Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

Weds night heard from a friend that my first coach, Alex Tam, passed away Tuesday night. He was late 70's or early 80's.

We lost contact through the years but I addressed him as "sifu" and he called me student. I had 5 to 10 lessons with him at most. He asked his senior student Richard Ling to work with me and I got a lot of coaching/practice from/with Richard, sometimes with Alex Tam watching.

Back in the late 1970's to early 1980's I think Alex Tam was one of the top players in US. Tam sifu was an oldschool penholder playing single side short pips and was a double-winged attacker. As fearsome as his FH was, his BH was just as good. He was an alternate on the Chinese National Team iirc and desiring freedom from communism, he literally swam from China to Hong Kong. From HK, somehow he made his way to US, first Texas I think, and then NYC.

RIP Alex Tam

OldschoolPenholder said:

Weds night heard from a friend that my first coach, Alex Tam, passed away Tuesday night. He was late 70's or early 80's.

We lost contact through the years but I addressed him as "sifu" and he called me student. I had 5 to 10 lessons with him at most. He asked his senior student Richard Ling to work with me and I got a lot of coaching/practice from/with Richard, sometimes with Alex Tam watching.

Back in the late 1970's to early 1980's I think Alex Tam was one of the top players in US. Tam sifu was an oldschool penholder playing single side short pips and was a double-winged attacker. As fearsome as his FH was, his BH was just as good. He was an alternate on the Chinese National Team iirc and desiring freedom from communism, he literally swam from China to Hong Kong. From HK, somehow he made his way to US, first Texas I think, and then NYC.

RIP Alex Tam

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condolences

My first (and last full time coach) coach is about 75 years now... didn't see him for some 25 years... His son became a national champion, his grandson participated in youth olympics in TT

My first coach is about 75 years old too. I try to see him every now and then; he still does one on one training sessions, and has mastered so much TT knowledge and wisdom... he can do anything to anything with anything, anywhere.

I've met many coaches, many good ones too. But I've never met any that were so deep, and could observe so keenly and deliver immediate remedies and approaches with cutthroat directness. I'm no easy learner, have to overcome my own prejudices, distorted self-image, lack of self-reflectivity and blunt pigheaded stubbornnes — but my old coach installs so much faith that all these vain sideshows vanish and I just trust, open up, and get receptive to his words, his gestures, the hints of approval or disapproval he shows subtly and without words.

All men die, eventually, and it is within the natural course of things that at some point I just might be attending his funeral. When that happens, the loss I'll feel will no doubt be grievous; I think this, because I'm rejoicing so much in the fact that he's still there and still such a phenomenal, unstoppable force. Much to admire, and I and many others owe him so much.

We should honour and remember those that taught us for all they brought us. I do.

So I just wanted to come in and say "Hi" to everyone. I've started playing table tennis a few weeks ago, but I believe it's my hobby for many years to come. I know it's too late for me to become a sports legend. However, I really enjoy the process. So I decided to join your community hoping to talk with other enthusiasts and learning some mew tricks

JohnKish said:

I know it's too late for me to become a sports legend

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welcome and who knows

JohnKish said:

So I just wanted to come in and say "Hi" to everyone. I've started playing table tennis a few weeks ago, but I believe it's my hobby for many years to come. I know it's too late for me to become a sports legend. However, I really enjoy the process. So I decided to join your community hoping to talk with other enthusiasts and learning some mew tricks

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Simas said:

welcome and who knows

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Yeah. I mean, just look at Der_Echte and UpSideDownCarl!

I never thought that i would feel like i have friends online, But i almost feel so now. Pretty nice to tell you guys stuff. This is not so related to tabletennis, or Maybe a little.

Last week i Tried yoga! It was fun and exhausting!

I think Maybe yoga can benefit tabletennis players because We, or atleast i are very stiff and not so agile. Being more agile can surely be good for the movements in tabletennis and Maybe prevent injuries?

There was also alot of exercises that felt alot in the Stomach and the back. Important to be strong here in tabletennis Aswell.

Maybe upsidedowncarl can elaborate on this further.

Nonetheless it was fun and felt like Hood training for mind and body.
Will try to continue with the yoga.

So I have been in Florida for this week mostly at a TTEDGE camp with Brett Clarke and co. For the first time I have come to appreciate the importance of multiball and I will start doing more of it. If you focus on technique rather than putting the shot on the table, it is a good way of working out the TT muscles with the weight of a ball to make the timing realistic.

Can discuss more later.

I bet Brett just luvs Florida. I goota catch one of hiz USA camps.

Lemme know next time he is in town. One of these days I might make a weekend flight on the CC miles.

UpSideDownCarl said:

Yeah. I mean, just look at Der_Echte and UpSideDownCarl!

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Nah, Der_Echte is just an internet fraud, Carl is da man.

Der_Echte .. I think sequel to Carl escaping the goon squad in New York story has been long overdue ... we need to bring back one of those threads and make it into a summer blockbuster

Der_Echte said:

Nah, Der_Echte is just an internet fraud, Carl is da man.

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I think we will make it local to ttmonster's area involving google and apple employee busses with some RV home hopping hide and seek...

I think you are talking about the table tennis version of Hangover .. well you the one who can arrange it considering you already produced the Korean version

Der_Echte said:

I think we will make it local to ttmonster's area involving google and apple employee busses with some RV home hopping hide and seek...

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Der_Echte said:

I bet Brett just luvs Florida. I goota catch one of hiz USA camps.

Lemme know next time he is in town. One of these days I might make a weekend flight on the CC miles.

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He does the camps mostly for the TTEDGE members. He is going to be a national junior team coach so not sure what it will mean for his long term availability.

Was at our clubs big dinner we have every year because we pull off our big tournament everyyear. I talked with a somewhat good friend, my mother played doubles with him, i trained with his son alot and i have talked to the guy a litte everyyear and the guy that owns the company that makes nittaku, yasaka och donic blades in Sweden.

We talked about blades. There will be coming some new blades from them soon. Cliffhanger! nanananaa haha

Edit: haha tired today. Realized that of course they will come out with new blades soon. I think it is funny that i know which they are. It was also interesting to get such a deep insight in the world of blade making and the selling of them.

So what can you tell us about these new blades?

Lula said:

Was at our clubs big dinner we have every year because we pull off our big tournament everyyear. I talked with a somewhat good friend, my mother played doubles with him, i trained with his son alot and i have talked to the guy a litte everyyear and the guy that owns the company that makes nittaku, yasaka och donic blades in Sweden.

We talked about blades. There will be coming some new blades from them soon. Cliffhanger! nanananaa haha

Edit: haha tired today. Realized that of course they will come out with new blades soon. I think it is funny that i know which they are. It was also interesting to get such a deep insight in the world of blade making and the selling of them.

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RidTheKid said:

So what can you tell us about these new blades?

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Do not want to say to much, and we spoke alot in general about stuff. But i think i can say thay Falck use a stiffer, harder version of the Malin soft Carbon. Maybe that was why some of you noticed that his blade looked different. This is the most reliable source after Falck himself. He also said that they will try to release it and two other blades that Falck have helped developed, but at the moment they had problem with the glueing.

Another thing that came up that i reacted to was that the cost for them to have a stand at World championships were very very high, and he though that it was a big loss for them economically if you look at how much he though it gave them as a company. He said that they mostly had one because everyone else had one.

I also thought it was interesting to hear that the market for selling blades was very little in sweden so it was not so very much important. Also asked why so few use Nittaku blades in Sweden because it is his company that are making them. He said that they are too expensive so no one buys them. He also stated that the price on blades from Butterfly was very high and that it had escalated the recent years. For 10 years ago it was not a blade over 100 euro.

I have said hello and talked to his guy alot through the years, but he is not so chatty all the time. Maybe it was the alcohol or i have just talked to little to him. We can proably learn alot from guys with this kind of experience and that actually know stuff about blades and things around this.

I played against a guy last week who had 10 year old rubbers on his bat. It was a strange game. The rubber would sometimes act like anti, and sometimes like normal. I had to really read the ball every time. In the end, I won 3-1, but mostly because I smashed everything that popped up when I served fast. A fun game. Puts the whole equipment debate in a new light when someone can play with 10 year old stuff.


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RIP Tam sifu

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Table-T...Player-and-Coach-Alex-Tan-Zhuolin-passes-away

Cantonese = Tom Cheuk Lum
Taishanese = Hom Chek Lim

Rise and shine 0500 hrs hit the road to assemble the Sac Area Goon Squad to go to Meiklejohn tourney.

Gunna be sum serious hijinks going on.

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