Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

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Thanks Gozo! Yes I'm the leftie in black.

Well spotted! I have always had some issues with high balls and it's true that I sometimes loop these when I should be doing something different.. but I'm not actually sure how to execute that technique. I have some idea but I struggle to do it, From what I've learnt from Brett I should kind of fold my torso so that I come down on the ball. But my muscle memory is so ingrained. My torso has always been quite static.

This session I was trying to take the ball earlier against the lobs as I sometimes even lift these high balls which is no good.
If you or anyone have some tips on how to execute the drive-kill technique I'm happy to hear it.. maybe with some experimentation I can get something to click.

You also use Tacky rubber on your forehand I believe - not sure about your backhand. Twiddling might make a huge difference if not.

 
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3 week post crash update.

Previous MCL is now 2 weeks no pain, time to wear shoes. Did so last Friday, moved around court like a teenager first match. A very encouraging sign.

Left shoulder is still very bad, injury next to a nerve, so you feel it other places. This stops my top end power/explosion, so I take it 50-60%. I can still go for spin, and do... when I hit out of zone or poor biomechanics, still instantly painful.

The shoulder will take a few more weeks before I can begin to go for more power, will continue to be conservative and patient. Neck is still a pain in the neck.

These kind of injuries are much slower to heal, and if you are older, more so. I am closer to 90 than I am to 18 in age. That sounds severe, but it is a true and profound statement.

I wish you a speedy recovery, it's good that you can play some at least.

 
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After unintentional years of playing with Donic Bluefire on my FH/Xiom Vega Pro on my RPB on my Butterfly Taksim, finally had a chance to buy new rubbers and put them on. Will try this setup tonight: MX-P on FH and Yinhe Mercury 2 on RPB. Not my first time using MX-P, like it a lot. Although in the past, I did not use it on a carbon blade like the Taksim. The Mercury 2 may be temporary for RPB. Originally wanted to try the Yinhe Big Dipper as RPB which I've tried to in the past and liked, but that was not dedicated playing, just messing around. If I get used to and like the Mercury 2, i will hold off on the Big Dipper.
 
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After unintentional years of playing with Donic Bluefire on my FH/Xiom Vega Pro on my RPB on my Butterfly Taksim, finally had a chance to buy new rubbers and put them on. Will try this setup tonight: MX-P on FH and Yinhe Mercury 2 on RPB. Not my first time using MX-P, like it a lot. Although in the past, I did not use it on a carbon blade like the Taksim. The Mercury 2 may be temporary for RPB. Originally wanted to try the Yinhe Big Dipper as RPB which I've tried to in the past and liked, but that was not dedicated playing, just messing around. If I get used to and like the Mercury 2, i will hold off on the Big Dipper.

at this point i just use anything for rpb. it doesn't even matter if its on the stiffer side because booster is gonna break it down anyways.

 
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I wish you a speedy recovery, it's good that you can play some at least.

Thanks Richie,

The MCL took a few months, but oain free and can move. This shoulder will be the same timeframe, very bothersome uncomfortable, because any big power I make goes right through that area of my non-hitting shoulder as leverage...that shoulder lets me know EVERY damn time I hit out of zone or not with optimal biomechanics.

It will suck to hold back another month, but somewhere around there, I should be 70-80 percent and ready to hit with some more explosion and power.

There is a big tourney (2 player teams) at 888 I really want to play in... but I need to raise my rating 100 points... if I can get fit AND I can find enough tourneys with 2000+ level players, I should get there.
 
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Woohooo its still going ! :D Glad to see that you are still on it!
How is everybody?

Then i will continue with what this thread is meant for: Daily Table Tennis chit chat :)

Last week i was helping lead an eight-day camp for 30 youth players from our region. It was a blast! Not sure if posting photos of it is a good Idea. But here are some neutral impressions :D The first two are from the Gym we were using. A massive space where we could fit 16 tables without problems.
The last one is me trying to cook...

HAlle%20Oberwald%20jpeg.jpeg
Halle%20Oberwald%20front%20jpeg.jpeg
Me%20spaghetti%20jpeg.jpeg


Also after not playing much in the corona times, ( I was mainly giving lessons to kids and at our local university) i started training more again. With great success. Every year the most prestigious tournament in our area is the fight of the camp leaders. I was rated the lowest out of the six (Probably around 1800-1900 in ustt, but thats my rating from before corona).
We had a sparring player come with us with a rating of around 2200 (Top 200 in the country) and two players between 2000-2100 plus two just below 2000.
I played my heart out and beat all of them but one of the 2000s to take the trophy :D

Also we had an Idea, we started to create a quartet card game with the most iconic players of our region.
Below is a draft of mine:
KArte%20noel%20jpeg.jpeg
 
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Hmmm, never heard of Bissig before, never was exposed to that word. Now I am. Good one. U missing Witzfaktor on that card as a category.

Great performance... in front of folk where there is something, even a little on the line is another animal entirely.

Bissig means how bad you want to win at the table and how you show it and also how much time you invest into the sport in general.

Witzfaktor is taken into account in Beizfaktor, meaning how your "perform" in the pup :)

 
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Boogar, you are the Original Poster of this thread and not many these days know it.

When I was in Korea, the Koreans immediately tested me in the Beizfaktor, they have a long history and strong tradition in that area, they quickly discovered it did not profit them to challenge me in that area as I have some lasting German culturalization there. It was suicide, but they gladly did it anyway, it never got old to them. In the south in Bavaria, the water had too many bad, unhealthy minerals in it, so they drank a "different" water for hydration.
 
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Yesterday's practice.

Played with an unconventional set-up player: Short Pips on FH + Tacky Chinese Rubber on BH. He has an insane good BH and is able to open up inside table, i.e., short ball. ( Wow factor for me because I could not do it ). His ball control is very good too: Able to do short drop shots or long pushes at will.

On my side I could only push or block as I can only do open up once the ball leaves the table. I realised my short-coming. He keeps giving me those short double bounce ball. I could not open at all, no chance to open up for me. Whereas he could loop my pushes at will. My only saving grace is on occasion he gives a long push, I could start an open up ( FH ) and then finish with a smash / power-drive to get those rare occasional points. Alas, we did not count points, if I did most likely our score would be something like 11-3 / 11-4 etc.

I am now tempted to blame it on my bouncy ESN rubber on BH (Donic Bluefire M2). But comparing with him, it is so much more difficult for me to keep my ball short in contrast with him. Yeap! When one suxs, always, always blame the equipment. Yeah! Its my rubber fault! Donic! I want my refund!
 
says Spin and more spin.
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Yesterday's practice.

Played with an unconventional set-up player: Short Pips on FH + Tacky Chinese Rubber on BH. He has an insane good BH and is able to open up inside table, i.e., short ball. ( Wow factor for me because I could not do it ). His ball control is very good too: Able to do short drop shots or long pushes at will.

On my side I could only push or block as I can only do open up once the ball leaves the table. I realised my short-coming. He keeps giving me those short double bounce ball. I could not open at all, no chance to open up for me. Whereas he could loop my pushes at will. My only saving grace is on occasion he gives a long push, I could start an open up ( FH ) and then finish with a smash / power-drive to get those rare occasional points. Alas, we did not count points, if I did most likely our score would be something like 11-3 / 11-4 etc.

I am now tempted to blame it on my bouncy ESN rubber on BH (Donic Bluefire M2). But comparing with him, it is so much more difficult for me to keep my ball short in contrast with him. Yeap! When one suxs, always, always blame the equipment. Yeah! Its my rubber fault! Donic! I want my refund!
In Table Tennis, the terms TOUCH and FEEL refer to the art of how you contact the ball and how you feel the ball while it is on the surface of your rubber and blade face.

Below is a video. It shows Marcos Freitas doing some technical exercises that require a high degree of touch and feel. If you practiced the one where Freitas his hitting the ball against the edge of the table, except, perhaps started by doing this hitting the ball against a wall so you had a bigger window for success, this would help you improve how you touch the ball, because, for sure, how you touch the ball is absolutely an area you could improve:

Any of the other exercises would also help you gain control over the blade face. But probably, where you are at, the one that would be most useful for you to try and practice would be the first skill.

 
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And the backspin catcher probably would require the most skill.

But without actually looking at and working on how to touch the ball softly, it is hard to do so. So, that exercise against the table (or a wall....first) could really help you start understanding the aspects of table tennis that require a soft precise touch and the ability to feel the ball on contact so you control how you touch the ball.

This skill will help your FH and BH loops, your serves, your pushing ability, and your ability to take offensive shots on short balls that are over the table.

If you know how to touch the ball softly and caress the ball into the topsheet so that the topsheet grabs the ball, a lot of things that you struggle with will become much much more possible.

 
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And the backspin catcher probably would require the most skill.

But without actually looking at and working on how to touch the ball softly, it is hard to do so. So, that exercise against the table (or a wall....first) could really help you start understanding the aspects of table tennis that require a soft precise touch and the ability to feel the ball on contact so you control how you touch the ball.

This skill will help your FH and BH loops, your serves, your pushing ability, and your ability to take offensive shots on short balls that are over the table.

If you know how to touch the ball softly and caress the ball into the topsheet so that the topsheet grabs the ball, a lot of things that you struggle with will become much much more possible.

I will start the first skill against the wall starting tonight. I'm so gonna killing my opponent softly with me new found skilzs!

 
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I will start the first skill against the wall starting tonight. I'm so gonna killing my opponent softly with me new found skilzs!
A worthwhile detail: notice how small the movements of the racket are when Freitas is doing it. :)

 
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Hi all, haven't posted much lately

my TT form was improving and peaked around March - April this year. I had more stable results in tournaments since Nov21, and i can remember at least one good win for me.

But then despite training the same, perhaps mental and physical fatigue, i feel I've not been playing well lately, especially in tournaments, and unable to improve all my weaknesses. I sometimes feel i play like a total beginner especially against some types of balls, despite the heavy coaching i receive.

Even in training matches, most often i'm happy only of a few sets here and there...

tldr i'm getting frustrated and losing a bit the motivation to train hard.

still hoping to show some good play asap though
 
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Hi all, haven't posted much lately

my TT form was improving and peaked around March - April this year. I had more stable results in tournaments since Nov21, and i can remember at least one good win for me.

But then despite training the same, perhaps mental and physical fatigue, i feel I've not been playing well lately, especially in tournaments, and unable to improve all my weaknesses. I sometimes feel i play like a total beginner especially against some types of balls, despite the heavy coaching i receive.

Even in training matches, most often i'm happy only of a few sets here and there...

tldr i'm getting frustrated and losing a bit the motivation to train hard.

still hoping to show some good play asap though

Hi,
Good to see you posting again.
Stick with it!!! Sometimes you can feel as if your level has dropped, it hasn’t really, there are just peaks and dips as you progress. So a previous peak can become a present dip.
You’re not the only one who gets frustrated!! Same here, it’s like sometimes I loose a match 3 - 2,
I win an end easily, real easy 11 - 2/3 then mixed in are - one end 11 - 8 win, 11 - 8 or 9 loss, 11 - 5/6 loss and worse case 11 - 1/2 loss!! Jekyll and Hyde. But really it’s consistent play that’s lacking, ability is there to do it, but not enough of the time!!!

 
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SOMETIMES Takkyu, what you described is a sign you are improving something in training, you are trying to make it work in tourneys, but it isn't there yet... improving on stuf in training takes 6-12 months... sometimes LONGER to show in match play in tourneys.

If you are a developing player, you will go through cycles like this.
 
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What Der Joker says holds true. Development often has the form of pushing against a barrier, with frustration and motivational challenges on the side. And then you break through and get into the flow of the next level. Keep it up!
 
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