All Club Level Players need to know the stuff in this video

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Currently the N1 Mexican player is Rogelio CASTRO. If I'm correct, he's actually based in Osaka, Japan.

This year, he participated in the Tokyo Open and lost in best-32 to Hiromu KOBAYASHI (TLeague player - winner of All-Japan's doubles in 2024). KOBAYASHI doesn't have a WR yet.

[best-32 = R6, CASTRO was exempt of R1, he had 4 wins before getting knocked out]

TTR level for reference

The younger Australian are inflated due to bonus points from WTT U19 levels (get up to 20 points per quarter)
none of them are even near the level of William. William had a peak of 2460 in his career - a respectable Pro level

In comparison to league divisions in Germany
William was a TTBL player
Lum played 4 singles in pos 1 or 2 in 2BL and lost all 4 (all of them 0-3)
last year he played 2BL pos 3 or 4 and won 3 lost 4 record. and Regionaliga pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Castro plays in the Regionaliga pos 1 or 2, and has a win 9 lost 7.
We actually have a Taiwanese U15 player in his team and also shares pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Our Taiwanese players may not have Olympic pathways, but their posses levels way higher than many top national players - including those that been to Olympics.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

TTR level for reference

View attachment 35277

View attachment 35278

The younger Australian are inflated due to bonus points from WTT U19 levels (get up to 20 points per quarter)
none of them are even near the level of William. William had a peak of 2460 in his career - a respectable Pro level

In comparison to league divisions in Germany
William was a TTBL player
Lum played 4 singles in pos 1 or 2 in 2BL and lost all 4 (all of them 0-3)
last year he played 2BL pos 3 or 4 and won 3 lost 4 record. and Regionaliga pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Castro plays in the Regionaliga pos 1 or 2, and has a win 9 lost 7.
We actually have a Taiwanese U15 player in his team and also shares pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Our Taiwanese players may not have Olympic pathways, but their posses levels way higher than many top national players - including those that been to Olympics.

well we all know that truth. ITTF / WTT / Olympic / individual sports committee wants to find a balance between inviting world's best athletes and inviting athletes from smaller countries where the level isn't as high to develop interest in that sport. If in OG, its 20 out of 32 athletes from China in TT, many people just won't watch and care about it...

Actually, one of my teammates is a former Olympian from a small country so i can see by myself...

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

well we all know that truth. ITTF / WTT / Olympic / individual sports committee wants to find a balance between inviting world's best athletes and inviting athletes from smaller countries where the level isn't as high to develop interest in that sport. If in OG, its 20 out of 32 athletes from China in TT, many people just won't watch and care about it...

Actually, one of my teammates is a former Olympian from a small country so i can see by myself...

Yep
I myself also have many friends in those whatsapp groups
so you can go market yourself as an Olympian training partner.
and I will go market myself as OB

So measuring by levels is a more fair classification.
I wonder what level Hu is, in terms of USATT or TTR.
We all know what level William was
and Olmo is usatt 2100~2300, 22 years ago (or was it his level is 2100~2300 now, and maybe higher 22 years old, or was it lower).

 

[NextLevel]

TTR level for reference

View attachment 35277

View attachment 35278

The younger Australian are inflated due to bonus points from WTT U19 levels (get up to 20 points per quarter)
none of them are even near the level of William. William had a peak of 2460 in his career - a respectable Pro level

In comparison to league divisions in Germany
William was a TTBL player
Lum played 4 singles in pos 1 or 2 in 2BL and lost all 4 (all of them 0-3)
last year he played 2BL pos 3 or 4 and won 3 lost 4 record. and Regionaliga pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Castro plays in the Regionaliga pos 1 or 2, and has a win 9 lost 7.
We actually have a Taiwanese U15 player in his team and also shares pos 1 or 2 with a 8 win 2 loss record.

Our Taiwanese players may not have Olympic pathways, but their posses levels way higher than many top national players - including those that been to Olympics.

The young Aysttalians are all under 20 so I believe they will catch up with Henzell at some point in their careers.

Marcos Madrid as you point out is the true Mexican #1. Rogelio Castro is a good player but Marcos has been playing strong TT forever. He might retire sometime but he is still their #1 player with some gaps.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

The young Aysttalians are all under 20 so I believe they will catch up with Henzell at some point in their careers.

Marcos Madrid as you point out is the true Mexican #1. Rogelio Castro is a good player but Marcos has been playing strong TT forever. He might retire sometime but he is still their #1 player with some gaps.

The number 3 behind Marcos Madrid and Rogelio Castro is way behind in rankings

 

[Zezima]

I didn't learn anything from this video other than that mexicans need to import some chinese players to up their TT game. Heming gives this guy too much credit.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I didn't learn anything from this video other than that mexicans need to import some chinese players to up their TT game. Heming gives this guy too much credit.

What you should have learned from this video is that a man who retired from serious training 20+ years ago and appears to be playing purely for hobby now, loses a lot of his former level. Which should be obvious but...

 

[ThePongCommenter]

the current mexico no1 has lived in Europe most of his life, and is miles ahead of any other mexican, so no.

Historically yes but currently I wouldn't say Madrid is miles ahead of Rogelio Castro.

 

[vanjr]

One thing in this long discussion that is overlooked is just how bad one player can make another player look in a match. I have learned this can happen at all levels. Sometimes it is due to style or experience of level, but if you watch enough table tennis you can see a player make a very good opponent look absolutely terrible. I suspect that is what has happened in this video.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

One thing in this long discussion that is overlooked is just how bad one player can make another player look in a match. I have learned this can happen at all levels. Sometimes it is due to style or experience of level, but if you watch enough table tennis you can see a player make a very good opponent look absolutely terrible. I suspect that is what has happened in this video.

Hu retired like what, 3 or 4 years ago?
we do not know much about the opponent, other than the likely false claim that his level has remained the same over 22 years. Lets say he is at 2100 today, Hu is probably 2400-2500 today.

I know many 2500 players that can make 2100 look absolutely terrible.
just like 2800 can make 2500 look terrible too.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

The young Aysttalians are all under 20 so I believe they will catch up with Henzell at some point in their careers.

catch up, I surely hope so.
no one has caught up with Henzell to date - to match those of top 10/top 20 players in both international and leagues. looking forward to the day they come along.
At the moment, those teenage world rank 50 players, are beatable by most of our U19 players.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Hu retired like what, 3 or 4 years ago?
we do not know much about the opponent, other than the likely false claim that his level has remained the same over 22 years. Lets say he is at 2100 today, Hu is probably 2400-2500 today.

I know many 2500 players that can make 2100 look absolutely terrible.
just like 2800 can make 2500 look terrible too.

Tony, it is not a "likely false claim that his level has remained the same over 22 years." I did a search of his USATT rating and his level been remarkably consistent since 2000 with his current rating of 2270.

 

[NextLevel]

The number 3 behind Marcos Madrid and Rogelio Castro is way behind in rankings

Damion Arce is a chopper i believe and is relatively young, so he should improve too.

 

[NextLevel]

Tony, it is not a "likely false claim that his level has remained the same over 22 years." I did a search of his USATT rating and his level been remarkably consistent since 2000 with his current rating of 2270.

Where did you get the 2270? He isn't a current USATT member so what was the date on that rating?

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Where did you get the 2270? He isn't a current USATT member so what was the date on that rating?

I tried to find it too...
2270 in 2002 yes

if he doesn't play any match for 23 years, would the rating remain constant at 2270 all this time?

rating central picked up last tournament in 2014

Zavala, Olmo, Rating History

Events played by Zavala, Olmo.

www.ratingscentral.com

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Where did you get the 2270? He isn't a current USATT member so what was the date on that rating?

Sorry ... I should have said last (October 2019) rather than current. If you are member, you can search his name, but change the Membership field to 'Any'.

 

[NextLevel]

Sorry ... I should have said last (October 2019) rather than current. If you are member, you can search his name, but change the Membership field to 'Any'.

Thanks. I checked the history. He played on event in 2019 where he outrated the #2 player by over 200 pts ( I know the opponent - youngish adult, isn't chump change- but that opponent has also likely retired from TT). Before that, 2013, where Richard Ciz, who is a legit semiprofessional 2300 (and still; active) beat him in straight sets twice. Since 2000, he has averaged less than 1 tournament every 2- 3 years, with most of that activity earlier in the century and none since 2019. He is probably low 2200s at best and definitely a good player, but nothing that a player like Heming shouldn't beat without losing a game almost every time they play. And yeah, he would probably beat me easily but I have a few victories over players as good as he is, so I will leave that to if and when we meet. You never know what will happen on the wild and wacky table tennis table.

Given his rating history, he probably first came to the US in the 90s and played tournaments as a junior and he actually peaked at 2308 in 2009, so his ranking might have been a junior ranking. He lost 0-3 to both 2400 players he played at that event in 2009. So no reason why Heming shouldn't destroy him easily.

 

[Brs]

BTW, Louis Levene has a good channel on youtube where he sometimes takes a match from a lower rated player and discusses both technical and tactical problems from the perspective of a 2300 player and coach looking at their games: Maybe this is what you want, BRS.

Looeelooee

I love table tennis and I'll help you improve for FREE! 🏓 resume and the Pong Connect Discord server linked below. Join the Discord server for info on free coaching or just to hang out! I make occasional variety content alongside the usual table tennis videos.

www.youtube.com

Oh, just to be clear, I'm not watching any coaching videos myself. I watch T League and WTT and my actual friends playing their real matches like in German and Danish 4th or 5th divisions, and one woman I know in Pro A.

I am thinking about the simplest tactics stuff imaginable. Things you told me your own self back in 2015. Don't serve pendulum sidespin to long pips. Every serve comes with a paired serve. Have a plan for the first two balls when you are serving.

Last night I was playing at Chinese Church and watching one of my students play between my own matches. She was playing a guy with braces on both knees, and looped four consecutive balls into his backhand while he was standing right there. After the game I said to her -- You know, when you play a guy wearing massive knee protection, it would be good to make him move a little.

You would be astounded what people who have played for years do not know. Believe me, they have not read TT Tactics for Thinkers.

 

[Brs]

I am going to drive way off topic now, but this will make NL happy.

So last Thursday I was at the local American comm ctr club playing terrible on table one and watching a different student play way below her level on table 5. She was talking to a guy and he said he has been playing for three months (!!) and he has a robot (🤮) and table at home where he practices backhand flick in his garage.

Okay I couldn't let that go so I was like, For playing only three months you are really good. But maybe learn basic strokes before bh flick. Nobody you play on table 5 ever serves short, or with real backspin. So you can't use that skill even if you learn it with the robot. Basically saying, there is a logical order to this. You can adjust it some, but learning chiquita before forehand hit is outside the realm of reasonableness.

He goes Thanks, appreciate the advice. But my online coach says I'm ready. I honestly thought first of Heming because he coaches a different guy here who can't really play but is miles ahead of this three months guy. But it wasn't HH. I asked him Oh wow, okay. Who is your online coach?

ERT