Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

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Just some remarks. Recently I went back to my hometown, Krasnoyarsk, for ~3 weeks to visit my family and play some table tennis. I was surprised that table tennis community is quite vibrant there. Each week there were three tournaments: on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tournament on Saturday was for "pro" players, while Friday and Sunday were for amateurs; I played only on Friday and Sunday.

Interestingly, there were no multiple events with rating thresholds. Instead, all players (15-20 people) got seeded into large round robin groups (5 or 6 people). After the round robin, top half went into the first final round robin, while the other one got into the second one to play for actual places. Sometimes, there were even three final round robins. What is good about it:

1) Even if you are not at the top level, you play a lot of matches with people of all kind of levels. It is not like you lose once/twice and goodbye.
2) Importantly, you eventually end up with the group of people of your ability.
3) No obsession of ratings. The only concern is if you're not overqualified for the tournament. The Sunday one had a single threshold around U1900 USATT.
4) No sandbaggers and developing juniors masquerading as beginners. You eventually end up where you are supposed to be.
5) A fee for a single tournament is around $4 :)

There are also some good coaches. "Thanks" for the dropped ruble-usd exchange rate, you can have an hour of individual practice with a professional coach (around 2500 USATT) for 10$. So if you want some good practice, but not willing to go to China, welcome to Siberia :)
 
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Just some remarks. Recently I went back to my hometown, Krasnoyarsk, for ~3 weeks to visit my family and play some table tennis. I was surprised that table tennis community is quite vibrant there. Each week there were three tournaments: on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tournament on Saturday was for "pro" players, while Friday and Sunday were for amateurs; I played only on Friday and Sunday.

Interestingly, there were no multiple events with rating thresholds. Instead, all players (15-20 people) got seeded into large round robin groups (5 or 6 people). After the round robin, top half went into the first final round robin, while the other one got into the second one to play for actual places. Sometimes, there were even three final round robins. What is good about it:

1) Even if you are not at the top level, you play a lot of matches with people of all kind of levels. It is not like you lose once/twice and goodbye.
2) Importantly, you eventually end up with the group of people of your ability.
3) No obsession of ratings. The only concern is if you're not overqualified for the tournament. The Sunday one had a single threshold around U1900 USATT.
4) No sandbaggers and developing juniors masquerading as beginners. You eventually end up where you are supposed to be.
5) A fee for a single tournament is around $4 :)

There are also some good coaches. "Thanks" for the dropped ruble-usd exchange rate, you can have an hour of individual practice with a professional coach (around 2500 USATT) for 10$. So if you want some good practice, but not willing to go to China, welcome to Siberia :)

Better than the coaches at Lily? ;)
 
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As for me, I played for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday. From a physical standpoint I am out of shape. But once I was warm, it seems like things were good. I did 2.5 hours of training with PingPongHolic so it was great stuff. We did third ball attack drills for almost the whole time. I got him to work with me on a couple of other sticking points, like FH flip and returning a specific serve I have trouble with. But most of the time I was working on looping heavy push with my BH.

I still got that Jersey I will give to PP Holic to cut off the sleeves and make it the first non-tourney approved TT uniform special modded to look sleeveless, once he takes it to a seamstress. (Which i will fund)
 
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Ilia, a Giant Round Robin is a great tourney, gives everyone a chance to compete and play a LOT, helps the experience.

My Next Tourney will be Smash Giant Round Robin in Herndon, VA, should be under a 3 hr drive, maybe Next Level, you, and the gent from Richmond can make it some fun.
 
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NL, if I knew a week out you were gunna be in that tourney, I would have registered, like I did in January when I heard you and Ringer were gunna be there.

I had a bad loss my first match, lost in 5th to a low 1800s player, he got FIVE net and edge in the 5th. He was easily an upper 1900s level or maybe 2000 level player.

After he did the Giant Round Robin in June, his rating moved up to mid 1900s, but I got my revenge on him winning in 4 tight games with several emphatic fast hookshot kills on pushes off the table short FH side.

In Jan Howard County, I also lost to a 2000 level OX LP player, I rarely lose to that level of OX, but I never realized he was returning DEAD balls, instead of underspin. I was brain dead and deservedly lost, I blamed the loss on the Jola balls, which DO bounce like they got Mexican jumping bean inside, but it was my head whose brain that day was smaller than siad bean was the real reason why I lost.

I still made semis of open and finals of U2000 (lost to a ringer who as 2000+ a year or three ago) and still got paid.

Would love to do that tourney with some of the TTD crowd.
 
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As for Shuki and tourneys,

I would say go into tourneys with a plan and a purpose.

Usually my plan and purpose it to go as far as I can in my level and the next higher level and play my best, sometimes that means I lose winnable matches. Rating take care of themselves, but in this region, there are SO MANY 1800-1900 level players who can defeat you, playing in just your division and one above will keep your rating down, even if you are true 2000 level here - 2/3 of the local 1800+ crowd plays the same level vs you in tourneys.

Still, my last 5-6 tourneys I have made medal rounds in 1-2 events, so that is about as good as i can hope for. My rating moved up very slowly, sometimes I lost 10+ points, sometimes I gained a good chunk (MDTTC Apr 2016), but the rating will take care of itself some day, despite the ringers. It will show in a larger tourney with more diverse players from everywhere, like Nov Teams.

I'm not overly worried. I know I am 2000 playing level and the rating may not reflect it until I reach 2100 playing level, and that is a LONG ways off. I will need to counterloop at table and serve better to reach that level, not gunna happen this month or next.
 
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.............

Shuki might be pulling some high humor on all of us and see how much we get on our proverbial high horses.

The joke might be on us.

However, if Shuki is truly trying to go down that road, chances of success are smaller than it appears, there is an entire Army of parents (some in his region) using that exact tactic, and they have 10,000x more motivation, support, and long-range funding.
 
This past Tuesday and Thursday my body was dragging and I didn't play. I looked up my bio-rhythm and I was at a triple low (low emotion, low intellectual, and low physical). I played yesterday (Saturday) and felt better. I broke even in my singles matches, also broke even in a doubles match.

So, I'm listening to USD Carl and do some shadow practicing.
 
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Ilia, a Giant Round Robin is a great tourney, gives everyone a chance to compete and play a LOT, helps the experience.

My Next Tourney will be Smash Giant Round Robin in Herndon, VA, should be under a 3 hr drive, maybe Next Level, you, and the gent from Richmond can make it some fun.

Is it going to be in April?
 
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Congratulations Carl , you have become synonymous with the American Dollar in this forum , an well deserved tribute to your stability and longevity at the top of your game and of course, the high conversion rate ! :D :D

So, I'm listening to USD Carl and do some shadow practicing.
 
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What's funny about this is that only a couple of months ago, Shuki was complaining about being in the U1700 event and says he should have played higher events. Now he is saying he needs to sandbag to win. Life is funny and sad like that.

if I remember what the complaint was about, and I'm pretty confident that this was my issue with it. was that I should have done a higher event because it was the same people that were in the u1900. Not because my level was too high for it.
 
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I realllllly want the trophy, it looks cool but the only one of it I could find online to just straight up buy, I have to order 50+ trophy's in order to do so. If anyone can find me a link where I can just buy a cool crystal trophy (only 1). That alone would convince me to not sandbag.

The morals of it aren't what's going to get me to not do it. It's the desire to increase my odds at getting that pretty thing.
 
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Anyway, table tennis today: Playing back down to my level again sadly :( the peak ended. Started with lessons with coach from 11am-2pm

I also hit with the veteran friend I often hit with that was great in his prime but now only around 2000. from about 3pm-7pm. I talked to him about the sandbagging and what he thought about it. He had no problem with it, saying he used to do that in order to get a good position in a big tournament that was coming up where he actually needed to win. He also loves the moral boost it gives the players that beat him. For a time he would lose to the bottom person in his round robin group and beat the others to move on just to keep his rating lower. He did it for the money though as without a sponsor it's hard to make much playing the game. I've heard of others who do that for the money that are extremely good players.
 
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So I played another tournament today. 2 hr drive, wasn't feeling perfect. Wanted to play as I was not sure I would have a chance to play this month. Learned a lot. Had 2 bad losses - one to a 1600 kid coached by Ernesto Ebuen and one to an 1800 blocker who scrubs his paddle after every match with rubber cleaner - the topsheet is now pretty dead - he is like an off the table version of Rich DeWitt. I will get my revenge in September when I return there.

So what did I learn? Well, a higher level player watching me play the blocker said I was not cocking my wrist back far enough on the backhand loops when rallying with the blocker. I found that pretty interesting..........

Maybe I am "wrong" in not really being aware of my base grip, but I don't sweat it so much. I see a ball, I get ready to attack and do it. I seem to have many different grips for different balls that start from my base grip that is choked up ALL the way. I choke up all the way on my base grip, because the bottom of the blade is a baseline and a consistent spot to feel and use the same starting grip.

The video of some of my match play will betray me, I never keep the base grip in many of my shots, and the 1/4 speed of youtube shows it all.

I have seen Next Level live in action several times and I know he can make good spin on BH vs the balls from junk players. (Players who try to make a shot that is way different than their arm/body/bat speed - whether is it a pips rubber, anti, or inverted - it is all good, it wins points) He doesn't spin EVERYTHING heavy like I try to on first ball, but when he decides to spin it, you better get up to the ball or it is gunna fly off your bat like congressmen during a public investigation.

I don't think NL will have continued future problems when he lets the shots go, but it is a mix of science and art to discover what makes it all go and be able to adjust at will. NL has a good mission and so what if there is a bad result or three?

Anyone want to make bet with me that in another 5-6 tourneys NL is gunna be at hiz highest rating ever?
 
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So I played another tournament today. 2 hr drive, wasn't feeling perfect. Wanted to play as I was not sure I would have a chance to play this month. Learned a lot. Had 2 bad losses - one to a 1600 kid coached by Ernesto Ebuen and one to an 1800 blocker who scrubs his paddle after every match with rubber cleaner - the topsheet is now pretty dead - he is like an off the table version of Rich DeWitt. I will get my revenge in September when I return there.

So what did I learn? Well, a higher level player watching me play the blocker said I was not cocking my wrist back far enough on the backhand loops when rallying with the blocker. I found that pretty interesting. I have been playing around with my grips for a while now and what he said made me understand and realize why a grip I wanted to use but dropped 3 months ago was actually ideal for me. I will train with it tomorrow and talk about it in a video.

Anyway, table tennis today: Playing back down to my level again sadly :( the peak ended. Started with lessons with coach from 11am-2pm

I also hit with the veteran friend I often hit with that was great in his prime but now only around 2000. from about 3pm-7pm. I talked to him about the sandbagging and what he thought about it. He had no problem with it, saying he used to do that in order to get a good position in a big tournament that was coming up where he actually needed to win. He also loves the moral boost it gives the players that beat him. For a time he would lose to the bottom person in his round robin group and beat the others to move on just to keep his rating lower. He did it for the money though as without a sponsor it's hard to make much playing the game. I've heard of others who do that for the money that are extremely good players.

The "Sandbagging" of getting your official rating lower than your skill level is amusing for any player at U2000 level. Maybe a NATIONAL TITLE of U1700 or U1600 looks all shiny, but come on, let's get real. In our NATION, there are SO MANY kids doing this, backed by parents, coaches, clubs, company, and several of the Goon Squads, the chances of success are not really that good or worth the effort.

Even true 2200 level players have a hard time doing it. You pretty much got to be a true 2350 to 2400 level player to do it and live near a big city with frequent tourneys that pays more than $100 for finals... Very few at that level make it. Look at Westchester's results in U2300 and the next level higher for a few years and tell me which two pictures you see in the photos by a landslide...
 
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I realllllly want the trophy, it looks cool but the only one of it I could find online to just straight up buy, I have to order 50+ trophy's in order to do so. If anyone can find me a link where I can just buy a cool crystal trophy (only 1). That alone would convince me to not sandbag.

The morals of it aren't what's going to get me to not do it. It's the desire to increase my odds at getting that pretty thing.

Shuki, if you want a SUPER sized trophy, and maybe 3 of them at the same time, join the US Army (or Air Force) and go get stationed in KOREA. Daegu MWR runs a tourney for the active duty and civilian workers each fall. It is somewhat well funded and they will bus you there if you are not living in hte area, you get a night free there, a hotel of a field barracks.

Trophies are TALL, I used to win 2-3 of those each year, gave them to our unit's trophy case.

1-USFK1.jpg1-USFK11.jpg1-USFK9.jpgw1.jpg
 
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Is it going to be in April?

August 6, 2016

Smash TTC at Cassel's Sports. Kinda pricy, but you will get 10 matches likely, possible more. That is like two events, so kinda on par with other tourneys with rated events. Some regional ones are less expensive.

TTD Member Gene will likely do the WDCTT giant round robin in Sep 2016, much less expensive.
 
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Here is me practicing my favorite forehand loop (first 12 or so minutes of the video). It is relaxed without hook (my real or match forehand has a lot of hook to it partly because I hold the racket and contact the ball a little differently). In this drill, I am taking the ball relatively late for a couple of reasons. The truth is that if you get a weak ball to take early, then your opponent should not be blocking it close to the table. In any case, I don't necessarily loop with that kind of power but I often do loop with that kind of placement and it ruins the drill for my partner who is not going to move (he was actually a higher rated player than I am when he was active but had an accident that lead to some paralysis). Another reason is that it is a motion to allow me to relax and build up to more aggressive motions. IF you start slow and let your muscles get into proper conditioning, just about everything becomes easier. Finally, the loop that spins up the below the net height ball with quality is what most people without footwork need the most practice doing depending on their athletic level and playing distance. Unfortunately, most people like to display themselves driving high balls. Take a step back or try to get the blocker to make the ball lower if this is consistently what you are practicing against as you need the challenge and variation. You will see that against low tricky balls, loops that come across the body just do not work. Whether you are looking at Ma Long or Zhang Jike or Timo Boll or even your local pro, they all have a loop that is adapted to picking up these kinds of balls and it is usually their base loop. Don't fall into the trap of looking at or copying their loops that are not able to pick up tricky balls as those are not the loops that give them the confidence to play the way they do. IT is when you can loop any ball that your footwork and confidence develops the technique to loop more aggressively as you can do more when you get to the ball early but know you can still play with quality when the ball is tricky.

 
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