SPIN table tennis club

[Simas]

Through pinterest I found a nice bar-table tennis club called SPIN (http://wearespin.com/) . That's a very nice place to be and I like the idea quite a bit. You can go with friends to play and have a bottle of bear at the same time. It's a shame it's on another continent
Maybe someone has tried it? Cause the question that is bothering me what to do if you get a little bit too excited and get sweaty? I personally would have a hard time trying to play calmly in order not to get sweaty, cause if I play somehow do my best I can... Are there any showers? How that would work?

 

[rokphish]

It's social place and atmosphere, so play casually as most likely won't be high level players playing seriously there anyway on regular times.

There would be some events/competitions times but still it's more casual than competitive.

Leave the do your best at the doorstep and have fun! You can get all sweaty at the tt clubs. You dont want to be the party pooper showing up all serious and play seriously there.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

rokphish kind of has the basic idea. But not entirely.

The original SPiN location is in NYC and I have been playing there since it opened.

Originally the idea and “marketing” was that it was a place for REALLY good players to play alongside recreational players.

The marketing strategy has changed over the years and it is much more for recreational players and social events than for competitive play these days.

But, they still have a crew of coaches who are all pro players in the range of 2300-2600 level (USATT rating). And a group of players who are serious about playing in the range of 1400-2200 level.

Most of the tables are too close to each other for real play and actual footwork.

When serious players have played at those tables next to recreational players, people have Horton hit with rackets.

12 inched is just not enough space between tables if you actually play TT for real.

But they still have 4 tables that you can play for real on. And with the other tables, there are some things you can work on.

Their table arrangement is to make their corporate parties work better. Their main marketing plan is the corporate parties. They make more money in one night from a big corporate party than the do from a whole month of table rentals.

You guys should know, they charge $50.00-$100.00 an hour for table time depending on the time of day. So it is REALLY not like a TT club. And you can’t really show up there and expect to play with someone who is there. You have to plan to go there and meet someone to play with. And you can only play seriously if one of the better tables is available. Because you WILL hurt someone if you try to play seriously on one of the tables that are too close.

Next time I am at the NY SPiN, I will see if I can take some photos of how the space is laid out these days.

It really is a place for Ping Pong parties. Not a place for table tennis training though.


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[Simas]

Well it's across the ocean, so personally no plans to visit any time soon.

It's not that you would go to play there as in some competition, but still if you get a high ball, you are going to smash it or if its a backspin you are going to loop it, because you are able to and that's how muscle memory works. There is no point and no satisfaction to go and push the ball for 5 min back and forward. So what I am saying for those who can't play and they are strictly recreational players they can have fun pushing the ball for 10 min, but for those who do play, that's impossible...

Unless you are playing a beer pong

 

[Simas]

rokphish kind of has the basic idea. But not entirely.

The original SPiN location is in NYC and I have been playing there since it opened.

Originally the idea and “marketing” was that it was a place for REALLY good players to play alongside recreational players.

The marketing strategy has changed over the years and it is much more for recreational players and social events than for competitive play these days.

But, they still have a crew of coaches who are all pro players in the range of 2300-2600 level (USATT rating). And a group of players who are serious about playing in the range of 1400-2200 level.

Most of the tables are too close to each other for real play and actual footwork.

When serious players have played at those tables next to recreational players, people have Horton hit with rackets.

12 inched is just not enough space between tables if you actually play TT for real.

But they still have 4 tables that you can play for real on. And with the other tables, there are some things you can work on.

Their table arrangement is to make their corporate parties work better. Their main marketing plan is the corporate parties. They make more money in one night from a big corporate party than the do from a whole month of table rentals.

You guys should know, they charge $50.00-$100.00 an hour for table time depending on the time of day. So it is REALLY not like a TT club. And you can’t really show up there and expect to play with someone who is there. You have to plan to go there and meet someone to play with. And you can only play seriously if one of the better tables is available. Because you WILL hurt someone if you try to play seriously on one of the tables that are too close.

Next time I am at the NY SPiN, I will see if I can take some photos of how the space is laid out these days.

It really is a place for Ping Pong parties. Not a place for table tennis training though.


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Yes, corporate parties should be the right thing to do. Didn't think about that somehow... 100 bucks is a crazy amount for one hour

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

These are all videos taken at SPiN:

This is Mark Croitoroo showing how to hold the ball on the topsheet longer for more spin on the serve.

This is me playing with a woman friend who is also a yoga teacher.

This is me showing that a self hit around the net roller is not hard to do and that it was ridiculous for Siva to compare a self hit shot to Fan Zhendong’s under the net construction roller that he did off a net ball in a match.

This is me showing a method for self hitting that you can use to improve your stroke or to develop the touch of brushing for an adult learner who needed to learn the contact of brushing the ball. He was using a very inefficient version of self hitting.

In some of the videos I am on a decent table. In the video with Nicole, I am on one of the tables that would be dangerous for high level TT play.

Hopefully this gives you a little more of an idea of what SPiN is like. And even when you are just messing around, playing at a place where there are attractive women is actually really nice and different.

Oh, BTW, the NYC SPiN location does have a dressing room with a shower. But it is way too small. It used to be bigger. But they renovated the space to use the old men’s dressing room for more space in the private room. And cut the old women’s dressing room in half so the woman have half of their old dressing room and the men have the other half.

But the woman’s dressing room no longer has a shower. The old woman’s shower is in the men’s new, tiny dressing room.


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[rokphish]

I follow some Spin's ambassadors IG and see photos of the venues and events quite often. NYC and other cities too.

Great place to hang out looking at the photos.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I should say, they do have events on Friday evenings where you will see two pros “playing a match”, really a staged match that is more of a performance.

The guys who are good at the staged performance matches really show some of the touch and art of just how good they are.


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[UpSideDownCarl]

Yes, corporate parties should be the right thing to do. Didn't think about that somehow... 100 bucks is a crazy amount for one hour

It really should be thought of as a nightlife night club that uses TT as its attraction rather than something like dancing.


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[Simas]

It really should be thought of as a nightlife night club that uses TT as its attraction rather than something like dancing.


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Then it seems there is an empty market space for something in between spin which is more nightclub and normal sportsclub. With some nicer interior then a usual hangar type, some sofas and maybe with bar and snacks

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[UpSideDownCarl]

Then it seems there is an empty market space for something in between spin which is more nightclub and normal sportsclub. With some nicer interior then a usual hangar type, some sofas and maybe with bar and snacks

I would like to agree. However, that was kind of the original goal of SPiN. And I have to be honest, if they had kept to the original game plan, they would be closed. It is only that they switched business models that they were able to survive.

But perhaps that is just NYC. No real TT club has been able to survive in Manhattan. Rents are too high.

The one club that is almost acceptable in Manhattan is Wang Chen’s club. And she only survives because she DOES NOT HAVE to pay rent.

So, somewhere else, that might work.

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[Simas]

I would like to agree. However, that was kind of the original goal of SPiN. And I have to be honest, if they had kept to the original game plan, they would be closed. It is only that they switched business models that they were able to survive.

But perhaps that is just NYC. No real TT club has been able to survive in Manhattan. Rents are too high.

The one club that is almost acceptable in Manhattan is Wang Chen’s club. And she only survives because she DOES NOT HAVE to pay rent.

So, somewhere else, that might work.

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Yes, maybe Manhattan is too much for TT club. By the way, just got curious what is the average price per month for TT club in USA?

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Yes, maybe Manhattan is too much for TT club. By the way, just got curious what is the average price per month for TT club in USA?

Hopefully there are a few people who can give answers.

I have seen $60.00 (7-8 years ago) I have seen $70.00, $90.00 and $110.00 a month.

Wang Chen, without the need to pay rent, charges $20.00 per month. [emoji2]


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[Simas]

Hopefully there are a few people who can give answers.

I have seen $60.00 (7-8 years ago) I have seen $70.00, $90.00 and $110.00 a month.

Wang Chen, without the need to pay rent, charges $20.00 per month. [emoji2]


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Quite a difference between 100 usd per hour and 100 usd per month. Different prices for different needs

 

[rokphish]

Here in my city, average about 2.5-4usd per month at many clubs.

 

[Simas]

in Lithuania it's 30-50 eur per month

 

[yoass]

€15/month is our membership fee. It includes a contribution to the national TT organisation which opens up competion participation.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Quite a difference between 100 usd per hour and 100 usd per month. Different prices for different needs

Yep. But, even when they first opened, SPiN was clear that they didn’t want to attract the kind of people who would come if there was a monthly fee that gave you open or unlimited play time.

And I have to be honest, I sort of get that as a business model even if I prefer the regular TT club thing. The TT players who I have met at most TT clubs are not the kind of people who are willing to give their money away for nothing.

SPiN is looking to have the kind of clientele who won’t think twice about spending $800.00-$900.00 on an evening of entertainment.

I know that isn’t me. But I get that as a business model if you were trying to make a venture that turned a profit.

Glad the ITTF have not fully understood the SPiN business model though. They might be trying to charge $100.00 pay per view for Live Streaming and/or recorded matches. [emoji2]

Their greed only goes so far. [emoji2]


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[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

In London there are 2 venues called Bounce, inspired by Spin. And in Paris there is a bar called Gossima owned by Gatien and Legout.

 

[darucla]

http://www.bouncepingpong.com/ For reference.