Help With NCTTA Regionals

[thekleifheit13]

My college team (Akron Blades) is headed to Toronto for our regional collegiate tournament. Our 4 NCTTA ratings (read USATT) are estimated at 1500, 1500, 1300, and 1200. We will most likely be facing clubs with ratings such as 2000+, 1700, 1100, and 1000. Needless to say, our top two will be playing significantly higher than our level. I'm an all-round player that focuses on spin to win and athleticism to survive against attacks, as I do not have any formal coaching. My forehand loop is relatively dangerous and consistent, more spinny than fast but still not slow. I am able to successfully banana flick and attack from my backhand as well. Should I try to avoid big topspin-topspin rallies with the top players from opposing teams, or should I try to play more aggressively and beat them that way? I'm capable of pushing and blocking decently but sometimes have a hard time breaking out and attacking consistently. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Suga D]

If you feel secure to loopkill a ball and have some good placement you should go for it. But it's quite hard to give some general tactical advice by neither knowing you nor your opponents. Most players i know try to spot out weaknesses in the first game and then go from there.
Have a nice trip and a succesful tournament. Either way it goes, plenty of things to learn from that experience.

This probably wasn't the answer you've been lookin' for, but i still hope it helps a little.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Here is how I would look at this:

If you are playing someone 200 or more rating points higher than you, don't worry about the score. Don't worry if you win. Have fun. Try to play your best. Go for your shots. It is hard to beat someone that much better than you. So be loose. Have fun and don't judge yourself if you can't handle when you feel like you are not quite ready for everything that gets thrown at you.

If you find yourself playing someone lower level than you, then stay focused and do your best.


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[Suga D]

Here is how I would look at this:

If you are playing someone 200 or more rating points higher than you, don't worry about the score. Don't worry if you win. Have fun. Try to play your best. Go for your shots. It is hard to beat someone that much better than you. So be loose. Have fun and don't judge yourself if you can't handle when you feel like you are not quite ready for everything that gets thrown at you.

If you find yourself playing someone lower level than you, then stay focused and do your best.


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This is one of the best posts i've read lately.
Exzellent, carl.

 

[thekleifheit13]

Thank you everyone, I'm looking at it as an experience and that's about it. At practice last night I was playing better than I ever have and I was relaxed so I'll just give 'er a go in the tournament and we'll see what happens. The goal overall is to have fun regardless and I appreciate the reminders, it's easy to lose sight of that.

 

[pgpg]

Here is how I would look at this:

If you are playing someone 200 or more rating points higher than you, don't worry about the score. Don't worry if you win. Have fun. Try to play your best. Go for your shots. It is hard to beat someone that much better than you. So be loose. Have fun and don't judge yourself if you can't handle when you feel like you are not quite ready for everything that gets thrown at you.

If you find yourself playing someone lower level than you, then stay focused and do your best.


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Good advice - as a slightly different take, try to ignore your opponent rating altogether. I've run into cases where I significantly underestimated/overestimated someone just based on the number written on the match sheet. It could be old, inaccurate or just wrong, so don't let it cloud your expectations.

 

[thekleifheit13]

Good advice - as a slightly different take, try to ignore your opponent rating altogether. I've run into cases where I significantly underestimated/overestimated someone just based on the number written on the match sheet. It could be old, inaccurate or just wrong, so don't let it cloud your expectations.

Thanks, I typically check ratings for USATT matches but ignore them with collegiate matches. I'm not sure why I do this but it does keep my head out from betwixt my cheeks a little better. This weekend I have the division tournament which is a little lower level so it'll be a good warmup for me to get my mentality down.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

This is one of the best posts i've read lately.
Exzellent, carl.

Hahaha. This made me laugh. For a second I thought it was Der_Echte because of how you spelled Exzellent. I have a feeling he would approve of that spelling, or claim you got it from him. Hahaha.


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[Suga D]

Hahaha. This made me laugh. For a second I thought it was Der_Echte because of how you spelled Exzellent. I have a feeling he would approve of that spelling, or claim you got it from him. Hahaha.


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Hahahahaaa. Caught me, carl. I hope der_Echte doesn't charge me for violation of copyright laws...

My autocorrect is still in german. Even though it has learned quite a few new terms lately, it doesn't seem to be ready for my denglish*...

*denglish = mix from english and deutsch

Good advice - as a slightly different take, try to ignore your opponent rating altogether. I've run into cases where I significantly underestimated/overestimated someone just based on the number written on the match sheet. It could be old, inaccurate or just wrong, so don't let it cloud your expectations.

I like this, too. Totally accurate, pgpg

 

[thekleifheit13]

This brings back memories. My grandparents are Austrian and Serbian, so I grew up transitioning between redneck English and low (looowwww) German. Unfortunately all I've retained are profanities and a few colloquial phrases...

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Unfortunately all I've retained are profanities and a few colloquial phrases...

Those can get you pretty far where I come from! Hahaha

Good advice - as a slightly different take, try to ignore your opponent rating altogether. I've run into cases where I significantly underestimated/overestimated someone just based on the number written on the match sheet. It could be old, inaccurate or just wrong, so don't let it cloud your expectations.

I agree with this. It actually goes nicely with what I said. I would never look at someone's rating before playing them and think anything of it. I've seen too many people with ratings that had nothing to do with their level. From the sandbaggers who are 2300 who purposely lose enough matches to lower level players so they can enter events like U2050 and win the cash prize, to guys who just haven't played a sanctioned tournament in years and have a rating like 1100 when their real level is over 2000.

But when you are in a match and it feels like you keep messing up because you get these weird balls back that you are not ready for and you think you are just playing bad, often, that is a higher level opponent and you shouldn't walk away from that match thinking, "man, what's wrong with me? I just played like I really suck! And the match before I was playing well...."

A higher level player can make you feel inept without even meaning to. They just have different skill sets.



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[thekleifheit13]

They get me pretty far with my family too, that's probably why they stuck so well. Haha but the scenario you're describing happens to me a lot, particularly at this one club in Canton. I went one week and barely won a game, found myself so frustrated I didn't even really talk between matches outside of receiving coaching. Went back the following week to find that the worst person I played was 1600 and felt sooo much better about myself. Anyway, I really appreciate all the suggestions and I'll figure out what works for me then report back about how it goes!

 

[NextLevel]

I remember playing a lower rated player I train with fairly frequently - maybe 150 pts difference, not an incredible gap. So he is getting closer and closer to getting his first win. And one time, he is up like 2-1, 5-2 or 6-2 and then I change tactics and take spin off my stroke and he doesn't notice and starts mistiming the ball repeatedly. He loses the 4th game at 8 and the 5th game at 4 and is frustrated.

As I tell him, I have to make you work for the first one. After that one, the rest come more easily.

But yes, any higher rated player with experience can throw many things at you. As you get better, table tennis becomes less about you and more about your opponent.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Most importantly: have fun. When it happens that you feel like you keep messing up and the other person keeps making shots that seem like random accidents that you are not ready for and can't handle, they aren't random. If it only happens once, that is different. If it keeps happening and the other person is winning easily and you think you are just playing bad, that is what the other person is doing. Use it as an opportunity to see what a few levels up is like. Try to have fun with that! Yes, I said, try to have fun with that. Use it as an opportunity to set faster and try and be ready for anything and as training for the next level.

If you want to laugh, look at footage of me playing Der_Echte and NextLevel. NextLevel has plenty of it on his YouTube Channel. Every so often I play a good point. But, for the most part they both make me look like a fool who can't play. hahaha. And I kept coming back for more because I know that ultimately, what I need to work on to get better is in what they are doing that I keep messing up on.

 

[BrownRabbit]

Our school goes to NCTTA regional in Toronto too. Those players from McMaster are quite decent. I heard our team captain, who is former Canadian national team member, was easily defeated by them. Their tactics are very good. My advice is to avoid cheap miss, like serving, receiving and be little more stable without taking risk. Good luck!

 

[thekleifheit13]

BR, what school are you from? I probably saw you last year when we hosted regionals in Akron! McMaster was very tough though, their #3 handed our #1 (USATT 2400) his only loss in the round robin. Hopefully the field is a little more even this year. Also, thanks for the advice!

 

[aerial]

Why aren't you guys hosting again? I know a lot of players are griping on having to do visa paperwork + fees to go to Canada for regionals from China, India, etc.

 

[thekleifheit13]

I don't know, Keith lives in Toronto and so does Sam (NCTTA royalty) and I guess they didn't wanna travel. We lost our two best guys because they didn't want to deal with the Visa process. I'll be taking over as Ohio East Division Director after I graduate in May and am hoping I can convince them to hold Regionals stateside in the future.

 

[BrownRabbit]

mcgill. That sounds very tough... I am pretty sure that your team's #1 can beat most of my school's team member but I honestly cannot believe that happened. And yes, I hope some school is going to rise up too!

BR, what school are you from? I probably saw you last year when we hosted regionals in Akron! McMaster was very tough though, their #3 handed our #1 (USATT 2400) his only loss in the round robin. Hopefully the field is a little more even this year. Also, thanks for the advice!

 

[thekleifheit13]

Sarang is one tough cookie, he never even plays anymore and hasn't even lost a step. But I'd love to see other schools do well, Ohio East is very weak. Our women's team is the only women's team and nobody on our A or B team has lost a game yet outside of matches with Case Western Reserve. We're not phenomenal either, other schools don't really take it very seriously. Is your division the same?