cool office stories

[sebas-aguirre]

so last week started a new job.
the whole building belongs to the company and it has a big floor basically for eating lunch, buying snacks, etc.
there it has a ping pong table and two table soccer games.

so basically it was friday 5pm, I have nothing to do, I'm bored, so I go there and just chill in some couches for some minutes...
I see 3 guys come and start playing.
so I go and ask if they wanna play doubles.
they agree.

the paddles were like super crappy.
extremely worn out stiga premades.
the typical premade old paddle, behaves mostly like antispin with extremely low speed.
much slower than any chinese rubber.

even with this obstacle I showed good repertory.
bh flicks, bh topspins, fh top spins.
also did some underspin serves which they would throw directly to the net.

it was super funny, they were in awe at how good I was.
they could not stop laughing about it.
they looked so surprised.
I think they saw me as forrest gump good or something like that (of course they wouldn't know who ma long or zhang jike are).
they would say I was putting so much spin on the ball they couldn't control it.
this was funny because with those paddles you could barely give any spin to the ball.

so well in the end I played like half an hour and went back to my floor.
I didn't say a word to them that I trained or that I played for federation, nothing like that.

all in all super hilarious experience.
anybody has a similar story to share?

cheers.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

I had a few stories that start similar but end in the opposite way. A crude table somewhere, worn out rackets, some random guys offering to play. Then I take the racket, think "now I will show off my skills!" and ... lose!

 

[sebas-aguirre]

I had a few stories that start similar but end in the opposite way. A crude table somewhere, worn out rackets, some random guys offering to play. Then I take the racket, think "now I will show off my skills!" and ... lose!

here the table is pretty decent and there's good space, you can go back.
I'm not sure but I think it's ittf standard size.
there's no net but the guys had one of those auto retractile nets and it was actually better than some clubs here.
also they didn't offer to play, I asked them to play.

would be cool to find a player who trains in a club, would spend all the time playing

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I had a few stories that start similar but end in the opposite way. A crude table somewhere, worn out rackets, some random guys offering to play. Then I take the racket, think "now I will show off my skills!" and ... lose!

It is hard to use those crappy rackets right! And if you play long enough to get used to them and start making decent shots, then, if you switch back to your own racket, you will keep hitting it out.

I end up using that stuff every so often at SPiN because it is entertaining to try and play with them.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

 

[fais]

Started of as a recreational player at work but couldn't keep up with the "best" players about 6 years ago. Now, I'm teaching them so I have someone to compete with, and I'm the guy who got gold for my company in men's double at corporate challenge.

I got serious after watching games on YouTube and slowly built enough of a foundation to move away from premades. (I think this was 2 years ago? Can't remember.) It was also why I joined ttd, as I assembled my very first racket and needed a venue for advice/q&a. (Was a lurker for a few months before i joined.)

Such an odd experience scouring the dallas/Fort Worth metroplex (Texas) for TT clubs. I still remember the first time I stepped into a seedy club in Korea town and asked the owner to hit with me (as no one was there) He looked at me funny and humored me because I paid the day fee. All we did were forehand/backhand back and forths, and it was this amazing feeling. He had little to correct and said I was quite good. (Self taught myself rpb by analyzing the greats) you could tell he was NOT expecting an Arab looking guy to walk into a Korean TT club and forehand loop like xx hahaha. I was in my vibram 5 fingers too. Since then I've managed to find other places locally and good players to chase after.

Fast forward two years, a few lessons under me (my coach a 2400 usatt player who says I look like 2800 player, that I can hit >2000 easy...God bless him lol). I know enough to know why im stuck at ~1600 level (I haven't competed in USATT tourneys yet, I've only been told though I gaurantee I suck more ), my family and work for now means I can't train more than once a month or play more than 3 hours a week to hone my skills and timings, but I still kick everybody at work's ass.

Making the transition to a TT player, to be part of TT crew had to be the most epic wtf-am-I-doing journey I took. I'm grateful to God Almighty I blew my knee out in a bball incident (only enough to stop me ballin but not nearly enough to hold me back in TT), that I found TT, the most addicting sport I've played yet (and that includes swimming, rock climbing, basketball, cricket, badminton, soccer, football, tennis), and my crazy journey that has barely started.

I will hit 2000+ some day, meet u guys too for hits, especially Dan!

 

[Der_Echte]

I used to play tourneys in your area as a recreartional player about your level 1500-1600 USATT before I made it to Korea and the rest is history.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

It is hard to use those crappy rackets right! And if you play long enough to get used to them and start making decent shots, then, if you switch back to your own racket, you will keep hitting it out.

I end up using that stuff every so often at SPiN because it is entertaining to try and play with them.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

Yeah, it can be hard to override habits with those rackets -- when you try to make a "loop" the ball just slides down, and those guys can be good at keeping the ball on the table

 

[sebas-aguirre]

I didn't think much about the equipment I was using.
I just grabbed the paddle and started playing the same way I always play, and many of the shots actually went in.
also I'm not a player who started in a club with a coach telling him "do this do that" and with chosen equipment.
I played years with premades with no supervision so I can grab anything and start playing right away.

 

[raazzz]

Haha nice story. I hata to play with beginners with premade bats. You just can't show off without any spin and then you have to explain that you are much better with your own racket haha.

 

[fais]

The killerspin premades suck. I took a coworker's jet600, boosted the rubbers with baby oil and replaced the blade with a yinhe v14 and he is dumbfounded. I convinced another coworker (who I have been training/building her foundation) to shell out the money and switch to tenergy 64s, and her skill has skyrocketed.

Stiga premades $40 and up, you can at least loop/drive with, but they are about allround- and lack higher gears. Funny how you can make your own paddle at less cost then premades, and still get better performance geared to your style!

 

[Der_Echte]

The US military is chock full of Soldiers, Sergeants, and Officers who think they are the undisputed King of Pong and are not bashful at all to open their mouth and spew out tales of their Pong Supremacy... although they are truely USATT 900 to 1500 level recreational players at best. NONE of these have ever seen a club or seen any training or know much about TT, but they run their mouth like a bad-azz.

I really like playing the HUSTLE on such arrogant and ignorant people. Running the HUSTLE on that crowd is easier the more arrogant bastard attitude they show. This crowd thinks THEY are running a hustle on me. I allow them to make the boasts, then toss in the suggestion they ought to back it up with something, like free food or drink... or BOTH.

I let them have some points, a small lead, and string them along, then as they get more nervous, they make their own errors, I simply gotta keep the ball in play and give them low percentage stuff, or an easy chance when they are out of position to watch them trip over themselves trying to get to the ball to smash it. The trick is to let them think they are ahead (but barely) and make their loss look like bad luck and my shots that miss look like an inch out.

That way, they keep coming back... and somewhere around the point of 5 losses in a row and now are in debt for free chicken and beer for the rest of the year... at that point they might get it that they are not a Pong bad-azz.

MY last year in the military, there was a SSG who was totally convinced he was the shyt in Pong. He said he easily won the camp championship with no one coming close to challenging him. He insisted on playing games to 21. So, I let him play that at the USO. He served fast and long to my FH, so I moved to FH with a long one step and loop-killed a winner. He did the serve again and I looped it for winner. He served wider and I cross-stepped to make the same winner. I told him it isn't a good idea to serve to my FH long. HAHA, he served to my BH and i killed him sum moar. Score ended up 21-2 and half his Soldiers saw it.

After that, whenever I walked by his formation with him in front, I would do a loop stroke motion and smile with a gesture sawing throat. He would smile back and shake his head at my teasing.

One of my commanders said all he did in Uni off time was play Pong. At least he knew how to serve and attack and defend some and was generally competent, prolly 1600-1700 USATT level, the highest I ever saw anyone else in military until right before I retired and he wasn't a loud bragger, so I didn't do him like the others.

 

[sebas-aguirre]

Haha nice story. I hata to play with beginners with premade bats. You just can't show off without any spin and then you have to explain that you are much better with your own racket haha.

that's what made the whole thing bigger.
if I came with my racket with tenergy on both sides first of all they would know I'm really into tt
and also they would think my paddle gave me the advantage.

by playing with exactly the same paddles as them it was like "how come he can do that with the same paddle I'm using?"
the face on my doubles partner was priceless.
it was like a perpetual smile like he couldn't believe what he was seeing hhahahahaha

 

[sebas-aguirre]

The US military is chock full of Soldiers, Sergeants, and Officers who think they are the undisputed King of Pong and are not bashful at all to open their mouth and spew out tales of their Pong Supremacy... although they are truely USATT 900 to 1500 level recreational players at best. NONE of these have ever seen a club or seen any training or know much about TT, but they run their mouth like a bad-azz.

I really like playing the HUSTLE on such arrogant and ignorant people. Running the HUSTLE on that crowd is easier the more arrogant bastard attitude they show. This crowd thinks THEY are running a hustle on me. I allow them to make the boasts, then toss in the suggestion they ought to back it up with something, like free food or drink... or BOTH.

I let them have some points, a small lead, and string them along, then as they get more nervous, they make their own errors, I simply gotta keep the ball in play and give them low percentage stuff, or an easy chance when they are out of position to watch them trip over themselves trying to get to the ball to smash it. The trick is to let them think they are ahead (but barely) and make their loss look like bad luck and my shots that miss look like an inch out.

That way, they keep coming back... and somewhere around the point of 5 losses in a row and now are in debt for free chicken and beer for the rest of the year... at that point they might get it that they are not a Pong bad-azz.

MY last year in the military, there was a SSG who was totally convinced he was the shyt in Pong. He said he easily won the camp championship with no one coming close to challenging him. He insisted on playing games to 21. So, I let him play that at the USO. He served fast and long to my FH, so I moved to FH with a long one step and loop-killed a winner. He did the serve again and I looped it for winner. He served wider and I cross-stepped to make the same winner. I told him it isn't a good idea to serve to my FH long. HAHA, he served to my BH and i killed him sum moar. Score ended up 21-2 and half his Soldiers saw it.

After that, whenever I walked by his formation with him in front, I would do a loop stroke motion and smile with a gesture sawing throat. He would smile back and shake his head at my teasing.

One of my commanders said all he did in Uni off time was play Pong. At least he knew how to serve and attack and defend some and was generally competent, prolly 1600-1700 USATT level, the highest I ever saw anyone else in military until right before I retired and he wasn't a loud bragger, so I didn't do him like the others.

you played your own paddle or some "uncle sam megaspin" brand they provided there?

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

The US military is chock full of Soldiers, Sergeants, and Officers who think they are the undisputed King of Pong and are not bashful at all to open their mouth and spew out tales of their Pong Supremacy... although they are truely USATT 900 to 1500 level recreational players at best. NONE of these have ever seen a club or seen any training or know much about TT, but they run their mouth like a bad-azz.

Hahahahaha. Now we know why you decided to train and learn how to play for real while in the military. You wanted to hustle free chicken and beer and teach your commanding officers a lesson in humility. I love those stories you have.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

 

[Der_Echte]

Even though the commanding officers can tend to be high and haughty, this one was NOT. Usually though, it is the Sergeants who think they are the bad-azzes of the world until they run into the wrong bad-azz. Those are the ones who need the lesson, but why not get months and months of free food and drink out of the deal?