How well would Ma Lin do in these modern times?

[Emin]

Title basically.


New Ball, New equipment, new playstyles, new opponents - both domestically and internationally, new Organization of Events etc. ... .

 

[zeio]

Grand Slam holder, no less. Second weakest era after the previous. Look at ML's final opponents in the 3 majors since WTTC 2015. A complete joke.

 

[Emin]

So are you saying He would have been at the top?

 

[zeio]

Just look at F. Lebrun.

 

[NextLevel]

So are you saying He would have been at the top?

He would need a better backhand but no reason why he wouldn't be a top Chinese player, the guy was a ridiculously special athlete.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

So are you saying He would have been at the top?

easily

CNT is one of its weakest ever

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

He would need a better backhand but no reason why he wouldn't be a top Chinese player, the guy was a ridiculously special athlete.

not sure if his chop block will work in 40+
but i'm sure he would figure things out.
he was a workhorse

 

[NextLevel]

not sure if his chop block will work in 40+
but i'm sure he would figure things out.
he was a workhorse

Ma Long and Koki did it, maybe not as effectively as Ma Lin.

 

[SFF_lib]

Title basically.


New Ball, New equipment, new playstyles, new opponents - both domestically and internationally, new Organization of Events etc. ... .

He will still beat me 11:0 with his big belly 🤣🤣

 

[piligrim]

He would be world number 1 for sure or at least in top 3

 

[Dr Evil]

Put prime Ma Lin in a time machine and enter him in the Saudi Smash and he wouldn't go very far. The 40+ game is different. I think he'd eventually adjust and make top 10 or even top 5, but no chance for number 1 unless he could start again as a junior.

 

[beeray1]

I think it depends on how you're framing it.

If you just take Ma Lin as he was, kidnap him in a time machine and just plant him into this era, I think he'd actually struggle some. I remember how the CNT coaching staff talked about the plastic ball when they were testing it, and about how players 'like' Ma Lin won't happen again. There's not enough craft in the sport with the plastic ball, the finer technical skills matter less. We would not have seen Harimoto be as good as early in my opinion on the old ball for example. There's a lower skill ceiling and it's more about athleticism than before, and a less about the fine skills.

But you could take Ma Lin and train him up in this era instead of when he came up and the special characteristics he had as an individual would surely lead to him being a top of the top player just the same. But he'd have learned differently and adapted differently than he did in the older days, and would have a different game for sure.

Inversely I think someone like Wang Liqin would absolutely thrive in this era whichever way you frame it. Underrated backhand stability, 1 out of 1 level of forehand quality and power, and top tier speed and athleticism. His forehand would have less weight on the plastic ball, but alternatively could be even more dominant because of how indiscriminately he could get it into play I reckon.

 

[ck1407]

Wang hao in the 40+ era will be interesting

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Put prime Ma Lin in a time machine and enter him in the Saudi Smash and he wouldn't go very far. The 40+ game is different. I think he'd eventually adjust and make top 10 or even top 5, but no chance for number 1 unless he could start again as a junior.

same logic if you do the same to ma long in 38mm days

I'm not sure if OP is meaning of time machine, or rather growing up in the modern age
if Ma Lin was born in this era, he would be top 3 in the world no doubt.
So many CNT players today are not even worthy to be in the same sentence with him
the number 1 penholder in the world is Felix....

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Inversely I think someone like Wang Liqin would absolutely thrive in this era whichever way you frame it. Underrated backhand stability, 1 out of 1 level of forehand quality and power, and top tier speed and athleticism. His forehand would have less weight on the plastic ball, but alternatively could be even more dominant because of how indiscriminately he could get it into play I reckon.

its best of 5s today
WLQ only starts during game 2 or game 3....
that would be a slight problem

the world cups games of 3 or 4, would also be a problem for him

 

[mihalichtheone]

Wang hao in the 40+ era will be interesting

Wang Hao wearing jeans would still be top 30

 

[vanjr]

You know you are getting old when questions like this come up... Ma Lin would excel in any era he played in. From now to eternity.

 

[beeray1]

its best of 5s today
WLQ only starts during game 2 or game 3....
that would be a slight problem

the world cups games of 3 or 4, would also be a problem for him

ah yeah that's a good point. I didn't think about the 3/5 thing. He was a notorious slow starter.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

ah yeah that's a good point. I didn't think about the 3/5 thing. He was a notorious slow starter.

record holder, but once he gets started, you better hope you had enough games already, otherwise, you are toasted
haha