How many of you use Table Tennis as a vice?

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Do you play TT with friends, using TT as one way of hanging out with friends?

Do you use TT as a substitute for alcohol/pot/drugs?

If you work full-time 40 hours a week, why do you spend so much time playing TT? Is it out of pure love for the sport?

What exactly does TT mean to you and what does it do for you?

This is coming from someone diagnosed with severe depression+anxiety. TT helps with that.
 
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I started because a doctor ordered excercise after a heart attack. When I came back to work from the hospital, a TT table had appeared. I used to play pretty serious some 40 years ago… so it happened naturally…

Cheers
L-zr
 
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
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TT allows my metabolism to work harder to eliminate the Hawaiiam, Big Mac and Whopper I had during breakfast, lunch and dinner.
 
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My family have had a table tennis table since I was very young and it came naturally afterwards. Then, after a long break Covid hit in and I played more and more with my dad. Eventually, I got hooked on WTT as well and started playing table tennis regularly again.
Even now, between hard study sessions when I take a break I often just do some serve practicing to relax
 
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I think the appeal of TT for a lot of people is definitely some form of self-therapy.

At least for me, I get a few hour break from all the mental clutter and inner dialogue that comes along with modern life.

That's not to say that TT isn't humbling or frustrating. Especially as a beginner TT can be very complex and daunting. But everything is still under your control, and the fast pace nature of it makes it very addicting.

There's also the aspect of there being so many skills to learn, it's almost like playing an RPG where you invest a lot of time on the table to level up the endless types of strokes. It takes so long to get them to an acceptable level, and exponentially more time to get them to optimal form, that you're always feeling something can be improved.

So I guess you can consider it a vice in some aspects because it might take you away from 'the real world' for a bit, and you're investing so much time and energy into a game with very little if any monetary or reputational benefit. Like gaming, a lot of people might find themselves at the TT club as a form of escapism.

But the mental and physical health benefits of it are substantial enough to justify a reasonable amount of time invested. Playing or drilling is the most enjoyable and consistent zone 2 training I've had after quitting combat sports. It scratches the itch of competition in a harmless way. And there is good evidence that it help keeps the brain and reflexes sharp as you age.

So if TT is a vice, then it really is one of the better ones to have. It sure beats my other vices like hookers and booze! 😆
 
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There is nothing more beautiful to me than the sound of hitting the ball in rhythm. Every point is musical, you can almost tell the shots that were played just by listening to the ball. Training just hitting the ball back and forth is often more fun than playing matches for this feeling.
 
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
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Yuk, and you said you had food culture…

Cheers
L-zr
My good man, this is an international forum, hence I have to use terms that are globally recognizable.
 
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
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You play TT for the love of big Mac and Whopper.
I give up big Mac and Whopper for the love of playing good TT and lifting weight.
let's just say we have our priorities. Let us agree to disagree...
 
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I'm so overweight,I drink far to much alcohol, suffered from Mental health all my life and recently been diagnosed with a personality disorder.The only thing I believe I'm any good at is Table tennis and for my life it really helps me to feel good about myself!!! I love that me and my partner spend so much time at table tennis and she is as hooked as I am now lol 😂 😂 😂 😂
 
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I just love everything about this sport. Probably one of the most satisfying aspects is being able to constantly increase my skill. That is not to say there are not roadblocks, but with enough practice and diligence, you can reach a new level.

Also- the table tennis community is generally much more pleasant than other sport's communities. I swear, people wanted to fight me almost every week i played adult recreation/competitive soccer. In table tennis- only one cranky old dude has threatened to fight me lol.

also- in terms of other hobbies or sports, its a relatively inexpensive hobby (i'm not an EJ though). You just have to pay your drop in fee, the occasional tournament fee, and if you want, coaching fees. The only other expense is to replace your rubbers every so often.

Like someone else said, theres practically no better feeling then looping a clear winner right past your opponent. i live for that! haha!
 
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When I go to practice hall, I forget everything else. Playing and practising is just so much fun. And I love the challenge of developping in the sport. Rhere is always something what I could do better. I am interested finding the perfect setup. I love watching the pros play. I can't sometimes go to sleep, because I am thinking about TT. This is my passion! The best thing are monster fh loops. Table tennis makes me forgetting all the stress from my studies for a moment.
 
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There is nothing more beautiful to me than the sound of hitting the ball in rhythm. Every point is musical, you can almost tell the shots that were played just by listening to the ball. Training just hitting the ball back and forth is often more fun than playing matches for this feeling.
Yeah, the best sound is a fast and violent forehand loop against a topspin ball from a boosted Hurricane III. It's strangely satisfying.
 
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Well, I'm not sure about others but table tennis can also earn you some respect and adoration if you have reached certain level, especially you go visit a new club.
When I travel either on business or leisure, I usually try to squeeze some time to visit some local clubs. After playing some players there, many club members would line up to play match with me making you feel you are very welcomed there. Advanced players love to play a competitive new player and lower level ones appreciate you spend time playing with them and try to learn something from you. Table tennis make me feel at home at clubs I've never been there.
 
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