(Picture Credit - Matthew Syed by Rollingstone com)
This is from my TT Journal today. I tried to post it as a Note on Facebook but it wouldn't cut and paste so...
Been thinking. A “defensive player” is something quite different from a “good defender”. A classic defensive player plays very steadily, usually with chop\slice or lob and waits for his opponent to make mistakes. A more modern version is someone who blocks everything, allowing his opponent to make all the running and generate pace. On the other hand a “good defender” is a player who is simply good at blocking and retrieving when necessary. Such a player may be an all-out attacker, but when he or she gets into trouble s\he can defend well. These are two very different animals, though both will be “good defenders” for sure. Nuff Said.
More from today's TT Journal:
About Focus. When playing a point you should
just watch the ball, opponent and target (net\table). You should not be
thinking about anything else. It’s as simple as that. Any tactical\strategical
thinking should be done before the match and between points, not
during a point. Be alert and ready for anything. Just concentrate. Just focus.
Don’t daydream or think over the last point. Play every point as though it’s
the one and only point. Focus.
