The 13th ITTF Sports Science Congress May 11-12, 2013, Paris, France 154

Techniques and tactics analysis related to personality in table tennis doubles

Ming-Yueh Wang1, Ying-Chieh Liu2 and Chan-Ju Chen3
1
General Education Center, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
(Tel: +886-4-23223000 #3056; E-mail: mywang@gm.cyut.edu.tw)
2, 3
Department of Information Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
(E-mail: allanliu364@hotmail.com 2, amy327007@gmail.com 3)
Abstract: this research was designed to develop a techniques and tactics analytic model, based on the personality of
players in table tennis doubles. The result is hoped to provide a training guideline for coaches and players by
understanding the relationship between performed table tennis tactics and victory, and also a very important relationship
between different personalities matching and performing successful tactics. The subjects sample included the players
who participated in men’s doubles in Chao-yang table tennis competition in 2012. 48 questionnaires were distributed,
21 competitions were recorded which involved 10 different universities. The content of questionnaire is enclosed in the
appendix. First, a video observation method was used and three doubles competition involving five pairs of players
were recorded in a pilot study. In the results, four different combinations of personalities were compared, “self-control
vs. self-control, self-control vs. aggressive, intellectual vs. aggressive and aggressive vs. aggressive. This study
analyzed for the first ball and the third ball, a total of 131 balls, and took advantage of the research in developing the
doubles’ techniques and tactics of analytic model prototype for analysis. The following results were found. First of all,
there was a significant correlation between the successful implementation of tactics and victory. Secondly, a significant
association was also found between different personalities and the number of successful tactics implementations, which
implies that the matching between personality and the successful implementation of tactics is crucial. Finally, the
techniques and tactics analytic model in doubles, using a personality method developed in this research is feasible and
practical.
Keywords: table tennis, personality, techniques and tactics, analytic model, multimedia database.
1. INTRODUCTION doubles in the team and individual competition are very
important. Li et al. [2] pointed out that table tennis
1.1 Research background and motivation doubles shows the connotation of fast, changeable,
Seemiller and Holowchak [1] indicated that balls nervous, irritation and intense, but also can fully shows
techniques and actions are closely related, but also the team spirit of the unity, progressive and assistance,
techniques and tactics can’t be separated. In the items of and noted that the doubles, which occupies a decisive
ball sports, techniques are the basis of tactics and tactics position in the result, is important in the team
are organized by the techniques, the quality of competition. Tu et al. [3] indicated that to gain
techniques decides the quality of the tactics, it may advantage in the doubles competition, in addition to
directly affect an athlete's competition results. This practical training, strategy and tactics of concepts and
shows that technical training must be based on actual applications should be studied in order to play the
needs in the competition, if practice with the perfect effect of one plus one being greater than one. As
consciousness of tactics in usual training, it can to the coach, he must clearly and fully understand and
organize better in techniques, and meet with the control the athletes’ techniques and tactics situation, the
requirements of tactics in order to bring into the advantages and disadvantages of techniques and tactics
competition more efficient. in a team, but also the team’s preparation for the
There are two information of table tennis on competition. Especially the doubles matches in the team
techniques and tactics: one is the explanations and competition, because the doubles holds most of the
analysis of techniques and tactics in academic theory; opportunities and responsibilities for the team, and if
the other is the accumulation from table tennis practical you can win 1 point or 2 points in doubles, then you will
experience, and gradually form into a set of training be able to get the winning percentage of 20% to 40% for
mode. Athletes can slowly explore out their suitable the team, so doubles in team competition is very
techniques and tactics while training. In addition, in important.
many studies, there are more and more scholars who There is a close relationship between training and
began to explore the techniques and tactics in table competition. Particularly, it is very common to use
tennis singles, but there is not much research about the technology for training in this information age. It allows
doubles. There are seven official games in table tennis, athletes and coaches to improve the training methods by
which include male and female teams, singles, doubles scientific research, but also can induce the athletes to
and mixed. Doubles accounted for three of them, and combine the concept of training and the competition
are also included in the team and individual competition. rapidly, instead of to practice for practice. Coaches and
The doubles in 5 points of 3 singles and 2 doubles athletes can be faster and more specific understanding
accounted for 40% of winning rate, therefore, doubles in and acceptance by the data in order to enhance the
men’s doubles and women’s doubles accounted effectiveness of the training and the use of competition,
respectively for 29% and 20% winning rate, so the so that it can bring out the best in each other, but also
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yield twice the result with half the effort. Based on this leads to the winning rate?
concept, analyze the techniques and tactics in the (2) Whether the matches of different athletes’
doubles competition. According to the features of personalities lead to the successful execution of tactics?
techniques and tactics which developed by different
personality traits, find out each athlete’s status of 2. METHODS
techniques and tactics in doubles, and then offer more This study collected data and analyzed, then
efficient matches and suitable training courses while summarized the types of techniques and tactics in table
training, to carry out the most efficient techniques and tennis doubles, and created the analytic model
tactics in doubles, in order to achieve the purpose of depending on the personality traits.
improving the result.
In doubles, the cooperation of two individuals is the 2.1 Analytic model of techniques and tactics in
combination which is based on the techniques and doubles
tactics in singles. But an outstanding single player does 2.1.1 Data collection and classification
not represent an outstanding double player, or the
matching of two outstanding single players do not Before creating the analytic model of tactics in first
represent an outstanding team. Doubles needs to be three hits, it was necessary to classify the tactics
coordinated by two individuals. On the use of the between partners through the techniques and tactics of
techniques and tactics must be cooperate with each table tennis literature review. There are nearly hundreds
other or create winning chances for partners, this needs of table tennis tactics types. After simplification by
the tacit but also relies on the usual systematic training. experts, we sorted out the tactics which will be used in
In doubles, both athletes must reach a consensus doubles, which is shown in Fig. 1, the tactics
ideologically, and trust, encourage and understanding combination of first three hits in table tennis doubles.
each other to show the best matching in the competition.
Gee et al. [4], Morgan et al. [5] and Piedmont et al. [6]
have examined that there is a positive correlation
between personality and sports performance. But do
different personalities lead to the different use of
techniques and tactics in table tennis doubles? In the
past psychological research pointed out that thought,
motivation and emotion can describe the differences
between people, and personalities are also defined as the
characteristics of psychological, which is an important Fig. 1 Tactics combination of first three hits in table
that led to the unique emotional, thinking and behavior tennis doubles
[7]. Tohănean [8] indicated that personality traits
divided human behavior into multiple details and According to each type of techniques in table tennis
conceptualization. Personality traits including physical, doubles as structure, we videotaped and explained the
psychological and teamwork, which will affect sports structure of tactics in order to create the model for
performance. Aidman and Schofield [9] and Vealey [10] analyzing the tactics. Currently, the classification in the
also pointed out that personality traits will affect the execution of tactics between partners, which divided
process of competition and the results. Therefore, into athlete A and B, combines a crosstabulation based
incorporating the personality traits into the analytic on the first and the third hit, then generate the tactics
model of techniques and tactics in table tennis doubles combination types which are shown in Table 1 :
can improve the degree of application of the model, to Table 1 Tactics combination types of first three hits in
provide references for athletes and coaches. In order to table tennis doubles
find out the correlation among the matches of athletes’
personalities, the successful execution of tactics and the
winning rate, this study obtained the athletes’
personality by using questionnaire investigation, and
videotaped the doubles competition, analyzed different
personalities of athletes’ techniques and tactics by the
analytic model of first- three hit to generate the analytic
Table 1 shows that the combination of forehand serve
table, and build a set of technical and tactics matching
(A) and forehand drive (a) is an initiative tactic;
system. Through this study, we hope it can provide a
backhand serve (B) and backhand chop (f) is a passive
more efficient reference to athletes and coaches, but
tactic, and so on.
also increase the winning rate in order to get better
results in the competition. 2.1.2 Modeling
1.2 Purposes Collect each category of techniques and built into
files, then analyze the classified data and videos. The
The purposes are as follows:
tactics combination types table can be extended to the
(1) Whether the successful execution of tactics
prototype model of tactics of first three hits in table
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tennis doubles, so we combined the types, tactics and results of the questionnaire, we took out four personality
the techniques combinations as Table 2: combinations, which were self-controlled +
self-controlled, self-controlled + aggressiveness,
Table 2 Prototype model of tactics of first three hits in
intellectuality + aggressiveness and aggressiveness +
table tennis doubles
aggressiveness, and conducted the comparative analysis
of the videos. In the analyses of the first and the third hit,
there were a total of 131 balls, and they have been
analyzed with the development of the techniques and
tactics analytic model.
3. PERSONALITY TRAITS IN DOUBLES
AND TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS
MODELING
3.1 Feasibility of personality traits in doubles and
techniques and tactics model
The techniques and tactics model of the doubles have
been neglected in previous studies, and coupled with a
very few personality traits studies used in table tennis
doubles competition. Therefore, this study conducts a
feasibility study on the techniques and tactics analytic
model. Moreover, the relationship between tactics and
2.2 Techniques and tactics classification of winning rate is not clear, so the purposes of this study
personality classification in doubles are to explore two issues. First, to find out the
relationship between the successful execution of tactics
WTCAIA [11] is a self-report of personality and the winning rate; second, to find out the relationship
measuring tool which includes 8 categories. Because of between the matches of different athletes’ personalities
table tennis is complicated, and some personalities have and the successful execution of tactics. The importance
high similarity, or not suitable for table tennis. For of this study is to find out the correlations between the
example, table tennis more belongs to one on one battle, issues.
so sociability doesn’t meet the demands; self- controlled
is good at control their own feelings, and neuroticism 3.2 Data analysis
has stable emotion, two types of traits were similar; Before analyzing the two issues, we conducted the
flexibility can quickly adapt to the competitors tactics questionnaire investigations for data collection, after
and adjust their own tactics immediately, and that we calculated each table tennis athletes’ personality,
intellectuality is good at analyzing, these two types were then classified them. We analyzed athletes’ tactics by
similar; aggressiveness has strong motivation of using Interact 9, which is a video analysis software, and
achievement and competitive, also similar with the then we carried out the feasibility analysis on two
hyper performance of excitatory. Therefore, by deleting issues.
unneeded ones and merging the similar types, the
revised classification is toughness, intellectuality, self- 3.3 Questions and hypotheses
controlled and aggressive as shown in Table 3: Q1: whether the successful execution of tactics leads
Table 3 Table tennis athletes’ personality traits to the winning rate?
This issue would like to know whether the successful
execution of tactics will lead to the higher winning rate,
if so, then execution of tactics is very important in
doubles, so we set the following hypothesis:
H1: the successful execution of tactics will lead to
the winning rate.
Q2：whether matching different athletes’
personalities leads to the successful execution of
tactics?
2.3 Participants
This issue would like to know whether matching
The population in this study included athletes in different athletes’ personalities will affect the successful
men’s doubles who participated in the table tennis execution of tactics, if so, then personality matching is
championship in Chao-yang in December 2012. Ten very important, so we set the following hypothesis :
schools participated; we recorded 21 competitions, and H2: matching different athletes’ personalities will
handed out 48 questionnaires. First, we analyzed three lead to the successful execution of tactics.
videos of doubles competition; there were five teams, a
total of 10 as a pilot test. After carried out the analytic
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4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 7 Successful tactics and winning balls symmetric
measures
4.1 Hypothesis 1
The higher chance of successful tactics, the higher
the winning rate of the ball. A Chi-square test has been
conducted on the results of the execution of tactics
(success: 1; fail: 0) and the results of the ball (win: 1,
lose ball: 0), as shown in Table 4~7.
Table 4 Table tennis tactics execution results

From Table 7, we can see the value of Phi and

Cramer’s V is 0.746, which is close to 1, and p < 0.05.
From this result, it appears that the relationship between
the successful execution of tactics and the winning rate
is significant, but also the correlation is high, so the
hypothesis 1 matched the case: the higher chance of
successful tactics, the higher the winning rate of the
ball.
4.2 Hypothesis 2
Matching different athletes’ personalities will lead to
the successful execution of tactics. The four personality
combinations were: 1. self-controlled + self-controlled;
2. self-controlled + aggressiveness; 3. intellectuality +
aggressiveness; 4. aggressiveness + aggressiveness). In
Table 8 the results show the tactics execution and the
frequency of hits: successful execution of tactics = 1,
failure execution of tactics = 0.
Table 8 Statistics of different personalities and
successful execution of tactics
According to Table 4, we carried out the correlation
analysis between the execution of tactics and the
winning rate in 131 balls; they are shown in Table 5~6:
Table 5 Successful tactics and winning balls
crosstabulation

Table 6 Chi-Square tests of successful tactics and According to Table 8, we carried out the correlation
winning balls analysis between the frequency of successful tactics
execution and the different personality matches in 131
balls; they are shown in Table 9.
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Table 9 Chi-Square tests on different personalities’ effective training action, and can contribute to the
matches and successful execution of tactics industry and the academic in the future.
Yue [15] used Microsoft ASP Network Program, part
of the database used Microsoft Access 2000 system,
which provides a set of track and field score database,
offering coaches and athletes and others who cared
about sports to inquiry, integrate, compare and mining
the scores. In the historical record database, discover the
meaningful references for selecting talents and training.
Lu [16] designed the records and query system of
baseball tactics motion trajectory based on multimedia
database. Using the data of the numbers of balls, outs,
and the on base situation, but also the features while
Table 10 Different personalities’ matches and successful searching of the baseball and athletes’ motion trajectory
execution of tactics symmetric measures from the recording system, which proposed a set of
baseball tactics similarity measurement. The results
showed that it was efficient to search the tactics that
have similar performance while animating on motion
trajectory player system, which can provide coaches to
analyze and research in order to improve the athletes’
learning effect.
Combine with sports and information technology is
the inevitable international trend. Using statistical of
From Table 10, we can see that the value of Phi and tactics analysis by the information system, and represent
Cramer’s V is 0.720, which is close to 1, but also the the results by animation for coaches and athletes as
correlation is high, and p < 0.05. From this result, it references and research in order to enhance the athletes’
appears that the relationship between the personalities’ learning effect, but also know your enemies and know
matches and the successful execution of tactics is yourself.
significant, so the relationship between them is very 5. CONCLUSION
important. Therefore, the hypothesis 2 matched the case:
matching different athletes’ personalities will lead to the 5.1 Conclusion
successful execution of tactics. The establishment of the two hypotheses of this study
4.3 Discussion shows a very important inspiration: (1) tactics execution
in table tennis doubles is very important, because the
This study matches the past few studies including successful execution of tactics will lead to the winning
Wang et al. [12], Lin [13], Pan [14], Yue [15], Lu [16] rate, then affecting the final results of the competition;
and Chiu [17]. (2) personalities matching in table tennis doubles is
Wang et al. [12] pointed out that the variability and very important, because the matches of different
complexity is high in table tennis, therefore there are athletes’ personalities will lead to the successful
very few practical table tennis analytic systems. After execution of tactics. The analytic model of techniques
the empirical, the development of the analytic model of and tactics in doubles and the personality analytic
techniques and tactics in table tennis is feasible and methods are feasible and practical.
practical. The system can quickly generate a correct
technical and tactical view, the win and lose points and 5.2 Recommendation
the analytic chart. Coaches and athletes can adjust the There is a close relationship between training and
training methods according to the information which is competition. Particularly, it is very common to use
generated by the system. technology for training in this information age. Table
Chiu [17] constructed the database of weight training tennis is a protean competition, many scholars, trainers,
action classification, but also integrated the weight athletes and coaches hope to explore the execution of
training action by information processing for classifying techniques and tactics, and find out the winning points.
and grading. Build the information processing system to So we developed an analytic model system of the
provide the database of training action selections. There techniques and tactics from the scientific view, and
are four effective applications of the system database: (1) provided a fast, complete and comparable analytic result
interactive platform for professional communication; (2) in order to improve the domestic coaches’ and athletes’
standardization of the teaching guidance; (3) training methods, and provide as references to
professional service become technological; (4) promoters related to table tennis. We recommend the
digitization of the teaching materials. Arouse the promoters to use these results to enhance the techniques
professionals to emphasize on the application of our athletes, and to complement each other in order
combination of theoretical and practical according to the to continue to enhance China's table tennis.
weight training classification, for selecting a safe and
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