some software that can interface with video, ie. draw lines, arrows and put text, over the video. This feature will help you explain some concepts, for example, you explain something about the contact point of the bat and ball and how the bat goes over the contact point towards the top which produces some top spin, drawing circles and arrows on your video, you can enforce your explanation.
I’ll be glad to give more ideas if you want to email me.
Juan Carlos Pacheco
commented on December 14th, 2010 at 3:54 am
Here is a short video of Timo Boll explaining how to receive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU5FVRQBDbs
Hope it can help.
Best regards