Many players wrongly state that great players are great coaches and players without an elite playing career can't coach.  I disagree.  There are many 2600-rated players that cannot explain even simple techniques and can't teach table tennis.  There are also many coaches who have never had international success and are full of table tennis knowledge.  For a couple months, Carl Hardin has been e-mailing me and showing me videos frame by frame of world-class players and exactly what components are important to have "good basics."  This basic instruction has been good for my own game as well as my coaching.
Here is a short section of one of the many e-mails that Coach Carl Hardin sent to me last week...

 
When I watch DVD's of elite world class players except in America; they do not try to execute back-swings in a straight line, it's impossible because the upper arm is attached to the shoulder in a round socket, therefore if you move your elbow back in straight line the blade closes, and opens in the forward travel to the ball, exactly the opposite motion you need to be consisent. Players make their first mistake by closing their blade more in the back-swing to compensate for the blade opening more in the forward swing moving their elbow forward to the ball contact point.
 
I believe the answer is: From the ready position with the elbow out away from your body; allow your back-swing to travel in a small semi-circle back and in to your body and your blade will end up behind your right hip. First start the forward swing in a small semi-circle to within 6 to 8 inches of the ball, rotate your body and use your bicep muscle to pull the blade through the ball for a powerful consistent blade that's open to close to match the ball contour forward.
 
The direction of the swing and the angle of the blade controls the Table Tennis Ball, the answer to consistency is: Stabilize your upper arm to reduce the movement and increase the lower arm movement by rotating the lower arm to close up and forward the distance between the upper and lower arm, Therefore the height of the elbow in relation to the incoming ball is of the most importance. (The lower your elbow is to the incoming ball the more vertical your blade will travel, also the higher your elbow is to the ball the more horizontal your blade will travel) when you close the lower arm
with the blade to your upper arm.