Bright light, white background, white floor tiles

[ML fan]

I wear EYEGLASSES WITH HIGH GRADE.
It seems like no one understands my situation, Every time I am playing especially on bad lighting, it is too bright and reflects on the table plus WHITE background, WHITE tiles, WHITE ball, I can't see the ball. I can't follow the ball with my eyes, I can't play my games really well.
So DISAPPOINTING. I hit the air most of the time, I miss my shot most of the time. And I wanted to quit because of this since the venue here in my country is always like this.
It is so disappointing playing this game when you practice well, but in tournaments, my practice and games are useless.
How I wish that we will have a perfect venue like in other countries. NO WHITE COLOR AROUND THE PLAYING AREA. And no reflection of light everywhere. I don't care if I win or lose, as long as I can play my game, I can see the ball all the time.
Others can still see the ball despite of these reasons. I don't know if it is because I have eyeglasses or what.

 

[MORTtheORT]

This is insane. White walls and tiles...playing with a white ball is crazy. I have very good eyesight and this would drive me insane. Sounds like the tables are old with the reflection but can you play with the orange ball?

 

[ML fan]

This is insane. White walls and tiles...playing with a white ball is crazy. I have very good eyesight and this would drive me insane. Sounds like the tables are old with the reflection but can you play with the orange ball?

I will try the orange ball, however, my playmates feel that orange balls are also bright and not used in tournaments already.

 

[igorponger]

School venues in Germany are known to mostly have sportground equiped wlth white floorings of plastic. What a shame, indeed.

 

[ML fan]

School venues in Germany are known to mostly have sportground equiped wlth white floorings of plastic. What a shame, indeed.

Its just disappointing cause we knew that this not supposed to be like this in a "PERFECT" world of table tennis venues.

 

[merlin el mago]

Could you use contact lenses?

 

[ShakehandJpenCpenEnjoyer]

School venues in Germany are known to mostly have sportground equiped wlth white floorings of plastic. What a shame, indeed.

Brother stop spreading lies. We have mostly wooden flooring here 🤣

 

[Tyce]

School venues in Germany are known to mostly have sportground equiped wlth white floorings of plastic. What a shame, indeed.

Usually wood, or polyurethane floors of darker green and blue. I have not seen a single white plastic sports floor in my entire life.

 

[golden_son]

I will try the orange ball, however, my playmates feel that orange balls are also bright and not used in tournaments already.

I also wear glasses and agree the orange ball is often easier to see, though it does depend on the environment.

There's no rule against using the orange ball; both are legal under ITTF rules. The white ball is simply traditional and most tournaments aren't held in places with white walls and white flooring... (There's also some argument that the white ball is easier to see on television.)

Orange balls have been used in big tournaments in the past, including the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

 

[Attitude]

Brother stop spreading lies. We have mostly wooden flooring here 🤣

Ignore the bot.
We have literally everything. Almost perfect conditions to really garbage halls which feel like a tunnel^^

But yeah the struggle is real.
Luckily we got a second new hall and the city took our necessaries into consideratoin. Therefore we got special tabletennis lighting and a certain setting for us. The walls a wooden and the floor is greenish. Almost perfect.
The only disadvantage is that the new floor is really hard. There is no cushioning so if you stomp several times for your serves you will most likely feel an ache in your bones 😅

 

[Reaper]

I wear EYEGLASSES WITH HIGH GRADE.
It seems like no one understands my situation, Every time I am playing especially on bad lighting, it is too bright and reflects on the table plus WHITE background, WHITE tiles, WHITE ball, I can't see the ball. I can't follow the ball with my eyes, I can't play my games really well.
So DISAPPOINTING. I hit the air most of the time, I miss my shot most of the time. And I wanted to quit because of this since the venue here in my country is always like this.
It is so disappointing playing this game when you practice well, but in tournaments, my practice and games are useless.
How I wish that we will have a perfect venue like in other countries. NO WHITE COLOR AROUND THE PLAYING AREA. And no reflection of light everywhere. I don't care if I win or lose, as long as I can play my game, I can see the ball all the time.
Others can still see the ball despite of these reasons. I don't know if it is because I have eyeglasses or what.

I completely understand you. I have astigmatism, and also play against a white wall and white court separators all around (they used to be blue but got changed by a city sponsor with no knowledge). On top of that, since i'm very tall the ceiling light reflection hits me directly but if a duck to the average player height it doesn hit me, lol.

All i could do is play as many friendly matches with orange ball, and play the official matches hoping for the best, trying to guess/anticipate the location of the ball.

in my case I recommend not to use progressive or bifocal lenses, since there's is warp depending on the depth. I play better with a regular old prescription i had. you could also try with glasses with a hint of color, mine is slightly yellow and it helps a little.

 

[Tyce]

I also wear glasses and agree the orange ball is often easier to see, though it does depend on the environment.

There's no rule against using the orange ball; both are legal under ITTF rules. The white ball is simply traditional and most tournaments aren't held in places with white walls and white flooring... (There's also some argument that the white ball is easier to see on television.)

Orange balls have been used in big tournaments in the past, including the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

There are orange balls on the ITTF list, but our national federation actually has zero approved orange ones.

 

[Tyce]

There are orange balls on the ITTF list, but our national federation actually has zero approved orange ones.

I reviewed it and I guess it changed since the last time I checked. It's now "ittf list, but only seamed balls" for national competition and for regionals everything is allowed.

 

[MORTtheORT]

I will try the orange ball, however, my playmates feel that orange balls are also bright and not used in tournaments already.

That is people just making up rubbish excuses. A legal orange ball has a matte finish on it. The orange ball is there for this very situation, when you have background colour issues. The Orange ball is perfectly legal for tournaments. I would constantly push back, as common sense has to kick in at some stage.

 

[NetProphet]

That is people just making up rubbish excuses. A legal orange ball has a matte finish on it. The orange ball is there for this very situation, when you have background colour issues. The Orange ball is perfectly legal for tournaments. I would constantly push back, as common sense has to kick in at some stage.

He didn't say it was illegal for tournaments but if all the Tournaments they play in use a white ball, like 99.9% of tournaments do, then there's no point to get used to orange balls when you'll be playing with a white one when it matters.

I agree the orange ball can make a difference as I struggle in different halls with white backgrounds and ours also used to be white, we only just got our painted grey before Christmas!!

Orange ball is especially nice in blue tables but I've never had any luck when asking if someone would use it in tournament or competitive match. They all prefer white it seems, or just choose white because they knew I DIDN'T want it and felt it may be to there advantage, who knows?

My advice to the OP, buy the paint and paint the hall yourselves. That's what we had to do and it makes the world of difference!!!!

 

[Migzkulit]

Unfortunately thats gonna be most venues unless you're in a big tournament venue. Table tennis clubs are in malls and malls use white walls. Plus light in the back makes it hard to see, they're also having trouble with it.

I also use eyeglasses with a high grade + astigmatism.
Even in schools its the same problem.

 

[Oliverpool]

Unfortunately thats gonna be most venues unless you're in a big tournament venue. Table tennis clubs are in malls and malls use white walls. Plus light in the back makes it hard to see, they're also having trouble with it.

I also use eyeglasses with a high grade + astigmatism.
Even in schools its the same problem.

I also have astigmatism and tried making a single vision lens instead of playing with progressive. But I just can’t get used to the single vision lens in my case. I guess its
More about what you use
More when you play. I played more with progressive then single vision which might explain my situation.

In my case the ceiling in the places I play tend to be low. And serves are a big issue as I can’t throw the ball high or I will lose sight and get
“Blinded” temporarily when I look up and see the lights. It’s much worse now with LED lights which seem to have more glare for me.

The anti blue or yellow/brown tinted lens does seem to help
Somewhat but does reduce the amount of lights you get.
So in clubs with poorer lighting, they do cause issue with seeing the ball much more then in properly
Lit clubs.

 

[merlin el mago]

There are orange balls on the ITTF list, but our national federation actually has zero approved orange ones.

That's really strange.

 

[MORTtheORT]

He didn't say it was illegal for tournaments but if all the Tournaments they play in use a white ball, like 99.9% of tournaments do, then there's no point to get used to orange balls when you'll be playing with a white one when it matters.

I agree the orange ball can make a difference as I struggle in different halls with white backgrounds and ours also used to be white, we only just got our painted grey before Christmas!!

Orange ball is especially nice in blue tables but I've never had any luck when asking if someone would use it in tournament or competitive match. They all prefer white it seems, or just choose white because they knew I DIDN'T want it and felt it may be to there advantage, who knows?

My advice to the OP, buy the paint and paint the hall yourselves. That's what we had to do and it makes the world of difference!!!!

Hahaha, he won't have any luck in tournaments unless he pushes the visually impaired path... personally I find this part of table tennis strange, ask the opponent and if they are happy with the ball change to Orange then play on IMO.... But I think at his own club people need to be a bit friendlier and play with an orange ball. Otherwise he is going to leave the sport.

Maybe bring in a bed sheet and tape it to the wall behind the table? It might also give event organisers a solution to a problem they are ignoring out of laziness.

I have only ever played at one tournament where one wall was an off white and the other side had big windows out to snow. Was an old European sports hall. It took a bit of adjustment but i just intensely (crazy man eyes) stared at the ball itself.

 

[ML fan]

I also wear glasses and agree the orange ball is often easier to see, though it does depend on the environment.

There's no rule against using the orange ball; both are legal under ITTF rules. The white ball is simply traditional and most tournaments aren't held in places with white walls and white flooring... (There's also some argument that the white ball is easier to see on television.)

Orange balls have been used in big tournaments in the past, including the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

Hopefully no white walls and white floorings, in a perfect world. But in some places like us,.because there is no venue really for table tennis, they just use some halls with white walls and white floor tiles.