Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

[Matteones]

We always beat those national team players when they were young. I still keep good record of 1:0 or 2:0 against a couple of them

I myself love to tell people I quite easily dispatched Matteo Mutti, current italian champion, and Daniele Pinto, another italian professional player. I then add the information that they were something like 11 y.o. at the time

 

[Tyce]

I myself love to tell people I quite easily dispatched Matteo Mutti, current italian champion, and Daniele Pinto, another italian professional player. I then add the information that they were something like 11 y.o. at the time

I have won against Britt Eerlands boyfriend

 

[dewnyc]

Amy Wang I also played as well. She was 2400 then. Not fun at all lol.

I played Amy in 2011 when she was 8 years old (and I was 35), and lost to her 3-0. She broke 2000 in the following tournament.

 

[NextLevel]

I played Amy in 2011 when she was 8 years old (and I was 35), and lost to her 3-0. She broke 2000 in the following tournament.

She lost to an older Iranian dentist at a tournament at my club when she was around that time at our club in Philly. She wasn't happy after the match... but her talent was always somewhat obvious.

 

[Tyce]

I lost to a 15yo earlier this year who was then rated below me (it was one of the first times she played a senior event). She's now 200 points above me and a full event category higher, so that was probably the last time I'll be playing her, too 🤣
(I'm 30 points up since our encounter, she's about 300 up lol)
Interestingly, the point level she currently has is where I would estimate my peak ability to be if, and only if, I were to train more and with proper guidance. I can get fairly toe to toe with most club players around the 1200 mark as it is, but can't beat them more than occasionally. I expect (hope) to finally get a bit of a rise next season, competing in a class where I'm not the highest rated player.

 

[Matteones]

She lost to an older Iranian dentist at a tournament at my club when she was around that time at our club in Philly. She wasn't happy after the match... but her talent was always somewhat obvious.

It just occurred to me that this may be an easier way to compare rating / ranking across countries.
What's the rating bracket of let's say the first 5 or 10 rated U15 (born 2012 - 2013) players in the US? Please do not count the chinese/korean/japanese teens that may make an appearance, just the ones who have grown as players in the US.

 

[NextLevel]

It just occurred to me that this may be an easier way to compare rating / ranking across countries.
What's the rating bracket of let's say the first 5 or 10 rated U15 (born 2012 - 2013) players in the US? Please do not count the chinese/korean/japanese teens that may make an appearance, just the ones who have grown as players in the US.

Ratings are available at ratings.usatt.org. Top 10 players aged 15 and under are 2350‐2515 USATT. This is just the citizens.

 

[NextLevel]

Still struggling to use my forehand fush with confidence. I have been pushing with the backhand for so long I don't know how to act differently. But maybe not...

I am working on playing out of a more neutral grip with the racket almost parallel to my forearm and doing elbow-driven strokes. It has the potential to do two things. One is becauae I don't leverage my elbow consistently, I tend to get more spin relative to speed on shots and sometimes close the paddle too much.

Ultimately I expect to develop some of my grip changes back into new approach but I meed a new base so I can play forehand strokes more intuitively and I think this is where to start. But I will get coaching starting on Monday hopefully (my coach had a work emergency and went to Nationals so we agreed to meet this Monday).

 

[Der_Echte]

Still struggling to use my forehand fush with confidence. I have been pushing with the backhand for so long I don't know how to act differently. But maybe not...

I am working on playing out of a more neutral grip with the racket almost parallel to my forearm and doing elbow-driven strokes. It has the potential to do two things. One is becauae I don't leverage my elbow consistently, I tend to get more spin relative to speed on shots and sometimes close the paddle too much.

Ultimately I expect to develop some of my grip changes back into new approach but I meed a new base so I can play forehand strokes more intuitively and I think this is where to start. But I will get coaching starting on Monday hopefully (my coach had a work emergency and went to Nationals so we agreed to meet this Monday).

Try to ensure elbow is in front of body/ribcage by at least 6 inches or more to give you leverage and reaction to both sides, also gives much better first step. Maybe I see you live one day and have it make sense to you.

 

[dingyibvs]

Hey @Der_Echte, you made it to Muscle Pong's latest video!

 

[Der_Echte]

Too bad I showed up to the tourney totally not ready to compete, bad weeks of work and sleep, I couldn't even get 2-3 inches into a squat. That can happen and one gets what they deserve showing up to competition like that.

Bright side of it is, I am not that un-ready to compete most of the time and whatever points I lose only make me more desirable as a doubles partner... I play way better doubles anyway.

I still have to drop another 200-300 points to get to the level of under rated O50 dudes in OCTTA who are doubles ringers.

@dingyibvs has seen me play doubles before, I am money there.

 

[NextLevel]

Too bad I showed up to the tourney totally not ready to compete, bad weeks of work and sleep, I couldn't even get 2-3 inches into a squat. That can happen and one gets what they deserve showing up to competition like that.

Bright side of it is, I am not that un-ready to compete most of the time and whatever points I lose only make me more desirable as a doubles partner... I play way better doubles anyway.

I still have to drop another 200-300 points to get to the level of under rated O50 dudes in OCTTA who are doubles ringers.

@dingyibvs has seen me play doubles before, I am money there.

You look slimmer but age seems to have invisibly done a number on you. Would never have thought Josh would get you so easily even if you were in not peak form. He didn't even make that many mistakes returning your serves or blocking your loops.

 

[dingyibvs]

Too bad I showed up to the tourney totally not ready to compete, bad weeks of work and sleep, I couldn't even get 2-3 inches into a squat. That can happen and one gets what they deserve showing up to competition like that.

Bright side of it is, I am not that un-ready to compete most of the time and whatever points I lose only make me more desirable as a doubles partner... I play way better doubles anyway.

I still have to drop another 200-300 points to get to the level of under rated O50 dudes in OCTTA who are doubles ringers.

@dingyibvs has seen me play doubles before, I am money there.

Yeah, I think you were extra sluggish that day! I think his assessment at the end was correct in that he just needed to bring the ball back. Your single shot quality was still very good, but just didn't have the stamina to continuously attack that day.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

celebrating a W here.

our team won our local division 2 championships, will move to div1 next round.
I started playing in those champs more than 20 years ago, from the bottom rank (div6) and only moving out of div6 in 2014... It has been a long road. Although i'm only the 4th or 5th player of the team, I'm the one who's been here all that time, and recruited new players, and it really feels good...

 

[Der_Echte]

Yeah, I think you were extra sluggish that day! I think his assessment at the end was correct in that he just needed to bring the ball back. Your single shot quality was still very good, but just didn't have the stamina to continuously attack that day.

I also did not see the ball worth a crap too, it was my worst tourney, did not win any matches. I do not dwell on it, after that tourney, I probably played the best doubles back to back matches I ever played in the Sac tourney a few weeks later. My partner's daughter saw both matches and asked my partner how the heck I got to so many balls and connected strongly. So, I did bounce back fine, I was concerned I was just too old.

It is real important to peak physically and mentally for a tourney you feel is important, but I was probably in the worst condition possible to compete. Still, I put on the uniform and got on the court. I accept whatever came as consequences.

At least the last US Open I proved I could sustain above my level over 4 days of comp if I was ready and focused. All lower players defeat 3-0 no chance given, defeat a higher player, and play tough vs those 300 points higher rated.

These days, it is not so much to be a macho man top player, it is about showing others how to win in matches and improve level. i do that better than I play right now, so it is all good.

 

[NextLevel]

Had my first lesson with a coach today - he is the brother of a popular youtube coach. He coaches a lot of the stronger juniors in our area and hitting with him, the main benefit is that he gives you his quality, which you might not get from a say 2600+ coach who will mostly give you his consistency.

Got to work on some drills and in a weird way, I have work to do but I do have a path to forehand backhand balance. It involves practice and training but I will stick with it.

One drill he encouraged me to work on (which I almost never do because I don't chop), is the forehand to forehand chop-loop-counterloop-chop-loop-counterloop drill to learn to adjust better to heavy spin timing. Will practice that, might actually improve things other than just my loop as well.