Edited by Lestat - 02/22/2012 at 8:39am

Lestat wrote: Overall very good, but if I were to get into more detail I'd say: Fh is almost there, maybe a bit loose but in any case that's relatively easy to tighten up. Bh is a bit stiff and you're not really using your wrist. If you were to change to a slower/softer rubber on the bh I think you'd find it harder to put power and spin into it. No problem with the drives in the second video though. Also, try to have a slightly lower stance and I was gonna say watch your footwork but I think it's just that you're too relaxed.

Thanks a lot for the comments.

Fh better than bh: this surprises me, because they say I am a natural bh, especially the opening loop, whereas my fh is artificial. Usually I make a lot of points with my bh opening loops, but it doesn't show in the video, because the partner is a very good player and can block everything.


About the lower stance: you hit the nail on the head. I have to keep my legs wider and my butt lower. Easier said than done, unfortunately.


About being too loose and relaxed: I agree I look like that, but actually while playing I am not relaxed at all. I'm not sure what I can do about that. I guess I am just not very fit physically.

--

I have been playing TT for exactly 24 months by the way. But when I was a teenager I was a tennis player (Second division).

I forgot something, with your backhand. If you start the stroke with your wrist and blade down instead of up it will be much better. More spin and you will be able to choose between more variation of shots right before you play the ball. It might pay to drop your wrist a bit on the forehand side also but all in all you are doing well

Edited by bluebucket - 02/22/2012 at 9:23am

I think you are over 1850.

bluebucket wrote: I forgot something, with your backhand. If you start the stroke with your wrist and blade down instead of up it will be much better. More spin and you will be able to choose between more variation of shots right before you play the ball.

Thanks for the comments!

In opening loop I already do that, so I assume you refer to bh looping against block. One problem is, vega pro has a very high throw, and the ball already tends to go out. I think I'll switch to calibra spin. Another problem is that, after the opening loop, I tend to drive instead of looping. I have to work on this.

It might pay to drop your wrist a bit on the forehand side also but all in all you are doing well

I can see the problem visually, and my coach tells me the same, and I am working on it. Usually when switching from bh to fh I forget (or I don't have time) to drop my wrist down.

would someone be willing to embed the video(s)?

The video - at least the first one - is edited. Are all points included (i.e. just eliminating the ball collection time?). If the 'mistakes are omitted, it is very hard to judge how good/consistent someone is.

I always watch the things going on in the background or balls on the ground to see how much editing has been done, there was only minimal editing in this.  Seguso, what I meant with your backhand was that you don't start the stroke with the blade pointing back and down, sometimes it's level rather than up. 

Edited by bluebucket - 02/22/2012 at 10:48am

Here is another clip

http://youtu.be/RfMdRP9d1i0

but this one is edited to only show rallies, as there were lots of mistakes (because my opponent could not stand the pace so he was playing a "kill or miss" strategy, making the game unwatchable).

bluebucket wrote: I always watch the things going on in the background or balls on the ground to see how much editing has been done, there was only minimal editing in this.  Seguso, what I meant with your backhand was that you don't start the stroke with the blade pointing back and down, sometimes it's level rather than up.  What happens when you are starting the stroke with the blade up is that you are almost committed to blocking the ball straight or hitting a backhand without much spin and for that matter not much speed since you can't involve your wrist. When you start the stroke with the wrist dropped you can hit either side of the ball for a natural curve into the right hander or fade it away from him or you can block or punch, you can choose between all these in a fraction of a second depending on what the opponent is doing. It's a big advantage compared to what you are doing now so please take the advice :), you'll notice a lot less balls from your backhand flying long because they will have a lot heavier spin on them too edit: this video has been posted 100 times before but it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about compared to your stroke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3inKrRCDiCY Henzell is using T05 on the backhand so no excuses about Vega pro being high throw

I appreciate your help. I am trying to understand what you mean by wrist dropped. In Henzell's video, I do see that the hand starts below the table, and moves upwards, but at the same time I do not see the wrist dropped, i.e. I don't see the blade tip pointing down. I see the blade brushing the ball from above. I'll have another look though.

At first I thought you were describing Schlager's backhand. That one seems to me to fit your description more: he starts with the wrist dropped (blade rather open) and then he rotates and closes the blade during the shot.

Anyway, I need to learn backhand loop against block, that's for sure.

seguso wrote:   I appreciate your help. I am trying to understand what you mean by wrist dropped. In Henzell's video, I do see that the hand starts below the table, and moves upwards, but at the same time I do not see the wrist dropped, i.e. I don't see the blade tip pointing down. I see the blade brushing the ball from above. I'll have another look though. At first I thought you were describing Schlager's backhand. That one seems to me to fit your description more: he starts with the wrist dropped (blade rather open) and then he rotates and closes the blade during the shot. Anyway, I need to learn backhand loop against block, that's for sure.

Edited by bluebucket - 02/22/2012 at 12:16pm

seguso wrote: Here is another clip http://youtu.be/RfMdRP9d1i0 but this one is edited to only show rallies, as there were lots of mistakes (because my opponent could not stand the pace so he was playing a "kill or miss" strategy, making the game unwatchable).

roundrobin wrote: seguso wrote: Here is another clip http://youtu.be/RfMdRP9d1i0 but this one is edited to only show rallies, as there were lots of mistakes (because my opponent could not stand the pace so he was playing a "kill or miss" strategy, making the game unwatchable).   Based on this video I would rate you 1750-1800.

sound about right

you should also bend your knees a bit when you are playing! your fh stroke is good but you stop your motion past middle of stroke. if you would commit all the way to the end your fh topspin would be spinnier and more devastating!!! your bh is pretty good but again you are too stiff on your feet! again if you lower your stance a tiny bit your bh will also improve. also try to cover and guide your bh shot with your wrist. i hope i make sense to you my man! overall my hat off to you for playing only for a year!!! i know players who play for 15 yrs and they are not even close to your level!!! as for rating? i put you at 2000CDN...

seguso wrote: Hi, I put a video online of me playing:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wgm37596fA&feature=youtu.be I am in blue shirt. My partner (red shirt) is easily in the top 100 players in Italy. Here he is only doing push and block, not playing for real. We are serving underspin only. What usatt rating do you think I'd have? Here's another one:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZVvTapZOkg&feature=youtu.be This is a warmup against a long-pips player, but he is not using pips here (the camera batteries expired :) ). I'll put other videos against a short-pips player and a looper when I have time.

Beside your BH/FH strokes, your timing is really good too.  I would say that you are between 1900 to 2000.