Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[Der_Echte]

Well, Der_Echte took hiz creeky-azz knees and other assorted body parts to the Sacramento Tourney.

Since wife stated she needed the Volvo, my means of transportation was bike. Twas 30 km one way to venue, arrived, secured bike, got into tourney.

Promptly put on knee sleeves, shoes, did a warmup and doubles it was. Got to finals in my doubles event, stuff got dicey after we were up 2-0 and got down 2-7 in the 5th, but I realized I had to go all out attack mode and did it. We got deuce and won on an error.

One of my rated events I finished middle like I should by rating. Scared the A player kid, won first game I thought he thought his dad waz gunna flog him. Won my second event group, lost my elimination match in 5th vs a kid girl I barely won, came back form 0-2 in that match, in the crossover match, I led her 2-0 and she ended up winning, I had many unfortunate points (she got a lot of net) but over all, she did not give up and that was important. I won vs her brother and likely next year he will win vs me.

I am only getting older and creekier. I played with a couple knee injuries and by the time I did last match, it was the 7th hour of tourney. My age and condition do not help me perform at that kinda stage, plus I was unfit to compete my best, but I still played as best I could. I certainly wasn't physically ready for this tourney, not mentally, but I coped and performed well overall. That part is encouraging when I regain better injury recovery and fitness.

I had a post match meal with some close friends. I could barely get up, let alone ride another 30, but I got it done and got home safe without running over any squirrels or getting run over by traffic.

 

[Der_Echte]

Oh... even funnier is all of us close friends met up at the Russian Church for 5 hours of TT... I placed my roller bag with all my bats (all 20 of them) behind my wagon, went back in Church for my haversack (it held the car keys), someone gave me some apples, I put those in the car and drove off, leaving the roller bag with all those precious bats !!

So, at midnight, I had to construct a new bat form some blades and rubbers I had lying around in the garage. Luckily, I had some Nittaku wood OFF Mono Blades 90g+, so an MX-k and FX-S combo was familiar and about as best I could make for the tourney. They worked out just fine, I did not miss shots because I was using something other than my main bat. I missed shots later, because I waz flat out wore out. Glad I kept those in garage.

 

[latej]

The beast is READYYY!

 

[Der_Echte]

Went back to the Russian Church Monday for some hours of TT... my roller bag was stored upright next to the building one meter from where I had abandoned it. Everything intact. Had a blast my former national player Romanian friend had visited. We went at it and LDM7 caught some action too.

 

[Lula]

Hey! My friend with double pimples have just started a tiktok account. Fun to watch how a good player trains, last year he played the highest leaugue. Also very interesting for players using short pimples on either side.

https://www.tiktok.com/@antonander97

He wants me to subscribe but i feel like i am to old for tikotok, but please subscribe haha!
Or atleast enjoy the videos!

 

[Der_Echte]

The creaky knees have been improving the past 2 weeks with almost daily 30 km bike ride and tennis or TT without explosive first step. I have played tennis twice and TT once without my protective knee sleeves. I think I have turned the corner on my injuries, but I have to be very careful not to explode right waya, at any time I can re-injure the mcl right back to a grade 2 or worse... yet the last few weeks have been very encouraging. I think another 2 weeks I will almost be there to 80-90 percent healed.

Took a field trip to 888 TTC in San Fran Bay Area. Saw elite league, visited busy coach Brandon Lee. Ate at a Korean BBQ that was a winner run by a lady my generation (means she is real old). Took LD7 along for the ide and he saw an eyeful, much data for him to process.

 

[Archosaurus]

I have returned. Maybe? How long has it been, 3 years? I'm in Adelaide right now and I think I'm going to get back into table tennis. Weren't many clubs in Finland, after all, so now is my chance. Due to reasons, online ordering of equipment is not very convenient, but I could hop to a local store. Is Allround Classic WRB with Mark V on both sides something that'd work for me? The old heads might remember that I had a Classic with a Master handle and 729 Super FX on both sides. EDIT: Apparently it was an Evolution!

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I have returned. Maybe? How long has it been, 3 years? I'm in Adelaide right now and I think I'm going to get back into table tennis. Weren't many clubs in Finland, after all, so now is my chance. Due to reasons, online ordering of equipment is not very convenient, but I could hop to a local store. Is Allround Classic WRB with Mark V on both sides something that'd work for me? The old heads might remember that I had a Classic with a Master handle and 729 Super FX on both sides. EDIT: Apparently it was an Evolution!

See if you can get the same thing you had last time. Those rubbers should last well and should be fine. They will also cost less. If you have the old blade, just putting new rubbers on should work. If you are going to a store in person, they should be able to take the old rubbers off and put the new ones on for you. If what they have that works for your budget is Mark V, it will be fine too.

Fun to have you back.

Adelaide Australia? Are you going to University there? Or did your whole family move?

 

[Oscarting]

I have returned. Maybe? How long has it been, 3 years? I'm in Adelaide right now and I think I'm going to get back into table tennis. Weren't many clubs in Finland, after all, so now is my chance. Due to reasons, online ordering of equipment is not very convenient, but I could hop to a local store. Is Allround Classic WRB with Mark V on both sides something that'd work for me? The old heads might remember that I had a Classic with a Master handle and 729 Super FX on both sides. EDIT: Apparently it was an Evolution!

Mark V will last a very long time. I had mine for a year and a half, it still works but I thought it was time for an upgrade. I personally don't prefer stiga blades. As UpsidedownCarl said, you should definitely replace the rubbers on a blade you already have. I would recommend more equipment, but what is your budget for the racket?

 

[TTHopeful]

I wonder if booger ever thought this topic would blow up like it has

 

[Gozo]

Had a wonderful game session last Thursday, 06.10.22 against a modern chopper ( one side conventional chinese sticky rubber with the other side long pips OX ). He is a much better player than I am and the game went 4-3 in his favour.

How did I play much better than usual against him?

1. Loop two side, i.e., loop to his FH & BH and try to move him around.

2. Loop long or deep then push short to make him move front & back to let him make more unforced error.

 

[NextLevel]

I remember retiring in early 2021 or something as a result of my nagging shoulder and back problems in addition to my global arthritis. And of course, the kids. Young mouths are expensive to feed and I fear it is not going to get any cheaper.

So I didn't go to the club to hit a ball for most of 2021 after that. I might have gone to watch friends or see some tournaments (most memorably the WTTC in Houston) but just lacked the strength to really play. Before I moved to TX from PA, I went to the club in Philly to give away a lot of my equipment. I played and lost one match against a guy I almost never lost to when I played regularly. Such is life.

After I moved to TX, I was too busy with stuff to go anywhere. I travelled to Chicago on company business and hit with a friend while out there at one of those TT bars where everyone is an amateur except those two guys who know how to hit the ball and make people stare once in a while. My friend (a much better player than I am) said my strokes looked good, but I felt like shit.

After I got back, I went to visit a Korean club in June I think, and I got beaten up pretty badly - my timing was worse than a woke comedian. And none of it felt good - after that I resolved to just wait until I saw a doctor to play.

We bought a house a and moved, I purchased an elliptical machine to support home exercise. And then I decide to start doing more bodyweight exercises (push ups, bodyweight squats) even with my arthritis and decided that the muscle couldn't hurt. Gotta try to be a better version of myself.

I think in between the lost fat and the new muscle, I actually started to think about playing again. The shoulder was still bad, but I felt that building more muscle was holding it together better in a weird way. I would do things with it but they wouldn't hurt in quite the same way or grind as terribly.

So I went to a club yesterday (one of those once a week clubs that we have in a college gym) and hit some balls and played some matches. Easily the best I have played since retiring. Maybe building a new paddle so that the rubbers were fresh helped as well (rather than playing with shit that has probably lost its grip for over a year now). I managed to beat one really good player from 0-2 down (yes he took it easy on me, but he had beaten me so badly at the Korean club, and even earlier on the same day that I will take whatever I can get). Hit some good forehands too.

Maybe once a week (or even once a month) can work. Just have to drop the expectations - tournament play is not going to happen anymore but everyone needs a release.

 

[NextLevel]

Had a wonderful game session last Thursday, 06.10.22 against a modern chopper ( one side conventional chinese sticky rubber with the other side long pips OX ). He is a much better player than I am and the game went 4-3 in his favour.

How did I play much better than usual against him?

1. Loop two side, i.e., loop to his FH & BH and try to move him around.

2. Loop long or deep then push short to make him move front & back to let him make more unforced error.

Best loops against a chopper are to the middle. But it isn't an easy thing to do in matches as most of us are used to looping cross court and down the line almost all the time.

 

[latej]

I remember retiring in early 2021 or something as a result of my nagging shoulder and back problems in addition to my global arthritis. And of course, the kids. Young mouths are expensive to feed and I fear it is not going to get any cheaper.

So I didn't go to the club to hit a ball for most of 2021 after that. I might have gone to watch friends or see some tournaments (most memorably the WTTC in Houston) but just lacked the strength to really play. Before I moved to TX from PA, I went to the club in Philly to give away a lot of my equipment.

After I moved to TX, I was too busy with stuff to go anywhere. I travelled to Chicago on company business and hit with a friend while out there at one of those TT bars where everyone is an amateur except those two guys who know how to hit the ball and make people stare once in a while. My friend (a much better player than I am) said my strokes looked good, but I felt like shit.

After I got back, I went to visit a Korean club in June I think, and I got beaten up pretty badly - my timing was worse than a woke comedian. And none of it felt good - after that I resolved to just wait until I saw a doctor to play.

We bought a house a and moved, I purchased an elliptical machine to support home exercise. And then I decide to start doing more bodyweight exercises (push ups, bodyweight squats) even with my arthritis and decided that the muscle couldn't hurt. Gotta try to be a better version of myself.

I think in between the lost fat and the new muscle, I actually started to think about playing again. The shoulder was still bad, but I felt that building more muscle was holding it together better in a weird way. I would do things with it but they wouldn't hurt in quite the same way or grind as terribly.

So I went to a club yesterday (one of those once a week clubs that we have in a college gym) and hit some balls and played some matches. Easily the best I have played since retiring. Maybe building a new paddle so that the rubbers were fresh helped as well (rather than playing with shit that has probably lost its grip for over a year now). I managed to beat one really good player from 0-2 down (yes he took it easy on me, but he had beaten me so badly at the Korean club, and even earlier on the same day that I will take whatever I can get). Hit some good forehands too.

Maybe once a week (or even once a month) can work. Just have to drop the expectations - tournament play is not going to happen anymore but everyone needs a release.

It is kind of sad to read. The condition, the inevitability.

But still, there is this spark of will, which is the only true constant. Everything else is subordinate, even time.

 

[Der_Echte]

I wonder if booger ever thought this topic would blow up like it has

I do not know, but I bet he realized it the first week.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Had a wonderful game session last Thursday, 06.10.22 against a modern chopper ( one side conventional chinese sticky rubber with the other side long pips OX ). He is a much better player than I am and the game went 4-3 in his favour.

How did I play much better than usual against him?

1. Loop two side, i.e., loop to his FH & BH and try to move him around.

2. Loop long or deep then push short to make him move front & back to let him make more unforced error.

Send a long and weak backspin ball to his BH side, force him to use his long pips to return the ball. The returned ball will be long and no spin, then you loop kill the ball. If you didn't kill the ball, then control the ball and find another chance to repeat the above.

This is what people usually do against long pips players. Your opponent as a modern chopper with pips-in on FH will try to use FH to loop kill the long and weak backspin ball you sent to him. This will be the point that you and your opponent battle with.

 

[NextLevel]

It is kind of sad to read. The condition, the inevitability.

But still, there is this spark of will, which is the only true constant. Everything else is subordinate, even time.

Maybe I didn't sufficiently convey my happiness at being able to play again. I underestimated the muscles I used to play TT, having played for so long and then not played for so long, this is the surest I remember being after playing ever.

But for me TT has a massive dopamine release, I can play for hours without pain drink or food, it is like a drug to me. The problem is always the aftermath.

 

[Der_Echte]

Maybe I didn't sufficiently convey my happiness at being able to play again. I underestimated the muscles I used to play TT, having played for so long and then not played for so long, this is the surest I remember being after playing ever.

But for me TT has a massive dopamine release, I can play for hours without pain drink or food, it is like a drug to me. The problem is always the aftermath.

I seem to have always performed well on all my NYC visits, despite severe previous lack of sleep, nutrition, or prep. I played for hours with no food or sustenance of any type... always wondered how that waz possible. Still do it every Friday night.... I know, I am a terrible man, I do not go cruising down main, or go to night clubs to party or that stuff, my man card is revoked on those grounds, but a better one created and maintained.

 

[LDM7]

Maybe I didn't sufficiently convey my happiness at being able to play again. I underestimated the muscles I used to play TT, having played for so long and then not played for so long, this is the surest I remember being after playing ever.

But for me TT has a massive dopamine release, I can play for hours without pain drink or food, it is like a drug to me. The problem is always the aftermath.

I am right there NL ... LOL

 

[Der_Echte]

Well NL, if you make it to the US OPen this year in LA, I can take you to a few Korean BBQ and the magic Lettuce, Onion, and Garlic + Beef Rib therapy is so golden.