Floor board shots-footwork
Footwork
Justin O'Toole Asked 12 years ago
Hey Alois how are you my question is this at the Geelong table tennis centre some of the back courts are floor board and extremely slippery. I find them dangerous and evey time i have to play on them get a sore back-tight hamstrings. I detest playing on them and slip 95% of the time.
I can't move at all without slipping i feel like i am going to do a major career ending injury.!! A couple of other players feel the same way and hate playing on them. But quite lot of players love these courts and enjoy sliding into there shots on them.
What can i do to avoid slipping on every shot on these courts I know i can ask to move to other courts the taraflex ones, but feel like a bad sport if i ask my opponents to move courts. It's not a mental thing as i am always slipping on these courts. How can i have better footwork on these dangerous slippery floor boards.? I should be able to play anywhere and on any surface right Alois.?
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Justin,
I really don't like playing on slippery courts either. One thing that will help is if you run a dust mop over them before you start. Sometimes it is a case of the dust layer that causes the slip.
Also, think more about staying better balanced, with your weight over your knees. Have a slightly narrower stance so more of your weight is going downwards rather than pushing sideways.
You are really lucky to have Taraflex to play on sometimes. Most players around the world would love to have it.
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Debo : Posted 12 years ago
some rosin dust (used for electronic soldering) will help. have a try.
Justin O'Toole Posted 12 years ago
Great answer rosin dust never heard of it till you mentioned it did not know anything about it. Have done my research on it thank you. You see we learn something new evry day fantasic answer.
Aasim Showkat Posted 12 years ago
play bare footed on such areas
Michael Pickering Posted 12 years ago
Justin can you please give some feedback on the rosin dust once you have tried it.
Debo : Posted 12 years ago
Rosin dust will surely help. That is a old tested method.
Justin O'Toole Posted 12 years ago
Yes i have feedback from a chineese friend Michael he is a pritty good table tennis player. He reckon's rosin dust is good it helps a bit. He reckomends it. I am yet to try it i but have done some research on it. I'll try and get some and specifcally go my local centre one day and try it.!
I can't tell you personally yet what it is like or if it helps but i have been told it works, as my chineese friend reckons its great and helps.
Hi Debo,
Does it effect the wooden flooring in any way?
Debo : Posted 12 years ago
Surely it will, but in wooden floors we hardly require it, a good TT or badminton shoe with a little bit of water will do the job nicely. But in tournaments in different clubs we observe different flooring and some of them are slippery made of stones, cement, mosaic, tiles etc. with hardly any grip on them. Here, rosin dust really work nicely. But, I have no idea about it's after effect on highly quality finished wooden flooring. However, rosin we get from plants, it's not a chemical.
Ok, thanks Debo.
Michael Pickering Posted 12 years ago
Thanks Justin, keep us posted with the results.
Abhiram Reddy Posted 12 years ago
Yeah like debo said try wetting your shoes a little.Even our college has extremely slippery wooden flooring (fortunately its only the badminton court) and i have seen people creating a small puddle and wetting their shoes frequently as they played
.the alternative is to use a different type of shoes other than non marking ones which worked pretty effectively for me ,although u may cause yourself injuries (ask alois) .
The water can work. The higher bulkier shoes do tend to grip quite well but there is the risk of twisting your ankle because of the sideways movement.
Justin O'Toole Posted 12 years ago
Thanks Debo sounds like you know you rosin dust, before you ever mentioned it i had never heard of it. I asked a few table tennis players at my club about it and some had never heard of it but a couple of guys new a fair bit about it. One bloke said it was good for dancing clubs in halls so they slid when dancing and did not slip.
Anyway thank you very much Debo iv'e learned something new.