How long can a player stay at the top?

says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
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Hi everyone,

What are the names and ages of the oldest players in the worlds top 200? As I get older, I look for inspiration from older attacking style players, and convince myself that I can still play an attacking style, and well, as the body and legs get older.....

What older players inspire you (our members over 35)) your contributions are most welcome!!
 
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Even though he doesn't play professionally, Waldner is easily in the top 200 as far as skill and ability to win. Same goes for Jorgen Perrson. Actually the more I think about it there are Several players who have all been in every Olympic event since 1988 that are easily still in the top 200 if they chose to come out of retirement or chose to play more professional tournaments. And yes they are all attackers still.

What I've seen more often from Older attacking players is how smart they play. They know when to just let a point go because they're burning a lot of energy keeping in the point as JM Saive often does. Why worry about a single point when there are more points to be won and staying in rally with that single point has a high chance of ruining your energy reserves for the future points. The thing about experience is that a lot of the older players really are good at reading where you're going to be putting the ball so they can pounce on it.

The other thing I've found about the older players is that just because they're "old," doesn't mean they can't play hard. David Kang of Lancaster comes to mind. The guy is in great shape and has a really old injury, but when he's willing to forget about any consequences and doesn't worry about his injury he can play at a world class level. The same goes for many older players. When they're feeling good and their legs aren't tired they can play as well as they did in their prime, but the problem lies in that that rarely happens and worrying about an injury or injuring themselves often overcomes their willingness to go all out.
 
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Even though he doesn't play professionally, Waldner is easily in the top 200 as far as skill and ability to win. Same goes for Jorgen Perrson. Actually the more I think about it there are Several players who have all been in every Olympic event since 1988 that are easily still in the top 200 if they chose to come out of retirement or chose to play more professional tournaments. And yes they are all attackers still.

What I've seen more often from Older attacking players is how smart they play. They know when to just let a point go because they're burning a lot of energy keeping in the point as JM Saive often does. Why worry about a single point when there are more points to be won and staying in rally with that single point has a high chance of ruining your energy reserves for the future points. The thing about experience is that a lot of the older players really are good at reading where you're going to be putting the ball so they can pounce on it.

The other thing I've found about the older players is that just because they're "old," doesn't mean they can't play hard. David Kang of Lancaster comes to mind. The guy is in great shape and has a really old injury, but when he's willing to forget about any consequences and doesn't worry about his injury he can play at a world class level. The same goes for many older players. When they're feeling good and their legs aren't tired they can play as well as they did in their prime, but the problem lies in that that rarely happens and worrying about an injury or injuring themselves often overcomes their willingness to go all out.

I disagree, Waldner and Persson are easily top-50 material if they train even just a bit... :p Persson recently gave Boll a huge scare in the European Championships...
 
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I am 42 years old, and I used to play all sort of sports at high levels. Aside from TT; football, rugby and tennis paid heavy tolls on my body, especially my knees and back.

Since then I've stopped playing football and rugby, but still plays competitively in tennis and TT. I wish I can really move like I once could, but I know that it's never going to happen. I play TT with heavy straps on my knees, my left especially, and a back strap for tennis.

I tend to stand 6-7 ft away from the table as it allows me to move into the ball to attack. I am a yard or two slower than I used to be. I also go for quick winners and instigate early attacks coz the longer the rally, the more I am susceptible to be out of position. What I get from years of playing is, placements. Dragging my younger opponents out of position and going for easy winners is my favourite.

I also play with a bit more guile, and more wrist work now. My body and arm swing will go one way, but my wrist will go another. I usually make them guessing of my placements. But if the opportunity arises for me to hit a rocket FH, I will not decline. And if the ball is too far from me, I would just leave it and give a thumbs up to my opponents. It's just not worth it to ruin my rickety knees..hahahaha
 
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And don't forget to check out He Zhi Wen sir :)
He is the cunning fox in table tennis !

Yosua, we think alike. That is who I was going to bring up. I think he is almost 50 and he is great.

I get to see Attanda Musa play and when he is on he is pretty amazing as well and he is over 50. But Musa really has not trained in years, he just gives lessons and plays occasionally.
 
says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
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Well done lads! And keep playing and stay strong. I am 35 myself, and sometimes (when I train) feel fitter AND faster, than when I was in my 20's.... I am not kidding myself that I will get a millisecond or more slower with age, but I think that will not happen until I go past my mid 40's. Jorgen Persson can still beat a fair few young kids, and the players he loses to at the moment, are just better players, he doesnt lose because they are faster, or because he has become slow. Keep training and we can stay at a good level for many, many years!
 
says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
says Do you guys have streaks where you are just not playing...
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Oh - and not forgetting Petr Korbel, who is 40, still ranked 62 in the world, 29 in Europe, and no1 in the Czech republic.... or Zoran Primorac, 42 years old, 38 in the world, and 15 in Europe...and still looking fast, his game is pure two wings attack, and he moves as well as ever.
 
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Yosua, we think alike. That is who I was going to bring up. I think he is almost 50 and he is great.

I get to see Attanda Musa play and when he is on he is pretty amazing as well and he is over 50. But Musa really has not trained in years, he just gives lessons and plays occasionally.

Awesome Sir! Musa is still a legend in TT :)

Oh and don't forget Jorgen Persson :D
 
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Oh - and not forgetting Petr Korbel, who is 40, still ranked 62 in the world, 29 in Europe, and no1 in the Czech republic.... or Zoran Primorac, 42 years old, 38 in the world, and 15 in Europe...and still looking fast, his game is pure two wings attack, and he moves as well as ever.

oh yes! jedimasterplk you are my hero. Petr Korbel and Zoran Primorac are two of my favourite players from that era. Korbel has a fantastic game style, and he nearly beat Mizutani at the Japan Open. He has an awesome gamestyle, both him and Primorac use their experience well :)
 
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I dunno, ask Samsinov, who has been parked in the top ten so long you never notice him there, yet he keeps winning to keep that ranking.

Chen Weixing has been top 50 forever and had one leg, one kneecap and a dodgy FH, yet wins enough to be there.

of course you would mean Top players like top 5 or Top 10, no?
 
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