Off the Court

If you’ve watched Wang Chuqin play, you already know it’s wild. Fast loops, nasty spin, and full of fire. A big part of that is his finely tuned weapon: the racket. And just like his playstyle, Wang’s racket setup has gone through some serious changes over the years.

This post is all about what makes a pro racket, how Wang’s gear has evolved, and a few stories along the way, some cool and some kinda painful. Let’s get into it.

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📌 Updated on March 16th: Congrats to Wang on his singles win at WTT Champions Chongqing! Not just because of the sweep, but also his improvement in fh-bh transitions and mentality. Anyway, I might not have time to watch all the matches or post anything new this week, but when inspiration hit, I added some thoughts at the end of this article.

📌 Updated on March 14th: During today’s long Amtrak ride, I organized some previous notes and added a new section on systemic favoritism and bias against left-handed players.

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Coaching in table tennis involves way more than shouting, “Move your feet!” from the sidelines. It’s the backbone behind every champion. Especially in China, where everything runs like a well-oiled war machine with strategy, resources, you name it. And yet… somehow, Wang Chuqin pulled off the impossible: made history as ranked #1 in the world in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the same time, while never having the full coaching support his peers enjoy.

How does that even happen?

To unravel this mystery, we need to take a closer look at how the Chinese National Table Tennis Team operates, why coaching is so crucial, and how Wang Chuqin slipped through the cracks.

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Ah, Wang’s serve has been stirring up debates for a while, especially since he started collecting titles like they were on sale a couple of years ago. Critics are zooming in, pausing frames, and waving screenshots around like it’s the ultimate “gotcha!” moment. But let’s just be real for a second. Judging a 70 mph, high-spin ping pong from livestream footage is straight-up clown behavior. It’s like reviewing a chef’s cooking based on their Instagram filter. Cameras play tricks on us with lens distortion, parallax effects, and angles… your eyes are lying and you don’t even know it.

In this post, I’ll explain why screenshots fail to tell the whole story, how Hawk-Eye tech could bring some clarity to the chaos, and why pushing limits in elite sports isn’t cheating but strategy. Sports aren’t perfect. They’re chaotic, emotional, and brilliantly human. So maybe it’s time to close the photo editor, enjoy the game’s magic, and stop pretending we’re all forensic experts with ping-pong diplomas.

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Wang’s game lately feels like watching the main character hit that burnout arc. He’s been grinding through nonstop tournaments, carrying the weight of Olympic expectations, and dealing with a shoulder injury that just won’t go away. Then there was the paddle-breaking moment, which honestly felt less like drama and more like a breaking point. It’s a lot for anyone, even someone as composed as Wang.

China expects gold like it’s guaranteed. But behind that pressure is a real person, trying to hold it all together. Wang’s been running on fumes, pushing through pain, and still showing up with everything he has.

Hopefully, Wang gets the space to breathe, to reset, and to come back on his own terms. If anyone’s got the talent and resilience to flip the script, it’s him. The heart is there. And once he’s had time to rest and heal, that spark is coming back.

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A recent medical presentation by a senior team doctor of the Chinese national team has gone viral. It featured Wang Chuqin as the patient. This case study shed light on some of the unseen challenges Wang faced during the Paris Olympics, which might help piece together the puzzle of his unexpected early exit from the men’s singles. The mysterious injury, caused by unusual and intensified training, had been troubling him for a long time. Long enough for an accurate diagnosis and treatment before the Games. Long enough for the CNT—players, coaches, or staff—to have noticed or mentioned it. Yet, no one did, until now, even after over three months of shock and heavy public criticism following his loss in the singles.

Fortunately, yet unfortunately, this story likely only scratches the surface. It hints at deeper, possibly under-the-radar struggles Wang may have endured that remain hidden from public view.

Mysterious Shoulder Pain Found Incidentally

About the Viral Footage

This case study was presented at the 2nd China Chiropractic and Spine Health Summit in Shanghai on November 2, 2024, by Dr. Zhang Lewei, the senior team doctor of the China national team and Director of the Institute of Sports Medicine, General Administration of Sport of China.

The presentation detailed a special case involving Wang Chuqin at the Paris Olympics in August 2024. (Since it was shared publicly in a medical meeting, it’s reasonable to assume its release is permitted.) With the demanding pace of the Olympics, neither Wang nor the coaching staff reported any significant injuries, aside from ongoing tightness in his triceps. After winning mixed doubles gold and exiting early in singles, Wang finally got a chance to be examined by Dr. Zhang Lewei before the men’s team event. He was diagnosed with a triceps spasm linked to cervical spine issues, a condition strikingly similar to the injury former world champion Zhang Jike suffered at the London Olympics 12 years ago. (Dr. Zhang handled Zhang Jike’s case back then, and Wang’s coach, Xiao Zhan, was also coaching Zhang Jike at the time.)

When the team’s regular acupuncture and physical therapy failed, Dr. Zhang performed targeted nerve adjustments in the cervical spine area, leading to “an 80% improvement” in Wang’s condition shortly after. Just goes to show how the right treatment at the right time can make all the difference.

And More?

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