Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers

Is it worth getting a hard copy or will the kindle version be enough?

wonder if it is a compilation of this:

Have a look at a sample page

I realized that it's free to borrow if you have Amazon Prime. Fun and engaging read so far!

Just bought the kindle version and started reading. Thanks for letting me know that this book exists.

NextLevel wrote: Rahul_TT wrote: Just bought the kindle version and started reading. Thanks for letting me know that this book exists.   I have long been a reader of Hodges blogs and articles and found them much more real than the theoretical BS to be found in other places.   @blahness - there would be no self help books on ANY topic if everyone smart could think everything.  Also, scientific discovery would also remain a mere accident because everyone would know everything. Please do not piss on a thread if you dont see value in it. Walk away.   I think of myself as a tactically smart player but still see a lot of value in knowing things i dont know. THAT is being smart. Not thinking that I can think everything in time because I am smart. Rahul Good to see you.   I found your post on OOAK on this topic (beating better players with strategy) excellent. I feel that I am living on borrowed strategy time against the younger players in my club. Soon, their strokes will be so good it makes no difference. I read Larry's blog daily and while some parts of the book recall the blog tips, the books structure and organization is excellent and this is a great book for anyone interested on strategy.

 I believe tactical sense and experience go hand in hand. It's great to have an overall game plan against an opponent but reading their weakness's and exploiting them is priceless.

The Shakehander wrote: I wonder how many people think during a point, from what i've done and seen most are just reacting

tAs an example of how much work Larry put in, he actually discusses this issue and quotes Schlager a few times on tactical decisions being done subconsciously the faster the game gets and gives a few examples. Of course, there are simple ones such as hitting/looping away from the opponent or anticipating a pivot and hitting away. Sometimes, because I still have a bad habit of using by backhand on my forehand side even for long serves, I note my table positioning when this occurs and step over very slightly to my backhand side. Most players on the other side do not notice this shift, but wonder why when the next serve comes long, they see a forehand loop.

Edited by NextLevel - 02/19/2013 at 12:29pm

The Shakehander wrote: I wonder how many people think during a point, from what i've done and seen most are just reacting

They don't. What they do is that they think during the practice, when they do drills specifically created to run some tactical ideas, maneuvers, 1-2 combinations etc. When you do stuff like that many hundred times, your brain/body/muscle memory gets enhanced and you do those things during rallies without actual pondering about them. Your brain is taught to quickly run through different scenarios, to evaluate possible moves and outcomes and execute a selected strategy.

It's the same when you drive and all of a sudden a car in front of you decides to change lanes. Since it happened (maybe not so suddenly) many times before, you are trained to do many things at once - your right foot applies the brakes, your brain decides whether it is safe to switch lanes (based on visual info and general info about traffic around you), your hands execute some turn etc. All that within fraction of a second after that unfortunate maneuver by that other driver.

Same in TT - practice makes perfect. That's - by the way - why they say that the most dangerous drivers are the ones who drive for about 1-2 years. It is because they think that by now they are experienced and know how to deal with everything so they get cocky. In reality they didn't have even close to enough practice in split-second situations like that. Therefore they are even more dangerous than beginners (those at least know they are bad at it, so they drive carefully). Analogy in TT is that when beginners with bad technique are taught to break with their bad habits and train properly, their results and their game actually suffers for a while (first year, perhaps) until they improve enough to make a difference.

But I digress. I am sure you see the analogy. It is very helpful to think about stuff like that after the matches or before the matches but unless you actually practice doing that many many times, it will not become ingrained in you at the level of your muscle memory, when your body makes proper decisions faster than you can think about what to do.

The Shakehander wrote: I wonder how many people think during a point, from what i've done and seen most are just reacting

Perhaps this is true during the point, but what about before the point? I'm sure (at least I hope this is the case) that most players think before they serve, analyze patterns in the previous rallies and tries to come up with new ways to play to gain the uper hand. I know I do this all the time.

For those with the book, what kind of pictures are there? I'm not in a rush to read the book yet, but would like to have pictures in the kindle version. 

Great book - lots of content.

slevin wrote: wonder if it is a compilation of this: http://tabletenniscoaching.com/TipOfTheWeek or something new?

Larry's articles and books have improved my skill and hastened my learning curve a lot.