OOAK Table Tennis Forum

It's been an exciting couple of years for me. To think I started in 2010 at my local club not knowing anything about real TT, except that I had a natural flair for the game, and now I'm heading off for my first Veterans competition in less than two weeks. There will be three of us in the car driving down from Ballarat to Geelong in the wee hours of Sunday 15 April. Sometimes it seems I have to pinch myself!

So, I was wondering which other forum members will be down there and what events they'll be competing in. The events I've booked for are:

Div 3, 4 & 5 singles, and a Div 4 doubles with my bro.

I really don't know how I'll go, but I reckon it's gonna be a hoot!

BTW, I'll be easily identifiable because I'll be wearing my blue & yellow OOAK shirt. If you see me, don't be shy and say hello.

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Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

Initially I was planning to go but have recently had a shoulder op so I won't be playing until at least the second half of the year. Apparently the Vets tourneys are a lot of fun so I'm sure you will enjoy yourself. A few friends are going so I will get them to look out for your shirt. If you take a camera make sure you get some footage of Reb! Good luck.

Now you wouldn't want to give away anything, carbonman! I have my spy-cam sorted ...

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Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

All the usual suspects should be there, that being nearly all the players on the rating list that have an O40 O50 O60 O65 O70 O75 O80 rank. So pretty much all those guys then maybe another 50 players that only play the divisional events. I vote carbonman comes down to watch and coaches me for free during the event then he can see Reb play with no videos involved

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

And if he coaches me too then we can halve our cost!

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Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

I would love to but it would be selfish of me to deny the rest of the forum their opportunity to finally see Reb in action. I might try to drop in at the Vic Open Vets next month and catch up. In the meantime I will arrange for an undercover coach to keep and eye on you at Geelong.

Somehow I think that might have been a good custom title for you!

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

Its rumoured Reb is pretty camera shy, so he might not want video on the forum. So coming down might be the best option.

But in answer to Oskar's topic...I will be there giving it a go in Div 2 and 3 and some doubles. Decided I better not enter div 4 even though I am eligible without a rating. I got a few too many people hot under the collar when I cleaned it up at Mornington Not to mention being made to play 8 singles matches/34 sets end-on-end. I couldn't give the div 3 final the effort it deserved given it was the last match of the day. (I'd rather have a div 3 title than be the div 4 titleholder that I currently am ).

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

I don't think you would have slipped through the net in Geelong after your performances in Mornington, the people in Geelong are pretty onto it and would have looked up your previous results so Div 4 wouldn't have really been an option there, who knows they might decide to kick you out of Div 3!:) but realistically winning Div 3 is going to take you at least two really tough matches, maybe three and that's where you should play for now, you will be one of the 4 contenders to win it.

Looks like my coaching from carbonman will have to wait a little while yet, 30 minutes talking with a properly good player is probably worth 50-100 rating points to me at this point so I'll look forward to it

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

Since Oskar decided to play doubles with his brother, and I don't want to just be a wallflower for hours, I made a rash decision to enter the open Over 40's as well as Div 3, 4 and 5. I understand it is a round robin. Reb, with your experience at a previous Geelong Open, can you tell me what this means and how many games minimum I am likely to have to play? Does RR mean you play every player in the first round and then the best players advance to the next round? How many entrants are there likely to be? Even if I lose all my games, I am certain it will be a great experience and give me an idea of what it's like to play really good players. I have a week and a half to punish my thighs into submission so I have the endurance, but I'd like to have an idea of how much endurance I am going to need. Not to mention the club pennant comp starts the day after!

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Blade: Andro Kinetic Supreme Zylon/Kiso Hinoki OFF-
FH: Hexer HD 1.7 mm sponge
BH: CTT National Pogo OX
Style: FH counterhitter, BH disruptor

Malleus, I think only the div 4 and 5 have a RR, which generally is 3 per table playing each other. You have to beat the other 2 to advance. With my limited knowledge of your game and level I hold, I will guesstimate you may make it out of the div 5 RR, but perhaps not the div 4. Either way you will have at least 4 singles matches in those 2 divs. Unless you meet a newish player giving div 3 a crack you may bow out in first match there, as its knockout. Same goes triple for O40's as this is open to anyone over 40, which generally means the best players in the whole tournament. I haven't entered that as I'll save my effort . Actually O40's also has a RR. When I played Geelong in 2008, I was soundly beaten by the 2 players I played. So there's another 2 matches for you.

So what you have entered will give a minimum of 7 singles matches, and probably more likely 7 or 8 with the extras coming in div 5 (or even div 4?). Oh and div 3, 4, and 5 matches are usually last to be scheduled, although Geelong has lots of tables so shouldn't be too bad.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

There will probably be 3 players in the round robins of all those events, so that's at least 6 matches, plus you will hopefully make if though division 5, plus you will get one match in Div 3. That's a total of at least 7, if you continue on in Div 5 you could get 10 or so matches in. I think I still have one event spare if anyone wants to play Div 2 doubles? Reb?

Mallus in the 040s you are very unlikely to come across a player under 1000 points, the average rating of a player in the ov40s events is between 1400 and 1500 points, with 1600-1800 players sprinkled in there for good measure so it's pretty stiff in that event

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

Actually scratch the Div 2 doubles, I remember why I wasn't playing that, because it was so early in the morning , I had decided to play sub elite singles instead so I can hopefully play one of the big guns for some experience

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

Yep thats why I didn't enter div 2 doubles already.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Thanks for the info! Well I actually have a little idea of my level as in the last round of the pennant last season for the first time I beat an officialy ranked player 4-2, I looked him up and from memory he was rated about Vic 276, I played some of my best TT I've ever played that night too. Anyway, it'll all be good experience.

_________________
Blade: Andro Kinetic Supreme Zylon/Kiso Hinoki OFF-
FH: Hexer HD 1.7 mm sponge
BH: CTT National Pogo OX
Style: FH counterhitter, BH disruptor