TabletennisDaily vs MyTableTennis.net

[Baal]

Aaah this makes a lot clear. Sometimes when I watch the videos of Americans I find it very weird. How can such a passionated man just play in a garage or sth, at places with poor conditions as you said? Normally you would expect that someone who's very passionated plays in a club etc. But the fact that there are not so many places or clubs to train explains everything. Also, a lot of Americans have an 'onorthodox' technique (which is not necessarily worse) due that they begun later in their life.

In Belgium (and normally also in whole Europe) everyone has a coach because we play in a club. Our club is not so big so we only have two coaches but the bigger clubs (within 30 minutes driving you have 4 or 5 what I call bigger clubs) have more than 10 coaches. I have been playing since I was 12 years old, which is pretty late in Belgium. Now I am 17 years old for those who want to know. All those factors make it easier to learn the 'correct' technique.

But I must add not every club plays in the city sports hall, some play in a school's sports hall. TT is a little sport so others sports have priority.

I have played a lot in Europe, mostly in Germany and Sweden (where I learned to play as a kid a long long time ago) and also in England. In Germany it seemed like a lot of clubs played at schools, but with excellent floors and tables. People in Germany and Sweden were well schooled, and seemed to have started as kids. I really enjoy playing there. The worst conditions I have seen in Germany and Sweden were really good by US standards. In the US (and also in China) you will see about every possible way of playing. Playing conditions in China can be surprisingly bad for amateurs. Of course, the training facilities for professionals and professionals-to-be are beyond belief they are so good and so large. (I visited one once in Wuhan where a friend of mine used to coach).

My club in Houston has excellent playing conditions and we are open 7 days a week, year round. I feel pretty lucky to have that! But coaching in the US is almost never free. That is another issue. The costs vary depending on coach and what city, but here it ranges from $35-50 per hour.

I was in Belgium last week, in Leuven and Brussels, but was on vacation with my wife so didn't try to play.

 

[Baal]

Based on my personal experience with the above-mentioned TT forums, the most active/obnoxious trolls are no spring chickens, quite the opposite actually.

You are absolutely correct. There is no doubt about it at all. So I apologize to young people I may have slandered.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Hey guys, the information presented in this thread is awesome. This is a great read and a treat to learn from. So thanks JulienB for starting such a good thread and thanks especially to Baal but to all contributors for such a great level of information. And I promise I won't be a grouchy old curmudgeon or too much of a troublemaker right now. Later....perhaps. But I have really enjoyed reading this thread. So not at this point in time.

Honorable mention to Der_Echte who always seems to know how to make me laugh, also to BeGo, NextLevel, and Tareqphoto for quality posts. And to unknown_poster for spicing things up.

"Wait, I thought Carl said he wouldn't cause any trouble right now!"

Darn, I just can't help it.

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[TareqPhoto]

Good, sense of humor is also nice time to time, no need to be serious all the time, and we should try to reach this site to level where we feel as we are one family, this will make sure this site will stay longer and become better quality in the contents and more friendly environment, but to go more than just friendly is really a good goal, i will keep reading/watching/posting on this site as long as i can even if i stop playing this sport, so i wish the best luck and more success in the future.

 

[Suga D]

I have played a lot in Europe, mostly in Germany and Sweden (where I learned to play as a kid a long long time ago) and also in England. In Germany it seemed like a lot of clubs played at schools, but with excellent floors and tables. People in Germany and Sweden were well schooled, and seemed to have started as kids. I really enjoy playing there. The worst conditions I have seen in Germany and Sweden were really good by US standards. In the US (and also in China) you will see about every possible way of playing. Playing conditions in China can be surprisingly bad for amateurs. Of course, the training facilities for professionals and professionals-to-be are beyond belief they are so good and so large. (I visited one once in Wuhan where a friend of mine used to coach).

My club in Houston has excellent playing conditions and we are open 7 days a week, year round. I feel pretty lucky to have that! But coaching in the US is almost never free. That is another issue. The costs vary depending on coach and what city, but here it ranges from $35-50 per hour.

I was in Belgium last week, in Leuven and Brussels, but was on vacation with my wife so didn't try to play.

This is really interesting. Where in germany have you been? My best friend who used to live around the corner from here moved to the states and stays now in Houston as well. You might know him, he's a math professor at rice. And he also goes to a club in houston every once in a while. I guess there can't be that many table tennis players from germany there.
Small world.

Back to topic: i really don't wanna play the wise guy / smart azz, but when things/posts get too ridiculous i can't hold myself back. If i been stepping on anyone's toes i really like to apologise for that. Nice thread!

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Back to topic: i really don't wanna play the wise guy / smart azz, but when things/posts get too ridiculous i can't hold myself back. If i been stepping on anyone's toes i really like to apologise for that. Nice thread!

I say the same and I don't have to ask if I stepped on anyone's toes. I know I have. I have done it to Tareq many times. Hahaha. But Tareq is great fun to have around. So I don't mean any disrespect.

 

[Suga D]

I say the same and I don't have to ask if I stepped on anyone's toes. I know I have. I have done it to Tareq many times. Hahaha. But Tareq is great fun to have around. So I don't mean any disrespect.

I think i absolutely understand what you're sayin'. It sometimes hurts the heart and the eye seeing people standing in their own way.
So tryin' to correct them is actually a way to show some love (although this kinda love sometimes seems to be unwanted and unwelcome).
Which makes me even say even more(+a little louder):
Carry on, big boy. You seem to be driven by something good! ;-)

 

[Baal]

This is really interesting. Where in germany have you been? My best friend who used to live around the corner from here moved to the states and stays now in Houston as well. You might know him, he's a math professor at rice. And he also goes to a club in houston every once in a while. I guess there can't be that many table tennis players from germany there.
Small world.

Back to topic: i really don't wanna play the wise guy / smart azz, but when things/posts get too ridiculous i can't hold myself back. If i been stepping on anyone's toes i really like to apologise for that. Nice thread!

I've played in Freiburg about three different times (I have a friend there who is quite good and so that is where I had the most fun and also that is a place I have been to a few times for professional reasons), Heidelberg (twice now), and Cologne (Koeln). When I am in Germany it is almost always for work. I played in Lincoln in England once with APW46. That was fantastic, he is a guy who I became friends with on TT forums and he is a fellow mod at MyTT. Last time I played in Stockholm must have been 2009 or 2010. I found a place to play there by contacting a Swedish guy who had his own TT blog. I have played a lot in China -- in Mianyang (many times), Wuhan, Beijing (several times), and Hefei. I played once near Dijon in France. ALso, once in Vilnius Lithuania, again through an arrangement with someone I met on MyTT.

Quite a few people have contacted me over the years to play in Houston through TT forums, most recently a guy from Denmark who plays pretty well.

I am about 99% sure that I know the German Rice math professor by sight. I have not seen him or his main practice partner for awhile if it is who I think it is but he used to come about once a week and would play with another German guy.

 

[JulienB]

Another question: do you have specialized table tennis stores in the USA?
It seems most of the people on this forum buy their equipment online. I have never done that so far.
Yesterday I went to a specialized TT store to buy my new setup and for the first time shoes especially for TT.
I always like to visit the store. Rubbers and blade all over the wall.

 

[TTFrenzy]

As far as I can see, people have a lot of the some issues in the sport regardless of where we live. We are concerned with where to play, the nature of our equipment and where to buy it (and where to avoid), and the play of the top players and how we can get better. Also stupid things ITTF does, and these days, balls.

The various forums have some differences. MyTT is more North American, this one has more UK focus, and OOAK has more posters from the Antipodes. MyTT and TTD both have a substantial number of mainland European posters, it looks like this one has more. MyTThas been around longer. I like the video reviews here, but the buy and sell forum at MyTT is the best in existence I think and it attracts a lot of Europeans. I think there are fewer flame wars and trolls here, which I find refreshing and that is true even though a lot of posters here are younger. MyTT has always had a tendency for things to get pretty heated, not always a bad thing, but sometimes. I like the look of this site, but I have been at MyTT a long time, so don't mind it either. OOAK is very much about LP and people are polite to the point of being almost stodgy and have some pretty conservative ideas about the sport in general.

Anything that promotes the sport or helps players connect is good. That is the bottom line. There is room for several large English language forums.

MyTT has helped me find playing partners and places to play all over the world. I am sure that will happen with this site too.

Yeap I also think that in mytt things escalate pretty quickly, TTD is different in that area and I believe Dan has done a great job on this aspect keeping things civilized, either by banning flame posters or locking threads that have bad language or behavior from users.

On the other hand mytt is definitely the best on finding a buyer/seller for a TT product, TTD topics are mainly focused on the world tours the leagues and several aspects about the game.

 

[Baal]

Pretty much we don't have actual shops so about 99% of TT equipment is sold on online. Some coaches here maintain stocks of stuff they can sell to players at a club but small selection. So when I travel to Europe or Asia I always try to find an actual shop with a store front, especially to buy shoes that I can actually try on first. Last one I visited was Rene's Spin Shop Freiburg. I went to one in Cologne that was operated by Jorg Rosskopf's brother. Went to TTex in Stockholm (was pretty shocked by their prices, though).

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Yep. I buy most stuff either from a couple of friends who get through a distributor or are sponsored.

I remember, in 1991 I played for a few months at a club that had a decent shop. They had Stiga blades and Butterfly rubbers. That was there selection. Sriver and Sriver FX. They also had speed glue. I really only played for a few months back then: not long enough to learn how to loop but long enough to learn how bad I was compared to guys who could play. But that was the only shop I have ever seen that was remotely good.


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[TTHopeful]

For me it's TTD as the threads are so up to date.

 

[Suga D]

I've played in Freiburg about three different times (I have a friend there who is quite good and so that is where I had the most fun and also that is a place I have been to a few times for professional reasons), Heidelberg (twice now), and Cologne (Koeln). When I am in Germany it is almost always for work. I played in Lincoln in England once with APW46. That was fantastic, he is a guy who I became friends with on TT forums and he is a fellow mod at MyTT. Last time I played in Stockholm must have been 2009 or 2010. I found a place to play there by contacting a Swedish guy who had his own TT blog. I have played a lot in China -- in Mianyang (many times), Wuhan, Beijing (several times), and Hefei. I played once near Dijon in France. ALso, once in Vilnius Lithuania, again through an arrangement with someone I met on MyTT.

Quite a few people have contacted me over the years to play in Houston through TT forums, most recently a guy from Denmark who plays pretty well.

I am about 99% sure that I know the German Rice math professor by sight. I have not seen him or his main practice partner for awhile if it is who I think it is but he used to come about once a week and would play with another German guy.

Sorry, i couldn't write back earlier...
Wow, you've got to get to know very different tabletennis 'cultures'. That must be very interesting and pretty valuable.

Well, i've been talking to my friend, who is over here at the moment, (which is probably why you've hardly seen him lately) and you gotta be right. Mostly he plays with the other german guy, you've been writing about. He told me it's quite a ride from his place to your practice hall, which is why he mostly goes there once a week.
He showed me pics of the place and i must say it looks pretty decent over there. Nice lighting. Nice flooring...

And he'd really like to play with you. So maybe you can speak to him, next time you see him (which probably will be around mid August since he's on vacation).
Since you don't use a profile pic, he doesn't know exactly who you are, but he told me there aren't too many players on your level, so he has an idea who you could be. But i'll post a pic of us, just to make sure we're talkin' bout the same...
He doesn't have a user account for TTD, although he is here sometimes to read.

Thanks a lot for your post.

 

[aerial]

My biggest reason for being on TTD is cause of threads like this: http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/f...Breaking-News-ZJK-boycotts-China-Super-League!

It feels like I can actually follow the Chinese league.

 

[iHatePONGPING]

I like reading TTDaily content on the mobile app during my commute. The users seem to be very friendly and the postings of great quality.
Don't think I'll be checking out the other forums soon.

 

[Der_Echte]

At MyTT, a poster named BH-Man is almost single-handedly ruining it for everyone and something should be done.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

At MyTT, a poster named BH-Man is almost single-handedly ruining it for everyone and something should be done.

That BH-Man: I have heard he rambles a lot and most of what he says is incoherent nonsense but that he is still a pretty fun and funny character who knows how to get you laughing and having a good time.

I have also heard that he plays like a lumbering bear but if you go at his backhand you are in trouble and that one of his biggest weapons is a heavy-no-spin serve. And he seems to like adding between 10 and 50 grams of weight to the handle of his blades and pimping Nexy gear.

But if you can deal with that guy then handling a trouble maker like Der_Echte is a piece of cake.


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[vvk1]

IMHO, another big difference between ttd and mytt is that the ttd website is rock-solid and is always up and running, unlike, sadly, mytt, which is frequently down, like now.

 

[reppina]

IMHO, another big difference between ttd and mytt is that the ttd website is rock-solid and is always up and running, unlike, sadly, mytt, which is frequently down, like now.

Well said