I tried so hard, and got so far... In the end it doesnt really matter...

This user has no status.
Hi guys!

No this is not an tribute with Linkin Park in the background :p, I wanted to tell you something thats been going on with me for some time now...

Some of you may remember me, some of you have never heard of me.
I have been on this forum for a couple of years now and table tennis has always been my passion untill this day. But I have came to conclusion that I cant continue playing because of a serious injury that keeps coming back and it prevents me from the 1 thing I live for... How did this happin?

It all started 4 years ago, May 2013. I was just playing a training match for fun and I walked back to the court to pick up a ball... Then someone who was playing a different match almost ran into my trying to run after another ball to keep it in play. I dodged him, fell over the court and landed on my playing arm with a stretched arm. My shoulder got a big shock and it felt Paralyzed. So I quit the training, thinking it wasnt bad and went to bed. The next morning when I woke up I felt this huge pain in my shoulder. I felt like I could not lift my arm or it would cause me alot of pain. It felt like a frozen shoulder, times 10.

So I went to a doctor. He gave me painkillers and sent me to a physiotherapist. He gave me exercises to do daily, so I went on and did them. Thinking it would be good after that. So after 2 weeks of not playing and exercises, I got back to the game. When I was still cold my shoulder felt a little weird, but when I was warm it got less. So I played 3 weeks and then it was summer break.

So after summer break I started playing again, I believe this was August 2013. And in the first couple of weeks I didnt notice my shoulder was still bad at this point. So I just kept playing, untill I played against this pimple player. I was practicing my forehand against these heavy backspin balls that came of his pimples. And suddenly when I tried to hit the ball faster... I heard some cracks going on in my shoulder and huge pain. My shoulder dislocated at this point... So I went back to the physiotherapist and he told me I could not play before January 2014. He told me to stay away from table tennis for a while... I couldnt believe it.

So I thought, what am I gonna do in these 4 months I cannot play?! Well lets try to play with my left hand and see how it goes. At the start it was ofcourse difficult, it felt weird. But after some time I started to develop a feel with my Left hand to play decent. It was 2 weeks after I started playing with my other hand when I played as a substitute for my own team. Without me they where only with 2 and couldnt find anyone for that week and decided to just play. And to everyones surprising, I actually won a match with my other hand. It was so cool and everyone was speechless. Including myself haha. So I continued playing with my left and and really enjoyed it. It wasnt as good as with my right hand, but good enough for me at that point.

So at January 2014 I tried to play with my right hand again, and it felt okay. Much more stable. My bicep tendon felt hard and stressed. A little pain, but I could play with it. So I kept playing like this, doing my exercises 3 times a day. And I was able to play quite a while before my shoulder almost dislocated again... It didnt dislocate fully this time, it was painfull tho. So I went to the Physiotherapist again and asked him what to do. He said it was the best for me to just quit table tennis and start fishing or something :p. But I didnt want to give up, so he gave me more exercises for my shoulder which where 'prevent dislocation' exercises. And after a while it happined again. But this time I didnt feel too much pain. It was just like because I always played with pain I was used to feeling pain. So I kept playing and playing...

So it was May 2016, 2 years after the accident. At this point in time I was still playing with my shoulder. I had pain but it wasnt bad enough to stop me from playing. Even tho I stretched (half dislocated) my shoulder like 20 times in this period. Untill one day when I felt this weird pain in my shoulder when warming up. It felt different than I was used to. I felt it when I was in the finish position of my forehand topspin. It was like my shoulder and chest squeezed my biceps tendon. So I went to the doctor and he sent me to a orthopedist this time, someone who is a specialist in shoulders. He sent me to the hospital for an MRI scan. And when he told me what was wrong, I was about to cry...

He told me my Labrum was torn on the worst possible place. The labrum is the cartilage ring in your shoulder the keeps your glenoid in your humerus. So that explained why I sometimes stretched my shoulder when playing. So he told me I had 2 options: is was either getting a surgery and having a 1 and a half year recovery time. Or quitting table tennis forever... So I took the surgery, since I was only 20 at that point I thought I would rather try to fix this shoulder for once and for all...

So now its Juli 2016. My surgery happined and a long 15 months to recover without table tennis had to pass. I did my exersices every day to get the muscles in my shoulder back while making sure I didnt overdo them to not screw it up this time. In this period I tried to stay away from the club and tabletennis in general (also this website) just to not get remembered what I wasnt able to do for such a long time.

After this period, it was January 2017. It was time to play again. It felt to weird to play again after such a long time of not playing. But the good thing was, I didnt have to adjust too much to the plastic ball :p. Untill 2 weeks ago I didnt experience any pain. But it just had to happin... I felt pain when playing, in my muscles. I guess they are just too damaged to be able to play. I am only playing 1-1,5h a week and my shoulder is already getting worse... And after my trainnig session yesterday it was confirmed... I have to quit before I damge my shoulder and make it worse. The good news is that I feel a difference in my shoulder, its much more stable, but not good enough to play table tennis...

So thats the story about my injury I played with for 4 years now... After all that hard work and pain, it didnt pay off. I still keep thinking about that fall. What if I didnt fall? Then I wouldnt have to quit. I would probably be alot better at the game, especially since I wouldnt have to worry about beeing carefull and remain controll over my shoulder when making an attacking stroke...

So thanks for reading my story, I dont really know why Im putting this here but I thought: Why not?

I guess I will start playing with my left hand again and see where it goes...

Cheers!
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Sep 2016
75
36
125
literally crying right now
/ feelsbadman :(

d2e.jpgd2e.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sanavasaraja
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jan 2017
88
74
171
Keep working on your left hand and come back stronger. We're all rooting for you! Cho-le!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
I think it is the first time ever that I have actually read all of such a long post here. I feel sorry for you, really. I had pain in my right arm for over a year as well and eventually had to stop playing table tennis for half a year but it paid out. I was so frustrated during that period of time.

Wish you all the best and if I were you I'd also keep playing with my left hand although I would have to start from scratch again :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Feb 2012
2,010
1,441
4,714
Read 1 reviews
Actually you inspired me to try and play with my left hand anyway. I havent played TT like almost a year because Im sick and tired of some stupid situations in TT of Greece and since I like challenges I may try it if I like it , or include it to my training sessions just for the fun of it. I used to play alot with my left whenever possible.

If you still enjoy playing the same with ur left then definitely go for it but you must remember before you fully commit that it will be extremely hard and needs time and patience to reach your level with your right hand

If you decide to quit TT because its not fun anymore its definitely ok there are other things in life that can make you happy. Coaching is also great but its another type of cookie to eat

But damn right after I wrote the part about quitting I thought I have never felt so good in my life as when I was training multiball and looping,serving receiving, flicking pushing or whatever giving my all at every stroke and trying new things.

I was forced to quit TT @ 18 yo because the city I studied had no clubs, gave exams again to pass in my hometown after two years hiatus but when I returned to play I realized everything was done for the money and I didnt have the brains back then to adjust properly in some unfair and amateurish behaviors/situations

So here is my 2 cents of wisdom as I know how it feels to quit something you love with all your body and mind and deeply regreted it after some years and came back

1. Identify why you love the game, even if you cant express it verbally and it justs feels right to play then go for it. What makes you love the game is what keeps you connected with it, so make sure whatever it is that, does not fade (whatever the external reason)...you have to be preemptive. If there is nothing you can do and all types of bad luck/situation occurs at least you will know u did ur best and come to peace with yourself and the situation. The feeling that you did not try every possible scenario, at least for me , it is unbearable.


2.Surround yourself with the right people when training, even in TT as a hobby it is a waste of time when you are playing with people who play for all the wrong reasons and there are many of them unfotunately. Play with people who share the same passion/goals/attitude towards the game as you

3. Become a left handed beast !
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Dec 2010
3,779
4,569
16,162
@Amazyde : You are already an inspiration. I cannot imagine the effort required to try over and over again to come back to the game from such debilitating injuries , a lot of people would given up a lot earlier.

You should definitely play with your left hand and before you know it you will be back where you belong.
 
I dont think your injury is un-recoverable, so to speak. The problem with long term injuries is that it takes time to recover from them, and you also need to make some changes in your playing style.
Not saying you start playing like before, but keep rehabbing, it might get better in time, perhaps in 2 years or 1 year. I know people who've had slip disc, those that came back to the game after 3, 4 years of rehabbing. Injuries are part and parcel of the sport.
And always use your natural hand for playing :)
Keep fighting, its not over.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2016
2,573
1,747
4,543
Read 3 reviews
Hi guys!

No this is not an tribute with Linkin Park in the background :p, I wanted to tell you something thats been going on with me for some time now...

Some of you may remember me, some of you have never heard of me.
I have been on this forum for a couple of years now and table tennis has always been my passion untill this day. But I have came to conclusion that I cant continue playing because of a serious injury that keeps coming back and it prevents me from the 1 thing I live for... How did this happin?

It all started 4 years ago, May 2013. I was just playing a training match for fun and I walked back to the court to pick up a ball... Then someone who was playing a different match almost ran into my trying to run after another ball to keep it in play. I dodged him, fell over the court and landed on my playing arm with a stretched arm. My shoulder got a big shock and it felt Paralyzed. So I quit the training, thinking it wasnt bad and went to bed. The next morning when I woke up I felt this huge pain in my shoulder. I felt like I could not lift my arm or it would cause me alot of pain. It felt like a frozen shoulder, times 10.

So I went to a doctor. He gave me painkillers and sent me to a physiotherapist. He gave me exercises to do daily, so I went on and did them. Thinking it would be good after that. So after 2 weeks of not playing and exercises, I got back to the game. When I was still cold my shoulder felt a little weird, but when I was warm it got less. So I played 3 weeks and then it was summer break.

So after summer break I started playing again, I believe this was August 2013. And in the first couple of weeks I didnt notice my shoulder was still bad at this point. So I just kept playing, untill I played against this pimple player. I was practicing my forehand against these heavy backspin balls that came of his pimples. And suddenly when I tried to hit the ball faster... I heard some cracks going on in my shoulder and huge pain. My shoulder dislocated at this point... So I went back to the physiotherapist and he told me I could not play before January 2014. He told me to stay away from table tennis for a while... I couldnt believe it.

So I thought, what am I gonna do in these 4 months I cannot play?! Well lets try to play with my left hand and see how it goes. At the start it was ofcourse difficult, it felt weird. But after some time I started to develop a feel with my Left hand to play decent. It was 2 weeks after I started playing with my other hand when I played as a substitute for my own team. Without me they where only with 2 and couldnt find anyone for that week and decided to just play. And to everyones surprising, I actually won a match with my other hand. It was so cool and everyone was speechless. Including myself haha. So I continued playing with my left and and really enjoyed it. It wasnt as good as with my right hand, but good enough for me at that point.

So at January 2014 I tried to play with my right hand again, and it felt okay. Much more stable. My bicep tendon felt hard and stressed. A little pain, but I could play with it. So I kept playing like this, doing my exercises 3 times a day. And I was able to play quite a while before my shoulder almost dislocated again... It didnt dislocate fully this time, it was painfull tho. So I went to the Physiotherapist again and asked him what to do. He said it was the best for me to just quit table tennis and start fishing or something :p. But I didnt want to give up, so he gave me more exercises for my shoulder which where 'prevent dislocation' exercises. And after a while it happined again. But this time I didnt feel too much pain. It was just like because I always played with pain I was used to feeling pain. So I kept playing and playing...

So it was May 2016, 2 years after the accident. At this point in time I was still playing with my shoulder. I had pain but it wasnt bad enough to stop me from playing. Even tho I stretched (half dislocated) my shoulder like 20 times in this period. Untill one day when I felt this weird pain in my shoulder when warming up. It felt different than I was used to. I felt it when I was in the finish position of my forehand topspin. It was like my shoulder and chest squeezed my biceps tendon. So I went to the doctor and he sent me to a orthopedist this time, someone who is a specialist in shoulders. He sent me to the hospital for an MRI scan. And when he told me what was wrong, I was about to cry...

He told me my Labrum was torn on the worst possible place. The labrum is the cartilage ring in your shoulder the keeps your glenoid in your humerus. So that explained why I sometimes stretched my shoulder when playing. So he told me I had 2 options: is was either getting a surgery and having a 1 and a half year recovery time. Or quitting table tennis forever... So I took the surgery, since I was only 20 at that point I thought I would rather try to fix this shoulder for once and for all...

So now its Juli 2016. My surgery happined and a long 15 months to recover without table tennis had to pass. I did my exersices every day to get the muscles in my shoulder back while making sure I didnt overdo them to not screw it up this time. In this period I tried to stay away from the club and tabletennis in general (also this website) just to not get remembered what I wasnt able to do for such a long time.

After this period, it was January 2017. It was time to play again. It felt to weird to play again after such a long time of not playing. But the good thing was, I didnt have to adjust too much to the plastic ball :p. Untill 2 weeks ago I didnt experience any pain. But it just had to happin... I felt pain when playing, in my muscles. I guess they are just too damaged to be able to play. I am only playing 1-1,5h a week and my shoulder is already getting worse... And after my trainnig session yesterday it was confirmed... I have to quit before I damge my shoulder and make it worse. The good news is that I feel a difference in my shoulder, its much more stable, but not good enough to play table tennis...

So thats the story about my injury I played with for 4 years now... After all that hard work and pain, it didnt pay off. I still keep thinking about that fall. What if I didnt fall? Then I wouldnt have to quit. I would probably be alot better at the game, especially since I wouldnt have to worry about beeing carefull and remain controll over my shoulder when making an attacking stroke...

So thanks for reading my story, I dont really know why Im putting this here but I thought: Why not?

I guess I will start playing with my left hand again and see where it goes...

Cheers!
I feel so sorry for you. A few weeks break of tt will drive me nuts. I can't imagine quitting tt altogether. It's a very important part of my life. I can feel the sadbess.

But hey look at this chap Ibrahim Hamato. https://youtu.be/aDdh2439hnU
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Mar 2015
1,308
1,001
3,858
Read 3 reviews
What you have done for keep playing shows your love for table tennis. Don't give up and play with your left hand! When you did it it was less than a half year, with more training it will become just as good as your right hand! And don't forget, it's surely not harder than learning a new sport. I root for you!
 
says Where will table tennis be in the future? And what ideas...
says Where will table tennis be in the future? And what ideas...
Member
Oct 2010
416
98
644
Read 12 reviews
Hey mate interesting story... i have also dislocated my shoulder a few times and torn the labrum was interested in why exactly the doctor said where the labrum tore was the worst place would you be able to explain this more... I often get a lot of tricep related injuries near where it connects to my shoulder but not so much bicep like you so was interesting to read a similar problem... If I had to recommend anything I would not just strengthen your whole upper and lower body but also get all your muscles proportionately balanced e.g. if your chest is tight which I'm guessing it is you need a few deep tissue massages so it doesn't pull your shoulders forward and then you need balanced strength. So if you look at your posture you may need to make your back stronger to match your chest strength or vise versa so your body is correctly aligned. For example my back is weaker then my chest so it pulls my shoulders and arms forward as muscles actually pull your bone structure, so I need to strengthen my back and also my front shoulder is stronger than my rear another misalignment so I need to develop my rear shoulder deltoids...or just play left handed perhaps it's a sign
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
May 2016
322
223
548
Depending on your location/money and all that, one thing going around now growing in popularity is stem cell therapy (still on the 'cutting edge' so to speak). Regrowing/repairing human cartilage is also something they can do.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
New Member
Dec 2016
4
0
4
Amayzde – You dislocated / tore your shoulder tendon when you fell. I'm surprised you didn't see a specialist in the beginning. Surgery is never a guarantee but a lot of athletes have the same type of repair done. I tore my labrum over 3 years ago from lifting. My shoulder tendon tore but it was not dislocated. It affected my bicep as it was all connected together. I never had surgery and I rehabbed it from stretching and strengthening the area. I had to sleep awkwardly for awhile with a pillow under my arm and not able to lift my right arm higher than shoulder level. Good news is, my shoulder is a lot better and I play TT about five days a week. Occasionally it hurts a little but I can deal with the pain.

My suggestion is to keep at it and try to strengthen the area as best as you can. It will never be the same but as long as it's functional and pain-free...
 
This user has no status.
Hi guys thanks for all the kind responses!

Right now I will definitly stop playing with my right hand. Maybe I will ever come back to my right hand But Im not too Hopefull.

Im going to continue playing with my Left hand. I think I just want to play without holding back, without limiting myself.
 
Top