What is it specifically that you like about Table Tennis?

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I played table tennis once a week for about 2 or 3 years as a teenager, then didn't really touch it for 20 years. I've only just gotten back into it for 6 months or so. I wanted to hear from everybody, what is it specifically that you like about Table Tennis?

Things I like
- I like the way the ball feels on the blade and rubber. Sometimes I will play with a beginner just to lightly hit back and forth because I like the way the ball feels and sounds coming off the racket.
- Having spent all my life living in US and Japan, and backpacking through most countries in Asia, I like feeling a connection with Asia through sport. Asians dont really know too much about American sports, so I like feeling that connection with people in Asia
- I like the feeling of hitting a powerful, spinny topspin loop-drive. I like how the ball leaps off the table. I like how the ball digs into the rubber, and the high pitched sound off the racket.
- I like the ease and pleasant feeling of assembling your own racket. The quiet comfort of gluing rubber, testing how it bounces, and cutting it. I like mixing and matching rubbers on different blades and finding a good combination. I havent started boosting yet, but will that make the experience more fun? or less?
- I like learning about and understanding the different types of equipment. Which blades/rubbers are faster? spinnier? Better for FH or BH?
- I like finding really high quality and underfollowed equipment at very low prices. Its like finding a treasure buried in the sand
- I like seeing really passionate EJ guys, it somehow gives me energy to keep up the game


Things I dont like
- I hate how spin is really tricky in TT. It often makes for really short rallies, and error-filled games. Spin is hard to read and receive
- I hate the cost of BTY or ESN rubbers.
 
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I love Table Tennis. No questions.
But I'd like to point out the many things that surround the sport itself, which I hope can be relevant.

Likes:
- TT is a sport that is not physically constrained; i.e. of course if you are younger, fitter, faster, you have an edge, but even veterans more than double my age can annihilate me with their experienced placements, and kids half my age can embarrass me with their eager strokes. The physical constraints are not as limiting as playing other big ball sports like football or basketball, hence making it a sport where you must not underestimate your opponent.

- Customizing a unique setup. Every player plays differently, even two similar attackers have their slightest difference. I like figuring out how I can always improve my style, technically and tactically so that it can cover as many opposition as possible, on top of my own physical trainings. What kind of composition, rubber combos, etc. will serve me best for my purpose of winning. If any, it is the only self-justification of my EJ 😁.

- Power loops. The bread and butter of my game - combining heavy forward spins with high incoming speed and see the ball bounce out of my opponent's racket, watch them unable to tame it. It makes me feel unstoppable.

- Trick shots. It is satisfying to see the so many things you can do with a TT ball and it inspires to add something to my game every now and then.

- Breathtaking: a good exchange in a rally will often take your breath away, and in a live match, it happens every minute or so. Definitely different feels than watching football.


Dislikes:
- Butterfly. Don't get me wrong, it is a top-notch brand with quality product range. But what I don't like seeing is many people think they will instantly become good if they use one, and all the community members (re: rich uncles) in my neighborhood are more than capable of affording the higher-end setups. This leads to everyone, from the best players to even novices to use Viscaria/Super ZLCs and Tenergy/Dignics - and when the latter group of people kept losing in a match (we usually like to bet $10 every match), they will complain a lot that the high-end setup they're using are not pleasant to use🤣

- Exclusivity - now this can be a totally subjective matter depending on the group of people you play with; but in my community, the 'better' elders (or at least they think they are) like to only play amongst themselves. Weaker players get thrown to the side, and even younger ones like me have to sometimes make way for them when they have a special guest or something. It can be a discouraging thing for ambitious people who want to develop, to not have a proper training partner or someone to hit with. Even when they do come and hit with me as a last resort (because no more people coming), they'll do half-assed strokes, not serious enough, toying and fishing around. I really think, in every sport, you need to be respectful to anyone you play with by putting on your best game all the time, that's how you show them that you appreciate them playing and not see them as an inferior. I believe, it will motivate them to want to be better too

- Not a common/nationwide sport - at least where I am, it is quite difficult to find people who plays this sport properly and not just leisurely. Most people here play badminton (we are damn good at it for ages) or football/futsal. Couple this with the 'exclusivity' point above, it makes it difficult personally for me to find people I can enjoy playing with, other than a meager couple of friends, with Covid rising cases on top of that.
 
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I like like and hate that you can customize and there is so much different equipment to test and to spend money on.
I like the feeling of winning after a ling rally and hitting that forehand loop with your arm fully extended while running to get the ball.
A lot of tricky things to make the opponent mad.

I don't like that is a very serious sport and it is a very popular sport.
TBH the community is kinda cringe.
 
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I like like and hate that you can customize and there is so much different equipment to test and to spend money on.
I like the feeling of winning after a ling rally and hitting that forehand loop with your arm fully extended while running to get the ball.
A lot of tricky things to make the opponent mad.

I don't like that is a very serious sport and it is a very popular sport.
TBH the community is kinda cringe.

Whats wrong with the community?

 
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I love TT for a few reasons;

1. The speed of the game and the multiple ways of playing it

2. The aesthetic of the game when played well

3. The ability to EJ!

4. I love the competition and that match play allows me to engage with others in this way - when I have no competition in my life I miss it

5. I love that I can still play well aged 54 and hope to continue to improve
 
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I like that everybody can be competitive. I´ve lost from kids as young as 10 years and to people as old as 75.

I also like the psycological aspect. It really is a mental game. You can exploit mental weakness and condition your opponent. I really like that

There's a fit younger guy who was quite good, nearly 2000 USATT level who came to visit our club. He played against one older guy who really isn't that good, maybe 1300 but who has really unconventional spinny and tricky style.

The 1300 won 3-0. The 2000 guy was totally confused by the spin and was really frustrated and out of sync.

This is the aspect that I hate about TT the most. Players with poor technique can with with a "gimmicky" style. Especially on receiving serve, its just so hard to read the spin accurately.

 
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4. I love the competition and that match play allows me to engage with others in this way - when I have no competition in my life I miss it

Well said here, as a competitive person TT pretty much gave me that sense of challenge I need - otherwise my life would've been too monotonous and repetitive..

 
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There's a fit younger guy who was quite good, nearly 2000 USATT level who came to visit our club. He played against one older guy who really isn't that good, maybe 1300 but who has really unconventional spinny and tricky style.

The 1300 won 3-0. The 2000 guy was totally confused by the spin and was really frustrated and out of sync.

This is the aspect that I hate about TT the most. Players with poor technique can with with a "gimmicky" style. Especially on receiving serve, its just so hard to read the spin accurately.

In contrast, this is exactly what I LOVE about the sport. There are so many different styles that you come across as a club player, and it's fun to try to play against these different styles. There's always something to learn, and it keeps the mind active.

Also, it can get boring watching looping/counter-looping machines with similar styles playing each other. For example, I have a hard time watching the top female Chinese players zipping short, powerful backhands to each other on virtually every point. They are unbelievably skilled and their level is off the charts, but they're essentially just boring clones to me. In the men's game, the now-pervasive use of the backhand flip receive has killed some of the joy for me. In contrast, watching someone unconventional like Truls doing his thing, or Timo's spinny forehands is a thing of beauty.

 
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There's a fit younger guy who was quite good, nearly 2000 USATT level who came to visit our club. He played against one older guy who really isn't that good, maybe 1300 but who has really unconventional spinny and tricky style.

The 1300 won 3-0. The 2000 guy was totally confused by the spin and was really frustrated and out of sync.

This is the aspect that I hate about TT the most. Players with poor technique can with with a "gimmicky" style. Especially on receiving serve, its just so hard to read the spin accurately.

That younger wasn't that good after all if he lost so bad. Being able to read spin is a basic skill.
And that older guy certainly had some skill and technique.

 
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- Exclusivity - now this can be a totally subjective matter depending on the group of people you play with; but in my community, the 'better' elders (or at least they think they are) like to only play amongst themselves. Weaker players get thrown to the side, and even younger ones like me have to sometimes make way for them when they have a special guest or something. It can be a discouraging thing for ambitious people who want to develop, to not have a proper training partner or someone to hit with. Even when they do come and hit with me as a last resort (because no more people coming), they'll do half-assed strokes, not serious enough, toying and fishing around. I really think, in every sport, you need to be respectful to anyone you play with by putting on your best game all the time, that's how you show them that you appreciate them playing and not see them as an inferior. I believe, it will motivate them to want to be better too

I think there is an issue here whereby some people don't understand that just how much effort and time better players have invested in order to become good. You wouldn't pick up a violin, watch a few YouTube videos and then expect he local orchestra to let you play with their best musicians. To me, the same applies to table tennis. Sure, it is great when a more experienced, better player is willing to give his time to someone who can't really challenge them in any meaningful way. However, the better players is in no way obligated to then play a certain way, give their all or coach the weaker player for free.

You know how it is when you play with a complete beginner, it simply isn't any fun and if you only have 4 hours a week to play then of course you will seek out those players that it is actually fun to play against.

Also, when you are in the position of being the better player, if the gap is too big it is really tricky to have meaningful practice, especially since most beginners will just want to play points.

 
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There's a fit younger guy who was quite good, nearly 2000 USATT level who came to visit our club. He played against one older guy who really isn't that good, maybe 1300 but who has really unconventional spinny and tricky style.

The 1300 won 3-0. The 2000 guy was totally confused by the spin and was really frustrated and out of sync.

This is the aspect that I hate about TT the most. Players with poor technique can with with a "gimmicky" style. Especially on receiving serve, its just so hard to read the spin accurately.

Maybe you underapprecate the 1300 guy. Sounds as though there is something to learn there

 
says Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦

I like the feeling of the good strong shot far and over the table, mind games aspect of serve and receive. The difference in intensity of table tennis can be really huge, just pick the one you like or that goes with your daily routine. It can be recreational, and really high intensity super speedy sport.

 

NDH

says Spin to win!

This is the aspect that I hate about TT the most. Players with poor technique can with with a "gimmicky" style. Especially on receiving serve, its just so hard to read the spin accurately.

So, I struggle to relate to the US rating system, but from what you described, it doesn’t sound like the 2000 rated player was particularly good.

There really aren’t that many styles of spin to master, and once you get to a decent level, you should be able to play against them all.

The only time it can make a difference is when the “weird spin” player is equally as good, and attacks.

“Weird spin” defenders are fun to watch, but providing you can read the spin and hit a loop, you are fine.

“Weird spin” attackers cause more problems, because you don’t have the time to just play around and get into position.

Short pips attackers are the most effective I’ve come across, and they can make you rush!

 
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Yep. A true 1300 (USATT rated) player will have absolutely no chance of winning against a TRUE 2000 (USATT rated) player. There is no possible way.


There are people who pretend to be 2000 but aren't and there are people who pretend to be 1300 but aren't. But there is no way a legit 2000 level player could lose to a 1300 level player.
 
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Well I dont really know the old guy's real rating. But just watching him play, he can't do basic things that a 1500 player could do. He can't loop underspin, for example. Instead, he does something closer to a snake shot against underspin.

He can't counter loop topspin against topspin. He is very inconsistent when he tries to attack a point or finish a point, he misses 5 or 6 out of 10 shots like this. Most of his points come from tricky slice shots, snaky spin shots. Almost all his shots bounce sideways off the table, so its very hard to line up a shot against him.

You would never see him in a video demonstrating proper technique. But at the same time, most people don't have enough practice or experience dealing with his style.
 
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