Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

I went and played some tt at my friend's place, and got to try out his new Robo-Pong 2055.
He then cranked the settings all the way up: speed and frequency.
I gave it a go, each time with 130 balls until they are all up.
Very fun, but at the end, I can barely hold onto my bat.

Forehand:

Backhand:

After playing with the robot, I find that playing forehand and backhand became alot more automatic. I think it helped me gain some confidence in getting more flat hits.
I then played a game with my friend, but unfortunately he was injured during the match. So he rested and I played with another friend. Then we went home.

I went to Westchester to play on Saturday for the first time in a few years - Saturday is usually the day for lower players and Sunday for higher players but I had dropped low enough lol. I wanted revenge on a sandbagging penholder that I hoped would be there - unfortunately he didn't turn up. I almost didn't want to drive complaining of sleep but I was inspired by Liu Shiwen winning. Gave me energy to drive and inspiration to fight.

That said I entered 3 events and learned my lesson, 3 events that you are competitive in is too much, I am getting older - I ended up playing 17 matches, though 6 of those were handicap matches and some were the relatively easy even if taxing round-robin matches. Was exhausted. Made it to the semis of the U2000, came second in the Handicap event, and won the O40+ U2000 event. Didn't face any looping juniors the whole day which made the whole event much more pleasurable. Looping juniors just play fast and take the fun out of everything. I did play one former looping junior in the handicap event, but he was too rusty and my experience with spin has changed quite a bit since the last time I played him, even though my rating looks the same, so he couldn't use the stuff that would have worked 4 years ago when he was really a junior even though he was trying to. That match was my "favorite" match because I lost so badly to the guy when he was a junior including some tough losses when we were closer together in rating, so winning even an unrated match felt good, even handicapped.

The finals of the 040+ U2000 was my favorite rated match, I was playing this penholder whose serves I couldn't return. Very soon, it was 1-9 and 3-11 in the first game, I think the only point I won on his serve, he served into the net or something. I am not even sure why I continued playing after that, even though I usually expect to return better as the match goes on, but this just felt like abuse.

But I hung in there, then I loop killed a couple of his serves in the second game and felt maybe there was hope. I tested a few things and decided that fast rally was not going to work - had to open heavy and hope for the best and play down the line more. Pulled out second game 11-8. Third game, he won his first two serves easily and I was back to fighting. But in the 4th game I had the lead most of the time. But he got back to 9-9 and deuce. But he missed a smash on a high push and then we went to game 5.

Game 5 I am starting on the side that has lost , and I go down 2-5. But then I just start looping and I don't know how it happened but my spin just took over. I got to 8-6 with the lead and I served he pushed, and I looped and I thought I had looped long, but the ball came back down with sick arc! I think we might have traded some points but when I won, he gave me a good handshake. I never really thought I Was going to win until I went up in the 5th, maybe the 9-6 point was the beginning of even thinking about it. Now I watch the match, I can see that my ball vs backspin is really powerful , I need to learn to hit topspin like that and I will be a good player lol.

I blame my two losses to tiredness, but going 15-2 or 10-1 even if the players are not always great players is not a bad result, I should stop complaining. Oh, I need to update my equipment lol....

That still sound like fun nextlevel! May i ask how you knees are holding up when you are playing so many matches?

Lula said:

That still sound like fun nextlevel! May i ask how you knees are holding up when you are playing so many matches?

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Well, the Westchester tournament has wooden floor so it is different. IT is very nice to play at, I can't play with the same feeling elsewhere. If I edit some video I might post a shorter version. Here is my favorite point (there were probably other good ones but this particular one I like).

https://youtu.be/gjkXRC3m3ZM?t=438

NextLevel said:

Well, the Westchester tournament has wooden floor so it is different. IT is very nice to play at, I can't play with the same feeling elsewhere. If I edit some video I might post a shorter version. Here is my favorite point (there were probably other good ones but this particular one I like).

https://youtu.be/gjkXRC3m3ZM?t=438

Click to expand...

Point of the match was at 17:36-17:48

This is UGLY... like... Have no (beep) control over anything I'm doing... I'm completely out of control... just fighting.

Click to expand...

NL. I would offer the CPT Obvious tactic, you were prolly already tracking it, but I fail to understand completely why you didn't use it.

This guy never attacked any short serve, always pushed long... at least 10 cm long... these balls are very ripe for a heavy slow opener. He blocked maybe 2 of these the entire last couple games. You could have won much easier had you loosened up the grip and lifted the ball some more. Don't sweat it... a lot of times I know this too and I end up powerlooping and regret it.

Organised a veteran’s tournament at my club. Full house, no no-shows, and in the lounge the magnificence of the men’s final and the atrocity of the stolen women’s double final on display.

A good tournament. Many strong players, but first and foremost fiercely competitive players of very advanced age going all out with players 30-40 years their junior—and winning. A sight, an inspiration. A good day.

Jeul-Tak !!!

Der_Echte said:

NL. I would offer the CPT Obvious tactic, you were prolly already tracking it, but I fail to understand completely why you didn't use it.

This guy never attacked any short serve, always pushed long... at least 10 cm long... these balls are very ripe for a heavy slow opener. He blocked maybe 2 of these the entire last couple games. You could have won much easier had you loosened up the grip and lifted the ball some more. Don't sweat it... a lot of times I know this too and I end up powerlooping and regret it.

Click to expand...

My knees are shit and slow heavy topspin is not what it used to be with the new ball. Don't get me wrong, my looping style is already high arc and spin based, but getting low to loop backspin has been a bit of a crapshoot. That the guy often blocked heavy topspin into the net cracked me up. I know my spin is not that bad. And to be honest, I can't serve short for shit, most of the "short" serves and pushes are really long, he just isn't that kind of player.

Videos from last night of 2 ugly matches. I didn't play well. Proof of why I ask for 9 points from ttmonster and JeffM !! For those that haven't seen me before, I'm in the gray shirt.

Hit quite a bit earlier in the night . A little tired before playing 2 matches which I recorded. Not a great angle I know. It's on a ledge with a white wall which is hard for me to see the white ball at times. The gray partition at times causes problems for me.

Really played horribly ... generally don't like to play in this section of the club due to the white/gray walls. Although I probably will video next time with a tripod in this section.

Played B. He usually wins 3-0. Lately I get a game off him. Last week, lost 3-2 against him... my first time winning 2 off of him. If my RPB block/punch is on, i would have a slightly better game.

Almost 20 mins raw footage (-9, 8, -2, -6)

0:00-5:55 ... warmup

5:56-9:26 ... -9;

highlights 6:11-6:16, 7:01-7:05, 7:38-7:45 miss, 9:02-9:08

9:27-13:24 ... 8... i'm winning 10-4, i win at 11-8 LOL at me

13:25-15:42 ... -2

highlight 14:52-14:58 lucky

15:43-19:31 ... -6

highlights 16:04-16:11 miss, 16:38-16:43, 16:56-17:04 miss on 8th ball, 18:35-18:41


........

Play a little better this game, despite being tired and white/gray walls. Y has long pips on his BH. I think he is ~1800. In this match it may not seem like it, but when I watch him play others it seems like it. He has been supportive of my RPB training and realized I have no game and better in practice. He has given some easy balls to helped get used to gameplay. I used to lose 3-0 easily to him. Last year, lost 3-1, with one game I lost at 21-19! I didn't video my match with him last week, I won 3-2. First time ever i won off of him.

Although I'm still not that comfortable FH looping, because I concentrated for a year or so on learning RPB and neglected my FH loop, lately it's coming back

0:00-4:52 warmup

4:53-8:36 ... -9

highlights 4:53-5:10, 5:57-6:02 down the line serve, 6:19-6:29, 6:55-7:03 8th ball miss, 7:09-7:18, 7:52-8:00, 8:02-8:07

8:38-11:14 ... -2

highlights 9:54-10:00, 10:08-10:14 lucky footwork

11:15-15:37 ... -9

highlights 11:52-11:57 I do a Wang Hao impersonation by RPB looping from FH side LOL, 12:28-12:34 lucky, 14:41-14:49 RPB loop, 15:00-15:10 LOLOLOL

16:04-17:02 FH-FH (@JeffM, I intended to do a video of longer and multiple angles of my FH, but ran out of space. Hope this helps for now!)

17:03-17:51 FH smashes ... that section is not as spacious as the other 2 sections of my club ... Y is a good enough lobber if he has space

Ran out of memory on phone, hit for another 2 mins and went home as it was 9pm... I usually go home 7:30-8pm

Si-hing,

Thank you for sharing. That does look like fun. Good challenge at reflexes when set that fast!

JeffM said:

I went and played some tt at my friend's place, and got to try out his new Robo-Pong 2055.
He then cranked the settings all the way up: speed and frequency.
I gave it a go, each time with 130 balls until they are all up.
Very fun, but at the end, I can barely hold onto my bat.

Forehand:

Click to expand...

I don't have the 'coach's eye'. I may be wrong. It looks like you are flat hitting for the first 90 secs or so of the video and for the last 30 secs or so it look you are spinning a little. Not sure if it was intentional or if you were tired mentally and your muscle memory took over.

Not sure if it will work for you. You are meeting the ball in front of your body which is good. I am trying to change to meeting the ball even a bit earlier for the past year or so. Lots of muscle memory to overcome for me. I posted 2 videos above. Please check out my 2nd video... the last few mins or so.

Am still planning on making a video of my FH to see if it may help you in your flat hitting.

Backhand:

After playing with the robot, I find that playing forehand and backhand became alot more automatic. I think it helped me gain some confidence in getting more flat hits.
I then played a game with my friend, but unfortunately he was injured during the match. So he rested and I played with another friend. Then we went home.

Click to expand...

I like your short compact stroke, my RPB flat hit is a longer stroke. Although maybe the robot being set on its fastest forced you to shorten your stroke. Some of them look like blocks lol

Hope you get to try that robot at a slower speed. "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

Keep at it Si-hing!

~osph

Had a Korean female ex-pro show up at Citrus Heights TT meetup with her family... she looked the part and actually moved to this area. Hope she will show up at SITTA going forward.

Hi OSP / Si Hing!
Thanks for sharing your videos and your feedback!
I had a chance to practice at home, and thought I try to film myself doing some flatter forehands.

Those drop shots are tempting Boogar but they are bad habits and will get you into trouble since you take the ball high and the ball bounces high and slow for the opponent. Quick opponents will get there in time to punish you. Just keep.it in mind. Better to keep smashing and moving your feet and to drop the ball short if the incoming ball is short.

You are playing much better. Index finger is not a big deal if you can play all your shots and create all the racket angles you need especially on backhand. Most people move the finger around anyways and I suspect you do too.

Boogar,

Nice and relaxed looping... very cool!

9 points please!

JeffM said:

Hi OSP / Si Hing!
Thanks for sharing your videos and your feedback!
I had a chance to practice at home, and thought I try to film myself doing some flatter forehands.

Click to expand...

Si-hing,

Looks like these are flatter hits. Don't see wrist articulation.

If this stroke works for you, groove it more. For me, your racket is too open. I have mine closed a lot more. I see your FH black rubber when you finish your stroke. On my stroke, you will see some of my BH red rubber, to give you an idea of the closed racket angle.

But that is me. Find what you are comfortable with and if it works, keep grooving it.

Have been filming me playing alot lately. very good. It is very obvious that i move my elbow to much forward on all my forehandstrokes like block, opening loop, counter and smash. lose alot of energy because i basically are not using my forearm enough. Will try to angle the racket more to the left, have the elbow much further back and try to almost hook the ball with an open angle. Think i need to overdo it in the beginning, because only then i will come to something that looks good that are somwhere inbetween.

I changed my blade to Viscaria . My blade was primorac carbon before . Today's training wasn't a succesful day with the new blade but I'm sure my game gonna be better and better .