The book: PATT - A Principles Approach to Table Tennis culminates a study of how to play table tennis based upon the principles of the sport as expressed to Donn Olsen by many of the finest international coaches. Presented as a system of thought, a coherent structure is used to communicate a foundation for the mechanical aspects of play. This book is intended for those who enjoy learning many of the insights held by the sport's most successful coaches.
Sample Chapters:
Chapter Two: Embrace the Instability
Introduction
Significant evidence exists that deep in the nature of being human, we have a strong predilection toward seeking stable environments. These environments are characterized as having a high degree of consistency and predictability. Much human activity is directed toward stabilizing environments that are perceived as unacceptably unstable.
The dynamics of table tennis play create an inherently unstable environment. It is the fundamental essence of the sport that most forcibly informs the technical development of the player. The participants are constantly confronted with information that is not clear, that may contain multiple meanings. Hence, it is a core requirement by players seeking to perform at a high level to accept this inherent environmental characteristic. In so doing, the basis of an approach to training is made available.
This chapter is devoted to discussing the subject of instability in table tennis and how to properly respond to it.
A Flawed Approach
It is instructive to mention here a prevalent flawed coaching method that will serve to highlight the preferred approach.
For a number of reasons, all of which promote a number of desirable values, including emotional comfort, coaches create environments that are very stable. This stability is realized in creating and/or encouraging the same type of spin, amount of spin, height of the ball, and the amount of ball speed repeatedly in a routine. Due to this stable environment, the player is able to establish a rhythm. The appeal of rhythmic movements is found universally in human societies, no less in our table tennis community. The deficiency in this approach is found in the exceptional contrast between the stable environment created via coaching direction and the match play environment that manifests the opposite. The degree of contrast strongly suggests the questionable value of the distinctly stable environment.
Four Technical Suggestions
In considering managing this matter in training sessions, four technical suggestions may be of value to the coach in developing her players.
1. Employ training techniques that simulate the competition environment.
2. Constantly, consciously, strive to improve your player’s performance in the judgment phase.[1]
3. Improve your skill level in applying the fourth element of shot effectiveness: deception.[2]
4. Promote the development of high skill levels in techniques that reduce the required amount of understanding of the characteristics of the oncoming ball. The primary means of doing this is to utilize topspin in all the circumstances in which it applies.
Conclusion
An admonition here: There is no rhythm in table tennis. There is a spirit of play, defined as the composite demeanor of the player during the dynamics of play, but not a rhythm that reflects a consistent, repeatable series of very similar movements. The artificial nature of the excessively stable environment is less effective in realizing player development than other available environments.
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[1] See chapter twenty-one: The Shot Structure
[2] See chapter thirty: Elements of Shot Effectiveness
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Chapter Thirty-nine: The Easiest Movement and Its Significance
Introduction
Many player movements are made in table tennis. Movements are made with our hand-wrist axis, our forearm, our upper arm, our upper body, our waist, and our legs. These movements are made in a coordinated manner in the course of playing the game. The length and speed of the movements vary depending on a number of variables.[1] All this being said, there is one movement that is easier than all the others. In fact, it is the only movement where the level of capability to make this movement is essentially equivalent throughout the many player levels. No other movement may correctly make this claim.
The Significance of the Easiest Movement
Why does it matter which is the easiest movement? It is noteworthy because this movement has important implications for playing table tennis at a high level. The significance is found in the observation that the very large majority of the fastest shots in our sport have topspin. The faster the shot the greater the time response requirements. Responding to a topspin shot in a high-quality manner requires the player to contact the top half of the ball.[2] To do so, the player must create a ball-to-racket relationship that results in this ball contact point.[3]
In contrast, shots with nospin or underspin consistently are slower. Our time response requirements are much lower for these types of shots[4] than for the faster topspin shots. Responding to an underspin shot in a high-quality manner requires the player to contact the bottom half of the ball. To do so, the player must create a ball-to-racket relationship that results in that ball contact point.
The Easiest Movement in Table Tennis
The easiest movement in table tennis is lowering the racket. In contrast, raising the racket to respond to a fast shot is a very challenging task, given the time response demands. (Those readers of scientific bent may reflect upon gravity at this point in the argument.) Therefore, following from the above discussion, the prudent approach would be to use a racket ready position appropriate for the more time-demanding shots.[5] As previously stated, the most common time-demanding shots have topspin. The racket ready position suitable for this is a high position, where the racket is held above the height of the elbow. From this position, the player is most prepared for the demands of topspin shots.
In employing the high racket ready position, the far less challenging counter demand of responding to underspin and nospin shots may be accommodated by employing the easiest movement in table tennis. (It is more than a bit ironic that the easiest movement available to us is most often applied to the slowest shots within the sport.)
Conclusion
A high racket ready position, one in which the racket is above the elbow, best prepares the player for the most common highly demanding shots in table tennis, the fast topspin shots. Typical adaptation to the slower shots is accomplished very efficiently by employing the easiest movement in table tennis, lowering the racket.
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