Recent experience with people that pissed me off

Yes the concept of club is different . They do have "club" teams but since "club" leagues are not that popular as Europe here most of it is individual play.

Murre5 said:

I have a hard time understanding "clubs" in the US. I guess it's just a place where a lot of people show up and play? In Sweden it's usually a team. Which means everyone tries to help eachother to become better and is a very friendly enviorment with coaches etc. American table tennis just seems to focus on everyone individually?

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Believe me david, I have been through that stage. That is why I rarely play with "higher" level players unless they are my friends and are happy to play me
Infact, I have grown thick skin to this kind of behavior. Generally, I can compete with most people in the 2000 +/- 100 range. I would never even go up to somebody more than 2200 and ask to play if I think its going to be a waste of time , I would rather be drilling with them if they want to., and I really don't take it to heart if somebody refuses to play, everybody has a right to choose but we had a wonderful rule in my previous club, they had a open play and you could challenge any table and winner keeps the table but people used to try and manipulate it anyways.. by putting two paddles in two tables and what not . Every now and then, when I felt my game was improving and I was in form that day , I would, may be challenge somebody higher to "learn" for a five game match ...

Here the point is different , if you read the detail, this guy came up to me and asked me to play him, I should have known the minute he asked my rating. One of my other friends gave me an advice , never tell them their rating if they ask, just say I don't have a rating . I think thats a good strategy against such people.

songdavid98 said:

the rude opponent obviously has no regard for your feelings, nor does he feel any honor or pride as a player.

im pretty sure we have all been through a phase where nobody wanted to play with us. beginners and lower level players ask me to play/practice with them all the time(im usually the best player in the club) and i do so gladly, remembering that i, myself, was once just like them.
i still remember, players would make all sorts of excuses, one of the big ones being, "im tired".
the easiest way to not let this happen again is to get better at ping pong. that way, there is no way people can use skill level as an excuse.
i took my lonely time to practice service, work on technique in front of a mirror, and practice shots from the ball in my hand (i only had one ball)

you did not act wrongly. in fact, i would have called him out from the very start, on the warmup. just ask them to block or something. i cant imagine someone saying no to that.
if i was 1600 and someone stopped playing like that during the match, i would have pressed them a little to finish. if they are straight up rude, just realize that there are selfish people in the world.
if they say that you are too bad, well, you have got to prove them wrong!

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