Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[NextLevel]

I have set up a USATT league for my "home club", which is 45 minutes from where I live. We finally played our first rated league on Friday night. Weather depressed attendance but 5 players made it. I was second seeded in the group of 5 but probably more realistically the third best player since there were two looping juniors with more consistent energy and playing levels.

First match against the 5th seed, the younger sister of the first seed. I didn't take the mission seriously since I assumed the ratings gap was large enough to coast and even if I lost, I would only be losing points from a rating that I had a few years ago. But I lost the first and 3rd games and somehow lost the first 7 points of the 5th game. I think ultimately what happened was that I was struggling to respond to her hitting game and that I hadn't worked up the sweat and athleticism to deal with it and I also didn't deploy my most stable strategy consistently early in the match . So I lost that one 2-3. She also deployed a lot of no spin serves which I am not used to people at her level deploying lol.

Second match was against the 3rd seed, a looping juniors who had beaten me far more than I had beaten him. I got my first win against him in unrated league at deuce 3 weeks ago and beat him again last week. This time I took thenfiest game but he played better the next two games. I managed to out up enough resistance in game 4 to get it to game 5 but I was unable to generate any pressure on serve return in game 5 and put up little resistance.

So I was in real danger of going winless. So I was now playing the 4th seed and he is another adult learn, similar style to mine but more athletic and younger. I won the first two games using my mix of backspin and no spin serves with some long topspin serves. He won the third game comfortably but I got a good lead in the 4th. Inexplicably i threw the lead away and it became 9-9. I lost a long rally and then missed a high ball long to send it to a 5th. I resolved to lose playing my heavy spin consistent game if it came to that. Thankfully, I got a large lead and my backhand remained spinny and consistent. I closed the match with some nice backhand topspins. Finally on the board.

Final match was against the #1 seed. He has beaten me pretty much every time we have played over the last two months. In the first game, I got a 10-6 lead but after losing my two serves to 10-8, I accepted that I was likely going to fight this out at deuce. This happened and I think I was lucky that he made a lot of errors returning my serves which he hadn't in a while. In fact he had started putting so much pressure on my serves that I changed my whole serve pattern because of him and started serving much more long topspin to contain his attacks against my half long serves. I also managed to play a lot of timely down the line loops and one of them won me the game for 12-10. In game 2, he was up 10-6 and somehow I managed to get the game to deuce. My fatalities acceptance of losing probably kept me.relaxed as despite a few deuces, I managed to win this game as well and go up 2-0
The final game was the weirdest as I ran out to a 5-1 lead. But he kept hanging around and we got to 9-9. I think he won the next point after a long rally to get to game point but I managed to win the next point to get to deuce. We traded a lot of ads and deuces and on the 5th ad or so which was gor me, I called a timeout. When I came back. I looped his half long serve and he didn't make the block. So I ended thr day with the record I expected to end it with, but not in the manner I thought I would get there.

Posted the results. Celebrated the first night of getting the league rolling. The challenge will be to grow it and make it work since the leagues they do in this area are different. But we will see how it goes, it is a learning experience.

 

[dingyibvs]

I have set up a USATT league for my "home club", which is 45 minutes from where I live. We finally played our first rated league on Friday night. Weather depressed attendance but 5 players made it. I was second seeded in the group of 5 but probably more realistically the third best player since there were two looping juniors with more consistent energy and playing levels.

First match against the 5th seed, the younger sister of the first seed. I didn't take the mission seriously since I assumed the ratings gap was large enough to coast and even if I lost, I would only be losing points from a rating that I had a few years ago. But I lost the first and 3rd games and somehow lost the first 7 points of the 5th game. I think ultimately what happened was that I was struggling to respond to her hitting game and that I hadn't worked up the sweat and athleticism to deal with it and I also didn't deploy my most stable strategy consistently early in the match . So I lost that one 2-3. She also deployed a lot of no spin serves which I am not used to people at her level deploying lol.

Second match was against the 3rd seed, a looping juniors who had beaten me far more than I had beaten him. I got my first win against him in unrated league at deuce 3 weeks ago and beat him again last week. This time I took thenfiest game but he played better the next two games. I managed to out up enough resistance in game 4 to get it to game 5 but I was unable to generate any pressure on serve return in game 5 and put up little resistance.

So I was in real danger of going winless. So I was now playing the 4th seed and he is another adult learn, similar style to mine but more athletic and younger. I won the first two games using my mix of backspin and no spin serves with some long topspin serves. He won the third game comfortably but I got a good lead in the 4th. Inexplicably i threw the lead away and it became 9-9. I lost a long rally and then missed a high ball long to send it to a 5th. I resolved to lose playing my heavy spin consistent game if it came to that. Thankfully, I got a large lead and my backhand remained spinny and consistent. I closed the match with some nice backhand topspins. Finally on the board.

Final match was against the #1 seed. He has beaten me pretty much every time we have played over the last two months. In the first game, I got a 10-6 lead but after losing my two serves to 10-8, I accepted that I was likely going to fight this out at deuce. This happened and I think I was lucky that he made a lot of errors returning my serves which he hadn't in a while. In fact he had started putting so much pressure on my serves that I changed my whole serve pattern because of him and started serving much more long topspin to contain his attacks against my half long serves. I also managed to play a lot of timely down the line loops and one of them won me the game for 12-10. In game 2, he was up 10-6 and somehow I managed to get the game to deuce. My fatalities acceptance of losing probably kept me.relaxed as despite a few deuces, I managed to win this game as well and go up 2-0
The final game was the weirdest as I ran out to a 5-1 lead. But he kept hanging around and we got to 9-9. I think he won the next point after a long rally to get to game point but I managed to win the next point to get to deuce. We traded a lot of ads and deuces and on the 5th ad or so which was gor me, I called a timeout. When I came back. I looped his half long serve and he didn't make the block. So I ended thr day with the record I expected to end it with, but not in the manner I thought I would get there.

Posted the results. Celebrated the first night of getting the league rolling. The challenge will be to grow it and make it work since the leagues they do in this area are different. But we will see how it goes, it is a learning experience.

So what are you working on these days? How do you like the Vis SALC + D05 combo? It's quite a step up in speed compared to your previous setup, were you looking to accentuate a strength or cover up a weakness?

On my end, I tried out the FZD ALC today. After playing with the Vis for a total of 4 months now (with a month or two of interruption back to the W968) I can really feel the difference between the Vis and the FZD. The shoulder and handle feel quite different, with the shoulder being a lot smaller and fitting my hand much better. The handle is similar in thickness, but rounder and not squarish. That part I'm rather indifferent about. It definitely feels a bit flexier than the Vis, but still quite crisp. I didn't really need to make any adjustments coming from the Vis, but the extra flex made it a lot easier for me to counter loop.

I think I like the FZD ALC better. I liked the TB ALC's extra flex as well, but that blade is too bouncy. The FZD ALC is a bit flexy but still has a fairly soft touch. I'm going to Hawaii in a week, after I come back I'll glue some provincial rubbers on the Q968 and give it a fair try. After that I'm gonna decide whether I prefer that or the FZD ALC and stick to it for the rest of the year. Now that I've developed a power looping game on the BH side, I want something that'll reward power loops on both sides. With the W968 it's really hard to power loop on the BH side, and with the Vis the reward isn't really there to power loop on the FH side. I'm really liking the FZD right now, so the only question now is if the Q968 is better.

 

[AutomaticBackhand]

It feels weird, but I had a dream where I asked Fan Zhendong some questions about his equipment, one of them was how his personal blades are different from normal ones, and he said the sweet spot on his personal blades is smaller, which makes him hit better shots.
In my dream it kinda made sense.

Also he boosted the sponge, and then he boosted the plastic cover on the topsheet too, to expand the topsheet as well as the sponge.
It was recorded and everyone was shocked about this new method of boosting and him playing with a smaller sweetspot rather than a big one.

Is it over for me?

 

[NextLevel]

So what are you working on these days? How do you like the Vis SALC + D05 combo? It's quite a step up in speed compared to your previous setup, were you looking to accentuate a strength or cover up a weakness?

On my end, I tried out the FZD ALC today. After playing with the Vis for a total of 4 months now (with a month or two of interruption back to the W968) I can really feel the difference between the Vis and the FZD. The shoulder and handle feel quite different, with the shoulder being a lot smaller and fitting my hand much better. The handle is similar in thickness, but rounder and not squarish. That part I'm rather indifferent about. It definitely feels a bit flexier than the Vis, but still quite crisp. I didn't really need to make any adjustments coming from the Vis, but the extra flex made it a lot easier for me to counter loop.

I think I like the FZD ALC better. I liked the TB ALC's extra flex as well, but that blade is too bouncy. The FZD ALC is a bit flexy but still has a fairly soft touch. I'm going to Hawaii in a week, after I come back I'll glue some provincial rubbers on the Q968 and give it a fair try. After that I'm gonna decide whether I prefer that or the FZD ALC and stick to it for the rest of the year. Now that I've developed a power looping game on the BH side, I want something that'll reward power loops on both sides. With the W968 it's really hard to power loop on the BH side, and with the Vis the reward isn't really there to power loop on the FH side. I'm really liking the FZD right now, so the only question now is if the Q968 is better.

I was looking for more speed - probably didn't need it but I was looking for it - that I changed the rubber from D80 to D05 shows I took the edge off a little - I can definitely play with D80 on it, but I don't like the style I was forced to play and I played the Teams tournament with D05 and I never really felt lacking. Not entirely sure that a Visc SALC with D05 is that much faster than Garaydia ALC with D80, but the setup brings me back into the mainstream, and I have gotten used to it enough to stop thinking about Dignics 09c. The main thing I wanted was to have the power to confidently hit with quality from all positions on the court and the path there is more obvious now.

What's clear to me is that I play too close to the table, but in order to step back, I need to improve my movement. At least get good enough to cover the basics once I restrict the angles and of course to cover the angles I create. My coach should be back from school vacation next week and then I can use the lessons to implement new stuff. Other than league, I won't be playing any major events this part of the year as I have a lot of stuff to work on with respect to finding a job etc. It's taken much longer than I expected so I need to look at more radical solutions.

 

[dingyibvs]

I was looking for more speed - probably didn't need it but I was looking for it - that I changed the rubber from D80 to D05 shows I took the edge off a little - I can definitely play with D80 on it, but I don't like the style I was forced to play and I played the Teams tournament with D05 and I never really felt lacking. Not entirely sure that a Visc SALC with D05 is that much faster than Garaydia ALC with D80, but the setup brings me back into the mainstream, and I have gotten used to it enough to stop thinking about Dignics 09c. The main thing I wanted was to have the power to confidently hit with quality from all positions on the court and the path there is more obvious now.

What's clear to me is that I play too close to the table, but in order to step back, I need to improve my movement. At least get good enough to cover the basics once I restrict the angles and of course to cover the angles I create. My coach should be back from school vacation next week and then I can use the lessons to implement new stuff. Other than league, I won't be playing any major events this part of the year as I have a lot of stuff to work on with respect to finding a job etc. It's taken much longer than I expected so I need to look at more radical solutions.

I see, do you feel that the D80 is for sure faster than the D05? I'm having the opposite issue, playing a bit too far from the table. I trained to take a step back after I make an opening loop, but for whatever reason I've now developed a habit of taking a step back even after the re-loop, which isn't necessary and often puts me in a bad situation when the opponent soft blocks my re-loop. I don't keep stepping back during my regular practices and the distance I practice at is not that far, so I'm not sure how I developed that habit. I'll focus on fixing on it during games.

 

[NextLevel]

I see, do you feel that the D80 is for sure faster than the D05? I'm having the opposite issue, playing a bit too far from the table. I trained to take a step back after I make an opening loop, but for whatever reason I've now developed a habit of taking a step back even after the re-loop, which isn't necessary and often puts me in a bad situation when the opponent soft blocks my re-loop. I don't keep stepping back during my regular practices and the distance I practice at is not that far, so I'm not sure how I developed that habit. I'll focus on fixing on it during games.

D80 is softer and has a lower arc. So it is faster all things being equal but many advanced players will take the extra spin of D05 over that. Stepping back is reasonable for inverted depending on the quality of the shot you have played and the opponent and the quality of the short you intend to play. I find that many of the best topspins come when you play the ball close to table height or below net height but barely above but at table height. If you can topspin this ball with confidence, then good things tend to happen, especially if you can drive it through the table low at net height. Obviously when you play a fellow attacker, you may need to play with more margin. And you can also train yourself to step in when the ball drops shorter. So don't overthink it, just play good shots. And of course do the two or three loops close to the table, two or three loops off the table drill.

Playing close to the table is probably why I dominate most of the U2000 crowd. I need off the table defense and counteroffense to have more options against the 2000+ crowd.

 

[NextLevel]

I have set up a USATT league for my "home club", which is 45 minutes from where I live. We finally played our first rated league on Friday night. Weather depressed attendance but 5 players made it. I was second seeded in the group of 5 but probably more realistically the third best player since there were two looping juniors with more consistent energy and playing levels.

First match against the 5th seed, the younger sister of the first seed. I didn't take the mission seriously since I assumed the ratings gap was large enough to coast and even if I lost, I would only be losing points from a rating that I had a few years ago. But I lost the first and 3rd games and somehow lost the first 7 points of the 5th game. I think ultimately what happened was that I was struggling to respond to her hitting game and that I hadn't worked up the sweat and athleticism to deal with it and I also didn't deploy my most stable strategy consistently early in the match . So I lost that one 2-3. She also deployed a lot of no spin serves which I am not used to people at her level deploying lol.

Second match was against the 3rd seed, a looping juniors who had beaten me far more than I had beaten him. I got my first win against him in unrated league at deuce 3 weeks ago and beat him again last week. This time I took thenfiest game but he played better the next two games. I managed to out up enough resistance in game 4 to get it to game 5 but I was unable to generate any pressure on serve return in game 5 and put up little resistance.

So I was in real danger of going winless. So I was now playing the 4th seed and he is another adult learn, similar style to mine but more athletic and younger. I won the first two games using my mix of backspin and no spin serves with some long topspin serves. He won the third game comfortably but I got a good lead in the 4th. Inexplicably i threw the lead away and it became 9-9. I lost a long rally and then missed a high ball long to send it to a 5th. I resolved to lose playing my heavy spin consistent game if it came to that. Thankfully, I got a large lead and my backhand remained spinny and consistent. I closed the match with some nice backhand topspins. Finally on the board.

Final match was against the #1 seed. He has beaten me pretty much every time we have played over the last two months. In the first game, I got a 10-6 lead but after losing my two serves to 10-8, I accepted that I was likely going to fight this out at deuce. This happened and I think I was lucky that he made a lot of errors returning my serves which he hadn't in a while. In fact he had started putting so much pressure on my serves that I changed my whole serve pattern because of him and started serving much more long topspin to contain his attacks against my half long serves. I also managed to play a lot of timely down the line loops and one of them won me the game for 12-10. In game 2, he was up 10-6 and somehow I managed to get the game to deuce. My fatalities acceptance of losing probably kept me.relaxed as despite a few deuces, I managed to win this game as well and go up 2-0
The final game was the weirdest as I ran out to a 5-1 lead. But he kept hanging around and we got to 9-9. I think he won the next point after a long rally to get to game point but I managed to win the next point to get to deuce. We traded a lot of ads and deuces and on the 5th ad or so which was gor me, I called a timeout. When I came back. I looped his half long serve and he didn't make the block. So I ended thr day with the record I expected to end it with, but not in the manner I thought I would get there.

Posted the results. Celebrated the first night of getting the league rolling. The challenge will be to grow it and make it work since the leagues they do in this area are different. But we will see how it goes, it is a learning experience.

This is my match against the 4th seed. The only one I can share since he is also an adult (I don't like posting matches against kids publicly in general unless they are high rated kids with public profiles).

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I participated in a high level veteran tournament today.
I was in a group of 4 players.
It's 2025 but I keep doing the same mistakes than 2024 and before... i was stupidly talking with my buddy instead of getting warmed up properly for the 1st match whereas my opponent was serious, and he was a good J-Pen player.

As a result I had a horrible start 4-11 in G1, G2 my body was feeling better, but my opponent had a lot of luck 3-11. no more excuses in G3 3-11 again. 0-3 (-4 - 3 -3). ok so maybe i've should stayed home. Opponent had very good serves, not an original style but playing it very neatly, not very fast but not many mistakes, good spin and placement. I was totally outplayed and by the end of the match i couldn't tell if my opponent was super strong or if i was very weak, or both, or the truth was in the middle.

2nd match the player suffered the same fate than me in his first match. So that was a match that i really had to win. The guy was playing short pips with FH. he had good touch with FH to play the ball short and good pivot also.
I believed till the end I was the better player and could win, but i was delusional, lost again 0-3 (-8 -9 -11). I made too many unforced errors and mistakes against rather easy balls. I wasn't at ease against his half long hook serve which was mainly float or little (up)spin, seldom backspin to my FH. I found the solution towards the end of the match opting to receive with a BH chiquita but it was too late.
I mostly lost because i was too tense and played with hesitation.

3rd match was only for pride because whatever the result, the rankings were already decided [there is no official rating in Japan as well], this guy beat the other 2 and would finish 1st, the J-Pen 2nd and the FH SP guy 3rd. He beated the J-Pen guy 3-1 (4 -8 4 4) and the SP guy 3-0 (4 3 6)
That guy was also playing SP with FH. he was serving half long mostly float to FH and if you just received with a push he would immediately start attacking with his FH and could do 2-3-4 attacks in a row with a very unusual float and low arc ball. very painful for his opponents.

My opponent wasn't expecting it, and neither was I but I literally trashed him 3-0 (5 9 3). I think he did have some pride as i could hear him tchooing during the match, but yeah when he was 0-2 down i think consciously or not he gave up as he didn't want to spend extra energy to come back and save his energy for the KO tournament.

on the video one can see i totally boko-boko'ed him. one wouldn't believe it when you see me getting trashed bad by the other 2 and you know he did trash them...

I don't think its just a question of matchup, its about pressure. and also that 3rd opponent had the same kind of serves and by the end of the match i got used to it and figured out receiving with a BH chiquita was very effective. He was not at ease at all on my serve where i got many cheap points so it was a very one-sided match. Basically it was an almost perfect match from me.

---
so once again many regrets... but im definitely improving, despite the results not being there YET. for example, in training matches im getting big wins against good players i never beat before in many years, or small wins getting some games from good players i couldn't get even a game.

 

[NextLevel]

I participated in a high level veteran tournament today.
I was in a group of 4 players.
It's 2025 but I keep doing the same mistakes than 2024 and before... i was stupidly talking with my buddy instead of getting warmed up properly for the 1st match whereas my opponent was serious, and he was a good J-Pen player.

As a result I had a horrible start 4-11 in G1, G2 my body was feeling better, but my opponent had a lot of luck 3-11. no more excuses in G3 3-11 again. 0-3 (-4 - 3 -3). ok so maybe i've should stayed home. Opponent had very good serves, not an original style but playing it very neatly, not very fast but not many mistakes, good spin and placement. I was totally outplayed and by the end of the match i couldn't tell if my opponent was super strong or if i was very weak, or both, or the truth was in the middle.

2nd match the player suffered the same fate than me in his first match. So that was a match that i really had to win. The guy was playing short pips with FH. he had good touch with FH to play the ball short and good pivot also.
I believed till the end I was the better player and could win, but i was delusional, lost again 0-3 (-8 -9 -11). I made too many unforced errors and mistakes against rather easy balls. I wasn't at ease against his half long hook serve which was mainly float or little (up)spin, seldom backspin to my FH. I found the solution towards the end of the match opting to receive with a BH chiquita but it was too late.
I mostly lost because i was too tense and played with hesitation.

3rd match was only for pride because whatever the result, the rankings were already decided [there is no official rating in Japan as well], this guy beat the other 2 and would finish 1st, the J-Pen 2nd and the FH SP guy 3rd. He beated the J-Pen guy 3-1 (4 -8 4 4) and the SP guy 3-0 (4 3 6)
That guy was also playing SP with FH. he was serving half long mostly float to FH and if you just received with a push he would immediately start attacking with his FH and could do 2-3-4 attacks in a row with a very unusual float and low arc ball. very painful for his opponents.

My opponent wasn't expecting it, and neither was I but I literally trashed him 3-0 (5 9 3). I think he did have some pride as i could hear him tchooing during the match, but yeah when he was 0-2 down i think consciously or not he gave up as he didn't want to spend extra energy to come back and save his energy for the KO tournament.

on the video one can see i totally boko-boko'ed him. one wouldn't believe it when you see me getting trashed bad by the other 2 and you know he did trash them...

I don't think its just a question of matchup, its about pressure. and also that 3rd opponent had the same kind of serves and by the end of the match i got used to it and figured out receiving with a BH chiquita was very effective. He was not at ease at all on my serve where i got many cheap points so it was a very one-sided match. Basically it was an almost perfect match from me.

---
so once again many regrets... but im definitely improving, despite the results not being there YET. for example, in training matches im getting big wins against good players i never beat before in many years, or small wins getting some games from good players i couldn't get even a game.

Yeah. That's crazy. He beats everyone but you and you lose to everyone but him. And neither your losses nor his wins were really close.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

btw the J-Pen beat the guy who finished 3rd 3-0 (3 8 5) it wasn't close either...
Personally i think the guys who finished 1st and 2nd were of the same level and it was a matchup problem and the guy who finished 1st is probably difficult to play if you play him for the 1st time and/or if you can't do attack his half long serve.

The match i couldn't afford to lose was the 2nd match. but its crazy because if i had won this guy, it would have been a 3-man tie with 2W1L (and the last guy 0W3L) and the guy who finished 1st would have finished 3rd because on set counts between us 3, he would be -1, i would be 0, and guy who finished 2nd would be +1...

 

[Jslick89]

Look what i just upgraded to in my garage... AKA the PING PONG PARADISE!

 

[NextLevel]

Look what i just upgraded to in my garage... AKA the PING PONG PARADISE!
View attachment 34195

What robot is that? I don't recognize it. A pongbot?

 

[dingyibvs]

Look what i just upgraded to in my garage... AKA the PING PONG PARADISE!
View attachment 34195

Which table is that? I have a Joola Inside 25 which has been working great. Combined with the new Pongbot robot I feel like my playing abilities have entered a new rapid improvement phase. Can't give all the credit to Pongbot though, the Amicus served me well as well, helped me develop a lot of basics and a solid foundation. My weekly training sessions with my training partner served as a great barometer and correction tool, allowing me to fine tune my training to real game situations. But this Pongbot with its much more realistic balls is essentially a multi-ball replacement now.

 

[dingyibvs]

What robot is that? I don't recognize it. A pongbot?

Yes, it's a Pongbot Omni Pro (orange black)

 

[Jslick89]

What robot is that? I don't recognize it. A pongbot?

PONGBOT Omni S Pro…it’s an awesome robot! I’ll be posting more videos of it soon in my review thread.

 

[Jslick89]

Which table is that? I have a Joola Inside 25 which has been working great. Combined with the new Pongbot robot I feel like my playing abilities have entered a new rapid improvement phase. Can't give all the credit to Pongbot though, the Amicus served me well as well, helped me develop a lot of basics and a solid foundation. My weekly training sessions with my training partner served as a great barometer and correction tool, allowing me to fine tune my training to real game situations. But this Pongbot with its much more realistic balls is essentially a multi-ball replacement now.

It’s a Jooola SC 3000. I don’t think they make these anymore? But it’s a 22mm top with a beefy undercarriage. Don’t quote me but I saw a claim online that this was the same table they used at the US open however many years ago. The table and net are both ITTF approved. Our club owner still has about 5 of these at our club, but not in a near perfect condition like this one. Our club owner is slowly relaxing all the tables with butterfly centerfolds though.

I’m excited to practice serves on this table. My old table…a 20 year old “ping pong” brand table, was pretty dead so I know my serve practice was not truly preparing me for the club and tournament play.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

played with GPT and asked
"how would you describe the style and level of the players in this video"
The video features a table tennis match showcasing players with a solid intermediate to advanced level of skill. Here’s a breakdown of their style and level based on typical table tennis criteria:

Style:​

1. Playing Technique:
   • Both players demonstrate strong basic fundamentals, including controlled forehand and backhand loops.
   • They use a mix of topspin and counter-drives, which indicates they are comfortable engaging in mid-distance rallies.
2. Footwork:
   • Their footwork is solid, though not as dynamic or explosive as seen in professional-level players.
   • Positioning is good, with quick adjustments to return both fast and spin-heavy shots.
3. Serve and Receive:
   • Serves appear to have a moderate level of spin and variation, though they lack the deceptive complexity of elite players.
   • The players’ receives are consistent, with effective pushes and flicks to handle spin.
4. Rally Tactics:
   • They rely on controlled aggression, building points through consistent topspin exchanges rather than outright power or speed.
   • There’s an emphasis on placement, with shots directed toward the corners and wide angles to create openings.

Level:​

• Intermediate to Advanced:
  • These players are above recreational or casual levels, with solid technical skills and an understanding of strategy.
  • However, their pace, spin, and power are not at the elite or professional level.

Improvements to Reach Higher Levels:​

• More explosive footwork to cover the table faster.
• Greater variety and deception in serves.
• Faster transitions from defense to offense.
• Increased power and spin, especially on forehand loops.

This analysis suggests they could compete well in local or regional tournaments but may struggle against highly advanced or semi-professional players.

"what USATT rating do you think they deserve"
Based on their playing style and skill level observed in the video, I would estimate the players' USATT (USA Table Tennis) ratings to be in the range of 1500 to 1800. Here's how this range aligns with their observed performance:

Characteristics Supporting This Rating:​

• Consistency in Rallies: They can sustain medium-paced topspin exchanges, typical of players rated 1500-1800.
• Serve and Return: Their serves have moderate spin and variety, and they handle returns reliably, but the serves lack the high deception and spin seen in players above 1800.
• Footwork and Positioning: Solid but not as explosive or refined as players above 2000.
• Tactics and Shot Placement: They use smart placement and angles but rely more on consistent, controlled rallies rather than overpowering their opponent.

Rating Breakdown:​

• 1500-1600: If their strengths lie more in consistency and basic techniques, with limited variety in serves and spin.
• 1700-1800: If they demonstrate better control of spin, effective use of angles, and the ability to initiate attacks confidently.

Players in this range are typically strong in local tournaments but would face challenges against opponents rated 1900 and above, who generally display greater speed, spin, and tactical complexity.

@Takkyu_wa_inochi ,
You little devil you! You have opened the pandora box in me. Now I have been bugging Mister Chad aka Chat-GPT.

One of my best match in competition.

So I uploaded this match for Chad to analyze and asked him a bunch of LOL / fun questions.

One of them was as follows:
Q1: Hey Chad, who you think I play like in the pro scene?
A1: No, so sorry to disappoint you, you don't play like Aruna Quadri. Instead Chad said I play like em' Koreans, specifically...

Summary of Similarities​

Aspect	Lee Sangsu	You
Forehand Style	Aggressive, powerful, high-spin loops	Aggressive power loops with Tenergy 05 Hard
Backhand Role	Control, setup for forehand	Passive control, opportunity creation
Positioning	Close-to-mid distance	Close-to-mid distance
Shot Prioritization	Forehand dominant	Forehand dominant
Equipment	Fast blade, tensor rubbers	Darker Speed 90, Tenergy 05 Hard

---

Conclusion​

Your focus on forehand power looping, tactical backhand control, and aggressive point-finishing mirrors many of the key elements of Lee Sangsu's style. As you refine your techniques and equipment choices, your resemblance to his playstyle will likely become even stronger!

Go figure! Go go go Kimchi Power!!'

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

@Takkyu_wa_inochi ,
You little devil you! You have opened the pandora box in me. Now I have been bugging Mister Chad aka Chat-GPT.

One of my best match in competition.

So I uploaded this match for Chad to analyze and asked him a bunch of LOL / fun questions.

One of them was as follows:
Q1: Hey Chad, who you think I play like in the pro scene?
A1: No, so sorry to disappoint you, you don't play like Aruna Quadri. Instead Chad said I play like em' Koreans, specifically...

Summary of Similarities​

Aspect	Lee Sangsu	You
Forehand Style	Aggressive, powerful, high-spin loops	Aggressive power loops with Tenergy 05 Hard
Backhand Role	Control, setup for forehand	Passive control, opportunity creation
Positioning	Close-to-mid distance	Close-to-mid distance
Shot Prioritization	Forehand dominant	Forehand dominant
Equipment	Fast blade, tensor rubbers	Darker Speed 90, Tenergy 05 Hard

---

Conclusion​

Your focus on forehand power looping, tactical backhand control, and aggressive point-finishing mirrors many of the key elements of Lee Sangsu's style. As you refine your techniques and equipment choices, your resemblance to his playstyle will likely become even stronger!

Go figure! Go go go Kimchi Power!!'
View attachment 34202

Gozo: Chad, do you say this just to butter me up?

Chad: Not at all! The comparison to Lee Sangsu isn’t just a compliment—it's based on genuine similarities between your described playstyle, equipment choices, and strategic approach. Lee’s style serves as a relatable and inspiring example because:

• Your forehand power-looping focus mirrors his core strategy.
• Your backhand setup play prioritizes control and positioning over aggression, a hallmark of his game.
• The transition from a controlled looper to an aggressive forehand finisher aligns closely with how Lee constructs points.

It's less about flattery and more about giving you a mental model to emulate as you refine your game. Players like Lee provide an actionable reference for how to combine these strengths effectively.

 

[Brs]

Don’t quote me but I saw a claim online that this was the same table they used at the US open however many years ago. The

SC3000 was the table at a US open or nationals in Orlando in maybe 2014 or 2015. I bought one of them tournament-used for my garage, only reason I know. Someone bought it for $200 when I sold that house.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I have set up a USATT league for my "home club", which is 45 minutes from where I live. We finally played our first rated league on Friday night. Weather depressed attendance but 5 players made it. I was second seeded in the group of 5 but probably more realistically the third best player since there were two looping juniors with more consistent energy and playing levels.

First match against the 5th seed, the younger sister of the first seed. I didn't take the mission seriously since I assumed the ratings gap was large enough to coast and even if I lost, I would only be losing points from a rating that I had a few years ago. But I lost the first and 3rd games and somehow lost the first 7 points of the 5th game. I think ultimately what happened was that I was struggling to respond to her hitting game and that I hadn't worked up the sweat and athleticism to deal with it and I also didn't deploy my most stable strategy consistently early in the match . So I lost that one 2-3. She also deployed a lot of no spin serves which I am not used to people at her level deploying lol.

Second match was against the 3rd seed, a looping juniors who had beaten me far more than I had beaten him. I got my first win against him in unrated league at deuce 3 weeks ago and beat him again last week. This time I took thenfiest game but he played better the next two games. I managed to out up enough resistance in game 4 to get it to game 5 but I was unable to generate any pressure on serve return in game 5 and put up little resistance.

So I was in real danger of going winless. So I was now playing the 4th seed and he is another adult learn, similar style to mine but more athletic and younger. I won the first two games using my mix of backspin and no spin serves with some long topspin serves. He won the third game comfortably but I got a good lead in the 4th. Inexplicably i threw the lead away and it became 9-9. I lost a long rally and then missed a high ball long to send it to a 5th. I resolved to lose playing my heavy spin consistent game if it came to that. Thankfully, I got a large lead and my backhand remained spinny and consistent. I closed the match with some nice backhand topspins. Finally on the board.

Final match was against the #1 seed. He has beaten me pretty much every time we have played over the last two months. In the first game, I got a 10-6 lead but after losing my two serves to 10-8, I accepted that I was likely going to fight this out at deuce. This happened and I think I was lucky that he made a lot of errors returning my serves which he hadn't in a while. In fact he had started putting so much pressure on my serves that I changed my whole serve pattern because of him and started serving much more long topspin to contain his attacks against my half long serves. I also managed to play a lot of timely down the line loops and one of them won me the game for 12-10. In game 2, he was up 10-6 and somehow I managed to get the game to deuce. My fatalities acceptance of losing probably kept me.relaxed as despite a few deuces, I managed to win this game as well and go up 2-0
The final game was the weirdest as I ran out to a 5-1 lead. But he kept hanging around and we got to 9-9. I think he won the next point after a long rally to get to game point but I managed to win the next point to get to deuce. We traded a lot of ads and deuces and on the 5th ad or so which was gor me, I called a timeout. When I came back. I looped his half long serve and he didn't make the block. So I ended thr day with the record I expected to end it with, but not in the manner I thought I would get there.

Posted the results. Celebrated the first night of getting the league rolling. The challenge will be to grow it and make it work since the leagues they do in this area are different. But we will see how it goes, it is a learning experience.

Here are videos of my matches on that day.
All are in short version. the first 2 thanks to BetterplayAI
the third one, you need an account at PingHero to view it

first match v JPEN

second match v FH SP 1

third match v FH SP2

Bilan de la partie

Un coach de ping-pong dans votre smartphone, alimenté par l’intelligence artificielle. Pour tous les joueurs de tennis de table à la recherche de progrès ou de fun.

pinghero.ai

bonus
my friend E gets trashed by the winner of that tournament, Kenichi Sakamoto, a national vice-champion in his youth, and winner of (All-Japan) Masters 65+ in 2022 but he preferred to play in 50+ instead here and still won it !