Korean National Coach Bringing Olympic Champion Spirit: Interview with Ryu Seung Min

I had the pleasure of interviewing 2004 Olympic Champion, Ryu Seung Min about his memories from Athens and his new role as National Coach of the Korean Team as well as some brief opinions about the current state and future of penhold in the sport of table tennis. Thank you Seung Min!
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Name: Ryu Seung Min
Date of Birth: 05 August 1982
Nation Represented: Korea
Highest World Ranking: 2

2004 Olympic Champion, Ryu Seung Min
image from ITTF.com

Equipment Used:
FH Rubber: Bty Tenergy 05
Blade: Bty Ryu Seung Min G-Max

When and how did you start playing table tennis? Who was the biggest influence on you to begin playing?

When I was 8 years old my cousin had a ping pong club, after class every day I would go there. My parents were my biggest motivation to play.

What was the highlight of your table tennis career?

My highlight is of course the 2004 Olympic Games.

You became the 2nd Korean male to win the table tennis gold medal at the Olympic Games, describe you memories of Athens 2004, particularly the final match.

The final against Wang Hao, actually the final point is my best memory from my career.

You won various medals at the Asian Games, World Championships and World Cup but never a singles gold, was this a big goal of yours in your career?

Yes, these were always big goals in my career.

Do you have any regrets looking back on your playing career?

Nothing special stands out as a regret for me.

Many people (including myself) would say you had the best footwork in the world during your prime. What did you do to help make your footwork so strong?

For the Korean style of table tennis, of course also penhold, it is very important to keep your feet moving. Many times in practice the key focus was on movement and footwork, it is very important.

How do you feel about the future of penhold in the sport?

I think it is positive, but many players are afraid that there can be no success with penhold and that is the reason perhaps nobody want to try now.

You spent time representing Ochsenhausen in the German league. How did you enjoy the team and matches there? Do you feel the German league is one of the strongest in the world?

So I have very good memories in Ochsenhausen, everything is perfect. My team mates and my lifestyle is very good. My opinion is the bundesliga is very professional.

Now that you have become Korean National Coach, what are your goals for the Korean Team?

The main goal is for the Korean National Team to take a gold medal again in some big events, Olympics, World Championships, World Cup.

Were you satisfied with the performance of the Korean players in the recent World Championships in Suzhou?

In Suzhou I was 70% satisfied with the way team Korea performed.

What is the biggest thing which Korea can improve in order to become more competitive with China?

In order to beat China's players we need to have a very strong mental focus and so we must improve this a lot.

Fun Questions:

What is your favourite:
Sport other than Table Tennis: Golf and Billiards
Sportsperson: Christiano Ronaldo
Food: Korean BBQ
Car: Mercedes
Holiday Destination: Switzerland

If you could restart your table tennis career, what style would you choose?

Left handed, shakehand attacker.

You have an amazing new family with 2 children now, what is your favourite thing to do with your family?

With my family especially with my two sons, every time is very special and we are very happy.


Wishing you all the best in your new role as national team coach and hope for success for Korea in the future :)

Thank you.

Want to read more great interviews with other former World Champions, Cup Winners and Number 1's? Click for MORE INTERVIEWS.

What to Expect at The World's Biggest Ping Pong Pool Party

Friday 10th July will see Table Tennis take the stage in Las Vegas at The World's Biggest Ping Pong Pool Party at The LINQ, you can join the event on Facebook HERE. Uberpong and USA Table Tennis are teaming up to provide a world class social ping pong event in anticipation for the US Open 2015 Finals which will be held at the Omnia Nightclub at Caesar's Palace. The event also times in with the official launch of the new social table tennis community, Pongtopia (follow the link to register with the launching community!)

Amongst all the excitement (yes I RSVP'd instantly), I managed to chat with Uberpong CEO David Lowe who is on a mission to bring table tennis and the world social community together.

Has there ever been an event this awesome before in the sport of table tennis in your opinion?

Absolutely not. This is the 'World's Biggest Ping Pong Pool Party' ever in the world, in the USA. Fact!

What can we expect to see at the event?

There are rumors that I will be wearing a bright orange mankini, ping pong tables on raised platforms in the pool, a DJ and lots of cocktails! It will be the ultimate warmup for the US Open Finals on Saturday.

Uberpong wants to bring the world together through table tennis. This is a celebration of the sport and the people involved in it.

Sounds awesome. What is the capacity of the Linq pool venue, how many people could there be together there?

1500 is the maximum capacity. We want a line around the block to make a statement that ping pong is THE sport to be playing. Let's make it happen!

Is this the start of a new era of social ping pong?

It takes time for people to get into something but as the number of social ping pong clubs and bars with tables increases, people are becoming at ease with going out for an evening of ping pong. I believe that the tipping point is coming and Uberpong is certainly leading this new era of social ping pong. Las Vegas will be the 1st of many events that bring ping pong fans together.

Keep in the Loop with the Social Table Tennis Revolution by following Uberpong and Pongtopia on Facebook and be sure to RSVP HERE  and get yourself to this exciting event!

Don't forget to subscribe to my e-newsletter HERE.

How To Make Service Practice More Engaging

Service practice is notably one of the most important areas of training, but also one which requires the most discipline and can be incredibly boring, repetitive and lacking in stimulation. So what can be done to make service practice more engaging, especially for young kids and developing players who really just want to be out there playing matches and killing balls? I prepared a few tips which I used to use and still use (though I rarely practice my serves now), for keeping service practice exciting. See more from my Coaching Blog.

How to Make Service Practice More Engaging

Setting Targets:

Setting targets to practice hitting is one of the most popular methods of making service practice more fun. So what kind of obstacles are popular and what can you do at more advanced levels?

Mini Paddle Target: This is more for beginning and developing players, aim for a paddle or for a mini paddles on the table. It is usually fairly achievable with the most basic serves and teaches direction and placement.

Broken Ball Target: A popular choice for coaches is to place broken table tennis balls on the table for students to aim for, this is very popular for long fast serves and usually the broken balls are placed along the baseline or on the corners. This can help increase accuracy and also service depth.

Broken Ball Goals: Create a goal out of two broken balls, it can be as wide as you want (narrower the more difficult). You can also place it on angles or even completely sideways for sidespin serves. The aim is to make the ball bounce through the goal. You can even set more difficult tasks like making the ball go backwards through the goal.

Backwards Targets: This is something I tend to practice more often to maintain my feel and my contact on the ball. I like to set up a basket stood up and facing away from me, I serve backspin and try and curve the ball back around into the basket. See the video below.

Harder Targets: At advanced level you can aim for smaller targets like coins or try and bend the ball around objects. Today I used a roll of duct tape and served so the ball would go backwards through the middle of the roll standing up. This teaches you to command and control ball spin and placement and really focus on developing a quality serve.

Service Challenges and Games:

Serving alone is often one of the main reasons why it is so boring, it feels quite isolated and it's hard to stay focused and entertained. Find a serving partner and play some service games.

Short Serve Sudden Death: Serve for 10 pushups, one serve each. The first player who fails to serve short (2 bounces minimum on the opposite side) has to do the punishment. A missed serve is double to punishment. Sometimes punishments can be fun and it also improves the ability to serve under pressure.

Serve at Reward Targets: When I was a young player growing up, we used to serve at candy targets, if you could hit the candy then you won it. For younger kids this is a great game and it makes them more interested in practicing serves. Offer some incentive! :)

Service Matches: Play matches where only one person serves for the whole match. This makes the server really focus on winning points off their serve and also helps the receiver work on the more difficult task of facing a match without serve.


Hope these little tips are somewhat helpful for those of you out there who find it hard to do plain old boring service practice! :)

Expand Your Attacking Range with the Pivot Forehand

The pivot forehand has been a favourable offensive strokes for players for many decades, particularly before the backhand loop became as prominent in the modern era of the game. Watching players execute full table forehand strategies was something to be inspired by. This stroke is simply a footwork manoeuvre around the backhand corner to allow for a forehand stroke to be played. See more from my Coaching Blog.

So what are some important pointers to take on when learning more about the pivot forehand and why is learning the stroke beneficial?

Getting back into training and the pivot forehand off under-spin is a priority

Why To Learn the Pivot Forehand:

As a beginning or developing player usually the development of the forehand as a more offensive stroke is evident. For this reason a player can take the early advantage by learning how to execute their best stroke across different positions in the table.

Players may feel more comfortable attacking with their forehand, they may have more accuracy and have learnt the stroke with the ability to transfer more weight. Learning to dominate more with the backhand can often be difficult, especially in the beginning stages of player development and even later as intermediate players. A prime example of a player who had an incredibly dominant forehand is China's Wang Liqin, 3 time world champion. You can see the video of him below doing a forehand oriented drill where he plays some incredible forehand attacking strokes off his backhand corner.

So what is important when trying to execute a pivot forehand shot?

Ensure You Create Enough Space:

You need to line the ball up in order to have enough space to swing and to line the ball up in your striking zone. This means not being too close to the ball and alternately also not going around the corner too much. As you can see in the videos posted, it is important for the weight transfer into the ball for it to be in the optimum point of contact relative to the body.

Practice Playing Different Placements:

Some players may find it difficult to hit the angle down the line or also the corner angle crosscourt. Be sure to practice multiple placements so that when you take the step around the corner it is difficult for your opponent to predict where you are hitting the ball.

Maintain a Uniform Technique:

As you are moving into a less familiar position it is important to try and maintain your form with the stroke. Ensure you transfer your weight through your legs and turn into the ball contact and follow through after the contact. Often some players may not turn enough when trying to play the outside crosscourt angle, you still need to turn your shoulders to aim for the corner.

Play Smart:

Find the right combination of power and spin along with placement. Remember once you commit to a pivot forehand you are leaving the table wide open for your opponent. It is vital you do not give them control to place freely, avoid hitting to your opponents position, try and aim for space or for the body unless you have the ability to generate heavy spin or have a setup for a more powerful shot.

Be Ready for the Next Ball:

Since you are off the table you need to recover quickly and be ready for whatever will come next. It is also beneficial not to come too far around the side of the table when you go around the corner, otherwise it will obstruct your movement back into the table and steal time for your recovery for any ball which is returned away from the corner.

Drills to Help You:

Basic: Start off hitting one backhand and one forehand on the corner and continue alternating. You can also play backhands and choose any ball to pivot forehand on and attack anywhere.

Falkenberg: One backhand, one pivot forehand, one wide forehand. This is a classic drill for pivot forehand play.

More Advanced Example: Forehand short push to pivot forehand loop off underspin, this can be done from service or as a multiball drill.


Hope this was helpful, this is an important skill to try and master in order to have more weapons in your game! Subscribe to my new e-newsletter HERE

Inside the Life of a Chinese National Team Player: Exclusive Interview with Guo Yan

Few words could explain how much of an honour this interview was, or how humble and open Guo Yan was in an interview which spanned over 2 hours. I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with her about her career in the Chinese National Team and most of all try and begin to understand the pressure and feelings of being involved in the best team in the world. Please read and enjoy and be sure to subscribe to my e-newsletter HERE

Name: Guo Yan
Date of Birth: June 24 1982
Nation Represented: China
Highest World Ranking: 1

Major Victories: 2006 World Cup Champion, 2010 World Cup Champion, 3 time World Team Champion with China, 2005 and 2011 Asian Cup Champion, 2008 and 2009 Pro Tour Grand Finals Champion.

Former World Number 1 Guo Yan
China

Equipment Used:
FH Rubber: Hurricane 3
BH Rubber: BTY Tenergy05 FX
Blade: BTY Viscaria FL

How old were you when you first became a member of the Chinese National Team? What feeling did you have at that moment?

When I was 15 years old I made the team for the first time, it was a moment of excitement and glory to have a chance to make it into the Chinese National Team.

At that time did you ever think it would be possible for you to become the top ranked player in the world?

There was no thoughts of being the best or being world champion, it was just very exciting to enter table tennis in the highest institution and the highest level of learning, it was very exciting.

How much more intense and difficult is the training at national level compared to training within the provincial team?

The level of the national team training is very high, it is much higher than the provincial level training. You really have to keep the pace of the training with the team so I had to work very hard.

How long was it before you became one of the stronger members of the national team?

I officially entered the national youth team in 1998 at X years old, I made the main national team in 2001. One year after entering the national team I had already entered the main layer of the team.

When you were in the National Team, what was your greatest love and alternately, what was your biggest fear?

As a top player, the greatest love is when I experienced a very fierce and cruel competition, the final victory of that moment. That kind of joy cannot be replaced by anything.

The thing I feared the most was in a contest going to meet a very powerful opponent, the night before the game there can be a strong fear of failure. There is a lot of worry and fear in the heart and it can cause a feeling of what can only be described as inner torment.

Guo Yan with teammate Guo Yue after team victory
at World Team Cup

Is the fear of failure something which drives players in China? The competition to excel at national level between players must be incredibly intense. How does it feel to be under so much pressure?

Table Tennis in China is the strongest in the world, there are many masterful players in China, competition is very normal, everybody adapts to that level of competition. It is only then through such competition that we can stand out from other players and become the best and earn the right to be the best in the world.

That kind of pressure is as if you are in the face of a fight. You fight for your country's national game, for your honour. This time, passion of heart, we are under a lot of pressure. There is lots to worry about, there is panic and there is fear. But we must remind ourselves that no matter how difficult the front is, as long as you believe you can be the best then you can win the game.

You became world number 1 in 2010 and won 2 world cup titles in 2006 and 2010. Were these in your mind the highlights of your career?

Yes, this is the highlight of my career. My proudest moment was in the World Cup in Xinjiang in 2006 where I defeated the best woman in my opinion, Zhang Yining. I was the best player in the World for the first time.

After you retired from the national team it must have been very emotional. How did it feel for the first short period of time after your retirement to no longer be a part of the team which had been a huge part of your life?

After retirement I feel life now. My line of work is still with table tennis so I am still very happy. I can be more understanding of what table tennis has given me. I gained many friends in China and overseas and I hope to contact them in person again and hope to promote table tennis so everyone will know it is really a great sport. So now I set up my own club and hope I can make many friends who also love table tennis.

Where is your club located and when did you open it? Where can people find more information about it?

I have a public page on WeChat called Young Shine Table Tennis and also one Facebook. (Follow the LINK and be sure to support her there.)

We launched during the summer training camp. We hope foreign hobby table tennis friends can come to China and together we can feel the warmth which table tennis brings us and fight for competitive spirit. I have a strong coaching staff here with me.

Guo Yan wins the 2011 China Harmony Open

A Few Fun Questions

Favourite Food?

I love to eat a lot of things, I like bread and cakes.

Favourite Singer? 

Adele

Favourite Travel Destination? 

The United States, France and the Maldives

How does it feel to have more free time now after the team? 

Time is still busy but there is less pressure now.

Thank you again to Guo Yan, one of this generations table tennis champions and a real lover of the sport. Hope you all enjoyed!

Want to read more great interviews with other former World Champions, Cup Winners and Number 1's? Click for MORE INTERVIEWS.