Am I getting too old to be a defender?

[ember_dragon]

Hello everyone.

I've been playing on an off for about 15 years, I play about once a week at my local club with people at the 800-1400 ish range (and I also play at my office with coworkers for fun). I'm not really thinking about tournaments or anything like that.

I've been a defender all this time (blade: victas koji matsushita defensive, FH: Tenergy 05, BH: TSP Curl P1R), I love playing far from the table and chopping. I used to be a very classic defender but I've started attacking more recently.

However, my knees aren't what they used to be 10 years ago. I already had surgery in one, will probably have surgery in the other at some point. Chopping can be quite knee intensive, as can be running back and forth to be close to the table, far from the table, squatting to get a very low chop that barely grazes the net, etc.

So I'm wondering... Perhaps I'm getting old to be a defender?

I really love chopping though, so I'm conflicted. I don't really want to turn into a 100% offensive player. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[brokenball]

So I'm wondering... Perhaps I'm getting old to be a defender?

Yes, but does it matter if you like playing as a defender. If you are old enough to ask that question, you are old enough to realize that what is important is that you are having fun and getting exercise.

I really love chopping though,

That is what is important.

so I'm conflicted.

Why?

I don't really want to turn into a 100% offensive player. Do you have any suggestions?

You can try push blocking too.

I am 69 and going down hill fast. I like chopping too. I have a Donic Defplay Senso V3 with Rakza 7 1.8mm on the FH and TSP Curl PR1 1.4mm on the BH. It is one of my favorite paddles. In practice mode I can chop fairly well. In a more competitive mode I am too slow to get back or move forward. So what? I get exercise and have fun.

I have different paddles for playing different styles because I get bored push blocking all the time. I will even play with a hard bat against inverted and do OK. This reminds me, find some people that like to play hard bat. When playing hard bat you often need to switch from chopping, defensive, to offensive but it is a slower paced game if you keep the ball low. It is still fun and you probably would get more exercise with longer rallies.

 

[Attitude]

I have a 62 year old attack/defense player. For some time he even played mostly pips out defense on both sides and smashed sometimes with that.
USATTR is slightly above mine (he playes 2 divisions above myself) around 2100.

So i would say you can keep your performance up way longer than in most sports, just because tactics and experience make up for quite a lot in TT.

But as bb said, having fun in how you play will motivate one way more and is more important. I like nearly every style and therefore i have like 4 different blades for defense, full attack, Mima Ito style and an attack/defense mix style racket. And if i cant train seriously for different reasons, i switch things up and use a different blade^^

So dont bother yourself too much about your age and enjoy what is fun for you.

 

[Der_Echte]

The top rated active player in Sacramento is JZ, 65, who switched to SP/LP off the bounce soft block and FH pick hit style... plays that 2200+ level...

I would say YES, 60+ players can still play a defensive style.

 

[lodro]

The top rated active player in Sacramento is JZ, 65, who switched to SP/LP off the bounce soft block and FH pick hit style... plays that 2200+ level...

I would say YES, 60+ players can still play a defensive style.

Numbers are completely irrelevant here.
There are people over 80 that can still "shuffle along" and complete a Marathon race. and on the flip-side there are
people under 40 that can hardly manage to get out of bed on their own.
What is however relevant is if we can enjoy our self and have fun whatever we are doing at whatever level we are doing it.

The worst we can do, as we grow older is to compare with what we WERE able to do a few years ago.

the past is gone, the future is yet to come. Let's do the best we can do NOW and have fun.

 

[Jslick89]

The top rated active player in Sacramento is JZ, 65, who switched to SP/LP off the bounce soft block and FH pick hit style... plays that 2200+ level...

I would say YES, 60+ players can still play a defensive style.

JZ is an incredible player. However, he uses Medium pips and short pips. He made the transition to pips some time ago. He used to be an inverted, penhold player from what others have told me. I still would catagorize him as more of an attacking player than a defensive player. James T is younger than JZ and he is definitely a defensive player at a high level who is getting older in age.

 

[brokenball]

The top rated active player in Sacramento is JZ, 65, who switched to SP/LP off the bounce soft block and FH pick hit style... plays that 2200+ level...

I would say YES, 60+ players can still play a defensive style.

Well sort of. It depend on if the player is still mobile. I could move a lot better at 60-62 than I can now.
Since mid August I have been putting up with a pinched nerve in my neck. I still play. I can't serve. I have a bad case of "ISuckAtThisItis"

I know I am not mobile enough anymore to chop. My strength is my reach so I play close to the table to cut angles. Opponents curse my reach. Again, I can chop well enough for practice if you want to loop to my BH over and over again. I like this. I can move enough for that. I am not mobile enough to play as a chopper in a competitive match.

I can remember taking a lot of sh!t on mytt when I said that Heavyspin, aka Larry Bavley, is not a chopper. He wasn't near 60 then. They said what do I know because I am not a 2300 rated player. Well Heavyspin's coach told him the same. I was right. Why does one need to be a 2300 player to know what is good and bad? Anyway f___ mytt. I am and was right. One needs to be mobile and have the endurance to stay mobile through a match and not be worn down by a string of matches like what happens in a real tournament.

 

[OldUser]

I'm into Brokenball's suggestion: push blocking would be better for you. We've already discuss, in some way, that topic, and indeed being a defensive chopper can be exhausting, but being an offensive player is way more challenging for the cardio and the knees too: too much fast footwork compared to being a defensive chopper far from the table, having more time to move and use large strokes.

So yeah, definitey and that's the reason why we see the elders blocking a lot, the push blocking strategy is way better if health is a concern.

 

[lodro]

I'm into Brokenball's suggestion: push blocking would be better for you. We've already discuss, in some way, that topic, and indeed being a defensive chopper can be exhausting, but being an offensive player is way more challenging for the cardio and the knees too: too much fast footwork compared to being a defensive chopper far from the table, having more time to move and use large strokes.

So yeah, definitey and that's the reason why we see the elders blocking a lot, the push blocking strategy is way better if health is a concern.

Absolutely !
The club coach described it as follows : " When you can't jump around anymore like when you were younger - you must play a tight game of TT" !
So that is what we did and it was still good enough to become doubles club champions 😂

 

[latej]

So I'm wondering... Perhaps I'm getting old to be a defender?

I really love chopping though, so I'm conflicted. I don't really want to turn into a 100% offensive player. Do you have any suggestions?

I know a player, most likely older than you or even lodro, who plays "defender" style. You also don't need to play those long chopping motions, which require precise position.

What's your stronger side? Put short-pips on the stronger side, put long-pips on the weaker one, stand sort of in the middle of the table, and return the balls with the "usual" forward motions... Those balls from LP are (or can be) very ugly, sort of floating, and until some level, people have big problems with it. With short-pips you eventually kill the weak balls.

I believe that player, would still beat 60% of the TTD So, no need to panic.

EDIT: Yes, as lodro says, tight game!

 

[brokenball]

I just saw a post about pen hold in EU. Less mobile people could put LP 0X on a c-pen paddle and push block. I would put a cheap inverted on the back side for RPB to cover those balls far to the BH side. The advantage is that c-pen makes it easy to cover the pocket area.[video=youtube;-IEz-CS8Rvs]https://www.youtube.com/embed/-

Jimmy Huang takes on 5 guys and i think he beats all but one.
https://youtu.be/-IEz-CS8Rvs
This guy is good and twiddles a lot.

I have a Yasaka Extra Offensive c-pen. It doesn't cost much. The paddle is relatively stiff making it good for LP 0X and getting "spin reversal". If I put a nasty LP 0X on the FH i could attempt this but I find twiddling c-pens difficult.

 

[lightspin]

If you aren't on a team and getting paid for your results, then how you play is up to you. You say you have fun chopping and it is what you like to do, then do it.

If you want to maximize your ability to beat other people, then you might want to change styles. But you said you have fun chopping, so I do not see why you would need to change.

 

[Dominikk85]

Some long Pips guys also play closer to the table and do more of a blocking style closer to the table with the long pip. Maybe that would work better at an older age?

 

[Der_Echte]

Yes Dominik,

The example I provided with an O65 player who is TTR2000 plays just like that. At the table, will block real close to bounce very soft touch with LN Long Pips... will wait for ball to FH and kill with KN short pips. This greatly reduces how much he has to run around in a match, allows him to play several events on tourney day and go deep to semis or finals in both.

He just won O65 HB, got semis in O50 doubles, and semis in O60 mixed doubles in the recent US Open.

 

[Jslick89]

Yes Dominik,

The example I provided with an O65 player who is TTR2000 plays just like that. At the table, will block real close to bounce very soft touch with LN Long Pips... will wait for ball to FH and kill with KN short pips. This greatly reduces how much he has to run around in a match, allows him to play several events on tourney day and go deep to semis or finals in both.

He just won O65 HB, got semis in O50 doubles, and semis in O60 mixed doubles in the recent US Open.

JZ has short pips and medium pips. He mad the transition to not have to move as much, but he's also in excellent shape for a 65 year old. If you watch him stretching for warm up, he's more limber than a lot of 50 year olds.

 

[superbackhand]

when you can’t move, make your opponent move.
age is just a number.
i’d vote for push block style as you already played with pips for a while.
using anti is also another option.

have fun while you can!

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Recently I have a long pips OX chopper switched to become a long-pips blocker citing lack of mobility as age catching up as his main reason for changing his play style.

 

[Dominikk85]

I just saw a post about pen hold in EU. Less mobile people could put LP 0X on a c-pen paddle and push block. I would put a cheap inverted on the back side for RPB to cover those balls far to the BH side. The advantage is that c-pen makes it easy to cover the pocket area.

This guy is good and twiddles a lot.

I have a Yasaka Extra Offensive c-pen. It doesn't cost much. The paddle is relatively stiff making it good for LP 0X and getting "spin reversal". If I put a nasty LP 0X on the FH i could attempt this but I find twiddling c-pens difficult.

Ni Xia lian is almost 60 and plays penhold twiddling between long pip and short pip and still is ranked like top50 in the world occasionally even still beating top20 players.

So that seems to be a style that can work at an older age but then again that is a very exotic style and I don't think the opening poster wanted to learn such a style

 

[Der_Echte]

Dominik... while that (C-Pen with LN - LP in English) is POSSIBLE, it is NOT very easy to learn. Requires a really good wrist and control of angles and time.

YES, I have seen sum REALLY old geezers with C-Pen and LP on BH have the most amazing touch on BH and be 1700-1800 TTR just blocking off the bounce and pick hitting.. but hot damn, it sure ain't easy to learn

 

[Der_Echte]

We have a Church elder who is likely 1300 TTR trying to do exactly that - LN - LP on BH trying to touch block with pips and crush the rest of the world with hiz FH.

He is highly interested, it saves some foot work and energy.

He did NOT have and easy first week last Friday trying that out.