January 23, 2009
TECHNIQUE TIPS: Jun Mizutani’s game opening on the highest level
(January 2009 Butterfly World Newsletter)
Jun Mizutani is the shining star on the Japanese table tennis sky. The Japanese National Team managed to reach the semi-finals with him at the Olympic Games in Peking where the team of the rising sun lost closely 3:2 to Germany. The lively Japanese is 19 years old and is known as a talent for quite a while. In 2003, the left-handed player became Asian Champion in the cadet class. Together with Seiyi Kishikawa, he was World Junior Doubles Champion in 2004. One year later he was Vice-Junior World Champion. In the senior events he started to climb up the World Ranking List in 2007; from December 2006 to January 2008 he went from number 102 up to 29. Now the Butterfly player is targeting the top twenty. From the technical point of view, Jun is a major talent who should make it to the top ten. His topspins especially with the backhand are spectacular.”Sometimes he is a bit too playful”, thinks his coach Mario Amizic, Butterfly Sport-Director and National Coach of Japan. The following picture series shows a typical backhand – forehand – topspin attack combination following his serve. The whole dynamic and brilliance of this exceptional player becomes obvious. The service is shown on small pictures because the whole picture series contains 26 pictures and we want to concentrate on the analysis of the backhand – forehand combination. The analysis of the service will follow in big pictures in the February 2009 Butterfly World newsletter.
Pictures 1-12: Service.
Jun shows us a highly thrown up forehand service with sidespin. Jun is definitely expecting a long return of his opponent to the backhand side.
 Picture 1 |
 Picture 2 |
 Picture 3 |
 Picture 4 |
 Picture 5 |
 Picture 6 |
 Picture 7 |
 Picture 8 |
 Picture 9 |
 Picture 10 |
 Picture 11 |
 Picture 12 |
Pictures 13-19: Backhand Topspin.
His feet are in parallel position when he prepares for the backhand topspin (13). He lowers his main body weight and reaches the lowest point on picture 15. Here the bat is also at the lowest point. The wrist is bent backwards and downwards. Picture 16 shows the optimal pre tension for an aggressive backhand loop. Jun has brought forward his playing shoulder by twisting his hip. The elbow is also moved forward. The wrist is bent extremely downwards and back. A comparison to picture 15 shows that Jun establishes the maximal tension (shoulder, elbow, and wrist) at the end of the starting phase. This coordination of movement has to happen with lightening speed.
 Picture 13 |
 Picture 14 |
 Picture 15 |
 Picture 16 |
Picture 17 shows how fast it is because the real stroke with the moment of making contact with the ball is not on it. Picture 17 actually shows where the follow through of the backhand topspin is going to end. How strong and hard this backhand topspin must be becomes clear on picture 18. The bat is on the left side far away from the body. Jun is even forced to lean backwards to compensate the power of the stroke. The final acceleration of a backhand topspin 16 shows the brilliance of backhand topspin player.
 Picture 17 |
 Picture 18 |
Pictures 19-26: Forehand topspin from the backhand side.
On picture 19 you can see already from the position of the feet that Jun is going to move around to the backhand side to follow up the backhand loop with a forehand topspin. Picture 20 shows clearly how he is moving around and prepares for a forehand topspin.
 Picture 19 |
 Picture 20 |
 Picture 21 |
 Picture 22 |
He has finished his move on picture 21. Jun’s legs are more than shoulder wide apart. The main body weight is on the left leg. The upper body is twisted backwards at the hips. It is noticeable that Jun’s playing arm is very close to the body. Picture 22 shows the end of the stroke just before turning for the next stroke. Jun creates a maximum of body tension through the muscles in his legs, body shoulder and arm like in a bow to release the arrow explosively. On picture 23 Jun pushes off with his left foot to play the topspin with even more pressure. Jun’s facial expression and the whole dynamical movement underline the power of this topspin. There is no doubt about that we are dealing with a final stroke where every muscle of the player is involved to create a maximum of speed.
 Picture 23 |
 Picture 24 |
 Picture 25 |
 Picture 26 |
Illustration 1 shows the possible rally of this game situation. In a picture series you can’t see the placement and the techniques of the opponents. Likewise this opening of the game provides you with a lot of possibilities for variation of the typical opening of the game. In any case the combination “serve, backhand spin and follow up with the forehand” is a standard repertoire of every both sided attacking player and must be practiced.
 Illustration 1 |
Illustration 1 - The typical game situation:
1: A serves, for example short to the middle with sidespin.
2: X returns, for example with a long aggressive flip or push
3: A opens with a backhand topspin
4: X blocks or loops back
5: A tries to play a powerful forehand from the backhand side to win the point. The placement is free.
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