What Makes Felix Lebrun So Good At Table Tennis | TTDCast #4

[@anonymousfromgrimsby9719]

What's interesting about Felix's grip is that it gives a larger surface area on the backhand, and creates more naturally open angle compared with other reverse penholder grips like the Xu Xin grip. This makes RPB easier safer and natural, but takes away the extra feeling which outstretched fingers give. Felix obviously has an extremely good forehand, but it's noticeable that his backhand is more consistent on some of those riskier shots - the exact reverse of Xu Xin. Felix's grip is Backhand Dominant Penhold, whereas the Xu Xin grip is Forehand Dominant, and Wang Hao, Dang Qiu, and Xue Fei have an equally weighted style. The difference in grip is the amount of curling of the fingers on the backhand side. Penhold is much more complex grip-wise compared to shakehand, which is partly why it's difficult to find proper teaching of it from a shakehand player. It's really exciting that Felix has mastered this new backhand dominant penholder style; it breaks the mold and invigorates the game. Shakehand is simpler to teach and in some ways safer for beginners but penhold at the elite level is really just as (if not more) effective.

[@geraldcarino5009]

Which also poses a big disadvantage, Xu Xin pointed out in an analysis.

[@anonymousfromgrimsby9719]

​@@geraldcarino5009 Yes, it's true. Felix needs to find ways to counter it to win over the top Chinese players. But his forehand has improved in the last 2 years. Felix is still a developing player, we'll have to wait and see if he can.

[@satinwoodter]

XX started with TPB and then switched to RPB rather late for a professional player. Chinese coaches still teach penholders with outstretched fingers these days. It's not about larger contact area with curled fingers. It's the much better angle you get with the curled fingers. BH is so critical these days and I would say Felix's approach is better, or at least serves himself quite well.

[@mithileshlokhande]

I am almost at 40 min mark.. did they not discuss anything about xu xin or did i miss it. they are talking about ma lin, wang hao, ryu seng min but no xu xin??

[@nico4975]

Very good comments, completely true. I would add that XX made one mistake about Félix's serves. He said that Félix doesn't use all his fingers when he serves. This is wrong. It is true that at the very beginning of his service Félix doesn't seem to use all of them but, ultimately, he does use all of them. Dang Qiu has a very particular grip as a penholder. Two of his fingers are outstretched and his index finger grips the side of his racket.

[@bertoyardie8731]

Watching this after Felix won in Montpellier makes it all make sense. Felix is sensational 💎🙌🏽

[@alexanderkarlsson3049]

27:45 "Simon Gauzy has gone to probably a thousand more countries" that's really impressive

[@voberle]

About their glasses, you are spot-on, they already have a French glasses company sponsoring them, Optic 2000.

[@JohSentenza]

36:30 It wasn't one of Felix's match. It was Alexis Lebrun vs Yuan Licen.

[@TTDJoe]

Great knowledge!!!! 👏

[@qwertyiscoolmungel]

great podcast guys, be interesting to see what the Chinese team think about felix's grip

[@fprocks2415]

Keep up the good work, guys!

[@TableTennisDailyCast]

Thanks for tuning in! 👊

[@LGTableTennis]

Loving the image of Timo the janitor 😅

[@malongsserve4735]

It's the coolness power he gets from the penhold grip

[@TableTennisDailyCast]

100%

[@OlivierLebo-n3h]

Fun fact: Félix's father never coached his kids. He didn't wanted to, but they took paddles and balls at home instead of toys and began playing with it at 3, doing jungles and playing anyway they could, against the wall or sitting on the table. There is so much lore and details already in the french media where you can find the Lebrun's childhood story.

[@totoauma6614]

Did you got your ticket for wtt Montpellier? Hope to see you here!

[@voberle]

Felix and Alexis explained in several interviews in France that during Covid lockdown, they trained a lot every day in their garage. So while other players were a bit stuck in their training during this phase, they had a top-level training partner to keep progressing very fast. And indeed they came out of lockdown beating everybody.

[@Stardust799]

One thing i am sure that penhold is just so much Fucking cool! Its so much rare now that everyone who uses , even in a club gets instant recognition.

[@jeffvango6754]

I have a couple of questions for you guys about the indian league but I think some of these could be also relayed to coaches and players: - Thoughts about the rather unique play system, with every won set being a point and it always being 3 sets - Thoughts on golden points in competitive play - Thoughts on having mixed teams and doubles I like that they went their own way with these rules and I wonder if other leagues would also adopt these because I feel like they promote more of a team feeling

[@greenbeanmachine]

I would like to hear an analysis of Felix's weakness. Xu Xin has remarked already that he thinks Felix has obvious weaknesses, and it seems that some players have "figured him out". I'm astute enough to notice that his forehand isn't so strong, but I'm sure there's more to it than that.

[@mooch-sj6pv]

Everyone has a weakness. Felix's weaknesses are obvious to the uninitiated, but he still won the bronze medal. That is the only fact.

[@andrewhou9284]

He certainly has weaknesses, but at 17 he has more than enough time to develop and cover for those. I think he has more potential to "figure out" the other players than for them to "figure him out" just because of his age and talent

[@TableTennisDailyCast]

What pro's would you like to see feature on the TTD Cast? 🎙 LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE 🏓

[@TTDFAN144]

The Thrill From Brazil!!

[@tommaynard8101]

What do you guys think makes Felix so good?

[@TTDFAN144]

@@tommaynard8101 Many things but I’d say his best part of his game is just his passion for the sport 🏓

[@Splatersby]

Franziska 🙏

[@bobleming5673]

MLTTs CEO Flint Lane would be great or MLTTs first season MVP Enzo Angles.

[@Unpiloted0922]

Love your tshirt, Dan! Where could one buy it?

[@limittless.]

Here is why nowadays those young players pop up kinda out of nowhere: good coaches, good partners, discipline, talent AND the internet! They can study the best in the world as long as they want in slowmo and then simply copy. So they will get better way faster than their hero’s themselves back in the days. The internet is speeding up sports (and human) evolution like nothing else. I can tell because it had the same effect on other sports like jiu jitsu. The development in just 10-15 years would maybe take like 50-100 or even longer without it.

[@WilliW31]

His father Pro A player and Coach but also Christophe Legout who is his uncle

[@Splatersby]

I’d love to know how much input coaches have in the equipment these top athletes are using, any or is it all user preference.

[@TableTennisDailyCast]

Great question, we will ask this to the players who come on 💪

[@Splatersby]

@@TableTennisDailyCaston that note would be great to get Joao Geraldo back on for more equipment chats, looks like he’s switched to Timo Boll Alc since your FZD Alc review 😆

[@thetruth4654]

I prefer Alexis Lebrun, but their is no denying that Felix is the better player overrall out of the two, i think Alexis is better against Felix then wise versa, but i think Felix is the best against a vast variety of players and playing styles

[@peterwind8101]

The training there seems better than kids’ training in England

[@TableTennisDailyCast]

There are massive table tennis centers in Germany, France and Sweden that help them produce world class players.

[@fredrikboberg9308]

❤

[@Alex-sy4gg]

First

[@fredrikboberg9308]

❤