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

Chapter 395 National Games Physical Fitness Test! Two Chen Jins?

2 month 28 day.

Table tennis and badminton teams from all over the country gathered at the General Administration of Sport for training.

The S province team was naturally among them, as they were all preparing for the physical fitness tests for the 2025 National Games.

The table tennis team is led by Chen Longcan.

Chen Jin reunited with his provincial team teammates.

Since Chen Jin just won the Asian Cup singles title, according to the rules of the National Games table tennis competition, he does not need to participate in the qualifying rounds and can directly advance to the National Games singles main draw.

However, if you want to participate in team or doubles events, you still need to start from the qualifying rounds.

Chen Longcan gathered everyone together and gave a brief introduction to the participants in this National Games.

"The boy band consists of five members: Chen Jin, Yan Sheng, Cai Shunhang, Leng Dapeng, and Liao Zikai."

"Yan Sheng and Cai Shunhang will play doubles, and Chen Jin, you will play singles."

When he said his last words, Chen Longcan looked at Chen Jin.

"clear."

Chen Jin nodded.

The National Games brings together top athletes from all over the country, so we must treat it with utmost care.

Especially in doubles, teamwork is essential.

Nowadays, Chen Jin spends most of his time competing in other places and has no time to train for doubles.

If Zhang Jiahao were still on the S Province team, the training problems could probably be easily solved with their tacit cooperation.

Therefore, having others handle the doubles while Chen Jin focuses on the singles is indeed a well-thought-out arrangement.

Chen Jin had no objection.

Even so, Chen Longcan was still a little worried: "The Chongqing Championship just finished on the 16th, and then we have to play the team qualifiers on the 20th. Won't that be too tiring?"

The National Games team qualification tournament is scheduled for March 20-26.

The group stage is a round-robin tournament, with the top three advancing.

The Chongqing championship match was only three days away.

For Chen Jin, time was a bit tight.

"It's not a big problem."

Chen Jin laughed and said, "It wouldn't be a bad idea to also do mixed doubles."

"never mind."

Chen Longcan said seriously, "You are already facing heavy competitions with the national table tennis team."

"The World Cup and World Table Tennis Championships are coming soon. We can't treat you like a beast of burden. If you overwork yourself, it will be a loss."

"So, for this National Games, you only need to participate in the team and singles events."

At this point, Chen Longcan paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "Moreover, we don't have high expectations for the team competition results; just qualifying is enough."

"Even if we don't qualify, it's not unacceptable."

After all, as the coach, he knew perfectly well the skill level of the other players on the S Province team besides Chen Jin.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent so much money hiring foreign players in the last Chinese Table Tennis Super League.

"Coach Chen, I will definitely..."

Chen Jin hadn't finished speaking.

He was interrupted by Chen Longcan.

Chen Longcan smiled and patted Chen Jin on the shoulder: "I understand."

"You helped our provincial team win the championship in the last Table Tennis Super League, which was more than enough."

"As for the National Games, we know our own limitations, so there's no need to push ourselves too hard and add unnecessary pressure."

"Right now, your most important task is to conserve your energy and prepare for the World Cup and the World Table Tennis Championships."

“You came from our provincial team. No matter where you are in the future, the better your performance, the more our provincial team will benefit.”

His words were filled with immense expectation.

A glint of light flashed in Chen Jin's eyes, and he nodded solemnly: "I understand, thank you Coach Chen."

……

3 month 1 day.

The physical fitness test has officially begun.

The test consists of eight items.

The test consists of three basic physical fitness tests: 30-meter sprint, abdominal muscle endurance, and back muscle endurance, plus five specialized physical fitness tests: lateral sliding step, A-shaped movement footwork, double rope skipping, seated rotating ball throwing, and standing long jump.

The full score is 80, and 40 is passing.

The physical testing site was arranged in a compact and orderly manner.

Ping-pong and badminton are located right next to each other.

The training hall was filled with a relaxed and joyful atmosphere during the 30-meter sprint.

However, when it came to the abdominal muscle endurance test, the situation changed drastically.

Chen Jin, Ma Long, and Xie Mingyang stood side by side, looking composed. They even exchanged a few words in hushed tones, with faint smiles on their lips.

It was as if nothing had happened.

The other side.

Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Zhang Jiahao, and others presented a completely different picture.

Wang Chuqin grimaced, veins bulging on his forehead, his face contorted in pain: "I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore, pull me up..."

Lin Shidong, standing to the side, also had a distorted expression, his features almost squeezed together, but he stubbornly endured it.

Zhang Jiahao was able to chat and laugh at first, but after a while, he lost control of his expression: "Didn't we agree on two minutes? It's been almost ten minutes already!"

"What? Only forty-two seconds? Holy crap!"

"Brother, is your timer broken?"

The stark contrast drew laughter from the team members and coaches who had already completed their tests.

Wang Hao was also present. Looking at the various expressions on the scene, he found it both amusing and helpless, and shook his head in dismay.

While he was focused on the physical tests on the field.

Suddenly, a broad, thick hand, with a familiar force, slapped heavily on his shoulder.

Wang Hao turned around in surprise.

Upon seeing who it was, his face lit up with surprise and delight: "Old Jin, what brings you here?"

The man standing in front of me was none other than the former head coach of the Chinese national women's singles badminton team.

Time has left its mark on his face, but his smile remains undiminished.

"Brother Hao, long time no see, you look great."

Coach Chen laughed heartily and gave Wang Hao's shoulder a firm squeeze.

"I look pretty good? I'm almost turning into a piece of old cured meat."

Wang Hao laughed and said, "But you, you're still so young and handsome... Why are you back? Are you preparing for a comeback and the National Games?"

"I brought a few students here to participate in the physical fitness test."

Coach Chen waved his hand, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and said, "I heard that your table tennis team recently produced a prodigy with the same name as me?"

"true."

Wang Hao pointed to the physical testing area, the area where the standing long jump test was being conducted, "That guy in the white T-shirt."

Coach Chen looked in the direction indicated by the gesture.

A figure stood at the take-off line, slightly bent his knees to gather strength, his body like a fully drawn bow, and then suddenly burst forth.

Pushing off the ground, swinging the arms, and leaping into the air—the movements are executed in one fluid motion, exuding explosive power.

The figure drew a beautiful arc in the air and landed steadily three meters away with a "thud".

"what?"

Coach Chen's eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "That jumping ability, that explosiveness... it's really impressive."

As a badminton coach, he has an almost instinctive sensitivity to and appreciation for jumping ability and explosive power.

at this time.

Chen Jin has completed all the physical tests and is wiping away sweat with a towel while adjusting his breathing.

Suddenly, he heard someone calling him from not far away: "Chen Jin".

Looking in the direction of the sound, Wang Hao waved to him.

Chen Jin strode forward, sweat trickling down his temples, his breathing slightly labored.

"This is Coach Chen, who shares the same name as you. He's a world badminton champion."

Wang Hao introduced it with a smile.

"Hello, Coach Chen."

Chen Jin bowed slightly in politeness.

He wasn't very familiar with badminton, and his knowledge was limited to players like Dan Lin and Lee Chong Wei.

Coach Chen looked Chen Jin up and down, his admiration undisguised. He chuckled and joked, "Brother Hao, your apprentice's name is so fitting for mine, and his physique looks like it's perfect for badminton. Why don't you adopt him as your student?"

"Think beautifully!"

Wang Hao's face hardened. "It's been so long since we last met, and you're already trying to steal my girlfriend the moment we meet?"

"Hahaha……"

Coach Chen laughed, "It's a rare coincidence to meet today, how about we play a game?"

The two are close in age, and their table tennis and badminton training halls are right next to each other, so they often visit each other.

When Wang Hao was still an athlete, he often sought out Coach Zhang to play badminton.

Of course, they couldn't escape being tortured.

The main focus is on having fun.

"It can't be opened."

Wang Hao quickly waved his hand, "Look at my physique now, the floor would shake if I jumped."

Not only now, but later in his career, he had already lost control of his physique.

Wang Zuxian, who was once a prominent figure in the Chinese national table tennis team, gradually changed from Wang Hao to Wang Gao.

"If the master can't do it, the disciple has to take his place?"

Coach Chen laughed loudly, a hint of cunning in his eyes, and turned to Chen Jin.

"I?"

Chen Jin was taken aback for a moment, "I've never played badminton."

He usually devotes almost all his energy to the table tennis table.

I'm a complete novice when it comes to badminton, which is played across the net.

"It's ok."

Coach Chen waved his hand and said, "It's very simple, I'll teach you."

"I guarantee you'll learn it, and it's free." Without waiting for a reply, he put his arm around Chen Jin's shoulder and, half-pushing and half-leading, headed towards the badminton court next door.

"Forehead……"

Wang Hao looked helpless, shook his head with a wry smile.

He then quickly followed after them.

The badminton hall was brightly lit.

It has a more open space than a table tennis hall.

Several badminton players are practicing high clear rallies, the white shuttlecocks flying through the air with a "whoosh" sound.

The crisp sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock was constant.

Walking to an open area, Coach Chen casually picked up a badminton racket and handed it to Chen Jin: "Here, try it out."

Chen Jin swung his arms a few times, his movements and postures creating a rhythmic, clattering sound.

"A badminton court is much larger than a ping-pong table, so the range of movement is key."

It seems that Coach Chen really wants to teach Chen Jin, "Basic footwork, starting, pushing and turning, small steps, parallel steps, cross steps, lunge... The core is in the waist and abdomen, you have to be stable and fast."

As he spoke, he moved quickly across the field to demonstrate, his steps light, agile, and rhythmic.

In fact, there are many similarities in footwork between table tennis and badminton.

Chen Jin understood immediately.

"Strike at the net, flick, hook, drop, rub, push, pounce, cut, and wipe."

Coach Chen made an extremely soft drop shot at the net, "For the midcourt, either a flat drive, a high clear, or a smash."

"The smash is the hardest shot. You need to generate power from your waist and abdomen, which will then drive your arm and wrist downwards, like cracking a whip..."

After saying that, he demonstrated a powerful smash.

Although he hadn't actually exerted his full strength, the power and momentum he displayed in that instant were already fully revealed.

Basic movements demonstrated.

"With your master watching, I can't bully you."

Coach Chen laughed and said, "Find someone around your age so they can practice with you first."

After speaking, he glanced around the venue and finally fixed his gaze on a girl practicing net play not far away.

"Xia Ling—"

Coach Chen called out, "Come here for a second."

The girl turned around at the sound, jogged over, and swung her high ponytail back and forth.

A few stray hairs on her forehead were damp with sweat and stuck to her smooth forehead.

Her eyes were bright and spirited, brimming with the vibrant energy characteristic of a sporty young woman.

As she approached and saw Chen Jin, a hint of surprise flashed across her face: "Chen Jin?"

"you know me?"

Chen Jin was slightly taken aback.

"of course."

Xia Ling smiled and said, "I often see you trending on social media."

"Uh……"

Chen Jin clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, "Please give me your guidance."

"Xia Ling, you practice with Chen Jin."

Coach Chen said.

"Badminton?"

Xia Ling blinked.

"Correct."

Coach Chen smiled.

"Chen Jin, although you are very good at table tennis, badminton is quite different from table tennis."

Xia Ling chuckled.

With a whoosh, he skillfully spun the racket in his hand.

"Please be gentle with me."

Chen Jin clasped his hands in a fist salute once more.

Then, the two stood in their respective halves of the court.

Chen Jin gripped the unfamiliar badminton racket handle, feeling that it was much heavier than a ping-pong racket, and the center of gravity was completely different.

Following Xia Ling's example, he slightly bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and assumed a defensive stance.

Xia Ling kicks off.

A classic high clear, the shuttlecock soars high, clears the net, and lands towards Chen Jin's backcourt baseline.

Chen Jin's eyes narrowed.

Predict the landing point!

This instinct is almost ingrained in the bones of table tennis players.

The footwork starts instantly, not with the crossover step in badminton, but with the side slide step most familiar to players when attacking from the side in table tennis.

Swift and powerful, he slid to the spot below where the ball was about to land in just a few steps.

However, the badminton racket swing was completely distorted.

He subconsciously tried to use the motion of a ping-pong topspin shot to meet the falling badminton shuttlecock.

Sink your shoulders back and pull them back, use your forearms to generate force, and rub forward.

"puff!"

Accompanied by a muffled sound.

Although the movement was strange, he managed to hit the ball over the net.

"Exactly the same as you were back then."

When Coach Chen saw this, he turned to look at Wang Hao and burst into laughter.

Knowing that Chen Jin was not good at badminton, Xia Ling did not bully him and made a light flat shot.

The badminton shuttlecock flew towards me.

Almost instinctively, Chen Jin pulled his left leg back, bent his knees slightly, lowered his arms, and placed them under his hips, intending to pull back.

Unexpectedly, a "crack" was heard as the racket hit the ground.

Chen Jin was taken aback, then realized that it was a badminton racket, not a ping-pong racket.

"boom!"

The badminton shuttlecock hit him on the forehead.

"Are you okay?"

Xia Ling rushed over and asked with concern.

"fine."

Chen Jin reached out and rubbed it, then bent down to pick up the shuttlecock and casually tossed it to the other side. "Keep going, don't hold back."

"it is good."

Xia Ling twisted her wrist and caught the ball with her racket.

Next, Xia Ling showed no intention of holding back, using her skillful technique and rich experience to maneuver Chen Jin around the court.

Sometimes he would gently drop the ball to the net, and sometimes he would suddenly smash the ball towards Chen Jin's backhand.

The angles are tricky, and the rhythm is varied.

In the first few minutes, Chen Jin was completely on the defensive.

The footwork is based on the quick, short, and side-sliding steps developed from table tennis training. Although it allows for quick starts, it feels particularly awkward and exhausting on the badminton court, where a large-scale sprint is required.

However, his amazing athletic talent and learning ability began to shine in the face of adversity.

Chen Jin's focus reached its peak as he continuously observed and learned.

As Xia Ling delivered another nimble drop shot towards the diagonal line in front of the net, Chen Jin's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he made his judgment almost the instant Xia Ling changed her wrist.

Instead of using the small, quick steps of a ping-pong player to adjust, he suddenly pushed off the ground and turned around, his body shooting out like an arrow, using the crossover step demonstrated by Coach Chen.

He quickly reached the net.

This time, he didn't try to rub the shuttlecock. Instead, he relaxed his wrist, imitated Coach Chen's net demonstration, and gently blocked with the racket face, using the force to deflect the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock obediently rolled along the net to Xia Ling's front court.

A beautiful net play replay.

"nice shot!"

Coach Chen couldn't help but cheer from the sidelines.

This successful replay was like a key, instantly unlocking a dormant switch within Chen Jin's body.

It's a kind of extraordinary ball sense and spatial awareness that top athletes possess in ball sports.

He began to try to incorporate the terrifying explosive power and precise wrist control of table tennis into the movement framework of badminton.

When Xia Ling once again pulled the ball high to his forehand backcourt, attempting to suppress him with repeated landing points, a glint flashed in Chen Jin's eyes.

Quickly cross your feet into position, turn your body to the side to prepare for the shot, and move smoothly.

This time, he incorporated the essence of coordinated power generation from the waist and legs during a powerful forehand smash in table tennis.

Push off the ground, rotate your hips, swing your arms, and press your wrists down.

The movements were executed in one fluid motion, brimming with explosive power.

"Snapped--"

A loud bang, like a whip cracking through the air, exploded out.

The shuttlecock transformed into a blurry white lightning bolt, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, and slammed into the floor near Xia Ling's left sideline with an almost straight trajectory, bouncing back and nearly hitting the back wall.

The force was so great and the speed so fast that Xia Ling had no time to react; she only felt a gust of wind rushing towards her face.

A powerful backcourt smash!

Moreover, it was a sideline smash with a tricky angle.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment.

Xia Ling stared wide-eyed at the badminton shuttlecock still rolling slightly on the ground, then looked up at Chen Jin opposite her, who was slightly out of breath but had an amazingly bright look in his eyes.

The murderous aura she felt just now made even this rising badminton prodigy feel a chill run down her spine.

Coach Chen rushed excitedly to the sidelines, his voice rising several octaves: "Chen Jin, you really have never practiced badminton before?"

His expression was a mixture of ecstasy and disbelief, as if he had discovered a flawless, uncut gem.

"No."

Chen Jin wiped the sweat from his face, panting heavily, and shook his head.

"genius!"

Coach Chen slapped his thigh, turned around, and looked intently at Wang Hao. "Brother Hao, your table tennis team has plenty of talent, and you don't need another Chen Jin... Why don't you let Chen Jin join our badminton team? I'll personally coach him, and I'm sure he can..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Hao glared at him, as if his mouth was filled with thunder: "Get out!"

(End of this chapter)