MOG (after a couple pints) said:
I think these two lads will be much better than me in a year or two. I do not think either of them would beat me 3-0. I think I might beat them both, depends on how they receive my bh pips and fh shots with more spin than either of them are using. I often beat juniors when I play them unless they are much stronger than this.
I could be wrong but I don't think so.
Well MOG, there is ONE way find out !!
Since Bay Area is SO DAMN EXPENSIVE... why not come over to Sacramento and time it with the 4x a year tourney? That tourney gets a good share of these junior kids from Bay Area. You are sure to face one or three of them.
What is it like to face one of theese kids? On vid, their lops do not look like much (and they are not so spinny) but in real life, you would be damn surprised to see how much it pressures you to be atacked first RELENTLESSLY time and time again without letup if you do not attack first. BTW, in the para below, his way overbearing parent was courtside. (and looked to read the kid the RIOT ACT if he did not deliver the goods vs this way over-fat looking mid 50s dude - me)
A recent Sac tounrey I did, I faced one of these pro trained kids, maybe in his second year of training. He was rated right around 1700, I was at the time maybe mid 1900s Cali rated. This was the younger brother of a young kid who had already busted 2000 rating or was real close. The loop of this younger brother wouldn't impress you by overpowering, but in real life, it would be hard to time, so you block... and these kids are pro trained to GO AFTER these blocked balls and HIT. You would think an 8-10 yr old wouldn't be able to hit hard, but limbs are limbs and joints are joints, and the ball is real light and if the timing is right, that ball gunna fly (without much sin, but by you or through you anyway).
The times I declined to attack... this kid did NOT need a written invitation via Einladungskart delivered by courier... kid simply went off on me when I didn't attack. So... I served and got errors... if the ball came back, I rambo looped or spun heavy... still, kid had enough quality so that I wasn't successful every attack. If he served long, I would push fast deep to his BH for a weak BH hit or topspin... or BH loop heavy. I think the average score was 11-9 or 11-8 each game... score was closer than it SHOULD have been, but it was a very accurate representation of what happened. I looked in control and WAS in control, but if 1 or 2 points did not go my way, he could have won.
With this type, you do your best to discourage him... how/when does that happen? You could hit 20 winners and the kid is still gunna attack you if the chance is even close to being their. These kids will not get discouraged and give up, you will work for it to the end. The only time they get discouraged is when they lose the match... and have to face big bad dad to get chewed out about losing to a fat, middle-aged overweight, looks like canot move at all, no-skills looking dude...
MOG, you face west coast or east coast pro trained kids like this... this is what you gunna face. You THINK you should overpower these kids (and you CAN - after all, you agrown adult), but increadible to you, the chances to do so look clear cut, but when it is time to execute, you are landing less of your shots... (because their returns, blocks and counters have more quality than you think they do)... then you get discouraged and more careful... which PLAYS INTO THEIR HANDS as they attack, attack, and attack some more... and now theyy see the ball land in... and they start up the CHO !!! machine... and you stuck there saying DAMN, I gunna get the kid... then he does it AGAIN> CHO !!!! In your face dude.
If YOU were to CHO !!! like that after each point, spectators would think you being unfair... but guarenteed that kid gunna CHO you oputta the gym if you give them the chance.
If you got some pips and somehow, the kid does not yet have experience vs them... you might have a chance... but often, these kids will discover how to adjust (or pro coach will tell/order them) and they get you anyway.
Still, come on over to Sacramento one day and experience this... we are not to far from Lake Tahoe, Napa valley wine region, and Yosemite Natl Park... there are a LOT of excuses you can use to get here.