Blog - Changing my style of play

I started playing table tennis at home on the dining room table when I was 7 years and didn't start to get proper coaching until I was 13. Myself and my brother played so much TT together. Then in the summer of 83 when I went to summer camp, the teacher organised a table tennis tournament for 30 students. I was 10 years and I remember thinking at that stage that the trophy was mine and mine it was. None of those kids had a chance and that was because I played in a defensive style and just returned everything. When I later went to my secondary school I was fortunate enough to have a very dedidcated Table Tennis coach there who taught me how to play defensive in a more progressive way. And for the next 5 years that is how I would play. I used a table tennis rubber (Butterfly Feint Long) on the B/H and a tacky rubber on the F/H. I became very proficient at the style and began to cause major shocks in the junior table tennis rankings.
The Irish table tennis squad got a new coach in 1989 (Harald Mucke) from Germany. He used to call me the great defender and would mould my style in the same way as Korea's Li Gun Sang (watch video below).

During that period of 5 years I went to play at the European Championships in 1988 & 1989 as a cadet and junior. The use of Table Tennis Glue was on the rise amongst players and the defensive style was on the wane. The power of the attacking player with the use of the speed glues made my style of play limited and I was over powered at the higher levels. In 1992 I decided I would change my style of play and try to develop a backhand drive and loop. This was one of the most difficult challenges I ever had to face. When you learn a skill at young age you become attached to that style of play however when you want to completely change it, then that is where your patience is tested. My dad was a great help here and would coach me for almost 2 years. I couldn't have done it without him.

I used TSP Spin Pips on the B/H to slowly move over to a tacky TT rubber. The mental side of the game was tougher for me then as sometimes in a close game I would automatically retreat back into the defensive style. I took a long time to stop that but eventually I overcame that hurdle. They say a leopard cannot change it spots, well I was a young leopard who managed to change. If you put the work in then it will pay off. Practice makes perfect - well nearly;)

JB