OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Last night was the weekly A grade match, we were up against what we thought would be the strongest team in the competition, but due to one of their better players dropping out they had a fill-in instead.

My match was up first and I was playing their top player, and the top player in the competition, I believe he hasn't lost a game yet. He loops from both sides and has very fast shots. This was a real test for me as I had to really try to tighten up my game, or everything would be hit past me for a winner. The one thing I knew going into the match was that his consistency isn't that great, so if I could play consistently and try to force errors from him, then I was in with a chance. The first set started very slowly for me, I popped a few serves a little too high, which he put away for a winner, and I did the same on return after misreading some of his serves. I started to work out my serve placement and his spin later in the set, but still went down about 7-11. I started the next set more consistently and managed to keep up with him the whole way, forcing some errors from him I was able to get up 11-8 this time, it was neck and neck. I went in to the third set with a bit more confidence, again we started fairly even, but with a few lucky nets and some solid shots he managed to edge away from me this time, taking the third set about 6-11, and I was now 2-1 down. I managed a good start in the 4th set, edged away on a couple of points which was enough for me to maintain the lead and scrape through the set 11-9. Consistency was really paying off at this stage, I was forcing him to make errors. Starting the 5th set it was obvious he was really focusing to get his shots on, which he was able to do, quickly getting away to a 5-1 lead. I was still trying to hang in there at the change of ends, but he managed to keep the lead and edge away to 9-3, it wasn't looking good at this stage, but I still made sure I had my focus and kept trying to make things difficult for him. Bit by bit I managed to close the gap, and got it back to 9-7, although a silly error on my part here put the score at 10-7, I was still hanging in there at this stage and got another point to bring it to 10-8, I was feeling confident. It was his serve, I pushed it back and it was just a little bit too long, he got around it for a loop just to my BH side of the middle, I got to it and tried to block it off down the line, but I slightly misjudged the spin and it missed the end of the table by about 10cm, that was it, he has won the match 11-8 in the 5th. Despite losing I was still very happy with the result, as I had managed to get very close and almost win against the top player in this competition, as well as a player who plays in the grade above me (State League) in the TTSA winter season.

My other 2 games for the night were a bit more easy going, again they were both offensive loopers (the kind of style I like to play), but no where near as strong as their first player. Their number 2 player has a solid FH loop, but was lacking in his BH shots and footwork. I had a slow start in the first set and was 3-7 down, due to a few misreads of spin and bad placement, but I had now worked him out, I brought the score back to 8-7 in my favour and ended up taking the first 11-8. The second set I started much better and managed to stay on top for the whole set, using placement of my shots to make things awkward for him with his poor footwork, he started to make a short comeback towards the end, but I managed to shut him off and take the set 11-8. He seemed to have lost a bit of confidence in the third set and I managed to push through again for a 11-6 win. I was very happy with how I played, it was a much more solid game then I have experienced in the past couple weeks, I took control of the points and it paid off.

Going into the third match my opponent was quite a bit out of practice and hasn't played for a while, so I was quite confident again to take the match with ease. By playing a consistent game, I was able to place the ball well forcing errors from his out of practice strokes. This was a fairly straight forward game where I took control from the start, and ended with another 3-0 result to myself. It seems I have found a bit of form as a result of my recent training, and I am happy with how I am playing. The team ended up winning 7-4 leaving us at the top of the grade, we have now played every team once and haven't lost a match, although it's still early in the season and we need to play every team another 2 times.

Playing their number one player really highlighted a couple areas that I need to improve on to take my game to the next level. One of them is my footwork, I just need to get my fitness back up and be a bit lighter on my feet. I also need to tighten up my serving and short game, at my current level I am very competent, but moving up it seems that I need to really focus on ball placement more or I will end up giving my opponent the upper hand more often then I would like.

Tonight is my match in our clubs internal friendly competition, I haven't lost a match in this one yet, but came very close last week. Hopefully I will continue my form and keep my consistency up for the match.

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Sounds like you had a really good night Dan. If you had beaten the first guy you'd have nothing left to achieve for the season methinks I assume your season takes some kind of break over christmas and finishes into next year then?

I have this philosophy in TT that sets won should be recognised in the comp stats. I don't know many clubs who do it, mine certainly doesn't. But I think winning ratios and ratings and things should reflect how well you have played, not just whether you win or lose. TT has the specific advantage that it puts a score on every point, so if you lose in 5 sets by 2 points either 11-9 in deuce, you've earned a lot more than the guy who gets trounced 3-0 11-0's and 11-1's in each set. Obviously the latter is an extreme and someone like that is unlikely to be in the same grade, but you get my drift I think.

Of course the winner of a match has had to hold out on his opponent or overtake them to cross the line first and deserves the higher stat. But if he has lost 2 sets to someone it shows he has either had weaknesses exploited, or he has been very tactical in handing a false sense of security to his opponent. I think the latter is less likely in most cases as most people won't risk losing, by giving away sets as a strategy. Sometimes 1 set is thrown away to "test" the opponent, rarely 2.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this?

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Nicely done! I will follow your blog Dan.

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

Thanks mate, I actually have 2 players to beat to achieve my goals for this season, but yes, he is one of them There is a break over Christmas, and then it resumes at the end of January to finish it off. So hopefully by that stage I will have fit in a fair bit of training/coaching and playing some nice TT

It would be nice if sets were recognised on an individual basis within the competition, although it probably isn't hugely necessary. Primarily due to the fact that it wont really affect the final rankings, if you take the best player in the competition to 5 sets, and someone else gets smashed in 3, then you will probably be above them due to more match wins anyway. Unless of course there is a player very close to your skill level and wins around the same amount of matches as you. Primarily I would just like to see it for interests sake and statistical analysis of my own results.



Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it enough to keep reading

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

I get the idea you had some trouble with your new blade today at the competition. Several went over the end of the table when you did those smashes, what do you think caused this?

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Please view my blog, viewtopic.php?f=58&t=17571 , all the problems that I face in table tennis, I post on here, and I would very much appreciate it if you give your opinion on the matters.
S#1: Joola Wing Passion Fast, FH: 729 Cream 2.2, BH: 802-40 2.
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S#4: Senso Waldner Carbon, FH: Apollo I 2.2, BH: Blowfish Plush Short Pimple Tensor.
S#4: Giant Dragon Kris Special, FH: Giant Dragon TaiChi Soft, BH: Giant Dragon Meteorite Soft.

My cover is blown, someone has worked out my identity, hahaha I didn't realise there was another Payneham player around here, was I playing against you last night or did you just happen to be watching?

As for the competition match last night, first of all, I haven't actually got my new blade yet, so I was playing with my usual one last night, but I am still adjusting to the rubbers I got a couple weeks ago. I have found myself being a bit less enthusiastic about the internal competition, primarily due to not having any goals for the competition and no big challenges. Also, lack of sleep and heat are generally most detrimental to my game, I found last night I was more cruising along at about 50% to just do what I had to to win the games, which in turn caused many many unforced errors on my part. I am still trying to adjust my stroke when looping to suit these new rubbers, my control/blocking/counter-hitting has been going quite well, but looping/smashes have been far from consistent, although this could also be due to not doing proper training recently, so when I start up again at the Saturday morning sessions then it will hopefully iron out these few things. Velonstrials, to answer your question a bit more specifically, I missed way too many smashes due to bad body positioning and footwork, the ball was there to be hit, but I just wasn't in the right spot to hit it. I wasn't keeping low with a good centre of gravity and staying stable through my stroke, I was getting lazy and standing up on them (main reason they go long), and not moving my feet to get my in the right spot, most of the time just getting half way and taking a swig at it as I went

I have been doing a bit of a match report recently each week, but there was nothing really to note from last night's matches, I cruised through and won all 3 of my matches, putting me on 15 wins and 0 losses, and my team won 5-4 to move up to share the top spot on the ladder. Although there are still a number of things I can take away from the matches that I need to work on, which are:
- Focus, whether it is against a player from a grade above me, or one from 3 below, I should really be giving the same amount of focus to my games and trying to play my best.
- Body positioning, as I said above, far too often last night I was not keeping my body low, with a good centre of gravity, as such I was moving slow, not getting a good position, and hitting many balls long as I was standing up through my shots.
- Footwork, I wasn't light on my feet at all, probably due to lack of sleep/energy again, but something that need attention and probably goes with the point above.
- Heat, I know it is coming into Summer and it's going to be hot for a while, but I am not sure how to combat this, as I really struggle mustering up energy in the heat. It might be a matter of just preparing myself in regards to fitness and sleep the best I can.

The mental side of the game is something that I am usually very good with, I tend not to get nervous, can focus on the match, and keep my head in the game. Over the last couple weeks I have noticed that I have been getting mixed results and the focus hasn't always been there. Looking back on the matches I have struggled with the most, they have all been against players that I am better then and ranked above, which has brought me to the conclusion, while I may not be consciously be thinking "I'm better than them, this will be easy" there is still some part of my mental game which is making me not approach the game right. What does everyone else think about this? I have always been told by people that you shouldn't underestimate your opponent, and I know of quite a few people who do this outwardly, but I never have and I don't even find myself doing it in my internal thoughts. What do you think could be causing my lack of focus in these situations, especially considering I'm not consciously underestimating them or anything like that?

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Everytime I read your blog, I can't help but wonder who some of these players are... but I've not managed to figure out anyone yet...you give just too little information

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
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Haha, I don't mind giving information on myself away, but thought I would keep things anonymous for my opponents as they might not like be talked about on the Internet If you are ever interested in who in particular I played, just send through a PM

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Yes you're right...it's best to keep them anonynmous, but that does not stop me from wondering

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

I am more then happy to talk about my matches and opponents on a personal level, as I do that all the time with other players down at the club, but you are right that it's best to keep it anonymous in the public domain.

Sometimes it's quite useful to talk to someone who knows the player or has played them as well, makes it easier to share experiences and strategies, rather then just saying "I played Anonymous Player 1" That's why I generally talk to team mates about the matches and what they thought of it, as they were on the side lines watching it. What I describe here is surely vague some times and doesn't get the whole match accross, and therefore I suppose it's difficult to expect any specific advice from people reading the blog

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

I really enjoy reading it though, and it's probably beneficial for you as well, as it teaches you to analyse the game, and perhaps pickup up some issues that need some work.

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

To be honest, the main reason I am doing this blog is because I find it a good exercise to recount the match and think over all the points and analyse where I went wrong and what happened. If people enjoy reading it then I guess that is a bonus I would really recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve, it really helps to think about it again. I'm hopefully going to take it to the next step soon and start getting some videos of my matches, along with the added written analysis it should really help me to determine what I am doing well and what needs some work

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Regarding the anonymity of players, this is something I've been thinking about lately. For instance, I play for a club that posts results on their website and are not shy about revealling player's names. I don't have a problem with it, because I play for a public club and, therefore, open to any number of public exposures, i.e. discussions, photographs, videos, etc. Of course, like with any public disclosure, I wouldn't be happy if that information was used for commercial gain, but, other than that, I say, 'Go for it.'

The reason I bring this up is that I'd like to start a blog soon and I would feel inhibited if I had to disguise too many details. I have no problem creating pseudonyms, like JS for John Smith, but I certainly don't like having to call my team, X, when it's called, Fireblades, for instance. Then that opens a can of worms, because anyone with an interest can put the pieces together and visit my club's website and discover, quite easily, that JS is John Smith and he plays for the Bombers.

Perhaps this issue should be discussed on another thread, because I don't want to muddy Dan's blog, again!

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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

It is an interesting point to make Oskar, being it is a public competition, and all results and fixtures and players names are publicly accessible information, there isn't really any need to hide who you are playing for and against. Even though if you put the pieces together in my blog it isn't too hard to work out who I am, but if I publicly discuss other players and put my opinions out there, such players might not be happy about what I am publicly saying about them While I am completely entitled to my opinions on my opponent and post any publicly available information that I want, it still doesn't mean that I should I guess it's more of just a courtesy and keeping everyone happy more then anything else

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Main: Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit ST | FH: Andro Hexer HD 2.1mm | BH: Donic Bluefire MAX

Even though this specific topic has found a better home ( ), I just want to add that it is not only unwise but impossible to try and please everyone. We should be kind and courteous, but we shouldn't be afraid of our ability to be fair and balanced. I think we all have the maturity to understand boundaries and, if we don't, we should at least be mature enough to accept the consequences.

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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