Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 281 Straight-grip push, a retro style of play? Xu Xin: Chen Jin's touch is even better than mine!

"Wang Chuqin!"

A shrill female voice, like a lead sheep, screamed from the audience.

Immediately, the fans at the scene responded in unison: "Go for it!"

"come on!"

The girl screamed again.

"Wang Chuqin!"

A hundred fans responded in unison.

They seemed to be well-trained.

In contrast, the cheers for Chen Jin were scattered and disjointed.

"Chen Jin, keep it up!"

"Chen Jinjun, that was just done!"

In comparison, its momentum was somewhat weaker.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Chen Jin, four to zero!"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Wang Chuqin's fans were immediately enraged: "Go Wang Chuqin, come back from a 1-0 deficit to win 4-1!"

Soon, the tension from the game quietly spread to the fans in the stadium.

Amidst shouts.

Wang Chuqin and Chen Jin returned to the sidelines and sat alone in the rest area, wiping their sweat and drinking water while pondering their tactics for the second game.

They had no time to care about the situation of the fans outside the stadium.

Sweat trickled down his temples. Wang Chuqin held a mineral water bottle in his hand, his eyes slightly raised as he looked up at the stadium dome.

Countless spotlights converged on the dome, resembling a dazzling sea of ​​stars, radiant and brilliant.

This left Wang Chuqin somewhat dazed.

Although he lost to Chen Jin at the Macau Championships, his form at that time was indeed not ideal due to the impact of the Paris Olympics.

They've clearly regained their form at this Fukuoka Grand Final and are determined to win.

However, after the first game, Wang Chuqin realized that Chen Jin's strength seemed to be even greater than he had imagined.

"Due to the base of the blade, Chen Jin's backhand mid-to-long range power is insufficient, so he can only defend the mid-to-close range."

"But his backhand close-to-the-table quick attack is also excellent."

The key point is that Wang Chuqin strengthened his offensive spin in the first game, simply to force Chen Jin back off the table and thus take control of the game.

But Chen Jin would rather make a mistake than back down from the stage.

This caused some minor flaws in Wang Chuqin's tactics.

"However, although we lost the first game, judging from the score, the tactics were not the problem."

Wang Chuqin pondered, "The strategy for the second game should still focus on spin, suppressing Chen Jin's backhand and forcing him to retreat from the table."

"Of course, that alone is not enough."

"We also need to strengthen our attack in the first three rounds."

However, the problem is that to truly achieve the effect of the first three shots, you must coordinate your serves.

His hook serve in the first game was penalized by the referee, so he didn't dare to use it easily in the subsequent games.

Without the hook serve, it's like cutting off one's own arm; Wang Chuqin's power in the first three shots will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, aside from his hook shot, Chen Jin doesn't miss any of his serves.

"It would be better to hit his backhand long ball."

As one of the absolute mainstays of the Chinese national table tennis team, Wang Chuqin has enough experience on the court to quickly come up with a countermeasure: "Once the long ball is opened, I don't believe he can stand still near the table."

the other side.

Chen Jin bent down and took out a ripe banana from his bag. He slowly peeled it, seemingly lost in thought, and chewed it slowly.

"grace."

Xu Xin couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so elegant, it's making my mouth water."

Soon after, the hashtag #ChenJinEatsBananaElegantly# trended on social media.

The competition wasn't even over yet, but on the trending topics list, nearly a third of the entries were related to Chen Jin.

Chen Jin's every move on the court is closely watched.

“Wang Chuqin has already discovered my problem of not being able to move away from the table with my backhand, so he is keeping a close eye on my backhand and attacking it relentlessly.”

Chen Jin had already started brainstorming: "Although I held firm near the platform and refused to retreat, I was still too passive in the situation."

Fortunately, he possessed strong physical strength, which allowed him to withstand Wang Chuqin's attacks and win the first game.

If it were another competitor facing this situation, they would probably have surrendered with their weapons long ago.

"In the second game, without a doubt, Wang Chuqin will continue to suppress my backhand and force me to retreat from the table."

Chen Jin took another small bite of banana. "So later, we need to pay attention to his backhand topspin loop and keep an eye on his long serves."

"However, I can't be too passive and let Wang Chuqin control the rhythm of the game. I must take the initiative."

"Press the left and adjust the right, get him running all over Taiwan."

"Wang Chuqin's forehand counter-attacks are mostly based on borrowing force. When attacking his forehand, control the rhythm well. It is best to use nine shallow strokes followed by one deep stroke, and nine fast strokes followed by one slow stroke."

"In this way, I won't even have to expend too much effort, and Wang Chuqin's mistakes will naturally increase."

The break was only one minute long.

With both sides' tactics set, everything depends on execution.

“Time!”

With the referee's reminder.

Chen Jin put down the banana he hadn't finished eating, picked up a towel, and wiped his mouth.

He then stood up and walked towards the pool table.

A silent spark ignited in the air as they locked eyes for a second.

Second round.

Game start.

0: 0.

"Da da da……"

Wang Chuqin, expressionless, glanced at Chen Jin as the ping-pong ball bounced gently on the table.

Immediately, he grabbed the ping-pong ball.

Bend over and raise your right arm.

The ball slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.

"Ugh……"

Chen Jin sighed inwardly.

A fake toss is tolerable, at least it wasn't like a hook shot where the player covered it with their head.

"Break!"

A fast, long ball, followed by a surprise backhand attack.

Chen Jin was well-prepared and reacted with astonishing speed.

In a flash, I stepped my right leg back slightly by half a step to create space for the shot and avoid being blocked from generating power.

At the same time, gently rub it with your backhand.

Wang Chuqin's serve was fast and forceful, clearly a topspin.

Therefore, Chen Jin doesn't need to worry about eating his way down the internet.

Instead, they pressed down on the paddle to prevent the ball from going out of bounds.

In addition, Chen Jin's exquisite control led the ball to the far corner of Wang Chuqin's left half of the table.

Wang Chuqin took a cross step and leaped out.

Reverse diagonal line.

Chen Jin positioned himself in the backhand position, waiting patiently for the opportune moment.

With a firm horse stance, shift your body weight forward.

Lightly raise your elbows and tuck your wrists inward to store power.

Facing the rising phase of the ball.

"Snapped!"

Use your strength to fight.

A powerful backhand drive down the line.

0: 1.

The moment Chen Jin made his move, a sense of unease had already risen in Wang Chuqin's heart.

Looking back, we realize that we've overlooked some aspects while focusing on others.

"Oops!"

Even if Wang Chuqin's steps are fast, when he lunges for the forehand, he has not yet stood firm. How can he possibly save the right half of the table that he has already lost?
He shifted his forehand, unleashing a powerful straight shot – a smooth, fluid combo, flowing effortlessly.

Wang Chuqin's heart sank: "Did he guess I was going to hit a long shot?"

If it weren't for this, how could Chen Jin have executed such smooth and perfect maneuvers?

"Could it be... that he predicted all my tactics?"

"impossible!"

"How could a 15 or 16-year-old kid who just joined the national team possibly guess my tactics?"

"It must have been a lucky coincidence."

however.

Is Chen Jin really just a little kid?

In just three months, he went from being an unknown to ranking third in the world, setting one historical record after another.

Such strength should not be underestimated.

"Whoo~"

Wang Chuqin took a deep breath. "How about we try another long ball?"

Although the previous long ball was saved by Chen Jin.

But precisely because of this, Chen Jin might relax a little, thinking he wouldn't dare to continue with long shots. "Tactics are about using deception and surprise, keeping the opponent guessing."

Think about this.

Wang Chuqin is determined to hit a long shot again.

"昘——"

The small ping-pong ball, like a wild horse, headed straight for Chen Jin's backhand baseline.

"Still not giving up?"

Chen Jin, observing Wang Chuqin's fleeting glance, had already discerned his intentions: "Still want to keep hitting my long ball?"

For now, remain calm and composed.

Until the very moment Wang Chuqin served.

Suddenly, he pushed off with his feet and lightly leaped backward.

The wrist is turned inward to prepare for the shot and generate power.

"Snapped!"

He swung it out with a powerful backhand.

Like a general drawing his sword.

The ping-pong ball, with a whooshing sound, flew through the air like a bullet, piercing the table and striking Wang Chuqin's left side of the table.

This ball was smashed with a backhand.

Its power is like a rainbow piercing the sun, its speed like a shooting star chasing the moon.

The landing point was tricky, almost touching the white edge.

Compared to the previous ball, its speed and power are incomparable.

Wang Chuqin leaped forward, but missed.

2: 0.

"hateful!"

Wang Chuqin's face showed a hint of annoyance, and he almost threw a flying axe at Chen Jin. "He guessed it again!"

Once might be a fluke, but what about twice?
It is clear that the other side was prepared for the battle.

"No."

"We can't take long shots anymore for the time being."

Wang Chuqin finally backed down, "This kid is keeping a close eye on my serve. If I serve a long ball again, it will just give him an opportunity to attack."

And at this time.

The serve returned to Chen Jin.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

Although it's the same hook shot, every step is clean and precise.

Wang Chuqin, without batting an eye, asked: "A forehand short side-spin shot?"

I originally intended to attack from a position and flick the ball, but Chen Jin's serve had a perfect arc and spin.

Wang Chuqin dared not make a move easily.

So, he took a step forward and carefully moved short.

Chen Jin swings back.

Wang Chuqin continued to control the short term.

Chen Jin suddenly changed direction and executed a half-out-of-bounds move in the middle.

Wang Chuqin turned to the side and squatted down.

Fingers and wrists, friction and rotation, high-hanging arc, lightly pulling a straight line.

This shot, although a high-looping topspin, wasn't fast, but the arc was extremely low.

The moment it bounces off the table, it surges forward with all its might.

They chased after Chen Jin, heading towards his position.

Chen Jin had no time to turn to the side, and he didn't even have time to switch to a backhand.

"We have the ball!"

Wang Chuqin was secretly delighted.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jin did not move his feet, but his shoulders suddenly shrugged, his lower abdomen sucked in, and his whole body seemed to sink backward.

at the same time.

The racket in his hand is slightly tilted to the side.

As the ball rises, the arm and wrist move with incredible speed from right to left and downward, forcefully cutting through the air and pushing forward.

"laugh!"

The ping-pong ball, spinning intensely, flew towards Wang Chuqin's center.

Wang Chuqin was also surprised that Chen Jin would push the ball back with such an unconventional move.

Fortunately, the ball wasn't very fast, and its trajectory was high.

"go to hell!"

A chilling killing intent emanated from his dark pupils.

"Snapped!"

Wang Chuqin swung his hand back and delivered a violent blow, giving Chen Jin no chance to breathe.

however.

At the moment of impact, Wang Chuqin seemed to sense something was amiss, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Oops!"

"That ball is diagonally!"

By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.

laugh!
The ball hit the net.

3: 0.

Wang Chuqin felt completely numb.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Chen Jin was a mixture of shock, shame, anger, and resentment—a complex mix of emotions.

"Aren't you supposed to be a penhold grip player with a backhand topspin?"

Wang Chuqin was furious. "If I'm not mistaken, that move was clearly a push!"

Not only Wang Chuqin.

In the audience, Liu Guoliang and others were also stunned by this scene, their mouths agape.

"Straight-grip push?"

Liu Guoliang was somewhat incredulous. He hissed and gasped, "Isn't Chen Jin supposed to be a backhand topspin?"

"Why is he using a push block now?"

Straight-grip push is one of the straight-grip push blocking techniques.

The requirements for the force exerted by the fingers, wrists, and forearms are extremely stringent.

It has a similar effect to the backhand side slice of a penhold grip.

However, Chen Jin is a penhold grip player who uses a backhand topspin, and his grip style is different from that of a penhold push-block style.

Especially the three fingers on the opposite side.

The degree of curvature may seem similar, but in reality, they are quite different.

This also means that if Chen Jin wants to use the pushing technique, he needs to change his grip in a very short time.

In terms of results, he did indeed succeed.

Moreover, his push has an extremely strong side spin, even surpassing Ma Long's backhand side slice.

It didn't seem like a sudden burst of inspiration at all; rather, it was like something a seasoned veteran would do after decades of practice.

"Yes."

Wang Hao was also very curious, "Just how many skills does this kid have that we don't know about?"

Back in the Sydney Olympics cycle.

Since push-block was the mainstream technique for penhold grip players at the time, Wang Hao, who mainly attacked backhand topspin, was forced to switch to practicing push-block for two years at the request of the coaching staff.

As a result, in the men's singles final at the Sydney Olympics, Wang Hao faced a red-hot Ryu Seung-min.

The consequences of the defeat in World War I were self-evident.

After that, Wang Hao completely abandoned the push block and focused on practicing the backhand technique, finally creating a backhand system that was enough to change the world of table tennis.

But fate ultimately played a cruel joke on Wang Hao.

Even though he won all the championships, he missed out on the Olympic singles title.

The Olympic singles gold medal became a nightmare that haunted him for the rest of his life.

Nowadays, every penhold player, including Felix, Qiu Dang, and Xue Fei, uses a backhand topspin.
As a recognized outdated technology, the straight-board push-gear has long been swept into the dustbin of history.

This penhold push technique has been unseen on the court for many years.

How can one not sigh with emotion when it suddenly reappears in the hands of a young man?
Xuperman's live stream.

Seeing Chen Jin suddenly use a straight push, Xu Xin and Cheng Jingqi were dumbfounded and looked at each other in disbelief.

It took him a while to come to his senses.

"Straight-grip push?"

Cheng Jingqi couldn't help but exclaim, "I never thought that in my lifetime I would be able to see such...retro techniques on such a field."

"The horizontal attack and the push block are seamlessly connected."

Xu Xin clicked his tongue in amazement, "Chen Jin's touch is even better than mine."

As a fellow penhold grip player, only he truly understands the terrifying talent and feel required to switch between backhand and push blocks in a match.

Even he might not be able to do it.

"This is truly a celestial star descending from the heavens!"

Xu Xin praised Chen Jin highly, saying, "As long as Chen Jin is there, the future matches will be incredibly entertaining."

In today's era of big balls, there is more stalemate but less variation.

They either twist, swing, or tear – their tactics are monotonous, like a stagnant pool.

Chen Jin's appearance was like a stone thrown into a pool of water, bound to create ripples, or even waves.

(End of this chapter)