OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I visited a club in Pyungtaek, not so far from Not-Bob's favorite Korean club. I played a lot of matches winning the majority, narrowly losing a couple, and losing one 3-1. They use the handicap system there 2 points handicap for the first level of difference between players, and one additional point for each additional level of difference, so a Div 2 regional player (me) facing a Div 4 player would result in a 3 point handicap.

I have faced many players who at first look would be easy pushovers, only to have the joke be on me!

So... when I faced this Old-School dude who wanted to play vs me, I said OK and we went at it. I did not realize until maybe 1/2 way through the match that he would be div 5 city at best. I still didn't let off teh gas, just let off the pace on a couple shot and didn't smash all that hard.

I have had a few people in the club tell me I should have taken it much easier on this due, who I was informed just before the match was the City's Table Tennis Association's PRESIDENT.

Way I saw it, we both wore uniforms and both had a bat in our hands, so all fair. Some others have expressed an alternate opinion.

I tried to keep it light fun and it looked like it was received that way, but with Koreans, you never know.

Was I WRONG to win in this fashion???

Vid was posted to my facebook account.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10200249192810839&saved

Comment away.

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Well, going into the match you didn't know who he was or how good he was so nothing wrong with starting off with your "A" game. Maybe you could have eased off after establishing that he was no threat to you, but you're under no obligation to carry some unknown guy.

If you knew who he was in advance, would you have tried to give him a more enjoyable game?

I hope you didn't make him lose face and have to resign (or worse).

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My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

I played with a guy on wheelchair once and he would get offended if I offered to pick up balls any more than usual.

I myself find it insulting if a much better plays his 3rd game or looks disinterested. And I have always been this way even when I was a rank newbie.

I think its a decision u make. I play as best when playing matches against lower players. Its a decision I make and I dont review this too often. Its just how I am and how I want people to treat me. I treat them the same way. If someone tells me I shouldve gone easier I would simply say I would hate if someone did that to me. So how can I do it to someone else?

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The ex CEO came to visit our club for a hit and was quite confident he would wipe all the country bumpkins. In the end everyone beat him, I'm by far the strongest player in the club but declined the invitation to come down for a hit. My club didn't have ratings then so I guess he couldn't know he was up for a whipping but after hearing about this I searched up his rating and he was much lower rated than the skill of the guys from my club from about half way up so from my perspective that was always going to happen. Anyway I don't think that was such a bad thing (beating the boss) he still continued to look after us .

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To defeat him no. And I think it depends on the intent of the match and the character of the peson you are playing. If it was a competitive match - league game etc - you are there to win, but I wouldn't kiss my bicep as an indication of power - the shot speaks for itself and doesn't need the added emphasis in my opinon. I know you did it as a "fun" thing, but someone in our division has wound people up by looking at his watch during rallies as if to say he's bored and could beat you anytime he wanted - which everyone knows he can, so why do it? Sometimes the intent of the action and the impact it has are totally different things.

If it was a friendly game at a club I would have only played like you did if the person I was playing had been big headed or disrespectful to other players. You never gave him a chance to show what he could do - it was more about what you could do. He knew early on in the game that you could beat him easily and so did you so even if you've never seen him play before the result was known very early on - maybe even before the warm up had finished, assuming there was one. He struggled to read your spin - especially top spin, float serves and pushed them making them pop up and easy kills. Once you knew that, why not let him "take part" in the rallies and practice a different type of serve. Let him show what he could do and practice other parts of your own game other than topspin attack and smash. A win win situation for both parties. In a social game I don't think it's disrespectful to use the game to practice other aspects of "your" game - like concentrating on practicing placing the ball in certain parts of the table and developing control. You do it to the best of your ability so it's not disrespectful, but you concentrate on just one or two aspects of the game. Control and concentration is what I try and practice most when I'm playing people weaker than me. You can still win comfortably, but your oponent gets something out of the game because the points last longer than 3 hits so they get to rally and practice their own shots and no one is humiliated or made to feel rubbish.

Ultimately though, only the person you were playing knows if you did the right thing or not.

Since he wanted to play you, No. If it was me I may have toned down the spin of the serves a little more, but besides that it was ok. I always struggle with what to do in similar situations. Sometimes however I actually beat the opponent worse (score wise) if I simplify my game and just keep it on the table since it means I don't give away points on errors. Then in those situations I try to find a way to "lose" a few points.

He looked like he was having a good time.

I actually watched the whole match, you were, how should I put it, merciless, the poor guy didn't have a chance. He didn't have a chance to return your hidden serves, didn't have a chance to your spins, etc.

However, you guys did have a good time, and the players around seemed to cheer for points he got, and he was smiling. If I were you, once the first game is over, I will tone down the serves, less spiny loops, etc, etc.

I played a match last week in the club with a guy around 1700, a lefty, who blocks well against loopers. He always played another player who loops a lot, a perfect pair. I don't loop usually but I hit with the pips, which puzzled him much. The first few games, I played softly, getting the scores close but won by a few points. He still wanted to play, so I played a little stronger, serve short and hit. The scores now a little more apart, like 5 and 6's. He continued to want to play; by now, I wanted to play stronger, not want to miss one ball, with the scores in 2, 2, and 0 for him. He finally said to me that he both scared of and hated pips especially the way I played them.

Unfortunately, he probably will not ask me to play again for quite some time.

I was not able to watch the video but from your narration, I believe there is nothing wrong in defeating him in that fashion. As you mentioned, you settled down a bit. Maybe if you knew he is the president, you could have settled down more. It's the nature of our game. No mercy

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