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William Henzell's Blog Dec 4

Table tennis has taken a backseat for me over the past few weeks as I've been focusing on work. Training has been very difficult as one of my training partners has moved to Brisbane and another is on holidays overseas. My third partner is heading overseas for a few months of training later this month so I'll be taking a long involuntary break. It's a sad state of affairs at the top of the sport when the top players can't find anyone to practice with, and unfortunately no one really seems to care enough to do something about it.

But enough of the down talk and more on the positives. My first long format training video (90 minutes or more in length) is a step closer to be being. The first will be a comprehensive look at improving your footwork. I haven't met many players who don't think they can improve on their footwork, however there are very few who actually know how to go about it. Which player doesn't recognise the feeling of being 'stuck' and feeling like they are always out of position.

I was fortunate enough to work with two of the best coaches in the world for 8 months during my preparations for the 2012 Olympics in London. I learned so much from them and one of the biggest areas of improvement was in my footwork. I realised many things - the most important detail was that footwork is as much about using the right footwork technique as it is being naturally fast or strong. Training your feet to move and touch the floor in the right order and using the right timing is invaluable. The more time you have to play your best shots as often as possible, the more likely you are to win more points and more matches.

I played the Victorian Open a few weeks ago and was successful in my quest to win the men's singles title. It was my first tournament in a couple of years where my participation was an afterthought rather than planned. I normally take my tournaments and matches very seriously, which I think is partly because I am naturally a fierce competitor and partly because of the 10 years I've spent playing professionally. If you don't win, you don't get a contract for next season and you are no longer a professional player. I'd spend at least the week prior to the event structuring my training and preparation so I could perform at my best when it counted. For the London Olympics, it was a month of precise preparation where everything I did was focused on my few moments in the spotlight. But with long busy days at work and little time for practice these days, I just turn up and do my best.

The hardest part I find is keeping my concentration. In a long 7 set match it is very easy to lose concentration and focus many times and each time can cost you a run of points, a set or even a match. From time to time I practice my concentration using some simple exercises so that I can quickly refocus when I need to. But I find that the more outside stuff I have going through my mind, the more difficult it is to bring my thoughts back into line.

Published date: 
Tue, 12/04/2012 - 19:30