In the first game, the tall boy let Xiaobao serve first and said he would give him three balls.
Xiao Bao ignored him and just held the racket. When Coach Chu shouted that they could start, he swung the racket and hit the ball cleanly, not giving anyone a chance to prepare.
The ball hit the chopping board opposite it at such a high speed that many people were startled. Even the tall and thin boy was unable to react and naturally lost the ball.
When Xiaobao served the second and third balls in the same posture, the tall and thin boy had already seen that Xiaobao was really a good player, but he had already said it, so he still gritted his teeth and did not receive the remaining two.
Coach Chu watched the kid serve three balls, and there was already a hint of surprise in his eyes. When he saw the kid switch the racket from his right hand to his left hand for the fourth ball, he was surprised and asked the kid's parents, "Is this kid left-handed?"
Before Liu Meiyun could answer, Erbao raised his chin with a proud look on his face: "Yes, although my brother is left-handed, he can play with both hands!"
When he was on the island, Xiaobao was the best table tennis player among his peers. Now that he is in the military compound, Xiaobao has started to play with his peers with his right hand, and uses his left hand to practice with partners who are older than him.
Coach Chu was inevitably shocked when he heard this. Most children of his age were just beginning to learn the basics, but this child had mastered both hands so skillfully.
Moreover, when the kid switched the racket to his left hand, both his serve and return were faster and more powerful than before. It was an aggressive attacking style that did not give his opponent any chance to breathe.
The tall and thin boy was at a disadvantage at the beginning because he underestimated his enemy. When he officially got into the game, he found that Lu Xiaobao's playing style was completely a combination of wild and powerful attacks. He would give you a powerful smash whenever he got the chance, and every smash was accurate.
What is even more unbelievable is that after the continuous push, pull and slam dunk, this guy didn't even take a breath, and even sweated very little, he looked like he was in a state of ease.
So there was no suspense and the winner was quickly decided.
Although Lu Xiaobao is usually slow in doing his homework, once he gets to the court, every shot he makes is crisp and clear without any delay.
The tall and thin boy lost the game and secretly glanced at the coach. Just as he was about to leave the stage with an unhappy look on his face, he heard Lu Xiaobao's cheerful voice say, "You still have three balls."
These three balls were what the tall and thin boy wanted to give away in the beginning. Lu Xiaobao ignored him at first, but quickly used his strength to give the three balls back.
"How old is your child?" Coach Chu was surprised at Xiaobao's way of handling conflicts.
Not only did this kid's basketball skills surprise him, but his personality was also so distinct.
Just as Liu Meiyun was about to answer, Lu Erbao answered before her, "Uncle, my brother is eleven years old this year. We are triplets!"
Liu Meiyu, who couldn't get a word in, said: "..."
It turned out to be triplets. Coach Chu took a curious look at the three children and continued to ask, "How old was your brother when he started playing basketball?"
Well, Lu Erbao touched the back of his head, he really couldn't remember it.
Because he was still young at that time!
Liu Meiyun, who had been being talked over, saw her son looking at her for help. She pinched his face unhappily and said, "Is your mother going to say something this time?"
"Mom, you say." Lu Erbao laughed and continued to watch his brother play basketball.
Liu Meiyun responded to Coach Chu: "He started playing when he was four years old. He never had any professional training. He just played around all day because he really liked it."
"I see." Coach Chu nodded.
This kid plays basketball in a completely "free and easy" manner. He has basically no skills and relies entirely on his reaction and physical agility to catch the ball. But he is very competitive. And the most rare thing is that this kid is extremely focused when playing basketball and is not disturbed by the outside world at all. It seems that he is completely immersed in his own world.
What surprised Coach Chu even more was that during the last three balls, Lu Xiaobao changed his grip from a straight racket to a horizontal racket, and he even swung the racket twice in the air, as if he was trying to get the feel for it.
"He can also hit the ball sideways?" Coach Chu was incredulous.
Liu Meiyun shook her head: "Probably not."
In the early 1980s, both beginners and professional athletes generally used the penhold grip. The first few generations of national players who created countless glorious victories also basically used the penhold grip, while the backhand grip was what foreigners were good at.
However, with the continuous reform and changes of the International Table Tennis Federation, the backhand stroke gradually became the mainstream.
Xiaobao has never played with a horizontal racket, so he definitely doesn't know how to play like this.
Coach Chu could tell from Xiaobao's first stance and movement when serving with the backhand racket that he really didn't know how to do it and was just copying others.
But the kid refused to admit defeat, and even after losing two balls in a row, he still tried to hit the ball with his racket, and even adjusted himself until the third ball, when he seized the opportunity to do a backhand smash, a ball that most likely would have missed, but it actually hit the corner and flew out, narrowly winning.
Sometimes, luck is also a kind of strength.
"Comrade, let your child come to the Children's Palace to learn table tennis. He is a good seedling. Whether it is physical fitness or learning ability, he is far beyond the children of this stage. He just has been playing street ball and lacks technical skills. Send him to me and I will train him well. This child will definitely have a bright future in table tennis!"
It was rare to meet such a talented child. Coach Chu's eyes sparkled and he was inevitably a little excited. Seeing that Liu Meiyu was just staring at the table tennis case without answering, he quickly said:
"If you're worried about tuition fees, I can try to apply for a grant. This child is really gifted. I hope you can consider it carefully and not bury this child's talent."
In the early 1980s, only a minority of parents were willing to spend money to send their children to the Children's Palace to learn special skills. Although the family seemed to be well-dressed, Coach Chu was not sure whether they were willing to spend money and energy on their children.
Applying for a subsidy to teach a child to play table tennis is definitely unrealistic, but Coach Chu really doesn't want to miss the opportunity to train Lu Xiaobao. Even if he teaches him privately, he wants Xiaobao to go further on the road of playing table tennis in the future.
"Coach Chu, you misunderstood. I just wanted to ask the child if he was willing." Liu Meiyu waved to Xiaobao, who had already finished playing basketball, and called him over.
In this matter, she always only considers the children's opinions.
"Xiaobao, uncle invites you to come here to learn table tennis, are you willing?" Liu Meiyu asked him carefully.
Coach Chu was stunned for a moment. It was rare to see a parent speak to his child in such a gentle tone and even ask for the child's opinion.
The child's answer was beyond his expectations.
"I don't want to." Lu Xiaobao shook his head, returned the racket to his uncle, and thanked him politely: "Thank you uncle for lending me the racket."
Coach Chu got anxious and asked, "Don't you like playing table tennis? Why don't you want to play here?"
Lu Xiaobao rolled his eyes and looked at the tall boy who had just lost to him. He said sincerely: "The biggest one among you can't beat me. What's there to learn? You might as well go home and fight with your uncles."
The uncles that Lu Xiaobao mentioned are those soldiers in the army who also love to play table tennis. When they have nothing to do, they also like to play a few games with Lu Xiaobao.
Even though he is an amateur at table tennis and his skills are not as good as those of professionals, it is more than enough for him to abuse a child.
Hearing this reason, Coach Chu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"The guy you just played basketball with has only been here a few days. I'll change your opponent. If you can beat him, then you can say this again."
Xiaobao pursed his lips and nodded: "Okay."
Then, Coach Chu waved to a thin boy at the table at the edge and called him over.
"His name is Xu Zhenye, and he is only one year older than you. If you can beat him, then just pretend your uncle never told you to come here to study."
When Lu Xiaobao saw that the person his uncle was looking for was his brother who had been playing with a horizontal racket just now, he simply nodded and picked up the racket again to fight.
There are two children of similar age. Although one is thin, his playing posture and the landing point of the ball are obviously more professional than Lu Xiaobao who "plays randomly".
Lu Xiaobao doesn't focus on technique when playing basketball, and he doesn't understand any strategy. He just stares at the opponent, catches the ball when it comes, and attacks when he gets the chance.
This kind of "wild" fast-paced playing style may be powerful against people who have not received much professional training, but its shortcomings will be exposed when facing opponents with stronger skills.
The kid named Xu Zhenye knew that Xiaobao was good at smashing, so he never gave him a chance and always hit the ball very low. And the landing point of his hits made Xiaobao run back and forth every time, consuming a lot of physical strength and energy. After pushing and pulling for a long time, Xiaobao lost his patience and became impatient, and soon he was at a disadvantage.
However, Xiaobao's unwillingness to admit defeat is truly rare; even in the most unfavorable circumstances, the burning flames in his eyes show no signs of weakness.
Moreover, his self-learning ability was really strong. Although he lost to his opponent in the end without any suspense, his progress in such a short period of time was very rapid.
From having no chance to smash in the beginning to learning to create opportunities for myself in the end.
People who can constantly break through themselves in the arena will surely shine in the future as long as they persist in hard training.
The fire in Coach Chu's heart was also ignited by this child. He couldn't wait and wanted to take this child to a higher and farther place by himself.
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