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I don’t think I will have time but we will be in Nice and that region during the olympics. Any recommendations for that region?
sorry i don't know, maybe you should go to the french forum and create a thread. use chatgpt for translation
 
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So my streak of playing consecutive days ended on Friday last week at 10 days or so in a row because I didn't play on Saturday. I played briefly on Sunday against a guy who had been playing better against me recently and I told him that for the first time, he would face me as the kind of player I used to be when I was 2000. He was initially mildly amused but then wondered how the score was almost 10 - 1 in consecutive games without him playing badly, sometimes even opening powerfully and just seeing the ball blocked back on the table.

On the Friday before the Saturday break, I went to one of the part time clubs and went undefeated. So one thing I have personally concluded is that my setup is going to be Garaydia ALC with Skyline 3 on forehand, the only open question there is whether Blue sponge is worth it or I should just stick with Orange sponge and Dignics 05 on backhand, the only open question there is whether I should really be using Dignics 80 or not. The main thing now is to be able to develop more and more tricks and tools to handle rallies against powerful and mobile topspin players.

Now I am out of the country and won't play TT for a while, will try to sneak into a club in Paris, but it will likely be the 21st before I get a chance to hit the ball seriously again. The next major event will be a tournament in Austin on August 31 for an African organization of which I am a member. Lots of bragging rights around that weekend so I will prepare extensively for it.

But for now, just going to enjoy France before the Olympics. And of course, if you have a Garaydia ALC that you don't like, feel free to sell it my way.
 
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Trying out hybrid MK for as backhand rubber for i dont know what exact reason - just for trying new stuff i guess

Here some of today training matches

Also started to developing hook serve and this is the easiest serves for me in terms of execution and recovery after it. But I need about a month to make it really spiny
 
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so im almost done with ITTF Masters Rome 2024.
i played in the 50-54 category.
given my recent results, i had no big expectation for this tournament. In the group phase, we were 4 of us. an Argentinian guy with LP on BH who has some YT videos, and a swedish and belgium player with (local) ratings which seemed to indicate a significantly higher level than mine. [i could check it on the website of their federation]

i had the performance of my life, finishing 1st of this group. i lost 2-3 (8-11 in G5) to the belgium guy, a chopper with LP in BH, but he lost to the other 2, while i won 2 matches 3-1. Swedish guy had 2 inverted rubbers.

Takkyu > ARG > SWE > BEL was the final result of the group.

then as there were around 800 participants, with 1ST and 2nd of each group advancing to the main draw, there was a round of 512 of which all?most? players who finished 1st were exempt

In R256 in played a Hungarian guy who had a very strong BH. i did watch his R512 match but his real ball was much heavier in spin that what i could see just watching him. my tactic was to avoid his BH and serve middle or his short FH. i think it did give him some headaches, but i made too many mistakes. didn't miss by much or made too many wrong choices, but in the end its 0-3. i believed till the end I could win and there were a lot of great rallies or shots in this match. I wasn't ridiculous at all and i could see he was looking worried at times.

here is the video of the last game of my match against the ARG guy in group phase


Overall
whats new is not that i could play at this level, but that i could play it a whole competition, not just one game here or there.
 
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so im almost done with ITTF Masters Rome 2024.
i played in the 50-54 category.
given my recent results, i had no big expectation for this tournament. In the group phase, we were 4 of us. an Argentinian guy with LP on BH who has some YT videos, and a swedish and belgium player with (local) ratings which seemed to indicate a significantly higher level than mine. [i could check it on the website of their federation]

i had the performance of my life, finishing 1st of this group. i lost 2-3 (8-11 in G5) to the belgium guy, a chopper with LP in BH, but he lost to the other 2, while i won 2 matches 3-1. Swedish guy had 2 inverted rubbers.

Takkyu > ARG > SWE > BEL was the final result of the group.

then as there were around 800 participants, with 1ST and 2nd of each group advancing to the main draw, there was a round of 512 of which all?most? players who finished 1st were exempt

In R256 in played a Hungarian guy who had a very strong BH. i did watch his R512 match but his real ball was much heavier in spin that what i could see just watching him. my tactic was to avoid his BH and serve middle or his short FH. i think it did give him some headaches, but i made too many mistakes. didn't miss by much or made too many wrong choices, but in the end its 0-3. i believed till the end I could win and there were a lot of great rallies or shots in this match. I wasn't ridiculous at all and i could see he was looking worried at times.

here is the video of the last game of my match against the ARG guy in group phase


Overall
whats new is not that i could play at this level, but that i could play it a whole competition, not just one game here or there.
You played really well tactically! You returned his LP service receives with a long push to his LP BH side often, usually getting a very attackable ball, and when you blocked you always made him move for the next attack. It was a treat to watch you play!
 
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In the west, you have four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Meanwhile in equatorial Malaysia we have three seasons: Hot & Humid, Rainy and Flooding ( Monsoon ) and finally, durian season. It is all over the place, I say! Tens, nay, twenty or more vendors selling this king of fruits all over.


IMG_9195.jpeg



IMG_9194.jpeg


 
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When I was working in Los Angeles, there was lot of Asian guys working there too (They later gave me my primo carbon when I left). One time the cafeteria was smelling @$@“. Turned out to be a Durian fruit. They banned the fruit from entering the building 🤣.
It smelled but not that bad…

Cheers
L-zr
 
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When I was working in Los Angeles, there was lot of Asian guys working there too (They later gave me my primo carbon when I left). One time the cafeteria was smelling @$@“. Turned out to be a Durian fruit. They banned the fruit from entering the building 🤣.
It smelled but not that bad…

Cheers
L-zr
The exported ones tend to smell milder to cater for a wider audience. The best, i.e., the best smelling ones are reserved for domestic market. We love them intense and pungent!!!

I dare you to come to Malaysia during the Durian season.
 
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The exported ones tend to smell milder to cater for a wider audience. The best, i.e., the best smelling ones are reserved for domestic market. We love them intense and pungent!!!

I dare you to come to Malaysia during the Durian season.
I promise you that if I’m ever headed your way I’ll be at your doorstep to accept your challenge. 😉

What about you? Avoid or embrace?

Cheers
L-zr
 
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I promise you that if I’m ever headed your way I’ll be at your doorstep to accept your challenge. 😉

What about you? Avoid or embrace?

Cheers
L-zr
embrace.

Once I visited The Nederlands and I had to visit a Gouda producing factory as part of the itinerary. Once I step inside, I almost puke. Meanwhile some Mehrican tourists were singing the produce's praise. Thank god, I knew some locals and they brought me to 😏 their local coffeeshops 😜 for some exciting local produce to offset my unpleasant experience earlier.
 
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embrace.

Once I visited The Nederlands and I had to visit a Gouda producing factory as part of the itinerary. Once I step inside, I almost puke. Meanwhile some Mehrican tourists were singing the produce's praise. Thank god, I knew some locals and they brought me to 😏 their local coffeeshops 😜 for some exciting local produce to offset my unpleasant experience earlier.
Yeah cheese making can be yacky…
The smoking kind of coffee shop?

Cheers
L-zr
 
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Played in our internal club league yesterday. I played ok-ish. Won only one match out of 5. A few things I noticed:
- My body can't really handle more then 3 100% effort matches. I think I will just limit myself to 3 matches and then watch/hang out after that. As soon as I get tired (After 3 matches) my game quality goes down by about 95% and I start missing everything.
- My loops are improving on all fronts. I had some really good BH top spin and FH top spin openers and shots.
- I'm improving against long pips players. Best player in the club imo is the guy with long pips and last time I played with him I won either 0 or 1 point now I was getting ~5ish points per set and it wasn't his mistakes it was me looping properly. So pretty pumped about that.

I am considering buying a bit of a harder and spinnier rubber for my FH since I think I can handle it, but at the same time I know I am fine with my rozena until it wears out. So currently trying really hard not to buy Rakza 7 :)
 
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Played in our internal club league yesterday. I played ok-ish. Won only one match out of 5. A few things I noticed:
- My body can't really handle more then 3 100% effort matches. I think I will just limit myself to 3 matches and then watch/hang out after that. As soon as I get tired (After 3 matches) my game quality goes down by about 95% and I start missing everything.
- My loops are improving on all fronts. I had some really good BH top spin and FH top spin openers and shots.
- I'm improving against long pips players. Best player in the club imo is the guy with long pips and last time I played with him I won either 0 or 1 point now I was getting ~5ish points per set and it wasn't his mistakes it was me looping properly. So pretty pumped about that.

I am considering buying a bit of a harder and spinnier rubber for my FH since I think I can handle it, but at the same time I know I am fine with my rozena until it wears out. So currently trying really hard not to buy Rakza 7 :)
That was me last year, keep at it and you'll get in better shape. I can play probably 6 games now at 100% effort! Weekly training sessions where I push my TT endurance to the limits, and then occasional soccer as well.

Speaking of that, my leg muscle fatigue issue is getting better, and I just needed to step up on the exercising. I was complaining earlier about how my legs are always sore from playing TT but I'm still limited by quad fatigue in both soccer and TT training. After 2 weeks of soccer, that's significantly improved. I'm now more cardiovascularly limited in soccer, which is the way it should be, and in TT training as well I've noticed that leg fatigue is becoming less of an issue. I think the issue is that with TT I take a bit of a break when my legs are fatigued, as 90% legs mean 50% play. Kinda like @Novarac23 is saying, I start missing everything when fatigue sets in. In soccer though, 90% legs just means ~90% play, and I just keep pushing on until I can't anymore (i.e. my legs would literally get so weak that I'm tumbling in the middle of a run). That type of training, fatigue until failure, was needed to push my endurance to another level.
 
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Just came back from an interclub friendlies. Home game versus my city council's table-tennis club.
Result: Gozo ( 3 ) - Long Pips opponent ( 0 )
CD6C49C4-3D44-489D-98F7-E07F9182CF9C.gif
 
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Just came back from an interclub friendlies. Home game versus my city council's table-tennis club.
Result: Gozo ( 3 ) - Long Pips opponent ( 0 )
View attachment 30942
Gozo, what happened? The pips did not work on you. Did you visit a pips-charmer or something?
 
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Gozo, what happened? The pips did not work on you. Did you visit a pips-charmer or something?
Yes friend NL,

I told my coach, " Gozo bullied by Clan Long Pips. Gozo no Happy! Pls help poor Gozo. "

The rest, as they say is history.

p/s: Gozo belongs to Clan Two Side Inverted and has a long standing rivalry with Clan Long Pips and their rarer cousin; Clan Anti.

p/s/s: In total, I played three singles yesterday and only the one video'ed above is official match, that is, counted in the scoreboard. The other two are unofficial and are mainly for fun. The point I want to make is that all three matches I had to play Long Pimple players. Gozo somehow is pimple magnet! Sigh!!!
 
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Yes friend NL,

I told my coach, " Gozo bullied by Clan Long Pips. Gozo no Happy! Pls help poor Gozo. "

The rest, as they say is history.

p/s: Gozo belongs to Clan Two Side Inverted and has a long standing rivalry with Clan Long Pips and their rarer cousin; Clan Anti.

p/s/s: In total, I played three singles yesterday and only the one video'ed above is official match, that is, counted in the scoreboard. The other two are unofficial and are mainly for fun. The point I want to make is that all three matches I had to play Long Pimple players. Gozo somehow is pimple magnet! Sigh!!!
Hmm, you look more patient but still bringing the Gozo drive sometimes which is good shot selection. Some work to do but overall well done.
 
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Hmm, you look more patient but still bringing the Gozo drive sometimes which is good shot selection. Some work to do but overall well done.
I went from I was petrified by pips to " Come on! Do your worse Bub! " in matters of months. My new coach has a certain je ne sais quoi!
 
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Played in our internal club league yesterday. I played ok-ish. Won only one match out of 5. A few things I noticed:
- My body can't really handle more then 3 100% effort matches. I think I will just limit myself to 3 matches and then watch/hang out after that. As soon as I get tired (After 3 matches) my game quality goes down by about 95% and I start missing everything.
- My loops are improving on all fronts. I had some really good BH top spin and FH top spin openers and shots.
- I'm improving against long pips players. Best player in the club imo is the guy with long pips and last time I played with him I won either 0 or 1 point now I was getting ~5ish points per set and it wasn't his mistakes it was me looping properly. So pretty pumped about that.

I am considering buying a bit of a harder and spinnier rubber for my FH since I think I can handle it, but at the same time I know I am fine with my rozena until it wears out. So currently trying really hard not to buy Rakza 7 :)
I don't think Rakza 7 is a step up from Rozena, and it's definitely not hard+spinny...
 
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