"People Who Lose Do Pointless Practice" Jun Mizutani: "Practice That Shows Up in Matches" and "Pointless Practice"

BOOK From Olympic gold medalist Jun Mizutani's "The Losers Do Useless Practice"

In 2016, Japan's Jun Mizutani wrote a book titled The Losers Do Useless Practice. Rather than a technical discussion, this book is packed with his own views on table tennis and tactical theory as a world-class Player. In the very year he published this book, he won the bronze medal in Singles at the Rio Olympics. He also starred as the ace in the Team Event, leading the team to a silver medal.

Five years later, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Mizutani won the long-awaited gold medal in Mixed Doubles and a bronze medal in the Team Event, becoming one of the most successful Players in Japanese men's table tennis.

The book is still on sale as a bestseller, and this time, in launching the global WEB edition of "O-KOKU," we were able to get his approval, with him saying, "Please feel free to use it."

PHOTO Yoshinori Eto

Profile　Jun Mizutani
Mizutani Jun
Born June 9, 1989, from Shizuoka Prefecture. He won titles in every age-category event at the All Japan Championships (U12, etc.), and later also stood on top in the junior division (U17). In the general division of the All Japan Table Tennis Championships, a tournament with a tradition of more than 90 years, he set an unprecedented record with a total of 10 titles. He has competed in four consecutive Olympic Games since Beijing 2008. He won Singles bronze and Team silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics he won gold in Mixed Doubles and bronze in the Team Event. He is known as one of the most successful Players in the history of Japanese table tennis. He is currently active as a commentator on TV and other media.

Chapter 1: "Practice That Lives in Match" and "Useless Practice"

Practice that only leaves you tired is meaningless. If it's useless practice, you're better off not doing it.

Don't say "sorry" during practice. Don't hit "dead Balls" that only make it into the court

　In Japanese table tennis, there is a habit of saying "sorry" to your Opponent when you make a mistake during practice. This is not good.

　As I get older, I am increasingly in a stronger position in terms of skill as well. So when I practice in Japan, I am told "sorry" very often during practice. Every time I hear it, it irritates me. In high school and university, some Players even try to go pick up the Balls they missed.

　In Europe and China, people do not apologize when they make a mistake. Instead, if they are Making a lot of errors, they are told, "Don't keep making mistakes like that." In Europe and China, people practicing together are basically equals. There is no hierarchy, and strong Players try to practice with strong Opponents. Even if there is a difference in ability, the weaker Player does not have to apologize.

　If you want them to focus on hitting strong Balls, but they are saying "sorry" because they are Making a lot of errors, then they end up focusing only on not making the next mistake. But Balls that simply go into the court without errors are not very good Balls, so practice with them is meaningless.　

　Hitting "dead Balls" that only make it into the court does not make for good practice. Rather than apologizing with "sorry," even if you make a mistake, you should focus on hitting "live Balls." In a negative practice environment where "sorry" is flying around, I would not want to practice, and I would not expect any practice effect either.

The need for practice that trains anticipation and reaction. Practice that forces you into a mold won't live in real Matches

　How can footwork that lives in real Matches be improved? Even if you can move quickly in fixed Placement, that does not necessarily mean you can move quickly in the random (irregular) conditions of a Match.

　If the Placement of the ball you hit and the Placement of the return are already decided, then a Block can still return a good Ball. But in a Match, because you do not know the hitting location, the Opponent's Block becomes weaker, and that makes offense easier in a Match.

　If there is anything different about my footwork practice from that of other Players, it is that even from practice, I stay in a position where I can respond no matter where the Ball is returned. That is why my body can react in a Match too.

　For example, in footwork practice, if I am moving to the Forehand, Middle, and Backhand, I will often practice in a state with almost no regular pattern, such as having one, two, or three Balls sent to the Forehand, then one, two, or three sent to the Middle, then one, two, or three to the Backhand, and so on.

　This is a difficult level of practice, but if you keep doing it, you get used to it. It is not practice that only strong Players can do; it is practice that even middle school or high school students can do if they want to. The important thing is to hit the Ball and move with Balls suited to the person's level, and by incorporating irregular practice, it becomes practice that trains anticipation and reaction.

　In Japanese table tennis, there are ways of thinking and ways of teaching that force everything into a mold. Looking back, I was taught as a child that the Forehand should be swung like this, the Backhand should be swung like this, and so on. That kind of teaching in Japan has its good points, but in reality it often does not fit real Matches, and there are many parts where I feel, "This is a little off."

　I feel that in Japan there are many rules about how "this technique must be played this way." Instructors can get such information from magazines, books, and now the internet, and through those media Japanese instructors seem to have become convinced that "table tennis techniques and practice should be this way." In particular, because top Players' thoughts and theories are not published, isn't there a high chance that incorrect information or outdated information will spread?

　Of course, technical theory and tactical theory differ depending on the Player or the coach, and there are many different methods. Meanwhile, table tennis around the world changes and evolves year by year.

　I want coaches to teach children techniques with a flexible mindset and to present the latest practice methods. I hope they will think of practice methods that are not too rigidly forced into a mold.