Practising to improve your level/results?

[speedplay]

Posted a similar topic at Mytt, but was interested to know what you guys think about it as well.

If you have reached a certain level and feel that you aren't making any progress, what do you think would help you to improve;

1: Look at the whole picture, trying to work on set plays and stuff like that, or;

2: Find your weaknessess and work on them, one at a time?

[blue_smartie68]

Hi Speedplay,
I don't think I've actually got to a stage where I feel I'm not making progress... I'm constantly working on something and over the last couple of years, I feel my improvement has been pretty consistant... hope it keeps going! 
My feeling is to always work on the weakest part of your game... so when this part no longer presents as your weakest area, you can then switch your focus to what has then become the new weak area by comparison. Make sense? 
For many years I was a big forehand attacker... with only a backhand block or chop to cover that side when I couldn't run around! My forehand has always been a big swing (too many years on the tennis court!)... and could certainly use some work to improve, but since it has been reasonably consistant and has been good enough that my opposition usually avoids it if possible and targets my backhand... I decided to totally leave it alone and try and build up a quality backhand side.

Now I can actually win a game from my backhand attack game and have even over-heard coaches say "keep it away from his backhand", which shocked me the first time I heard it!  I'm still working on it at the moment to the extent that I want it to become fully automatic and comfortable.... then maybe my forehand will be the weaker side, and I can refocus on fine tuning that 
Cheers,
Chris

[RebornTTEvnglist]

I am also still progressing and improving as I go. Like BS68 my FH has been a lot more attacking, although its accuracy and consistency has continually increased. BH is also being worked on to improve attack and is gradually contributing more attacks in my game. Opponents still feel safer putting the ball to my BH than FH, although sometimes they regret it.  Having changed my pips to National Pogo after using Meteor 8512 for over a year, I have experienced an almost instant improvement also. There is too much involved and not enough interest on this forum to go into why (although I will if anyone wants to know), but suffice to say I have beaten several players recently after the switch I had never been able to beat previously. I would say that I am always working on ironing out game weaknesses, so if my improvement stagnated it would be because I had removed weaknesses completely (which is virtually impossible) or minimised them as much as possible (the more likely case).

If improvement did stagnate therefore I would perhaps focus on improving game strategy so set plays were a greater focus. I do use certain set plays already, but they are dependent upon the opponents level and ability to respond in ways I wasn't intending. I have a feeling there is a certain level where everyone hits their limit and to some extent you have to accept that, depending what the absolute level is of course. I am now playing grades above where my expectations ever intended to go in my club. I am playing A grade seniors and I never had aspirations to play this level, yet here I am. Whilst there are still divisions in A grade higher than mine to rise into, I doubt I can go much further. My physical limits are already being pushed to their extreme to be competitive at the level I am now playing. The only way I can improve much more now (to go above my current division) would be to become a much trickier player than I already am. And the players in the higher divisions tend not to be easily tricked LOL. 

In the A2 Masters grade I am playing on Thursdays I am already playing A4 and A3 seniors players. I have taken one seasoned A4 scalp there which I was fairly proud of.  At the same time I know I am a ways off beating the other players from those seniors grades that I meet. I won 2/2 singles last week, but these players don't play Seniors TT to compare, although I would rate one of them as A5 standard and one as A4 standard. I am now running at 56% in A5 Seniors. All of this tells me that I have improved vastly from the B2 Seniors standard where I was playing 50% at this time last year. I'd be very happy to sit in the comp divisions I am currently in for another year or more because I think there comes a time when improvement needs time to consolidate and bed down. Avoiding relegation is the name of the game for me right now . 

[speedplay]

Unlike a lot of the posters on Mytt, I feel that you shouldn't worry to much about tactics and set plays to begin with as I believe this might actually harm your development rather then improving it. Cause, what's the use with a good tactic if you don't have the strokes to perform it? With set plays, they are usually different depending on level, so by learning them for your own level, you might jump to the next level simply to realise they no longer work and then you are caught with no weapons as you haven't fine tuned your shots.

The way I do it is, I work really hard on mf fh, as I really need at least one strong offensive weapon, so to me, it is essential that this is a weapon I can trust. So, despite the fact that my fh is already the strongest part of my game, this is still probably the area I work the most on.

Then there is my bh, a weaker area, but I usually only use it to defend with and mess with my opponents to set up my fh attack. Only on rare occassions do I attack with it and although it is far from lethal, the surprise is often enough to get me in good position for the rally. Most of my work on bh is focused on attacking, since I feel I can already defend well nough for my level.

Then there is the short game, which could really benefit from some practice, but, I'm not to keen on this and since I trust my defensive abilities, I'm not afraid to push long and get attacked. Also, at the level I play, no one really has a short game worth mentioning, so my short game is good enough, but needs to improve if I intend to go higher.

Finally, the weakest part of my game, serve This is an area which really should get a lot of attention, but at the same time, I'm reluctant to focus to much on it. A good serve might win me some cheap points, but that really doesn't work higher up in the levels, so my aim with my serve is to prevent the opponents from attacking it, and, if possible, set me up for an attack my self. For those purposes, I would say my serve is just fine.

As for tactics and set plays, I don't work on that at all, but I od use it in matches. Tactic comes naturally and I honestly can't see how I could work on it, except for using it in matches, which I already do. Set plays, well, what work against some players don't work against others, so my set plays are used as a part of my tactic and changes depending on my opponent.

In short, my own solution is to pick specific areas of your game to work on and make sure that you can trust your strokes, once this is achieved, the options for different tactics and set plays becomes so much bigger.

[Der Echte]

Honestly, I think it will be a long time before I reach a point of not being able to improve. I have been able to improve only at a painfully slow rate until recently.

For me the first thing was to get into a situation that allowed improvement. Moving to Korea did the trick.
Another thing was consistancy, which time hiting improves.
Another thing was serving, and learning, trying, match practice along with a follow up attack strategy helped me improve a LOT, but still along way to go.
Another thing was rallying. I started to takes lessons. (See point #1) That helps, but not right away. In fact, match performance seems to go a bit backwards at first. After 5 months of 3x a week 30 minute lessons, only now am I seing that I make longer and more sucessful rallies, but not enough of them. (like all)
Another thing was serve receive. hard to get someone in the club to give me their best serves, so it is slow improvement through matches. That rate of improvement is too slow.
I would say maintaining a mentality to be the first to sucessfully attack, to attack the balls possible first, to be consistant, to have a good recovery and follow up attack, and trusting the BH opening shot are the big things for me to chip away at to move up levels.

[big ears]

Although I can improve from where I am now with a little more practice and match play, I can't realistically get back to the playing standard I was about 10 yrs ago, I was alot younger and fitter, and there were consequently more 'open doors' to progress. I'm happy though, its left me with a good knowledge of high standard TT, but there is definately no motivation to improve, other than trying to maintain my standard, top 100 is pretty much respected in England when you consider how many players we've got (about 30,000)

[RebornTTEvnglist]

Although I can improve from where I am now with a little more practice and match play, I can't realistically get back to the playing standard I was about 10 yrs ago, I was alot younger and fitter

Yeah about 10 years younger I'd say 

, and there were consequently more 'open doors' to progress. I'm happy though, its left me with a good knowledge of high standard TT, but there is definately no motivation to improve, other than trying to maintain my standard, top 100 is pretty much respected in England when you consider how many players we've got (about 30,000)

That really is quite staggering Biggy, that you have reached and maintained that level for all those Beers!! Oops, I mean Years...ahem!!!

[Der Echte]

Unlike a lot of the posters on Mytt, I feel that you shouldn't worry to much about tactics and set plays to begin with as I believe this might actually harm your development rather then improving it. Cause, what's the use with a good tactic if you don't have the strokes to perform it? With set plays, they are usually different depending on level, so by learning them for your own level, you might jump to the next level simply to realise they no longer work and then you are caught with no weapons as you haven't fine tuned your shots. I think a good point. Trying to mentally play out a point, then having the ball in a different place with a different speed/spin/angle then you expect, then trying to play the winner or setup as you envisioned makes a recipe for errors. However, good multiball training on combinations is a good way to make your basic attacking/defending situations practiced for executing correct anticipation/footwork/stroke/recovery to a point where it is second nature. That benefits you in a match. As B.E. has said a lot before, limiting your opponents' options on serve makes the return more predictable and possibly more attackable, depending on what you did. Being able to be the first player to execute an attack greatly increases your chances of winning a point at all just about any level.

The way I do it is, I work really hard on mf fh, as I really need at least one strong offensive weapon, so to me, it is essential that this is a weapon I can trust. So, despite the fact that my fh is already the strongest part of my game, this is still probably the area I work the most on.

Then there is my bh, a weaker area, but I usually only use it to defend with and mess with my opponents to set up my fh attack. Only on rare occassions do I attack with it and although it is far from lethal, the surprise is often enough to get me in good position for the rally. Most of my work on bh is focused on attacking, since I feel I can already defend well nough for my level.

Then there is the short game, which could really benefit from some practice, but, I'm not to keen on this and since I trust my defensive abilities, I'm not afraid to push long and get attacked. Also, at the level I play, no one really has a short game worth mentioning, so my short game is good enough, but needs to improve if I intend to go higher.

Finally, the weakest part of my game, serve This is an area which really should get a lot of attention, but at the same time, I'm reluctant to focus to much on it. A good serve might win me some cheap points, but that really doesn't work higher up in the levels, so my aim with my serve is to prevent the opponents from attacking it, and, if possible, set me up for an attack my self. For those purposes, I would say my serve is just fine.

As for tactics and set plays, I don't work on that at all, but I od use it in matches. Tactic comes naturally and I honestly can't see how I could work on it, except for using it in matches, which I already do. Set plays, well, what work against some players don't work against others, so my set plays are used as a part of my tactic and changes depending on my opponent.

In short, my own solution is to pick specific areas of your game to work on and make sure that you can trust your strokes, once this is achieved, the options for different tactics and set plays becomes so much bigger.

[RebornTTEvnglist]

I look at a set play as more of a "what-if" scenario rather than a "locked-in response".  There is the optimum response you're aiming for which may be one that allows a 3rd ball attack for example off a certain serve. But you would be silly to only have weapons ready for one response. TT is all about snapshot decision making and improvising to suit the situation you are dealt. Setting the tone of play and controlling the point is ideal, but not always possible. Turning play to your own advantage by doing things your opponent is not expecting is generally the secondary aim when you can't have it all your own way. The comparative quality of the opponent tends to then dictate how well it all works for you. The key is to be able to adjust your gameplay to whatever situation you find yourself in. This doesn't mean some general set plays and tactics are useless, it just means you have to be flexible about them.