Forms and Questionnaires

Rowden Fullen (2002)

• Training camp report form.
• Player’s evaluation form.
• Training questionnaire.
• Innovation assessment form.
• Attitude and development questionnaire.
• Assessment and marking of attitude and development questionnaire.
• Girls – big ball questionnaire.
• The player’s development.
• Stroke correction techniques.
• Style profile.

1. Training camp report form.

Name Age Club
Stroke Production
Movement
Serve/Receive
Mental Approach
Style Development
Comments
Course Director Date

2. Player’s evaluation and feedback form.

NAME:

CLUB:

• Which stroke do you think is your greatest strength?
• What is the biggest weakness in your game?
• Which type of player causes you most problems?
• How is training here different from your own club?
• What have you liked most about the training?
• What else would you like included in the programme?
• Do you think you have improved and learned anything?
• How would you rate your service game out of 10?
• How would you rate your receives out of 10?
• Are you physically fit enough for table tennis?
• How much do you train in your own club?

3. Training questionnaire.

• How does the session differ from those you normally attend?
• Do you think one/two day/one week camps like this are good? Why? Do they benefit you in your play? How?
• Is the content satisfactory for you? What else would you like included?
• Do you find the work-load too hard? Too easy? About right?
• Do you relate to the coaches involved?
• Do you prefer all girl camps? Some boys? About 50/50? Why?
• Was enough time spent on serve/receive? Do you need more personal help in this area?
• In which areas does your own game need attention? Spin? Movement? Stroke play technique? Power? Change of speed? Others — give details.
• Do you feel coaching development is good in your club/area/district? Can you become a top player just by training in your area?
• Is the girls’ game declining and standards falling? What do you think are the reasons for this?
• What do you think is the ideal coach/player ratio for a session/camp like this?
• How do you think the training could be improved?
• What would you personally like to be included to benefit your own style development?
• Do you think that your style is being developed and guided towards the senior game?
• What is your ultimate aim in table tennis? At what level for example will you be playing at 16, 23 and 32 years?
• Which do you consider most important while you are young (15 years or younger), tournaments or training? Why?
• Why do you play table tennis?

4. Innovation assessment form.

1. Do I want to be the best I can and reach my fullest potential?
2. Am I negative in certain parts of my game? Do I for example win points or do I wait for my opponent to make mistakes.
3. If I am negative, how long have I been negative? Six months, one year?
4. Just when am I going to do something about it?
5. What new serves do I have in the last six months, one year?
6. What different receives do I have in the last six months, one year?
7. What new strokes or tactics do I have in the last six months, one year?
8. Am I prepared to listen to new ideas and to try different ways of doing things?
9. If I am not prepared to change do I understand that my development is finished? That I am not going to get any better and I am going to stay at the level I am now?
10. Do I understand and accept that without change there is no progress?

5. Attitude and development questionnaire.

1. When I lose to a player I should never lose to, am I prepared to talk about it —
   1. a) Immediately after.
   2. b) After 3 or 4 hours.
   3. c) Never.
2. The opponent pushes all the time to my back- hand. It’s 9 — 9 in the 5th.
   Do I —
1. a) Open direct.
2. b) Only open when I am sure I can win the point.
3. c) Wait for her to open.
3. Do I have any new strokes or tactics in the last months?– a) Six months. b) One year. c) None.
4. Do I understand and accept that without change there is no development? a) Yes. b) No. c) Don’t know.
5. On the backhand wing do I usually open up and attack–
1. a) After I – 2 pushes.
2. b) After 3 – 4 or more.
3. c) Never.
6. Am I prepared to listen to new ideas and to try new things? — a) Always. b) Sometimes. c) Never.
7. Do I have any new serves in the last — a) Six months? b) One year? c) None.
8. If the opponent pushes long to my forehand, do I open on the — a) First push? b)The second? c) Earliest the third?
9. Do I have new ways of receiving the serve over the last — a) Six months? b) One year? c) No.
10. Do I ever push high balls on the backhand?
1. a) Never.
2. b) Sometimes.
3. c) Always.

6. Assessment and marking for attitude and development questionnaire

1.

• a = 5
• b = 2
• c = 0

2.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

3.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

4.

• a = 10
• b = 0
• c = 0

5.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

6.

• a = 5
• b = 2
• c = 0

7.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

8.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

9.

• a = 5
• b = 3
• c = 0

10.

• a = 5
• b = 2
• c = 0

A 36 – 55 Positive and developing.

B 22 – 35 Development starting to stagnate, needs to be more positive.

C 0 – 21 Negative, no development.

7. Girls – Big ball questionnaire.

8. The player’s development

During a player’s development the coach has to be active in a large number of areas and he/she has to be quite precise in trying to direct the player towards the most suitable end-style for him/her as an individual.

TECHNIQUE – In this area the various strokes will be assessed to see where the player is naturally proficient and this will be done on both BH and FH.

• DRIVE – Early, ‘peak’.
• TOPSPIN -- Slow, fast, sidespin.
• SMASH – Early, ‘peak’, late, topspin.
• BLOCKS – Soft, forcing, ‘stop’, topspin, sidespin.
• DROP BALL – Short, angled.
• PUSHES – Chop, float, early ball.
• FLICKS – Early, ‘peak’, late.
• DEFENCE – Chop, float, fishing and lobbing.

SERVE/RECEIVE AND NEXT BALLS – This is such a vital area that it should be treated separately. The whole serve and receive area must, even from an early age, be geared to the player’s style. How is this player, with his/her style, going to win points? Which serves/receives will fit in with the style and which tactics will be most suitable on the next couple of balls?

• SERVE – Short, half-long, long.
• RECEIVE – Short drop, long push, flick, slow roll, chop, float.
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th balls.

APPROACH – It is also important to assess what the player can do with the ball in more general terms and from differing areas and lengths.

• CONTROL
• ACCURACY
• CONSISTENCY
• FEELING

MOVEMENT – This is of course crucial and players need to be assessed early on to see which patterns they will need for their style to be effective.

• READY POSITION
• MOVEMENT – In and out, side to side, diagonal.

USE OF THE TABLE – This is also vital. Does the player do things instinctively or does he/she need to be programmed?

• ANGLES
• STRAIGHT BALLS
• CHANGE OF SPIN
• CHANGE OF SPEED
• DECEPTION

QUALITIES OF THE PLAYER – The person is above all important and the physical and mental attributes should be evaluated early.

• PHYSICAL – Condition, speed, strength, flexibility, feeling.
• MENTAL – Willpower, fighting spirit, ability to focus, work-rate, confidence, self-belief, positive thinking.
• ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE – The ability to adapt to new situations and quickly’.

EQUIPMENT/BACKING – Does the player have access to a robot, good multi-ball training, varied sparring, is his/her home life stable and is there good support in this area? Is there enough financial support?

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS – No player is ever going to become great without harnessing his/her own talents and abilities and without doing what he/she does best. Unless the coach directs the player into the right channels to make the most of natural talents, the greatest potential can be wasted.

9. STROKE CORRECTION TECHNIQUES.

• Stance.
• Body Action.
• Length.
• Timing.
• Table Position.
• FreeArm.
• Bat Arm

.

10. Style profile.

• What % F.H./B.H. strokes do you play in a game? 70 – 30%, 50 – 50%, why?
• What are your main strokes on each wing? If more than one list in % of use.
• What blade (in terms of speed) and rubbers (sponge thickness) do you use? Do you use glue? Do these help your prime strokes and why?
• Do you think you have the physical requirements to play the game you want to play? Speed round the table, reactions etc?
• At what depth from the table do you normally play? Close, mid-area (3 – 4 feet) or deeper? If you change and play from varying distances try to breakdown in percentage.
• Do your strokes alter in overall quality/strength over varying depths? Is one wing weaker close or back? Why?
• Is your general game unbalanced? One wing stronger close and one stronger deep? Which is the main strength?
• Do your serves fit in and help you gain advantage in terms of your overall style? Which is your best serve?
• How would you describe yourself? Blocker, drive player, loop player, defender, all-rounder? What is your prime strength?
• Can you impose your game on your opponent however he/she plays?
• Do you feel looking ahead to the senior game that you should be thinking of making any changes in the way you play? F.H./B.H. split, playing depth, stroke development, tactics etc?
• Are you on the whole happy inside with the type of game you play or are you dissatisfied with the way you win? What type of opponent really frustrates you?