Ebrima's Online Journal

In high jump the most crucial time in the athletes jump is the take off if this part fails the whole jump is a failure so for a high jumper practice in this area is crucial. While closing into the bar the jumper must find their place of take off this should be closer to the front stand but not further than the middle of the bar, this is so the jumper has length to travel the bar and still land on the mat. Depending on the athletes chosen leg decides what side the athlete comes in towards the mat from normally an athlete coming in from the right will be using their right leg for propulsion over the bar and vice versa. During take off the athlete should not only use their legs but also their arms to add momentum not only to give them lift but also to help them turn 90 degrees so that their back is facing the bar initiating the Fosbury flop.

There are 4 basic components of the approach:

1. Take-off point
2. Take-off angle
3. Number of Steps on the Curve
4. Stride Length

(the take-off point)  –  this is the point at which you plant your foot and take off from the ground normally towards the start of the bar from your angle of approach however depending on skill level this may vary.

(take-off angle)  –  a high jumpers take of angle should ideally be around 15 to 30 degrees to achieve optimum height and force the body over the bar and therefore successfully making the jump.

(number of steps on the curve)  –  the number of steps on the curve of the run up due to high jump becoming more popular more money has been given to scientists to discover how to up athletes ability due to this they have come to the conclusion that a jumper should ideally use 5 steps on the start up of their run and a further 4 on the inside of the curve.

(stride length)  – stride length is important in a high jump run up. the first 5 strides should be large and almost exaggerated then as you close in to the the high jump bar should become smaller and faster. this is to build up as much momentum as possible.

due to table tennis become a more advanced sport the number of ways to hit the ball from on side of the table to the other is increasing one of the moves developed and mastered by the top players is the back spin shot.

As with any shot in table tennis it comes with a degree of skill to perform however this shot is different as it is able to be played defensively and offensively.

Due to all this it means that a player that can master this shot will have a large skill advantage over his opponent landing him with shots that retreat back to the sender upon delivery.

to perform the backspin shot the player must hit the ball on the underside of the ball bringing the bat back towards you after coming into contact with it this makes the ball spin back towards the player and causes the back spin effect.

In table tennis there are many types of shots that players can use to return the ball I am going to talk about two of them. topspin forehand and topspin backhand both cause the ball to be returned fast and attacking.

As with the drive shot topspin shots can often overwhelm new players to the game as the ball moves unpredictably and must be countered as a basic shot will leave the ball with a large amount of spin and may go anywhere but the place it is aimed.

Due to all this it means that the topspin shot is a lethal shot and once mastered will up a players game to another level giving them the ability to overwhelm their opponents with fast and hard attacking game play.

A tip would be to combine your normal drive shots with a bit of topspin to do this slant your bat and aim to hit the ball on the top this motion gives the ball topspin and forces the ball to dip just over the net but the spin will quickly fire the ball towards your opponent a risky shot for a beginner but for someone who has mastered it a very valuable skill to use during a game of table tennis.

THE DRIVE SHOT

during our training sessions we were faced with challenges to learn how to do certain skills and techniques one of these is the FOREHAND DRIVE (as seen in the attached picture). To learn how to do this move we practiced playing the forehand drive onto green mats over the net.

The forehand drive is the first of the basic strokes. Once mastered, it should become one of your most used table tennis shots. The forehand drive forms the basis for more advanced strokes such as the block, the topspin loop and the counter topspin, so it’s really important to develop a strong and consistent stroke.

The forehand drive is played against long or medium length topspin or float balls. You can’t play a forehand drive off a short ball (that would be a flick) and you can’t play a forehand drive off a backspin ball (that would go into the net).

Stance: start by first standing towards the corner of the table facing towards your opponent spread your legs slightly and lower your center of gravity this will help keep you stable during your serve.

Bat and ball positioning: hold the bat open as if you are about to play a pushing shot on the ball. with your other hand hold the ball between your thumb and first finger above the bat.

Getting a feel for it: drop the ball from your hand and push the ball onto your side of the table mid-way between the net and the beginning of the table, so that the ball bounces over the net and lands on your opponents side of the table, Continue doing this until u have got a feel for the serve.

Once you’ve mastered this technique start playing the shot aiming for the far corners of your opponents side of the table this will give you the edge against your opponent as you will force them to play a defensive game.

Repeat this technique until u have mastered it and you will win almost every serve due to your superior serving.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-block-in-table-tennis

THE BLOCK SHOT

during our training sessions we were faced with challenges to learn how to do certain skills and techniques one of these is the block shot (as seen in the attached picture). To learn how to do this move we practiced playing the defensive shot onto green mats just over the net.

Table tennis has become a game of fast paced shots and quick thinking players with increasing speed and different skills to add to this speed for example topspin, players must create a way to counteract this move and they have. The move is called the block and is used when the player needs to slow down the speed at which the ball is coming towards the player and also puts the opposing player out of position to play their next move.

To do the block the player must hold the bat flat with the face facing the opposing player then with the arm at a 90 degree angle keeping the arm rigid moving the body only play into the ball placing the ball just over the net.