Right Place …..Wrong Time
Well, this is awkward. The pictures I’ve included are from local tournaments with players displaying some imperfect positioning. Hey; you never know what a camera might capture. My apologies for trying to display what to try to avoid doing. Truthfully, any of these players might be executing the perfect shot under the circumstances. We just don’t know what those circumstances were. I had been anticipating writing this post for some time. Having stumbled on an old song from 1973, I thought it captured so much of the essence of table tennis. I doubt that’s what Dr. John had in mind, but to a table tennis coach, Right Place Wrong Time, has obvious implications for training. I would also like to point out that I know of no other table tennis blogs that are providing these types of insights from the broader world. I assume anyone reading my blog is hoping to find something that will help them become a better player. That’s my hope, too. So, let’s see if we can do some deep table tennis analysis with a little help from a song that’s almost fifty years old.
I been in the right place
But it must have been the wrong time
Have you ever experienced this? You’re in perfect position for a shot, but somehow managed to screw it up. If you were late getting there, you might have had to create one of those awkward shots. Now you’re in the right place, but executing a less than perfect stroke. It’s going to happen; but through training and learning to watch your opponent, you can learn to minimise these situations.
Head is in a bad place and I wonder what it’s good for
If you plan on competing regularly, you need to be mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared. Mental and emotional preparation don’t just happen, anymore than being prepared physically. I would argue that it’s more important to be emotionally prepared to compete, than mentally or physically. You need to have your head in a good place. You might even have to – give myself a good talking to this time .
I been in the wrong place
But it must have been the right time
As points play out, it’s important to recognize that they don’t usually play out exactly like we imagined. Opportunities can present themselves, even if you find yourself in the wrong place. If you do find yourself in the wrong place, don’t make it worse by making the wrong shot.
Just need a little brain salad surgery
The best players have developed coordination between their bodies and their brains. This allows for the possibility of making great shots and reacting appropriately without consciously thinking about it. This type of reordering of brain synapses takes time to develop. It helps explain why some players can do drills flawlessly, but actually play matches poorly. Take this far enough, and you’ll be finding lessons for table tennis in the most unlikely of places. Hope this little bit of refried confusion helps in some small way, and your head is in a good place for 2021.