Playing in cold halls

[Hizomi]

Hi Guys,

i recently notice that i play worse in unfamiliar halls which is normal. I want to improve on it and what i noticed is that im really uncomfortable playing in cold halls. I cant really feel really warm and wanted to ask what tips u can give me besides training more often in colder halls.

thanks in advance

 

[Der_Echte]

Warm you bat up. Really. Cold rubbers do not perform well - not very dynamic when cold. Place it on belly and under arm until it is warm.

It is easy to make yourself warm, just explode and move around.

The rubber needs more attention.

 

[MOJOJOJO-74]

Make sure you properly warm-up doing dynamic stretching and maybe crank up the heat on your car before you get to the training halls 😂 Also, compression leggings and shirts to wear under your clothing since help with body temperature. I used to wear them during my football and track days when it would get colder and they helped to an extent , but it will work better since you're not playing outside. I don't have any experiences with my rubbers being messed with where I play at since the temperature stays consistent in the venue, but @Der_Echte seems like he knows what he's talking about for rubber care.

 

[Dr Evil]

Take more time to warm-up. Easy to get injured and hard to maintain swing speed when you're stiff and cold. Equipment performance drops significantly. Hard rubbers like H3 or Z03 become bricks. Softer sponges like D05 retain better elasticity and playability. Deal with reduced grip and condensation by keeping your bat warm, as Der Echte advises. You can also use a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface between points. The balls will also be less bouncy (slower and lower). Try to stay active and expect more in and out movement. And adjust your contact point lower than usual.

 

[Topspinslinger]

What Der_Echte said, a warm rubber is REALLY important in tabletennis.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Hi Guys,

i recently notice that i play worse in unfamiliar halls which is normal. I want to improve on it and what i noticed is that im really uncomfortable playing in cold halls. I cant really feel really warm and wanted to ask what tips u can give me besides training more often in colder halls.

thanks in advance

I think it's just better to find another hall. Furthermore you might catch cold.

I remember playing in very cold halls for tournaments, i was literally freezing when i played. of course i didn't perform at all, and had some very bad losses. I'm not going there again in winter time.

 

[greenbeanmachine]

There are two categories of issues:
1. issues with your body
2. changes in behavior of the equipment

Being cold is pretty indisputably a bad thing. To deal with your body being cold, it's generally a good idea to spend a while warming up -- stretching your muscles, doing some plyometrics, and even doing some cardio. Cardio warms your body by burning energy, and it also speeds up your metabolism so that you can remain warm throughout your training session.

Changes in the environment aren't necessarily good or bad, they're just different. Cold air is denser than warm air, so spins will have a more exaggerated arc and balls will slow down faster. It'll be like playing at a lower altitude. Rubber also reacts to cold, as others have mentioned, so make sure to warm it up with your body heat. Keep it inside your jacket when you're not playing.

I quite like playing in colder halls, since it slows the game down which lets me react better. It's important to stay relaxed and stay loose -- don't rush to hit the ball. It's easy to get frustrated because the game feels slightly different. If you can be a little bit more patient, keep your eye on the ball, and play a little slower, then you can take advantage of your opponent getting frustrated.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

forgot to say, in those tournaments in cold halls, inevitably it happens that you must referee other players. thats when your body freezes. And then you are called for a match, there is no warmup (thats the rule in Japan), and disaster follows

 

[ShakehandJpenCpenEnjoyer]

I bring hot water bag to trainings to warm the rubbers. I'm thinking of buying a small electric blanket, because a bag of water is a quite heavy..

 

[MORTtheORT]

I see others have said it but warm your rubbers up. Low humidity will give your rubbers more grip but outright cold is not good for your rubbers performance. Warming up is also key but you can get sports gear designed to keep your body warm as well without overheating. These type of compression clothing might help make the difference.

 

[jk1980]

i have been through all the exercises to warm up the rubber and bat, but let's be honest: The effects of warming your bat (i used heating devices to warm up the rubber) is going to be gone latest after the first set and then you are not allowed to "treat" your bat with heat inside the match.

My only "solution" was to have a second bat with very similar but softer rubbers. So while i might play Rakza Z EH on the forehand, i know it would be a brick in cold halls, so i have a second bat where i have the Battle 3 with only 39° hardness, so that i can play with a similar feeling hardness in cold halls.

 

[Metaxa]

I always suffer from cold playing halls. My hands in particular get very cold straight away, with all the consequences that entails. We always carry hand warmers in our sports bags, like the ones below.
https://www.decathlon.com.gr/en/p/161196-337648-hand-warmer-x10.html
Between matches, we warm our hands by holding one in each hand and putting our hands inside our training jackets.

 

[Matt Hetherington]

Before you start your warmup pour a cup of boiling water and use it to warm up your hands. Do a small warmup and stretch and when you are done the water will be hot, but not boiling, then you can drink it before you start on-table warmup.

 

[Ghostzen]

Some proper cold conditions in the UK halls and old huts where heating is limited in the winter.

One old wooden hut springs to mind where playing was particularly cold

Dress to keep warm.hat,scarf,gloves. Over tracksuit when not playing.

Bat- inside tracksuit to keep warm before playing,after playing first match and so on.

Warm up slowly in the cold till warm

Layer clothing if it's really cold.

Take a flask of hot drink.

And a 6 pack of beer .. doesn't need to be cold to start. Will chill over the evening..

 

[Der_Echte]

In the cold hall, if you HAVE to sit down for more than a few minutes, understand that the majority of body heat loss leaves from head, armpits, and any open exposed clothes... (Think your neck and man-zone.)

Covering those areas when sitting makes a lot of sense. You do not need a ski parka, face mask like balaclava, and snowman scarf... but basic equipment helps.

Wear a watch cap, wool or microfiber. Wear a neck gator. Buy one or make one. Zip up the jacket over the neck gator to stop loss of heat from chest. Bring a small blanket to score table. unfold 1/3 of it and set it down where you sit... this will help with insulation and big heat loss. Fold the other over and tuck it in if there is enough. Wear micro fiber fleece gloves if needed. if the arms are a concern, use sleeves or long sleeve shirt under TT uniform.

Once you get up and move around, you will not be cold, you will actually sweat.

That brings up another problem... now you are wet and it is near zero... once that happens and you sit down, you got a huge problem in the making. That means major heat loss and you are soon not just back where you started, but worse. You will be hard press to reproduce heat during and immediately after major heat loss.

You may git a little frigid taking off your shirt and drying off quickly, but you move around and you will be fine. If underwear gets wet, that is a huge problem, bring extra underwear and change if wet. If opponent doesn't like that you need to go to bathroom, tell them you got a national emergency mudslide to attend to and ask them if they want that stuff on the court or flushed safely down a toilet.

At a minimum, have a watch cap, a 1/2 blanket, and neck gator in your bag, they do not take up much room and will help you with 90% of the problem.

If one does what is practical and gets some reps in cold halls, then later, one has an advantage playing in a cold hall.

I still stand by the bat needing to be warm and still stand by the idea that is pretty easy to get and stay warm. (if one is basically prepared) If someone is not prepared, then they pretty much asked for what they got.

If someone want to go on a huge hiking trip in dead winter in a remote area with no water, no survival gear, no cold weather equipment or communication... then what do you think is gunna happen? I read about stuff like this every month.

Basic preparedness and skill and planning go a long way.

 

[Der_Echte]

Some people are very sensitive about toes getting cold when sitting down.

My advise would be Morino Wool socks. Every country makes some fine ones - they perform well in both high heat and cold. They are more expensive than regular socks by up to 3x, but they are worth it. Morino Wool socks are proven to remove moisture and stay drier over regular cotton socks.

Should be easy to find some in a solid color you like.

Warm, dry feet when cold are a life saver.

 

[Der_Echte]

In Korea, where the halls in fall and winter are literally 1 degree C, the women of the club setup shop on second floor of the stadium, get a 100 seat allocation... they are constantly boiling hot soup and water...

In between events, it does not hurt to drink some tea or hot choco. Eating a hot meal halfway in the long tourney day goes a LONG way too.

 

[Der_Echte]

If you do not have club ladies heating up stuff for you... then you can still make your body make heat by drinking water and eating in between events.

 

[Egon]

I also noticed that not all balls work equally well in a cold halls - some break down quickly

 

[WingTT]

I wear a sports (thin) beanie and 2 merino shirts whenever I play, a merino t-shirt underneath and a cut down to short sleeve half zip merino heavy base layer outer. I lose body heat too quickly and gas out if I don't. The merino is magic, it insulates even when wet and they don't smell bad and you can even just let it dry and reuse them without washing. The only drawback is merino is relatively fragile and you have to use the delicate cycle in a front load washing machine as an old school bladed impeller washing machine will tear holes in them.