We had a shortened session today because Chetan had an appointment. We started out as usual with the counters FH to FH then he looped a little, then we went BH to BH. We did the fast paced BH to BH and then chetan used his BH only and did a loop 1 hit 1 loop 1 hit 1 pattern at very good pace but not all out. He was regularly landing nearly 10 in a row. Then he did only BH loops with more pace.
Next he looped his FH from the FH side up the line into my BH. I had to punch down the line. He started out medium speed but quickly went into rip mode. Most of these shots were full blast. I had some trouble blocking at first because I was self-conscious that Len was watching. But I concentrated a little more and did better. Some of these shots were rips (drives) and some were very fast topspin loops. I was blocking the loops right off the end of the table and I asked Chetan for some advice on how to handle this. He reminded me that I have to close the paddle more and actually "push down" and at the same time "forward". Man this is weird. Push down on the ball? "Yes, down and forward." He further explains that I have to find the touch that is required by myself. I have to read the spin and I have to adjust. "You just have to feel it" he says. Well, I miss a little more but after a few minutes I start getting the hang of it. If the ball comes in really straight and fast then I open the paddle, for god's sake loosen the grip and just ever so slightly meet the ball forward. The total distance travelled is about 1-2 inches, and is done basically completely with wrist. If the ball is spinny, then I close the blade and actually yes push down and forward at the same time, almost like a mini loop. As my confidence built up I started going harder. Soon I was cracking the ball back as hard as it came to me. These balls were approaching maximum speed possible. As fast as a hard flat smash but with spin.
We finished this drill by Chetan doing FH to my BH from his BH side with me blocking cross court 3,4 in a row and then not telling him when I would go down the line. He put so much pace on the ball that when I went down the line it was usually a winner but he was trying to get there. He succeeded only a few times. I found it mildly humorous that he would even try. I can't remember many pros capable of this. I've seen Killerspin DVD of Ma Lin going for a cross-court rip from the BH side and every time Wang Liquin or Waldner would block it down the line it would be a winner. Only Kim Taek Soo pulls this off regularly. But I guess you have to try, at least in practice.
Chetan then did medium underspin serves and he wanted me to drop it short and then he would drop it short and then he wanted me to do a really juicy push very deep into his BH so that he could open up and then finish. When he opened up against a good push the ball was ridiculously spinny and I was having trouble getting it to come down. Also, my pushes were lousy. Again I asked how could I do a good push and he just said that I have to develop confidence in my push once I'm sure what spin is on it. Well he started to serve with the same amount of underspin (medium) so that I could get used to it but I was struggling to come up with a high quality push. I'm going to have to work on that further. I know it has to do with being loose and gripping the ball well but it's a touch shot for sure. Usually I can push o.k. but maybe blocking all those forehands with my BH got my wrist tight? Oh well. I was actually soaked in sweat (from blocking?) and I asked Len to take over while I rested.
