Rekindling the Competitive Spirit
This will be my first New Zealand Nationals since 2014, and I am very excited to test myself against New Zealand's best once again. The last time I participated in a national event, I achieved the best result of my career: winning the Nationals teams competition (with Auckland) and being a finalist in the men's singles. I admit that replicating this success in this year's nationals will be challenging, but I am hopeful that with careful planning and proper execution, I can continue to grow as a player and inspire some of the players I coach to adopt a more systematic approach when preparing for significant events.
Time: Countdown to the Challenge
Time: I have four and a half weeks before the national teams event starts on September 27th. The teams event concludes on September 29th, and I should note that I will not be staying for the individual matches. Therefore, attempting to replicate a finalist result or better will have to wait until next year.
Goal Setting: Balancing Objectives and Ambitions
Goal: When considering my goals, I have decided to divide them into objective results and more subjective aspects related to my in-game endurance and post-game recovery.
Pursuing Excellence: The Quest for Winning Results
Objective Results: Currently, I am ranked fifth in the men's ratings list. While this is somewhat accurate, unlike the past when my level exceeded that of any player outside the top 3 or 4 in New Zealand, there are now players within the top 10 whom I have lost to in the last two years and whose level is comparable to mine. This means that achieving good results would involve winning all my matches against players ranked lower than me on the ratings list.
Team Dynamics: Anticipating Teams' Outcomes
As for the teams' results, I will need to await an update once the teams are finalized and the draw is released. Nevertheless, I can use the previous individual template:
Endurance on Display: Thriving Match After Match
Subjective Aspects: In terms of endurance during matches, this pertains to my ability to maintain my peak performance throughout a match and sustain it over multiple matches during the day. Considering that I have participated in six tournaments over the past two years and consistently lost in the finals, it is evident that my endurance requires significant improvement. An effective method to gauge this would be to record my matches at the start of the day and compare them to the matches later in the day, observing differences in speed and other factors.
Recovery Blueprint: Bouncing Back Stronger
Recovery: Reflecting on my full-time playing days, I had excellent recovery after exercise and never experienced complete exhaustion after a day of matches. Unfortunately, this was not the case in many of the tournaments I participated in over the last two years. The most notable instance was after the North Island Championships, where I spent the next day or so in bed with full-body muscle aches, mistakenly thinking I had contracted COVID-19 (which I did not).
I will assess my muscle condition after each day of teams play, noting any discomfort, and determine whether I can sustain the same energy level for the following day.
Strategic Time Management and Performance Enhancement
Measuring the Baseline
To gauge my current capabilities, I'll utilize a series of tests. A Coopers test, a form of a V02 max assessment, involves covering as much distance as possible in 12 minutes during a run. Additionally, a lateral speed test will measure my velocity, and a broad jump test will evaluate my power. I'll share the results in a future post.
I will use some more subjective measures of specific table speed by evaluating some of my matches from previous years and comparing to them to my games leading up to nationals and at the event.
Allocating Time for Transformation
With goals in place, the question is: how do I manage my time effectively?
Elevating Endurance: A Top Priority
In my view, the most crucial focus lies in elevating my endurance for both matches and the entirety of the day.
Strategic Training: Balancing Commitments and Ambitions
Given my coaching responsibilities and family obligations, dedicating excessive training hours won't be feasible. However, a combination of on-table training (6 hours/week), shadow training and movement exercises (3 hours/week), and off-table high-intensity workouts (3 hours/week) should approximate the necessary regimen.
Aerobic Regimen: Crafting a Revived Routine
Reflecting on my past, where I engaged in 3-5km runs, I plan to incorporate a similar routine over the next four weeks. Extending the 5km run to 6km and 7km aims to fortify muscle endurance. I plan to do two of these longer runs per week.
Strategic Blueprint: Holistic Path to Success
With fundamental time allocation and endurance strategies set, attention now turns to bolstering on-table strengths and mitigating weaknesses
Maximizing Strengths: Gaining an Edge
Evaluating strengths and weaknesses is pivotal, prioritizing strengths for a more impactful performance rather than relying on weaker areas.
Leveraging the Forehand: Speed and Recovery
My dominant asset is my forehand, known for its speed and swift recovery between shots. Emphasizing rhythm variation, I'll hone these aspects in my lead-up practice.
Backhand Refinement: Overcoming Challenges
Addressing backhand weaknesses, focusing on rhythm alteration and improved placement should suffice within the four-week timeline.
Mastery in Service and Receiving: Winning Plays
Strategies for serving and receiving are central for tournament success. I'll focus on generating spin and achieving a low net trajectory to set up the first attack.
Execution: Turning Plans into Performance
The blueprint is laid out; execution is the next phase.
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