Going Blank in the Middle of a Match?
This is a brand-new, technique-focused column in a question-and-answer format. The mystery figures answering are two former national team members, both now veteran coaches. So the “Reaching the Summit” column was born.
Sometimes in a match, I go blank in the middle of playing. What is going on?
There are four situations. One: you play too self-centered, always wanting to use your usual, fairly stable, or sure-kill techniques, but the opponent does not play into that pattern, so you over-err and lose. Stuck in a dead end, you go blank, at a loss. Two: you cannot handle a certain link of the opponent’s return or serve, your whole mind dwells on this situation, all attention focused on this one aspect, also leading to a too-high error rate, and a loss. Three: your stamina drops, or you slept poorly the night before, you cannot feel the contact point, footwork is not in place, and errors are too high. Four: too excited, or the body cannot get going — what is commonly called a fluctuating state, a sudden level drop.
I noticed that when the opponent pokes a long baseline ball, Ma Long forcing a backhand lift is also very uncomfortable, but I did not see how he avoids this problem.
If you do not lift the long ball, you are more passive — even if you cannot lift it, you must. The opponent’s return exceeds his expectation, fast too, pinning Ma Long; if he pushes back, the opponent rips. When the opponent chops long, it is usually underspin — the only option is a quick loop. To avoid this, you can only strengthen anticipation and footwork. When you anticipate the opponent’s long chop in advance, you have the time and space to step back and fire.
Is watching the ball in real play just training the eyes? What should it mainly cultivate?
Observe the rotation direction of the opponent’s waist and how it affects the incoming ball’s line. Also observe the swing direction and power, to judge whether the opponent will change at the last moment of release. Also, whether the opponent’s wrist slips the bat to change the return line. Whether there is forearm acceleration and wrist rotation — through these you can judge the ball’s spin.