Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[Xylit]

Is Boogar the guy in the grey or in the dark t-shirt?

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Thank you JeffM!

Indeed it was... I was very lucky to get out of the house! Super-fortunate to have high-level players help me out too.

Re: my wife, got home from TT last night and she asked, "So did you use the new paddle?" I replied yes and it was good! So I'm less in the doghouse after last night lol

One day somehow some way we will meet up. Until then, we will have videos of each other in action.

Sounds like a superb weekend OSP!
Nice point at 4:37!

How much do I wish I can join you guys haha.

Hope your wife is ok with you afterwards!
TT always take longer than expected as it is so fun! (when you are not drained out already)

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Sweeeeet Boogar @ 3:25-3:35!!!

Thank you for sharing!

p.s. although I play in a cramped club with a section with white painted walls, i cannot imagine playing in a huge room with just one table and green walls and floor

Because I haven't posted a video of me playing in a long time
Just one game tho and not a good one. But just for the sake of putting up some content
There were about two not too bad rally's, I think the last two balls.

 

[Archosaurus]

Hello.

I did some serves and took about 15 min video that I was going to show, but had to delete them for space.


I got something even better! Up to date video of myself playing! It wasn't from a serious match environment, just hitting, but it counts doesn't it?

Now, it's from a bad angle because my opponent did not want to be on video and I was too focused to understand that I could just ask the other guy there to hold my phone, but it's better than nothing. Next time I will ask whoever is there to hold the phone.

My opponent is an easy win for me, he is back from a 1 year hiatus and never was that good anyway, but he has nice touch when he wants to. So the game quality will not be that good: I can't even close my racket angle because he can't return my lower, spinnier shots. However technique does not lie no matter what I do. I also advised him to serve short but he didn't listen, even though I KNOW he can, and he can make it spinny too. To make it more even, I didn't loop all of his serves.


Don't expect any 1500+ level game, I think, but compared to 6 months ago I have improved A LOT. You can't see my balls landing on the video but trust me, they are better. Not good, but better. A lot of stuff has been going on in serves, too, but I kept mine fairly light because he can't return any of my quality ones. The serves in the video are gonna be shit, I'm not gonna lie.

I will record serve video maybe tomorrow. Perhaps I will record everyday when I do serves to gauge my progress.

However, to be a buzzkill, I gotta run, I have errands to do. I will be back in under an hour and then I will start uploading and cutting the video to take out all the bullshit downtime away. Don't have your hopes high.

@UpSideDownCarl

Here, soon you will have your stinkin' video, heh.

 

[ttmonster]

grey, but somehow I don't seem to recall so much muscle on him the last time I saw his video ... .weight training eh Boogar ?

Is Boogar the guy in the grey or in the dark t-shirt?

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Good morning TTD CCers!

Last night, got to the club at 5:30, played until 8:30, only had 15 mins break/wait for table all night. So wiped out.

I am testing Nexy's Amazon cpen blade with MX-P graciously loaned to me by Der_Echte. My 2nd time using it. Posted the first item to Der_Echte in NYC thread and reposting here for my AAR. I have never used MX-P. I am surprised how well the combo of Amazon/MX-P played, feel it fit my close-to-the-table block/punch/smash/sometimes loop game. My Avalox will be my backup blade for the time being.

1) Selected highlights from Monday's match vs "si-hing" (term of respect, literally means "martial older brother" in Cantonese, generally used in martial arts, but sometimes term is used outside of the MA)

1 - 3rd ball loop & 5th ball smash
2 - 6th & 8th ball loops
3 - 4th ball smash slow topspin loop
4 - 6th ball smash slow topspin loop
5 - missed 4th ball loop
6 - 3rd ball smash
7 - 3rd ball loop & 5th ball smash
8 - 6th ball loop & 8th ball smash
9 - si-hing misjudged my sidespin serve's break

The purpose of this highlight video was to show that the Nexy Amazon chinese penhold blade worked well for my close-to-table attacks. Although this match I lost 3 straight (-7,-6,-5), most of the match I was working on serving sidedown and looking to 3rd ball loop. Although my plan was to slow topspin loop on 3rd ball and then 5th smash if blocked passively, all my loops were more loop drives. As a note, I've always lost to si-hing, mostly close matches, usually lose 3-1, once lost 3-2... i've scored mostly -8 or -7. His weakness is eating my sidetop serve which I didn't serve at all this match (EDIT: sorry, #6 was a sidetop serve which i 3rd ball smashed). Also my rocket serve to his BH generally will be popped up and I go into HULK SMASH mode.

I had only one sheet of rubber on the Nexy's Amazon blade ... a MX-P. The Amazon is a joy to smash with as well as close-to-the-table looping. During the match I didn't have a chance to punch as I usually punch after serving a rocket serve to BH which i didn't do. This combo feels very close to my 1980's old DHS "08" blade with old 729 Friendship back when I was in my prime.

Looking forward to testing the Amazon with a rubber on the back Tuesday night. Will slap a slightly used DHS H3. May or may not flip between the 2 rubbers. For now, they seem the same or similar enough for me.

My loops (if you can call it that LOL) are far from perfect, I have a few points in mind that i know i need to work on. With that said, comments as always are welcomed. I'm a big boy, will take no offense from your comments.

2) Hit with F., a woman long pips chopper. The past 2x I hit with her, she was trying to evolve her game and started working on her FH and FH loops (with a different setup). During those 2x, I just blocked for her. The first time I ever hit with her, very fortunate she chopped and I looped.

Last night for ~30 mins, she chopped and I looped. I tried to use only the Amazon, but i was too self-conscious of wasting her time with me and couldn't find my rhythm. I am not a steady looper to begin with so I went to my Avalox after a few tries with the Amazon. Got some loops going and then swapped back in the Amazon. Had some good loop rallies going with both blades. Probably due to my bad loop stroke, I was getting tired before I had the genius idea of asking for permission to video us. Have ~2 min video, but I was already kind of wiped out and didn't have some good rallies. Will rewatch and possibly post a video.

Note on my loops... am not a steady looper, haven't gotten the short stroke loop down yet, have a wide/long stroke loop... thanks to videos of myself looping, i see some tweaks i need to work on courtesy of Carl's tips via PM. Last night, although i started landing my loops, i see i am 'all arm' and no core rotation. Granted looping vs a long pips chopper is slightly different, overall i see i am all arm. Even the above posted video vs si-hing, i see i am mostly arm.

3) A table opened up and the gentleman there asked if i wanted to hit. Last week, we had ~30 mins good training. I blocked his loops. He is a traditional JPen. ~1800. Great loops, nice steady and smooth strokes. Good backhand too. I've played him 2x before and he won the match 3-1 and 3-2... but we had close games. No video. At some point when i am confident of being a half-way steady looper, will try to loop some with him.

-------------------------

Looking forward to tonight's testing of the Amazon with a backside rubber and seeing how the weight will affect my strokes as well as minimize some of the vibration.

Thank you as always to the TTD CCers for letting me write my long-winded AAR's!

Have a great day all! May all your shots land!

 

[JeffM]

Because I haven't posted a video of me playing in a long time
Just one game tho and not a good one. But just for the sake of putting up some content
There were about two not too bad rally's, I think the last two balls.

Nice Boogar! Yeah I agree with OSP! What a nice venue for TT! So much space + green floor! Adds a bit of Olympics feel to it haha.

 

[JeffM]

Good morning TTD CCers!

Last night, got to the club at 5:30, played until 8:30, only had 15 mins break/wait for table all night. So wiped out.

I am testing Nexy's Amazon cpen blade with MX-P graciously loaned to me by Der_Echte. My 2nd time using it. Posted the first item to Der_Echte in NYC thread and reposting here for my AAR. I have never used MX-P. I am surprised how well the combo of Amazon/MX-P played, feel it fit my close-to-the-table block/punch/smash/sometimes loop game. My Avalox will be my backup blade for the time being.

1) Selected highlights from Monday's match vs "si-hing" (term of respect, literally means "martial older brother" in Cantonese, generally used in martial arts, but sometimes term is used outside of the MA)

1 - 3rd ball loop & 5th ball smash
2 - 6th & 8th ball loops
3 - 4th ball smash slow topspin loop
4 - 6th ball smash slow topspin loop
5 - missed 4th ball loop
6 - 3rd ball smash
7 - 3rd ball loop & 5th ball smash
8 - 6th ball loop & 8th ball smash
9 - si-hing misjudged my sidespin serve's break

The purpose of this highlight video was to show that the Nexy Amazon chinese penhold blade worked well for my close-to-table attacks. Although this match I lost 3 straight (-7,-6,-5), most of the match I was working on serving sidedown and looking to 3rd ball loop. Although my plan was to slow topspin loop on 3rd ball and then 5th smash if blocked passively, all my loops were more loop drives. As a note, I've always lost to si-hing, mostly close matches, usually lose 3-1, once lost 3-2... i've scored mostly -8 or -7. His weakness is eating my sidetop serve which I didn't serve at all this match (EDIT: sorry, #6 was a sidetop serve which i 3rd ball smashed). Also my rocket serve to his BH generally will be popped up and I go into HULK SMASH mode.

I had only one sheet of rubber on the Nexy's Amazon blade ... a MX-P. The Amazon is a joy to smash with as well as close-to-the-table looping. During the match I didn't have a chance to punch as I usually punch after serving a rocket serve to BH which i didn't do. This combo feels very close to my 1980's old DHS "08" blade with old 729 Friendship back when I was in my prime.

Looking forward to testing the Amazon with a rubber on the back Tuesday night. Will slap a slightly used DHS H3. May or may not flip between the 2 rubbers. For now, they seem the same or similar enough for me.

My loops (if you can call it that LOL) are far from perfect, I have a few points in mind that i know i need to work on. With that said, comments as always are welcomed. I'm a big boy, will take no offense from your comments.

2) Hit with F., a woman long pips chopper. The past 2x I hit with her, she was trying to evolve her game and started working on her FH and FH loops (with a different setup). During those 2x, I just blocked for her. The first time I ever hit with her, very fortunate she chopped and I looped.

Last night for ~30 mins, she chopped and I looped. I tried to use only the Amazon, but i was too self-conscious of wasting her time with me and couldn't find my rhythm. I am not a steady looper to begin with so I went to my Avalox after a few tries with the Amazon. Got some loops going and then swapped back in the Amazon. Had some good loop rallies going with both blades. Probably due to my bad loop stroke, I was getting tired before I had the genius idea of asking for permission to video us. Have ~2 min video, but I was already kind of wiped out and didn't have some good rallies. Will rewatch and possibly post a video.

Note on my loops... am not a steady looper, haven't gotten the short stroke loop down yet, have a wide/long stroke loop... thanks to videos of myself looping, i see some tweaks i need to work on courtesy of Carl's tips via PM. Last night, although i started landing my loops, i see i am 'all arm' and no core rotation. Granted looping vs a long pips chopper is slightly different, overall i see i am all arm. Even the above posted video vs si-hing, i see i am mostly arm.

3) A table opened up and the gentleman there asked if i wanted to hit. Last week, we had ~30 mins good training. I blocked his loops. He is a traditional JPen. ~1800. Great loops, nice steady and smooth strokes. Good backhand too. I've played him 2x before and he won the match 3-1 and 3-2... but we had close games. No video. At some point when i am confident of being a half-way steady looper, will try to loop some with him.

-------------------------

Looking forward to tonight's testing of the Amazon with a backside rubber and seeing how the weight will affect my strokes as well as minimize some of the vibration.

Thank you as always to the TTD CCers for letting me write my long-winded AAR's!

Have a great day all! May all your shots land!

Nice shots OSP! I can see that combo happening! slower loop on 3rd ball and then smashing the 5th ball!

 

[JeffM]

I went and played as a substitute for B grade pennant tonight. I thought it might end in a better result as I had alot of playing hours last week from the unigames comp that ran for days. But as I got to the arena, I just feel tired. Not sure if I am just not motivated, but I cant track balls properly, eyelids were drooping down. At that moment, I just wanna sit down and rest instead of playing, a very weird feeling that I have not had before. I feel like I can be making all sorts of excuses, but that was how I felt.

Anyway, first singles: against a girl who had her dad as coach. I had a good start even though I am not feeling great, led by 2-1, but then lost 2-3 in the end. She figured out to serve to my middle point. Haha, I thought middle point was for shakehanders! But I guess since I use RPB quite exclusively, it works on me too.. And coupled with me not thinking straight, i lost some very close games like 11-9, even though I caught up like crazy in the last set from 8-4 or 9-3... Next time I will be more aware of that strategy and be more prepared to use my forehand, or use my backhand but change the placement direction. Does anyone have any good advice as to how I should better prepare myself? Maybe stand back a bit more?

Against second player: A backhand long pimps shakehander. I had a superb start, won first game 11-1. Then lost the remaining games, 3-1.. had some very close games like 11-9.. Seems like I just cant close games after I caught up.
I think I understand the principles, but just couldn't think clearly at times. One question is, if i serve backspin serve, and then he sideway glide the ball, the ball should not have any backspin back right?

Doubles: I was feeling quite down already having lost the 2 singles. Won first set, but then lost the remaining 3. Nothing significant to note.

Last singles: Penholder that does not have RPB. I got to the stage, where I am just angry at myself. Not angry at why I lose, but more about the condition I am in, the state of feeling tired / not motivated. But anyway, as I start that match, I started to feel better, as I had a relatively longer break between my last match, so I felt more energized, and I can concentrate better now. As I can think better, I started adding in some serve deceptions that I learned from unigames, that just made my lead even bigger, so I won 3-0.

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Nice shots OSP! I can see that combo happening! slower loop on 3rd ball and then smashing the 5th ball!

Thank you JeffM! It's basically the same combo NextLevel advised for you on your last posted video. It only dawned on me after Der_Echte worked with me on it that the lightbulb clicked in my old man memory that, 'hey! this sounds very familiar' ... lol at me

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

But as I got to the arena, I just feel tired. Not sure if I am just not motivated, but I cant track balls properly, eyelids were drooping down. At that moment, I just wanna sit down and rest instead of playing, a very weird feeling that I have not had before.

Some thoughts: did you get enough sleep? did you eat enough? (IIRC, a previous time you posted that you didn't remember to eat and/or drink liquids) did you eat TOO much? "food coma" - eating too much, body trying to digest all that food and system is taxed making the person feel sluggish and tired.

She figured out to serve to my middle point. Haha, I thought middle point was for shakehanders! But I guess since I use RPB quite exclusively, it works on me too..

FWIW, sometimes the middle point works on me too. As i get older and slower in both reaction time and physically moving my body for my FH to answer that middle point ball, i sometimes lose the point due to slowness. As you know, i generally on BH punch or on FH loop/smash. I try to move for my FH to answer that shot.

Congratulations on winning your last singles! Despite the losses in your 2 other singles and the doubles, it seems like perhaps you didn't recover from last week's unigames. Hopefully the losses will be meaningful and give you focus on working on closing out the game after having caught up from huge deficit.

Could be mentally drained just to catch up. Perhaps drill with a partner and you start off in the hole 9-3 or some similar score.

Good luck in your training!

 

[NextLevel]

Guys, I didn't invent the combo. If you have any decent coach who is interested in teaching you things that win points rather than things that waste your time, they will go over this combination with you. Basically, there are two kinds of major serve and attack strategy. 3rd ball is trying to end the point with the 3rd ball attack, while 5th ball accepts that 3rd ball attack vs backspin or good placement carries risk so they spin the 3rd ball, get a topspin ball or passive block and attack the 5th ball harder.

You need both. You definitely need third ball when the opponent misreads your serve and puts the ball too high or you see a ball that you are familiar with and in position to really attack hard. But sometimes, your opponent's ball is too hard to read or even when his return is high, your opponent blocks fast attacks well but struggles more with heavy spin. In fact some people just struggle with heavy spin so that is enough for you to have an opening.

http://www.tabletenniscoaching.com/node/246

As you get better, the opponent's blocks and counterattacks get better so placement and the ability to counterloop either at the table or to back up become critical. But you have to get to the stage that if someone block your first topspin passively to the middle of the table, you expect to win the point 95% of the time.

 

[NextLevel]

Because I haven't posted a video of me playing in a long time
Just one game tho and not a good one. But just for the sake of putting up some content
There were about two not too bad rally's, I think the last two balls.

What don't you like about it?

You still have some technical work to do on your serves. Also, your forehand finishing position needs to get a little higher or you will be struggling with trickier balls but this is a match though - maybe your standard forehand is better and just can't work as well in matches (like mine).

 

[JeffM]

Some thoughts: did you get enough sleep? did you eat enough? (IIRC, a previous time you posted that you didn't remember to eat and/or drink liquids) did you eat TOO much? "food coma" - eating too much, body trying to digest all that food and system is taxed making the person feel sluggish and tired.



FWIW, sometimes the middle point works on me too. As i get older and slower in both reaction time and physically moving my body for my FH to answer that middle point ball, i sometimes lose the point due to slowness. As you know, i generally on BH punch or on FH loop/smash. I try to move for my FH to answer that shot.

Congratulations on winning your last singles! Despite the losses in your 2 other singles and the doubles, it seems like perhaps you didn't recover from last week's unigames. Hopefully the losses will be meaningful and give you focus on working on closing out the game after having caught up from huge deficit.

Could be mentally drained just to catch up. Perhaps drill with a partner and you start off in the hole 9-3 or some similar score.

Good luck in your training!

Good thoughts! I am on borderline in terms of sleep hours last night, and yes, I think I probably ate too much before the game and ate my dinner in a rushing manner too... stupid me...

True, maybe I am just mentally drained, usually I am good with these catching ups... less sleep + food coma probably doesn't help xD

 

[Boogar]

What don't you like about it?

You still have some technical work to do on your serves. Also, your forehand finishing position needs to get a little higher or you will be struggling with trickier balls but this is a match though - maybe your standard forehand is better and just can't work as well in matches (like mine).

Well i don't commit a lot and often just pass the ball back. Jea about the forehand, since i switched back to H3N i have this problem with counter topspins and topspins on non backspin balls. Need to work on a higher starting position. Haven figured out how to do it properly yet.

 

[Boogar]

grey, but somehow I don't seem to recall so much muscle on him the last time I saw his video ... .weight training eh Boogar ?

Haha thanks for the compliment Actually I have almost stopped doing muscle training. I did a lot more before i started tt... now its hard to manage playing tons of tt and then still have the energy to do something else. If i have a lot of free time i try to do basic stuff like core training and some running. Also i have gained some pounds since my stay in the US xD

 

[Murre5]

Why does ITTF behave like they just found the internet and social media?

They just posted 2 videos that are called most outrageous table tennis match ever and hilarious table tennis point. Why not just write what they are or even post the entire show match. Could anyone really see FIFA or any other organisation doing anything like this?....

I also get annoyed when the official youtube videos of the matches and the livestream are such poor quality. It's not hard in 2016 to get a good stream going with high quality 60fps 1080. That is something that would be amazing for table tennis because the sport is so fast.
For example: https://play.staylive.se/rpmedia/w/1873 match played in Sweden yesterday, was live. I don't have the specs but it looks a lot like higher FPS then 30 I'm guessing 60 and 1080 resolution. Game is soooo much better then.
That is something the sport would get something from. Not inventing some shit game with wooden paddles or whatever that was.

end of rant.

 

[Boogar]

I went and played as a substitute for B grade pennant tonight. I thought it might end in a better result as I had alot of playing hours last week from the unigames comp that ran for days. But as I got to the arena, I just feel tired. Not sure if I am just not motivated, but I cant track balls properly, eyelids were drooping down. At that moment, I just wanna sit down and rest instead of playing, a very weird feeling that I have not had before. I feel like I can be making all sorts of excuses, but that was how I felt.

Anyway, first singles: against a girl who had her dad as coach. I had a good start even though I am not feeling great, led by 2-1, but then lost 2-3 in the end. She figured out to serve to my middle point. Haha, I thought middle point was for shakehanders! But I guess since I use RPB quite exclusively, it works on me too.. And coupled with me not thinking straight, i lost some very close games like 11-9, even though I caught up like crazy in the last set from 8-4 or 9-3... Next time I will be more aware of that strategy and be more prepared to use my forehand, or use my backhand but change the placement direction. Does anyone have any good advice as to how I should better prepare myself? Maybe stand back a bit more?

Against second player: A backhand long pimps shakehander. I had a superb start, won first game 11-1. Then lost the remaining games, 3-1.. had some very close games like 11-9.. Seems like I just cant close games after I caught up.
I think I understand the principles, but just couldn't think clearly at times. One question is, if i serve backspin serve, and then he sideway glide the ball, the ball should not have any backspin back right?

Doubles: I was feeling quite down already having lost the 2 singles. Won first set, but then lost the remaining 3. Nothing significant to note.

Last singles: Penholder that does not have RPB. I got to the stage, where I am just angry at myself. Not angry at why I lose, but more about the condition I am in, the state of feeling tired / not motivated. But anyway, as I start that match, I started to feel better, as I had a relatively longer break between my last match, so I felt more energized, and I can concentrate better now. As I can think better, I started adding in some serve deceptions that I learned from unigames, that just made my lead even bigger, so I won 3-0.

You should ask pgpg about the LP stuff
However from my recent experiences i learned that they can put almost no spin on the ball with their LP's. What they can do is: If they get the pips to bend, the spin reverses. The do this mostly by moving the racket in direction of the incoming spin at contact. For example against topspin a downwards chop. I guess sideswipes over the table work against backspin to give it topspin.
Or they can take out almost all of the spin with a block. The ball still has some spin but not much(ofc its reversed as well).

A good strategy against a LP player who does not twiddle is to serve long backspin into his pips and then loop it like its a topspin or dead ball. With a high starting position of the racket.

 

[Archosaurus]

Alright, here they are.

Some background: My opponent is worse than me, with slightly inferior equipment. Although he has good touch, he refuses to do some things right even when I KNOW he can. It's not a serious match and we're just hitting, whoever gets the ball serves. Neither of us is really focused or trying to play seriously: he's taking it a bit easy on me too. I know he can do better!

For some reason, I can't upload any of these files and have the sound work on YouTube, so there's something wrong with my setup, probably. I had to re-install Windows some days ago, something probably got screwed up.

I am dumb and did not ask the gentleman in the background to hold the phone. He has no problems appearing on the video.

I will try to fix the sound, but in the meanwhile:

I have some "early" videos, but the angle is even more awful and there's nothing that you can't see in these.

 

[OldschoolPenholder]

Props Archo!