Tahl Leibovitz - Awkward Entertaining

says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
langel;338936I have to admit that I have never heard about him, nor ever watched him play, and I just accidently came to this very short video, but I'm Very impressed 🤩

https://www.facebook.com/TableTennisDaily/videos/243737897298678/
Tahl is awesome. Great story behind him as well. If Tahl is using his left hand that much in that match, part of what it means is, he is just better than the guy he is playing. But he could beat most of the forum members with his left hand. He is about 2400-2500 (USATT rated) with his right hand. He is about 2200 with his left hand.

In NYC he is totally a legend. There are some decent videos of him:

Here is a handicap tournament he won:

Here is a highlight compilation:

He was a paralympic gold medalist multiple times.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Mar 2019
550
499
1,093
UpSideDownCarl;339084Tahl is awesome. Great story behind him as well. If Tahl is using his left hand that much in that match, part of what it means is, he is just better than the guy he is playing. But he could beat most of the forum members with his left hand. He is about 2400-2500 (USATT rated) with his right hand. He is about 2200 with his left hand.

In NYC he is totally a legend. There are some decent videos of him

Well, in this case, Tahl is much worse than his opponent and had basically given up on the match. But it was an amazing point and show of ability with both hands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpSideDownCarl
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
Well, in this case, Tahl is much worse than his opponent and had basically given up on the match. But it was an amazing point and show of ability with both hands.
Okay. He does that too. So, I trust you. Since I only saw that one point. :)

[edit: I took another look. When I watched this morning I was looking for a score. I should have realized that the score was behind them on the board. But, I did not think to look there and was surprised that the umpire did not have a scoreboard in front of him. LOL. :)

Tahl is a showman. He can be pretty wild, crazy. But, he is a fighter and a good guy to have in your corner.]
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
May 2017
101
79
185
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
Well, in this case, Tahl is much worse than his opponent and had basically given up on the match. But it was an amazing point and show of ability with both hands.
lightspin;339124Tahl's opponent (Xi Sheng) is rated close to 2800 and the only reason he is rated that low is that he didn't play enough in the USA when he was visiting here. He was undefeated during his stay. He played for the Hubei team in the Chinese national championships which placed 3rd: He even won his semi-final match where his team lost.

https://tabletennissbsbb.blogspot.com/2020/10/2020-chinese-nationals-mens-team-draws.html
LOL. I should have paid more attention before I posted. I woke up and saw the OP. And was excited to see someone post about Tahl because I love how he plays. But yeah, a guy who is playing in the Chinese National Championships on the Hubei team is not going to have trouble with Tahl. So, it makes sense Tahl would put on a show and switch hands over and over.


When Timo Boll played at SPiN, Edmund (Suen) said he should be made to play vs NYC's finest to show him how we do TT. And then he listed Tahl, Rich Dewitt, Philippe Dasanval, JP Kadzinski, and there was one more name that I can't remember, but he was a more at Tahl's level than the other guys mentioned. :)

 
Last edited:
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
Der_ said:
Euben? Landers?
Those guys play traditional. Everyone on Edmund's list was an eccentric player who can surprise you with the art of the junk ball even if some of them can spin the ball too, like Tahl. :)

I do think Tahl is an artist with the racket. He can do some stuff you would never expect.

 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,800
13,179
30,329
Read 27 reviews
Those guys play traditional. Everyone on Edmund's list was an eccentric player who can surprise you with the art of the junk ball even if some of them can spin the ball too, like Tahl. :)

I do think Tahl is an artist with the racket. He can do some stuff you would never expect.

I hear Tahl has some prior history of a few antics and has caught a lot of grief over it.

My small observations are that dude is a tamed kitty Kat compared to some similar things I have done in my club playing history... and the grief is disproportional.

Sent from my SM-T590 using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpSideDownCarl
Der_ said:
I hear Tahl has some prior history of a few antics and has caught a lot of grief over it.

My small observations are that dude is a tamed kitty Kat compared to some similar things I have done in my club playing history... and the grief is disproportional.

Sent from my SM-T590 using Tapatalk

Grief comes of many reasons.
Some people are schadenfreuders, I'm the opposite - usually I feel guilty for others' misfortune.
So, to avoid grief, I usually avoid to play in tournaments with friends and with pro players of my club.

 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
Der_ said:
I hear Tahl has some prior history of a few antics and has caught a lot of grief over it.

My small observations are that dude is a tamed kitty Kat compared to some similar things I have done in my club playing history... and the grief is disproportional.
No matter how much I love Tahl, I will be honest, there is no way you have crossed some of the lines I have seen Tahl cross in antics. I have been entertained by it. But, I know he can cross some lines that you would not. But I am not going to more.

 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
langel;339196

Grief comes of many reasons.
Some people are schadenfreuders, I'm the opposite - usually I feel guilty for others' misfortune.
So, to avoid grief, I usually avoid to play in tournaments with friends and with pro players of my club.

The phrase Der used is an English expression, maybe an American expression that you did not understand since English is not your first language.

Explanation: "Tahl was given a lot of grief for his antics." is equivalent to saying: "Tahl has been exposed to a lot of personal attacks for his antics."

So, not litteral "grief." But, figuratively, "made to suffer." And it would depend on the phrase exactly how the term was being used.

 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,800
13,179
30,329
Read 27 reviews
No matter how much I love Tahl, I will be honest, there is no way you have crossed some of the lines I have seen Tahl cross in antics. I have been entertained by it. But, I know he can cross some lines that you would not. But I am not going to more.

I get it Carl, you have seen a lot more of him than I have... and I will agree that he has prolly done some things that I have not done nor will do, but I doubt Tahl would do some of the "Loser Talk" kind of behavior that I have done.

If you ask Korean amateur TT layers in the region just north of Seoul... and mention a certain Korean-speaking American what he did after losing a match that finished his day in the singles division... I REALLY doubt Tahl ever did such a thing (or two things I did that day). Yet, these Korean players will remember FOREVER the incident than I earned as my "Trademark" reaction to a loss. (Which I absolutely do not come close to any moar)

Everyone remebers my stories about stuffing a 24 pack of MGD beers into the Nexy ruck and taking it along to regional tourneys, then camping with the enemy coaches before Div 1 matches start to commence downing said beerz to get them schlossed and less capable of coaching my clubmates opponents.... well, on a certain day, I still had a dozen of these left in the ruck my near end of match day I know, I failed to get enemy coaches lit up enough)... and after losing to an opponent I surely should have defeated... I was so digusted that I picked up the ruck from BEHIND the barriers, stepped back onto the court, and for 2 seconds was a mini version of the HULK and CHUCKED that 10kg ruck accross the ENTIRE WIDTH of the court (had to be at least 50-60 feet wide... ruck flew through the air, passed over and entire row of LIVE matches, an impacted 8 feet high on the opposing wall, then it slid another 6-8 along the wall before it brushed a lady walking with husband and landed to rest 10 feet in front of them.

I promptly bowed and apologized in Korean, offered 2 beers to the husband, and got out of the play venue before further damage.

 
  • Wow
Reactions: latej
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
New Member
Feb 2021
1
1
2
I played against Tal in 1997 in the World Maccabiah in Israel. Very good player, had an awkward off the bounce game. He definately was strange (best way I can explain it), short temper, throwing his bat all over the show.
I know a guy who plays at the same club as he does now, and says he is the nicest guy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpSideDownCarl
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,140
17,681
54,733
Read 11 reviews
I played against Tal in 1997 in the World Maccabiah in Israel. Very good player, had an awkward off the bounce game. He definately was strange (best way I can explain it), short temper, throwing his bat all over the show.
I know a guy who plays at the same club as he does now, and says he is the nicest guy.
That is a good description. He is the nicest guy. But in a match he is a fighter with a temper. He is one of the only players I have seen who seems to play better when his level of anger is totally crazy and out of control. But, once the battle is over, he is absolutely a great guy.

I am a mediocre player nowhere near his level. He as walked up to me plenty of times and said, "lets train" and then, basically given me a lesson. So, heart of gold. But, in battle, what you said above is a pretty accurate description.

I actually remember, one time I was training with a friend (or, really, messing around on a table with a friend) and he came up and he played games against us, and we alternated. He played a game with me. He played a game with my training partner. Then he played me lefty. Then he played my training partner lefty. Then he started showing us stuff that would make us better during the games. :)

 
Last edited:
Top