Show #289 - Match Play

In this show we continue our look at the building blocks of table tennis and focus on match play. Plus we answer your questions. Joke of the Week - 0:52 What did the ocean say to the beach? On This Day - 1:54 Daniel Seemiller's Birthday Tip of the Week - 3:15 Use match play in your training sessions Drill of the Week - 8:00 We give a specific game you can use for the match play section of your training session Tournament Wrap - 9:34 We discuss the Bulgarian Open and the upcoming Czech Open Reflexes - 14:35 Pranava: I am practicing forehand/backhand counterhit shots to get my shots right. I do okay in practice. In a match situation my backhand reflex is not that great and to return i am trying to move my body too much to hit that ball with my forehand. Obviously my next return to my opponent’s next stroke is impossible as i am too far from the left side of table.  Is there a technique I could get proper reflexes? What is Lacking in Table Tennis? - 17:47 Jim: I know Americans are mostly caught up in the big 3? main sports being NFL, NBA, MLB, with NHL probably coming in 4th. What I don't understand about popularity here is that TONS of people have tables in their homes/garages/work etc. Why is there such a disconnect between people playing it almost like a social gathering party game, and between people taking the next step and learning the sport. If you already have a table, you don't need to invest much more time. We have the internet for researching basic starting technique. You can play it during the winter months, and you don't have to worry about rain or traveling to a court somewhere. Is it because there is no money in attempting to get really good at it here? Are there too many other diversion sports? I was hoping the topic would be discussed a little more in depth with the Topspin documentary but i feel like they only brushed the surface. Ping pong puns. Practicing on a Bad Table - 23:11 Shivam: I have a TT table , it is not ITTF approved and is quite old and dead . I practice on it regularly and am preparing for my state tournament . Should I keep on practicing on that table or should I purchase a new one? Do I have any disadvantages in my performance while playing on that table ? The table is around 10 years old , but the length and breadth of the playing surface is completely fine. Performance Variation - 25:14 Mohsin: Hi sir, my question is sometimes I play very well and I am satisfied with my game but sometimes I can't play at the standard which I expect from myself. Links in this Episode Bulgarian Open Czech Open Improving Your Reflexes itTV