In search of the perfect game ...

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Very well put. Thanks to the development of table tennis rubbers designed to end a point as quickly as possible, and speed glues then boosting oils enabling players to do just that, table tennis has become a chess match consisting of a pawn to king 4 opening then and too often, so it would appear to the spectator, a checkmate. Points too seldom blossom, but are cut down before they've a chance to flower.

This does not make, in my humble opinion as someone who has played competitive table tennis for 45 years, for a particularly attractive or interesting or even strategic sport, unless you're idea of an attractive and strategic sport might be something along the line of a basketball slam dunk contest.

Moreover, the interplay of attacking and defensive techniques, long gone from top level international play, has left table tennis badly unbalanced, to the detriment of the possibilities implicit in the sport, the virtual disappearance of all-round play, and the potential for appreciation as to how table tennis might (once again) be played by anyone caring to watch its best players play.

In summary, table tennis has become, and presently is, a two-tiered sport, one tier for professional and competitive players who fancy that the game belongs to them, and the other for "hobbyists", "recreation players", call them what you will. And the gulf between them is wide, and cannot begin to be bridged unless a reason can be given for noncompetitive players to learn to play competitive table tennis as they might like to (how?) and appreciate professional table tennis played more as sport and less as an attempt to play Chopin's Minute Waltz in forty-five seconds.

I can't understand your last sentence. The part: " appreciate professional table tennis played more as sport and less as an attempt to play Chopin's Minute Waltz in forty-five seconds. "
I believe running, swimming, etc. IS like playing Chopin's Minute Waltz in forty-five seconds, but they're still sports (and I don't like watching them).
 

Brs

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Brs

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I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. 90%+ of sports have no mass spectator appeal. All winter sports, badminton, swimming, track and field, squash, equestrian sports, and a heap of others are basically participation sports with minimal interest outside participants and their families, except during the Olympics and world champs. Is every sport in the world dying?

There are a handful of TV sports, basically am. football, futbol, hockey, basketball, baseball, MMA, maybe cricket depending on your worldview. And lower tier spectator sports like golf, tennis, rugby. Table tennis is not, should not, and will never be a big spectator sport. Who cares?

The ITTF and national associations should focus on making table tennis a great sport *to play*, not to watch. Real sports are about playing, spectator sports are about money.
 
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Thanks Brs for commenting. Yet again you put a nice perspective on the things we discuss here.

Actually you made me realize that we are not the only sport which lacks a mass appeal. This makes you humble - yes. There is like 90% of other sports which have no mass media coverage and they do not complain. So what would make us feel we are any better or special. Very humbling thought I must say. Could this be a product of my "overheated" mind? : )

Well the changes in equipment performance I mentioned in my last post came from one of discussions. I asked my friend about the net thing (I try to avoid mentioning it, because I don't want to be too technical), but to my surprise, he replied that yes, might be a good idea. He was involved well before the speed glue ban. He said with the coverings back than it wasn't really possible to play many of the aggressive shots of today's tt (I actually wonder if "banana" is more possible because of the rubbers or bigger ball?). Sorry again Andy and Tom if find your comments in the context of my "offensive" sort of rant : ) But I hope you know what I mean.

But I'm contrasting equipment before speed glue ban and after. There are people like Berndtjgmann who would go even farther I guess, and compare it to the hardbats and stuff like that. Well for me this is almost "ancient" history, but I think it shows another nice historical perspective.

Well ... the badminton is doing better I heard (in terms of the World Tour events), some winter sports like Ski Jumping in my country is very popular (the media coverage, number of spectators are huge, and sponsorship deals the best ski jumpers get are tremendous), track and field will get media attention (not only during Olympics), sports like snooker are shown regularly on the Eurosport ...

For sure we do not want to fill Camp Nou in Barcelona ... I just hate to see sometimes those empty chairs during World Tour events, and virtually no mainstream media coverage.

@Number of spectator during league matches in France, Germany, Spain, Poland ... is really far below the capacity of the halls.
 
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