Cure for the EJ

My apologies for reviving this thread.I will talk about my cure for EJ through my personal experience.

Before that, some context or background.

I started playing roughly eight years ago in some country club where the demographic is made up of senior retirees with leisure on their time. It was plainly played for leisure and recreational. There was hardly any sense of competition. I too was lulled into that train of thoughts, until I met a friend who introduced to me a more competitive spirit. So, he & I went to a different club where there are more serious and competitive. That was about two years plus ago ( however, if you discount the Covid lockdown period ) then you may say I am only there for six months or so.

When I was playing EJ symptoms developed. I tried my hands on various type of set-up. Fast blade with slow rubber, slow blade with fast rubber and everything in between except pimples or anti-spin because I like to spin. I also tried my hand on tacky rubber. After so many years of trying this and that I could not find something that I could really stick with. It was frustrating but exhilarating at the same time. You could say it was due to EJ that I remained so excited about TT all this while.

As my game play wasn't heading anywhere I was stuck at the lowest Tier in my new club for eternity. I was not going to let this be forever I told myself mindfully, however without any proper guidance, it looked like this was going to be my fate in my TT club.

Until one day an old acquaintance from my old club called me up and said, "Hey, Gozo! I know that you are very keen to better your game in TT. I know of a good coach in our provincial / state team and he is keen to make some side income and if you are interested, I can introduce him to you for one-on-one private lesson during his off time. Are you keen? He is an ex-national player by the way. I, myself am also taking lesson from him and I can say he is good."

Now, I told myself this perhaps is the opportunity that I have been waiting for. Sure! I said. BTW, his fee is not cheap, but he comes with good accolade. So I took the leap of faith. I took all my set-up with me and I started attending his lessons with him using the various set-ups. He was patient with me in the sense he was never judgemental and hurried me to stick with one set-up. He allowed me to be as natural as it can be.

On the sixth lesson, he suddenly told me, " Gozo, stop using tacky rubber. It does not suit your play style. Also, you need to generate a lot of your own power to make it work. You will get tired easily. It is not for you. Also, stick to the Darker Speed 90 that you are using from now onwards. Keep the rest in a museum "This is it! With that, I am cured of my EJ disease. Going forward I know what suits me, i.e., fast tensor rubber with strong trampoline effect on a one-ply Hinoki blade. Of course he did correct some of my strokes and tweak a little here and there to make it better.

Back to the point of my post:

In my very personal experience, getting a good and experience coach / mentor is very important in getting a cure for EJ disease. So, on that note, if forumers who wishes to be cured of the dreaded EJ disease, I suggest get a coach and let him do his part to cure this problem.

To give an analogy: EJ'ing is like self treating. Getting a good coach is like going to see a doctor and getting the right prescription. It saves you money and time and let you do what is important, that is playing a better TT game.

Good day everyone.

Originally Posted by Gozo

Back to the point of my post:

In my very personal experience, getting a good and experience coach / mentor is very important in getting a cure for EJ disease. So, on that note, if forumers who wishes to be cured of the dreaded EJ disease, I suggest get a coach and let him do his part to cure this problem.

To give an analogy: EJ'ing is like self treating. Getting a good coach is like going to see a doctor and getting the right prescription. It saves you money and time and let you do what is important, that is playing a better TT game.

Good day everyone.

Very much agreed. Now you mentioned it, I really miss playing with my coach. We are (re: I am) limiting social activities down here because of the rising cases and the govt is not doing anything effective to prevent it, in addition to people still going out mask-less and potentially being a carrier.

If training with coach is like seeing a modern doctor, then making a custom blade is like seeing a traditional doctor; 'Dr.' Sergio from SDC is certainly more than capable to help, with a wide range of natural material selection to ease your anxiety caused by the EJ virus + free online consultations (I am speaking with him as I type this) 😆

I started EJing from the beginning. I then found a coach, and started EJing even harder. The only thing stopping me from getting absurd amounts of equipment is that I am poor. That is the story of how I ended up beginning my TT training with one of the most skill dependent blades ever: BTY TB ALC. Paires with an H3 and a constantly changing BH rubber. A while ago I thought I had finally stopped EJing, but an injury made it so the Boll ALC is very hard to use. Now I’m buying a new 5 ply wooden blade as a “practice and recover” blade. It’s a terminal disease😂

Originally Posted by Gozo

My apologies for reviving this thread.I will talk about my cure for EJ through my personal experience.

Before that, some context or background.

I started playing roughly eight years ago in some country club where the demographic is made up of senior retirees with leisure on their time. It was plainly played for leisure and recreational. There was hardly any sense of competition. I too was lulled into that train of thoughts, until I met a friend who introduced to me a more competitive spirit. So, he & I went to a different club where there are more serious and competitive. That was about two years plus ago ( however, if you discount the Covid lockdown period ) then you may say I am only there for six months or so.

When I was playing EJ symptoms developed. I tried my hands on various type of set-up. Fast blade with slow rubber, slow blade with fast rubber and everything in between except pimples or anti-spin because I like to spin. I also tried my hand on tacky rubber. After so many years of trying this and that I could not find something that I could really stick with. It was frustrating but exhilarating at the same time. You could say it was due to EJ that I remained so excited about TT all this while.

As my game play wasn't heading anywhere I was stuck at the lowest Tier in my new club for eternity. I was not going to let this be forever I told myself mindfully, however without any proper guidance, it looked like this was going to be my fate in my TT club.

Until one day an old acquaintance from my old club called me up and said, "Hey, Gozo! I know that you are very keen to better your game in TT. I know of a good coach in our provincial / state team and he is keen to make some side income and if you are interested, I can introduce him to you for one-on-one private lesson during his off time. Are you keen? He is an ex-national player by the way. I, myself am also taking lesson from him and I can say he is good."

Now, I told myself this perhaps is the opportunity that I have been waiting for. Sure! I said. BTW, his fee is not cheap, but he comes with good accolade. So I took the leap of faith. I took all my set-up with me and I started attending his lessons with him using the various set-ups. He was patient with me in the sense he was never judgemental and hurried me to stick with one set-up. He allowed me to be as natural as it can be.

On the sixth lesson, he suddenly told me, " Gozo, stop using tacky rubber. It does not suit your play style. Also, you need to generate a lot of your own power to make it work. You will get tired easily. It is not for you. Also, stick to the Darker Speed 90 that you are using from now onwards. Keep the rest in a museum "This is it! With that, I am cured of my EJ disease. Going forward I know what suits me, i.e., fast tensor rubber with strong trampoline effect on a one-ply Hinoki blade. Of course he did correct some of my strokes and tweak a little here and there to make it better.

Back to the point of my post:

In my very personal experience, getting a good and experience coach / mentor is very important in getting a cure for EJ disease. So, on that note, if forumers who wishes to be cured of the dreaded EJ disease, I suggest get a coach and let him do his part to cure this problem.

To give an analogy: EJ'ing is like self treating. Getting a good coach is like going to see a doctor and getting the right prescription. It saves you money and time and let you do what is important, that is playing a better TT game.

Good day everyone.

Great to hear your development both in skill and mindset!
But beware, the next time you buy new rubbers there will be temptations everywhere!
You may hide it, but it will always find you…😏

Originally Posted by PingBirdPong

I started EJing from the beginning. I then found a coach, and started EJing even harder. The only thing stopping me from getting absurd amounts of equipment is that I am poor. That is the story of how I ended up beginning my TT training with one of the most skill dependent blades ever: BTY TB ALC. Paires with an H3 and a constantly changing BH rubber. A while ago I thought I had finally stopped EJing, but an injury made it so the Boll ALC is very hard to use. Now I’m buying a new 5 ply wooden blade as a “practice and recover” blade. It’s a terminal disease😂

Now I really wonder what kind of injury you have until you have to step down the speed of your blade 😗

There is no cure for being an EJ. Ask MOG.

Mog needs to talk to Mr. Vodak. That guy is a true EJ doctor.

Originally Posted by Ktandean

Now I really wonder what kind of injury you have until you have to step down the speed of your blade 😗

Right knee injury and surgery. Unable to move fast to get in position, not much power from my main leg. TB ALC is too hard. More feel is better.

Originally Posted by MOG

On this subject I am going back to 7 ply wood. Been playing quite well with MLC and getting good results, but don't ;like the way I am playing and its making my bh pimple shots weak.
I just watched some videos and wow, my bh has gone backwards by using MLC with pips.

So just ordered an Avalox P700 and I am back on the search for the holy grail. A stiff blade for backhand pips and a fast slightly flex blade for fh loops. Ha ha

Mate, Yasaka Falck W7 is one of if not the best 7 ply-wood. @yogi_bear would agree since I bought one because of his review.😉
It's literally a POWERHOUSE with a sufficient control amount.
For now it's my grail. Could be yours too lol