Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[Dan]

The forehand counter dream 💣

It even impressed Adriana...

 

[NextLevel]

I don't really wanna start another equipment thread so I'll just ask it here.

Anyhow, my FH D09c of 1 month is now showing pretty significant wear. Now that I'm doing more FH training I expect this trend to continue, and I'm not sure a sheet can last me longer than 2 months. I usually play/train ~15 hours a week and I loop fairly hard on the FH side. That's quite significant expenses, so I'm considering switching to something a little more affordable.

I'm thinking about trying out H3P, and I'm OK with boosting. You guys have seen some videos of my trainings, would you guys recommend blue or orange sponge or does it not really matter for me? How many layers of booster would you recommend? My issue with unboosted H3 is not so much about its speed, I think I'm using too fast of a setup as it is, it's really that I just get no feel of the ball. So I really just need enough boost to alow me to feel the ball well. I'm thinking 2 moderate layers should suffice. I have some Seamoon already, and I think I'll get some FTL as well to compare.

Let me put in a minor plug for Golden Tango, used by Jishan Liang and the highest rated adult learner I know (currently 2350+) on the forehand. Of course, H3 is a fine rubber - the $40 Golden Tango (megaspin price) is a simpler solution IMHO. But there is probably also some benefit to you for H3 given your pure strength. But you can see that you can use two Golden Tango where one D09c would fit and still save money.

 

[NextLevel]

It's amazing you can get this power even with your knee issues, you've worked around the problem nicely. Of course, it does put a bit more pressure on timing. Your FH and BH look quite balanced to me.

Playing closer to the table like this is how I "should" play

Thanks. I think there is room to play better than I used to if certain things fall into place. Right now, I am largely grateful to be able to play, but there is so much stuff going on I have to keep things in balance - hopefully I will be able to find room to compete again later in the year. Will give me enough time to see whether things hold up.

PS: As for playing closer to the table, not sure how much bodyweight squatting you do, but for me, in many ways, it was a game changer.

 

[dingyibvs]

Let me put in a minor plug for Golden Tango, used by Jishan Liang and the highest rated adult learner I know (currently 2350+) on the forehand. Of course, H3 is a fine rubber - the $40 Golden Tango (megaspin price) is a simpler solution IMHO. But there is probably also some benefit to you for H3 given your pure strength. But you can see that you can use two Golden Tango where one D09c would fit and still save money.

I actually tried it out last week. Charlie of Blades By Charlie plays at my club, and he loves the Golden Tango. He gets it in bulk and sells it for like $30. Just last week actually he gave me and a clubmate of mine one of his blades with the Golden Tango on it. It didn't feel like it has as much spin on it. We were trying out each other's blades as well, and when the clubmate of mine used my blade it definitely felt really spinny, but when he used Charlie's blade it didn't seem quite as threatening. Charlie's blade was a cybershape with a pistol grip though, so it was a bit tough for me to get the exact swings I wanted. At $30 I might just buy a sheet and try it out.

 

[NextLevel]

I actually tried it out last week. Charlie of Blades By Charlie plays at my club, and he loves the Golden Tango. He gets it in bulk and sells it for like $30. Just last week actually he gave me and a clubmate of mine one of his blades with the Golden Tango on it. It didn't feel like it has as much spin on it. We were trying out each other's blades as well, and when the clubmate of mine used my blade it definitely felt really spinny, but when he used Charlie's blade it didn't seem quite as threatening. Charlie's blade was a cybershape with a pistol grip though, so it was a bit tough for me to get the exact swings I wanted. At $30 I might just buy a sheet and try it out.

IMO, Tango plays more like Hurricane than 09c does (09c does have its Euro properties) so this is partly inevitable and you have ro go through the same adjustment using H3. It is just an easier alternative to boosting that at least two good players I know use so it is a safe recommendation.

 

[JeffM]

Tomorrow is TT day for me and I am very excited.
Every Tuesday (when my roster doesn't clash) is like the test day for me, to see how my effort of going to gym religiously is going to pay off.

 

[Der_Echte]

Dingyibvs,

One of these days mid week I will make my way to your club and try to drag ldm7 with me.

I have a few rubber suggestions, but more important than that, I want to see how you judge the ball, set the strike, and how/where you impact plus how you use leverage.

Since I coach and can afford the gas/toll/club entry fees, I am making it a point to bring a few Sacramento players to tta, ICC or 888 or such clubs once a month.

Your location is right en route to 2 of them and not so much out of the way to 888 if I use the correct bridge. You could always tag on to those missions to cause trouble.

 

[JeffM]

I went to TT today with my new pair of TT shoes ..

They feel really comfortable, but on that flooring, they are so slippery. even more so than my old pair with the use of water.. So I am not sure what is going on really.

Because of the slipperiness, my forehands aren't as good, but they are still winning me points.

I played against the guy whom I beat last time 4:3.. The one that plays close to table and likes to block to extreme angles. I had a 3-1 lead, so I focused more on using my backhand, but got tied up to 3-3, then I won the game. 4-3 despite him having a lead on me in 7th set. It was a close game, but I slipped so many times that when the ball comes to my forehand I actually felt scared that I will slip..

I then played the other strongest player in the club. (I lost to him when I first got to the club 4-3, but then I beat him 4-3, and 4-2. Today I was using alot of serve variation, and perhaps some better serve receive, I beat him 4-0! I also did alot of opening against his backspin with my forehand down the line, which made him very uncomfortable as he likes to sometimes chop with the forehand.

I found the founder of the club today, but he is very old and had heart surgery not long ago. He had played 3 games before I asked him, so he said no to playing with me. I will try catch him next time. He has some very proper strokes and is a coach apparently.

I mainly only played these 2 guys today. I then practiced with the first guy after the games. The main issue is the shoes being so slippery. I didn't use a paper towel today, so I only had water on the floor. Next time I will try use the paper towel so that water can be more evenly spread onto the whole surface of the shoes. I barely did any pivoting as I am forcing myself to do it with my backhand. I did open up a few good ones against backspin, but then there would be ones that I am brushing too high up that the ball just flies off straight parallel to the table, probably because I am not reading the spin correctly, as sometimes ppl appear to push but is just 'lifting' or 'touching' it. I need to practice pivoting again (when I get a good grip on the floor) as I am finding my pivot when I tried it once or twice to be extremely slow.

 

[SleepyMaster]

I don't really wanna start another equipment thread so I'll just ask it here.

Anyhow, my FH D09c of 1 month is now showing pretty significant wear. Now that I'm doing more FH training I expect this trend to continue, and I'm not sure a sheet can last me longer than 2 months. I usually play/train ~15 hours a week and I loop fairly hard on the FH side. That's quite significant expenses, so I'm considering switching to something a little more affordable.

I'm thinking about trying out H3P, and I'm OK with boosting. You guys have seen some videos of my trainings, would you guys recommend blue or orange sponge or does it not really matter for me? How many layers of booster would you recommend? My issue with unboosted H3 is not so much about its speed, I think I'm using too fast of a setup as it is, it's really that I just get no feel of the ball. So I really just need enough boost to alow me to feel the ball well. I'm thinking 2 moderate layers should suffice. I have some Seamoon already, and I think I'll get some FTL as well to compare.

Dignics 09c sheets quickly lose their shinings, i got a lot of them so i can tell the difference, but it’s almost have no influence on characteristic of a rubber. Actually it’s one, if not the best, butterfly rubber in terms of long lasting performance. And i tried them all besides softer versions like fx’s - but, i know, they are lasting the least because of softness . There is pretty simple test, that you can do with the ball, that helps you to understand does rubber lost a grip or not, does it has moment when the balls are slips out a bit etc

 

[Der_Echte]

JeffM,

Try playing goof off Matches occasionally wearing SANDLES.

WHY?

it will cause you to pay attention to how you stand, spread feet. And push off.

That will carry over to slippery floor performance.

 

[dingyibvs]

Dingyibvs,

One of these days mid week I will make my way to your club and try to drag ldm7 with me.

I have a few rubber suggestions, but more important than that, I want to see how you judge the ball, set the strike, and how/where you impact plus how you use leverage.

Since I coach and can afford the gas/toll/club entry fees, I am making it a point to bring a few Sacramento players to tta, ICC or 888 or such clubs once a month.

Your location is right en route to 2 of them and not so much out of the way to 888 if I use the correct bridge. You could always tag on to those missions to cause trouble.

The Concord/PH club has limited times so our best bet would be at the Pleasanton club. Just let me know what would be a good time frame. The week of 3/13 I'm only working Monday (neither club is open on Monday anyway), but going on a trip with my wife for the weekend, so I'd be free during the week.

 

[Der_Echte]

I am likely scheduling my next trouble making mission early or mid April.

Will likely post some surprise mission pics in late March on a different mission where I will be out of pocket.

 

[Der_Echte]

I am likely scheduling my next trouble making mission early or mid April.

Will likely post some surprise mission pics in late March on a different mission where I will be out of pocket.

Maybe we run into a certain Korean J Pen 2000ish dude down in Pleasantown... name of Hanjo.

 

[JeffM]

JeffM,

Try playing goof off Matches occasionally wearing SANDLES.

WHY?

it will cause you to pay attention to how you stand, spread feet. And push off.

That will carry over to slippery floor performance.

Sandles will be interesting.. Not sure how good that is for my knees. 😅

I was surprised because with my old pair, I seem to get a good grip when I use water on paper towel, but with this new pair, I used some water (without paper towel), and it doesn't seem much better. Perhaps the paper towel allows for a more even spread of water underneath, so I will try that next time. Or perhaps because the old pair is more worn out, so the flat surface area actually in contact with the ground is larger than the new pair.

 

[blahness]

I went to TT today with my new pair of TT shoes ..View attachment 24581

They feel really comfortable, but on that flooring, they are so slippery. even more so than my old pair with the use of water.. So I am not sure what is going on really.

Because of the slipperiness, my forehands aren't as good, but they are still winning me points.

I played against the guy whom I beat last time 4:3.. The one that plays close to table and likes to block to extreme angles. I had a 3-1 lead, so I focused more on using my backhand, but got tied up to 3-3, then I won the game. 4-3 despite him having a lead on me in 7th set. It was a close game, but I slipped so many times that when the ball comes to my forehand I actually felt scared that I will slip..

I then played the other strongest player in the club. (I lost to him when I first got to the club 4-3, but then I beat him 4-3, and 4-2. Today I was using alot of serve variation, and perhaps some better serve receive, I beat him 4-0! I also did alot of opening against his backspin with my forehand down the line, which made him very uncomfortable as he likes to sometimes chop with the forehand.

I found the founder of the club today, but he is very old and had heart surgery not long ago. He had played 3 games before I asked him, so he said no to playing with me. I will try catch him next time. He has some very proper strokes and is a coach apparently.

I mainly only played these 2 guys today. I then practiced with the first guy after the games. The main issue is the shoes being so slippery. I didn't use a paper towel today, so I only had water on the floor. Next time I will try use the paper towel so that water can be more evenly spread onto the whole surface of the shoes. I barely did any pivoting as I am forcing myself to do it with my backhand. I did open up a few good ones against backspin, but then there would be ones that I am brushing too high up that the ball just flies off straight parallel to the table, probably because I am not reading the spin correctly, as sometimes ppl appear to push but is just 'lifting' or 'touching' it. I need to practice pivoting again (when I get a good grip on the floor) as I am finding my pivot when I tried it once or twice to be extremely slow.

Damn... I pretty much refuse to play at venues where it's slippery - it's just a safety hazard imo, I've managed to fall 2 or 3 times at venues like that, luckily I'm young and fit so it didn't hurt much. Often it's just dust and grime which accumulates on the floor and doesn't get cleaned.

 

[JeffM]

Damn... I pretty much refuse to play at venues where it's slippery - it's just a safety hazard imo, I've managed to fall 2 or 3 times at venues like that, luckily I'm young and fit so it didn't hurt much. Often it's just dust and grime which accumulates on the floor and doesn't get cleaned.

Yeah when I was in the city, I choose to play at venues that have proper tt flooring, they are awesome. But I am now in the country, so it is already a luxury that a TT club exists haha. Just have to live with what I have. But yeah, those slippery floors are so dangerous, a few times I nearly slipped yesterday so it really restricted how much power I can have with my FH.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I went to my regular club to play yesterday and partnered an older player with less than ideal mobility in doubles game. I noticed that when a player does not move well and he appears in your periphery vision, his proximity presence really mess up your game. Being in the periphery means I am aware he is there, but I cannot judge his proper distance. Hence, in my stroke production I dare not go all out and have to hold back. This holding back does mess up your game play. A partner who knows how to move out of the way and gives you plenty of space is a good partner indeed.

 

[Der_Echte]

Sandles will be interesting.. Not sure how good that is for my knees. 😅

I was surprised because with my old pair, I seem to get a good grip when I use water on paper towel, but with this new pair, I used some water (without paper towel), and it doesn't seem much better. Perhaps the paper towel allows for a more even spread of water underneath, so I will try that next time. Or perhaps because the old pair is more worn out, so the flat surface area actually in contact with the ground is larger than the new pair.

Hi Jeff,

If you didn't notice, in the last 12 months I have had 4 grade 2 mcl tears among two knees and numerous grade 1 tears.

Why do I like sandles when my knees are tore up from the floor up?

With regular shoes, you plant and tourque... there is a lot of friction in the plant to the floor and thar torque goes up your knees. Believe me you this is terrible when you are injured.

The plant foot will pivot freely in sandles and that transfers little to no force through the knee area... so that let's me play when I should be sidelined a few months.

Also, the slide footwork with sandles is so fun.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

little victories:

- yesterday got a win over a guy i hadn't won in more than 2 years. at the time i was winning like 30% only but usually giving good challenges but he improved and i've been dominated since. Yesterday, maybe apart from G1 where he gave freebies thanks to serve miss, its not him playing badly but I really played better than him in all areas. The score was still close but its more me choking and/or getting tired after a big lead at times than anything else.

- last week won a guy for the first time ever, after many years (more than a decade ?). ok it wasn't a great match from both tbh. had another win for the 1st time against another guy, after a decade (or more ?) as above...

I played really v well yesterday, perhaps my best ever. I'm training harder outside the TT club (gym / swimming pool / climbing stairs..) and it really shows at the table. It's only a pity i wasn't able to produce this level in the many crucial team tournaments in Feb and March.

 

[dingyibvs]

I played in the club today, people mostly want to play some practice matches so that's what I did. I always have goals in mind when playing matches, and today I wanted to employ a new service motion as well as continuing my goal for the past month or so which is to utilize my BH. I found my old pendulum service I wasn't accelerating at the right time, so now I'm trying to adjust that as well as copying ML's pendulum motion overall. The new service motion was pretty hit or miss, missed quite a few services, but I'll keep working at it.

The BH part is getting much better. I finally started hitting BH opening loops with consistency! I've actually never done that before, so this is very exciting for me. I still need to remind myself not to automatically push every backspin to my BH side, but I no longer have to concentrate all my thoughts on it. It'll take some time before it becomes automatic, but man it feels good!

I still have a couple things I want to learn for the opening loop. On the FH side when I pivot and lean to the left to brush loop a fast backspin to my body, I don't squat. That's an issue since when leaning left I can't dip my right shoulder to use my waist, and the shot is very inconsistent. I need to be more active in pivoting (i.e. jump hard to my left instead of just lean) and squat and use my legs to compensate for the lack of waist usage. On the BH side I need to develop a loop drive game, which I'm starting to figure out the form of. I'll post a video on my technique help thread.

I think with my opening loop training on both FH and BH side pretty close to being done now, I'll start concentrating more on looping topspins. My new FH motion was basically not used at all today, which is expected. I anticipate that I'll need to concentrate on utilizing it for a few weeks before it becomes natural for me to use it in games, just like the BH loops.