Iconic Characteristics of Iconic Players

[PhoenixTT]

Some players have something so iconic in them that even if you hide their faces, you would know it was them when they play. The most familiar to me include:

Dimitri Original - grunting, iconic serves, 'delicate looking' short backhand
Mima Ito - snake service
Harimoto - CHO LEI! of course
Xu Xin - gigantic loops
FZD - his reverse pendulum serve
Hugo Calderano - two-storey high serves, hiding underneath the table prior to receiving serve (like playing against "Kilroy was here")
Manika Batra - the way she spreads her legs so far apart they almost span the whole table.
Ding Ning - her tomahawk serve

What do you find iconic in other players?

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Jang Woojin with his iconic Charlie! Come On!

 

[Doralikesmath]

ZJK was doing the reverse pendulum serves way before FZD tbh.

Some iconic moves/stuff that comes to mind
- Liu Guoliang's serving motion
- Ovtcharov's grunts, which is so distinctive and loud that even if he is not in the frame you still know he is in the building.
- Ma Lin with his chole, alez, come on all at once
- Koki Niwa with everything he does
- Kenta Matsudaira's blocks

 

[PhoenixTT]

ZJK was doing the reverse pendulum serves way before FZD tbh.

Some iconic moves/stuff that comes to mind
- Liu Guoliang's serving motion
- Ovtcharov's grunts, which is so distinctive and loud that even if he is not in the frame you still know he is in the building.
- Ma Lin with his chole, alez, come on all at once
- Koki Niwa with everything he does
- Kenta Matsudaira's blocks

ZJK - that's true. I forgot that.
Ma Lin - didn't know that. Maybe i haven't watched Ma Lin much.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Spoiler: the only thing you should remember about Ma Lin

Ghost Serve

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

EJ user - keep looking at his/her equipment after every point he/she looses

 

[al_111]

I’m always stunned when I see continuous blocking that’s so aggressive in both placement and speed that it actually puts pressure on the opponent up to producing outright winners. Combine that with a top-20 player’s anticipation and the result is just magnificent.
Hence, the three blocking geniuses:
Waldner, who always seemed to be exactly where the ball was going;
Samsonov, whose movements look so slow and effortless that you wonder how it’s even possible for him to play faster than his opponent;
Matsudaira, with those on-the-table fade blocks.
Might also mention He Zhi Wen as a bonus. 😉

 

[PhoenixTT]

Spoiler: the only thing you should remember about Ma Lin

Ghost Serve

Funny enough, the first time I saw a ghost serve at world competitions was Jun Mizutani ghost serving Ma Lin! I may be misremembering if it was indeed Ma Lin as I can't find the video anymore, but it was a videoclip from this show. This version doesn't have that particular exchange with Ma Lin.

 

[PhoenixTT]

EJ user - keep looking at his/her equipment after every point he/she looses

Are there actually female EJs?

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

EJ user - keep looking at his/her equipment after every point he/she looses

I think you must be referring to those Booster-Bros checking whether if they apply their booster oil adequately or not?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think you must be referring to those Booster-Bros checking whether if they apply their booster oil adequately or not?

we see the sponge during boosting, we don't see it after gluing.
you would use your finger to test the sponge

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Are there actually female EJs?

good question
are there any females (just females)

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

good question
are there any females (just females)

Hmmm.. if there are so few female players in this sports, that would make TT a manly sports then. Gman likes the sound of that.

 

[linuques]

Some players have something so iconic in them that even if you hide their faces, you would know it was them when they play. The most familiar to me include:

Dimitri Original - grunting, iconic serves, 'delicate looking' short backhand
Mima Ito - snake service
Harimoto - CHO LEI! of course
Xu Xin - gigantic loops
FZD - his reverse pendulum serve
Hugo Calderano - two-storey high serves, hiding underneath the table prior to receiving serve (like playing against "Kilroy was here")
Manika Batra - the way she spreads her legs so far apart they almost span the whole table.
Ding Ning - her tomahawk serve

What do you find iconic in other players?

Waldner - "no-look" shots
Calderano - two-handed BH

 

[Caravenav]

LGL: Service, first RPB (probably other players did it before, but LGL is the first famous one).
ZJK: Backhand flick.
Ma Long: Forehand Technique.
Jorgen Persson: Backhand almost turning to their back.
JM Saive: Pulling the short pants almost to the hips.
Ryu Seung-min: The best footwork of history.
Waldner: all his game, elegant technique, service set up, drop shot, etc.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Ma Lin
forever fanning himself before a serve

 

[GSpotSniper]

RSM Step around forehand, or FH while moving

 

[PhoenixTT]

Jorgen Persson: Backhand almost turning to their back.
JM Saive: Pulling the short pants almost to the hips.

Persson also had a unique way of holding the blade. His index finger wraps around the edge.
If you cover the upper half of the body, it's hard to tell from just the shorts and legs if you're watching Saive or Szocs!