Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

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Hello DTTCCers!

Haven't posted in ages. Nothing new to report during that time though.

New news ... my club which is a NYC Dept of Parks Recreation Center is finally going to close down June 30th for renovation and it may be 2 or 3 years before they reopen :( There is the Tiger Badminton Club (they rented the gym of a synagogue) which is 1 long block away from my club. But 3 kids in college and funds are tight now. Same for Robert Chen's new club in Astoria, may be pricier than Tiger, plus inconvenient travels to and from Chen's club. the Dept of Parks was the most affordable in my current situation, $100 for 1 year, 2 nights a week (was 4 nights a week until they changed their schedule), and if i was available most of Saturday. It was also 25 minutes walking to/from home. With my NYC Dept of Parks membership, i can go to other Rec Ctrs, but all are inconvenient to get to as well as limited times to play TT. Downside of a rec ctr.

One of my friends/brothers from my old 1980s TT crew started playing again. He mentioned to me that he is playing at NYC/Chinatown's Columbus Park. Throughout the parks of NYC, they have these slate/stone tables with a metal net. Not the most ideal of playing conditions, but it is free. Not used to the table. Downside is wind, passersby, mosquitoes, uneven table, running after a missed ball before someone steps on it, etc. I walk 30 minutes to the park after work and hit with him. Last night, I hit with someone else and we had fun and good training. Going back on Saturday after work.

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@UpsideDownCarl,

My friend knows Eddie and plays with him sometimes at Columbus Park. He also told me Richard Ling is sometimes there on Saturdays. I work Saturdays and by the time i get off work and get there, it is late for him and he would have left already. Same for Eddie. I call Richard Ling "Dai Si Hing" (Big Martial/Training Brother) as we both learnt from the late Alex Tam, although I learnt briefly from Tam sifu. After a few basic lessons, he told me to go train with Richard. Sad that I didn't see Tam sifu in 30 years or so and he passed away 2 or 3 years ago. We all are not getting any younger, I want to see Richard at least one time in the near future. Would be cool to see and hit with Eddie again as well.

How much is it per year?

I suffered to pay about $217 for one club membership away far from me, and another club is also same amount, so i paid a lot for about 5 years or so, and then car fuel cost, all that only to keep myself into playing, but i decided that this year and next year will be my last time for membership in those clubs and then no more, i even don't go there more than 1-2 times per week anyway.

I am planning to do home practice with my old robot and new robot, at least to keep myself occupied and company for a while, then i will try to find nearby clubs if possible, or try to find players in my city so i can use the club in my city free, or if possible invite someone to my house to play as much we can, i really hate to keep paying for membership far clubs where they really have enough, it is not my fault that they rented in the clubs, they call it an academy and they ask membership fees for membership alone and for training/coaching also alone separate, well, to me from distant city that will cost me a lot, so you are lucky to have options at least, for $100 per year i can pay that always lifetime rather than over $200 slightly.

 
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How much is it per year?

I suffered to pay about $217 for one club membership away far from me, and another club is also same amount, so i paid a lot for about 5 years or so, and then car fuel cost, all that only to keep myself into playing, but i decided that this year and next year will be my last time for membership in those clubs and then no more, i even don't go there more than 1-2 times per week anyway.

I am planning to do home practice with my old robot and new robot, at least to keep myself occupied and company for a while, then i will try to find nearby clubs if possible, or try to find players in my city so i can use the club in my city free, or if possible invite someone to my house to play as much we can, i really hate to keep paying for membership far clubs where they really have enough, it is not my fault that they rented in the clubs, they call it an academy and they ask membership fees for membership alone and for training/coaching also alone separate, well, to me from distant city that will cost me a lot, so you are lucky to have options at least, for $100 per year i can pay that always lifetime rather than over $200 slightly.

Good luck in finding a nearby and affordable club as well as partners and your TT playing!

As noted, I paid $100/year and potentially had 5 days/nights access but it is a City recreation center, therefore, limited schedules and pre-pandemic shared space with Olympic weightlifting, stationary bikes/treadmills/weight machines. Post-lockdown, they limited the schedule and I could only go 2 nights a week and the other times were midday which I cannot make due to work. Despite all that, very affordable and the minor distractions is neglible.

When Tiger Badminton Club opened, they had a $100/hear special deal. Basketball gym floor was split shared with badminton members. Not sure how much it is now, but will be more than $100. This is the next closest club to where I live. I may or may not join them. Will find out a price. They used to and may still do have a $10 per visit fee.

For now, I will play at the park for free despite the less-than-ideal playing conditions.

Robert Chen's club, iirc, a friend plans to join and it is $40 a month and if a group joins simultaneously, it may be $30 or $35 a month. Too pricey for me. Cannot justify expense until kids done with college.

 
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Good luck in finding a nearby and affordable club as well as partners and your TT playing!

As noted, I paid $100/year and potentially had 5 days/nights access but it is a City recreation center, therefore, limited schedules and pre-pandemic shared space with Olympic weightlifting, stationary bikes/treadmills/weight machines. Post-lockdown, they limited the schedule and I could only go 2 nights a week and the other times were midday which I cannot make due to work. Despite all that, very affordable and the minor distractions is neglible.

When Tiger Badminton Club opened, they had a $100/hear special deal. Basketball gym floor was split shared with badminton members. Not sure how much it is now, but will be more than $100. This is the next closest club to where I live. I may or may not join them. Will find out a price. They used to and may still do have a $10 per visit fee.

For now, I will play at the park for free despite the less-than-ideal playing conditions.

Robert Chen's club, iirc, a friend plans to join and it is $40 a month and if a group joins simultaneously, it may be $30 or $35 a month. Too pricey for me. Cannot justify expense until kids done with college.

I have another hobbies or passions to pay for, also my family are dependable so they also wasting funds and income, and i won't play TT forever maybe or keep paying for it, i tried to spend a lot to force myself staying with it, but i don't think it was the good idea.

I heard from a coach in my city club that there is a new place in the city, dunno where is that, i will ask him more details and i will try to visit sometimes, i hope it is not costly, because i am so tired of my country greedy, i can ask almost half of what they ask in my house if i have to be greedy as well, but i won't, and i use to have the key of that local club TT room, but the coach changed it this year and i didn't get the chance to have the new key, so if i can find more players in the city then maybe i can ask the coach about the key again, better than i call the service man labor there to open it for us all the time, i don't know why they changed it anyway, or maybe i used the wrong key, but in all cases, this year will be my last year in the far distance club, and i still have membership for another club until next year, so once both expired will stop going there and trying locally or nearby if possible.

 
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You posted that you had other hobbies. I meant do those hobbies instead if TT is not working out for you. LOL

Good luck!

I never saw good luck since years, if you know where to buy that good luck please let me know
LOL

 
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NB: The video above is not mine as I did not take any video, I just took a random sample from Youtube.

On Sat my coach introduced to me this type of drills. Fast Multi-ball training. It was a shock to my body. It felt so hurried and I am like under constant pressure. At first it was 2 FH + 2 BH ( topspin ) then 2 BH + 2 FH ( underspin ). Later it was random / open table / anywhere. It was a very tiring exercise. However, the next day while playing against my club members, suddenly I realised that their balls are darn slow coming to me ala Matrix slow motion effect, enough time for me to go get a cup of cappucino and sandwich while reading some magazines 😁

p/s Not bad huh for a over-weight dude reaching his fifties soon. Call this my mid-life crisis resolvement plan.
 
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Gozo, I was an older dude pushing 50 when I lived in Korea. I joined a TT club and took 2x per week 20 minute lessons. After a year, when coach got me introduced to the footworks she wanted (she was an ex-pro CHOPPER) she had me do more progressively demanding drills that combined explosive footwork movement and powerful hitting.

Serve to my BH.. I push short, step around BH and FH hit to her BH corner, she blocks down my FH line, I do explosive cross step and hit a strong FH, she blocks diagonal to my BH, I BH bump or hit it to her BH, she blocks to my BH corner.. I step around and blast a FH to her BH corner, she blocks fast down the FH line, I do an even more explosive cross step to my FH and try to blast it to her in the BH corner, she blocks cross court...

You see where this is going... down a spiral to get exhausted FAST.

It is remarkable that I learned footwork and attacking preparation from a female CHOPPER, but it was indeed sound training. Some of it took 10 yrs to get intuitive with me. (the steps)
 
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Two week update after crash...

Knee scrape is pretty much best case scenario... no infection. 6 of the deep cuts are pretty much healed and will not leave a scar. The big gash is still there, but is shrinking from each side, now 1/2 the length it was. I think this will be close to gone in 4 weeks.

The left calf contusion took two weeks, but it finally came to surface, feels like there is an egg shaped rock on my calf, real firm it is, painful, but it is mending. not stopping me from movement or riding bike for tennis or supermarket trips.

The left shoulder was weak on day zero, I knew it, but a lot of coughing (air her in Sac valley is horrible) repeatedly strongly gave me a grade II tear under my left pec and under my left shoulder blade on top of the back of a rib bone. That one is right next to a nerve and if I move it wrong or apply force wrong, I feel it all the way down my arm. I bought a shoulder posture corrector, it pulls my shoulders back a little, and this position puts some light pressure on top of that area and helps. it is healing, but difficult to avoid using the injured area. It will heal more slowly.

The right shoulder scrape is pretty much gone, just a little left. The other abrasions and scrapes and bumps in various areas are pretty much gone.

I have a strain on my neck on left side, hard to sleep in wrong position, it is improving, but like the left shoulder tear, it is something I use every day often and difficult to protect. It is improving and maybe in a week will not be as bad, will have to see.

The grade II right knee MCL tear I had before the crash has healed to 80%, which is a danger zone. I no longer feel any aching or pains after I test it in slippers with TT or tennis (no explosive movement on either). I will wait a couple more weeks before I wear shoes and play. Witht eh slippers, my plant foot can twist as I need and there is no major twisting stress on the MCL.

All in all I got off pretty much Scott free from that crash, I think in 2-3 weeks I will be 90% and pretty much forgotten it all.
 
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Hello DTTCCers!

Last Saturday after work, I got to Chinatown's Columbus Park about 5:45pm. Was able to see Richard! He generally leaves before I get there, but he was helping a mutual friend glue on some rubbers. I haven't seen him since the 1980's, so about 40 years! We both learnt from Alex Tam however after a few lessons he told me to go train with Richard. So in a way Richard was my primary instructor. I was also fortunate to see Eddie, a college mate, I haven't seen for a few years and haven't hit with him in 30 years. Last but not least, a former League team member, friend as well as college mate was there too! Haven't seen him in 40 years.

Bunch of old friends reminiscing about the good old days lol

~opsh
 
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My friend bought his cybershape cpen knockoff from a mutual friend. I will buy one too. Mainly due to our mutual friend's circumstances, i want to support him somewhat and buy a knockoff from him. I generally do NOT use/buy knockoffs though.

Attached are pix of my friend's cybershape knockoff.
cshape%2020220625%20194718%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194720%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194727%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194739%20jpg.jpeg
 
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You gotta come to NYISC next time I pop into NYC.. we gotta talk serves again... so I can tell you I MIGHT let you return a serve... and see the look on your face and the aftermath. :D

Yeah sorry, the intel of your last Goon Mission reached me too late to cancel the mission i was tasked with. I mean, i was working remotely that Friday and busy and wife got home and then got busier and forgot you were there :(

LOLOL at me!! We had that match ages ago at the Korean Klub, and I misread your serves and after the match you clued me in that you repeated throughout the pattern of topspin and then downspin.

Happy to report since that match, I started my RPB journey and not a pure TPB anymore.

 
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My friend bought his cybershape cpen knockoff from a mutual friend. I will buy one too. Mainly due to our mutual friend's circumstances, i want to support him somewhat and buy a knockoff from him. I generally do NOT use/buy knockoffs though.

Attached are pix of my friend's cybershape knockoff.
cshape%2020220625%20194718%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194720%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194727%20jpg.jpeg

cshape%2020220625%20194739%20jpg.jpeg
Handle looks cracked, plies separating.....

 
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Carl knows the Richard I speak of, Richard Ling. Back in the 1980's, he was a 2200 player. Started as PH and then switched to SH.

I know too many Richards.....And Eddie, I think I know who you mean as well. Super nice and beautiful PH FH. Lots O' Side Spin. :)

 
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I could watch this all day...

I do prefer the Korean men player actually more than the Chinese, don't know why. And to see a protege of Kim Taek Soo being trained directly by the Master himself is so satisfying.
 
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