TableTennisDaily Podcast #15 - Steve Dainton

Welcome to episode 15 of the TableTennisDaily podcast, today on the show we are joined alongside the Marketing Director of the ITTF, Steve Dainton.

Steve Dainton has had the role as the ITTF Marketing director for the last 8 years now, where he has been charged with helping grow and promote table tennis worldwide. Steve has had an instrumental role on developing the ITTF's new form of table tennis known as TTX! Find out everything you need to know about TTX, plus many other ITTF hot topics, including the plastic ball, funding and more!

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Breakdown of the podcast

00.00 Intro
01.03 Steve’s thoughts on Rio.
03.04 How’s the launch of TTX going in Rio?
05.05 New sport or a new concept of rules?
07.15 Will pro players play or is it designed for the general public?
08.55 Why not just keep the same rules, why change them?
11.29 Will there be TTX Equipment?
12.45 Steve talks about the vision of TTX and long term events, world championships?
14.32 Steve talks about how TTX will benefit National Governing Bodies in terms of participation figures etc.
18.13 Technology and TTX.
19.13 The marketing director of the ITTF explains exactly what the rules of TTX are.
21.35 You can serve absolutely anywhere, all serves count in TTX.
25.25 Dusseldorf next year first serious flagship event.
25.44 Have the ITTF just took the idea from the World Ping Pong Championships?
28.25 Will TTX primarily be played outdoors, where will it be played?
30.35 Getting celebrities involved and building the social community of Table Tennis
31.16 Whens TTX going to start?
32.50 Will pro players get involved in TTX?
33.33 Steve discusses what TTX events will look like.
35.15 Other new table tennis concepts including Headis.
36.26 Steve responds to UpSideDownCarls question on confusion with service rule from TTX to TT.
37.79 TTX Equipment
41.35 Steve discusses the net height increase in Table Tennis and whether its going to happen.
43.35 The TTX ball.
46.05 The research and professionalism gone into TTX.
46.55 The plastic ball in table tennis.
51.09 Why doesn’t the ITTF put money into school table tennis rather than TTX.

For more information about TTX visit here.http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/f...all-about-the-new-revolution-of-table-tennis!

What do you think of TTX? Is this a good move from the ITTF? And what do you think about other issues and controversial topics discussed? We look forward to your opinions.

If you would like to save or listen to the podcast on itunes, search TableTennisDaily in the itunes store. If you are an android user you can download the Stitcher app and search for TableTennisDaily.

Thanks for listening!
 
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Kind of sad - as I suspected, TTX is a made-up sport invented by marketing consultants, with little attention to how all these rules (or absence of) will work together. And as far as I can tell, no one actually played it yet.

Not sure where this clamor for time-limited events is coming from (2 minute sets?!!) - are we using soccer/basketball/american football and hockey as examples? They were this way for years... Cricket? OK, anything would be an improvement over 5-day matches. Anything else? Is golf next to announce 15 min rounds, I've heard that they are kind of struggling lately?

Not sure if the reason for no TT on TV is because China dominates - are you telling me Bundesliga TT does not get huge TV ratings and money because China wins all world events? May be it's because TT is hard to watch on TV with current broadcasts and audience is not that large in the first place?
 
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TTX has not been thought through extensively, it has been rushed out! Rules not set in stone as yet! A revenue maker rather than a serious attempt to attract participation i think.
 
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Im interested to see what people feel and would suggest to increase TT participation, ratings and money if they don't think the ITTF is doing the right things? If you don't like the idea of TTX for example.

Actually listening to the podcast made me supportive of the initiative.
 

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Actually listening to the podcast made me supportive of the initiative.

After listening to it to it did push me more towards liking the idea. If it brings in more money for TT and more money is invested back in TT for prize money, developement etc then its a good thing. My concern is are there enough resources to support the two (TTX & TT). I'm sure ITTF know what their doing with this one.
 
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After listening to it to it did push me more towards liking the idea. If it brings in more money for TT and more money is invested back in TT for prize money, developement etc then its a good thing. My concern is are there enough resources to support the two (TTX & TT). I'm sure ITTF know what their doing with this one.

I agree. From the podcast it is clear that they aim to do no harm to sponge table tennis. But if they can engage more people and promote the sport (either TT or TTX or both) then everybody will benefit.
 
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It's great that the ITTF is trying to keep ahead of the game. A sport is doomed to fail if the status quo is kept. Without change there is no development. I was watching the Badminton in Rio last week, they still play to 21 points and I quickly got bored & switched channel. The inevitability of waiting for a dominant player to reach 21 is not engaging enough. The ITTF changed the length of the game, the deceptiveness of serve, limited the colour of rubber, and banned gluing all to benefit the TV audience as well as the players. These changes made points longer and slightly less technical. I loved the tradition of gluing, but understand the reasons for banning it. Changing the ball was also a bold move but means manufacturers can get their products through customs now without hassle. At the end of the day people have settled down about that too.

There will always be critics
, and I can see examples of this in the comments to the podcast. Everybody thinks they know the best way for the sport to move forward, but the ITTF are actually doing something. Last I checked Table Tennis is more popular around the world than a decade ago, or two decades, despite the continued domination of China. Imagine how far it could go with a level playing field. I'd much rather invest in the future of Table Tennis than criticise it.
 
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I believe it's a means to an end. Prove that TTX with it's limited spin and larger ball work and can be popular and then bring the successful elements of TTX back into table tennis.

That and also having seen the success of the World Championships of Ping Pong it's probably an investment that ITTF want to get in on.

I'll be interested to see how much work they put into it and how far it goes.
 
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This is my idea of what TTX really is , you guys can tell me if I am wrong :

1. Table tennis pros and amateurs have protested vehemently about the idiotic and self serving changes ( other than the 21 to 11 points , pretty much everything ) ITTF has brought into table tennis.
2. ITTF has created a sandbox environment in TTX so that they can do pretty much whatever they can without causing any further earthquakes in table tennis.
3. The stupidity lies in the fact is when they find something works in TTX and is popular , they will face similar protests if they try to implement it in table tennis.

The ideas of using bigger balls that spin less is going to pretty much turn this into tennis. Fact is this endeavour is just artifically creating a low hanging fruit so that they can tinker with it as much they want , instead of focusing on more difficult issue of attracting more sponsors, better coverage, taking the sport to each and every school and college out there etc. Can somebody really ask ITTF , how can Japan create such great television coverage of the sport without losing money and they have sold their souls to the likes of laola tv , I had high hopes for the eurosport deal and even that turned out to be a damp squib ...

Its just another example of power and money hungry politicians unrelated to the sport trying to change a sport to fill their coffers .. much like FIFA changing the soccer / football ball before every world cup ...
 
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One of the points made in the podcast was that TTX is not really angled at Table Tennis players, but to the general public and people who would be interested in a more relaxed format of Table Tennis (the traditional sport having become overly technical in itself). A large problem now is that the audience mentioned has yet to become aware TTX exists, and that will happen very slowly!
Getting up in arms at a platform which is being presented to a different audience is foolish. Shouting down a potential revenue maker for the sake of defending Table Tennis makes no sense. If this becomes a hit it's a win-win for all of us.
However, it only works if people want it to work. I've heard it said that the Table Tennis community is like a family, so let's try supporting TTX and promoting all aspects of the sport we love.
 
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I believe it's a means to an end. Prove that TTX with it's limited spin and larger ball work and can be popular and then bring the successful elements of TTX back into table tennis.

That and also having seen the success of the World Championships of Ping Pong it's probably an investment that ITTF want to get in on.

I'll be interested to see how much work they put into it and how far it goes.

My thoughts as well. They are trying to create a trademarked form of table tennis similar to hardbat because they know that attempts to regulate hardbat are likely going to bring them ire at this point. They would rather start afresh with something they can trademark.
 
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The things I would have encouraged ITTF to do to promote the sport is to build the aspects that appeal to women. Expand the coordination and cooperation dimensions of the sport. Create a synchronized table tennis event or that kind of thing. Someone in England had an idea of marketing the exercise elements of table tennis. This would be a step in the same direction.
 
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Interesting POD cast and no doubt would attract investment from Government if it introduced new participants to sport. A mass participation event in London could be really cool but I would want to see the government funding extend to supporting traditional table tennis in Schools too.
 
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The things I would have encouraged ITTF to do to promote the sport is to build the aspects that appeal to women. Expand the coordination and cooperation dimensions of the sport. Create a synchronized table tennis event or that kind of thing. Someone in England had an idea of marketing the exercise elements of table tennis. This would be a step in the same direction.

Exercise elements are hard to promote mainly because of the sports public image and the fact that their are "cooler" ways for people to exercise. As for getting more women into table tennis I agree it is needed but very hard to do unless you have a female star that gets mainstream media coverage. For example in the Uk Jessica Ennis will inspire thousands of girls to get into athletics. Table tennis really doesn't have that in Europe with Asian womens table tennis dominating which I don't see changing.
 
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Exercise elements are hard to promote mainly because of the sports public image and the fact that their are "cooler" ways for people to exercise. As for getting more women into table tennis I agree it is needed but very hard to do unless you have a female star that gets mainstream media coverage. For example in the Uk Jessica Ennis will inspire thousands of girls to get into athletics. Table tennis really doesn't have that in Europe with Asian womens table tennis dominating which I don't see changing.

OF course. But for the former, I think you will look hard to find a sport that has the same benefits as table tennis through all age groups. Table tennis can be sold to nerds as a great form of exercise. And it gets addictive if you play it often enough.

A female star could do it, but my point is that events could be created that attract women. Synchronized play and teamwork tends to be appeal to women.
 
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