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Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)
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Author:  v100ev [ 11 May 2019, 07:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Another day with the Apollo 5 (36 ver).
So it's great for chopping(really easy to chop low and with a lot of spin or with almost no spin - just returning the ball low), great for over the table touch play. Doesn't like "lazy" shots (at least on my blade (Palio Chop #1)).
When attacking it needs real commitment (B2 was more forgiving in this regard).
Overall - good. It has it's strengths and weaknesses. If I played as an attacker and used this rubber on an OFF blade I think it would play very well. On a DEF blade it has it's trade-offs.
Will continue using it of course cause at our level control (I think) is more important than speed.

Author:  v100ev [ 15 May 2019, 06:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Well don't like such things but the result is - took off the Apollo 5.
Why? Because didn't feel any fun playing with it. This rubber is very demanding (on my blade at least) - if you want good shots you have to commit. Well that's a good thing when you train and work out a lot in TT, but I'm playing more for fun lately so that was not for me. :(
I really don't like changing rubbers in such a short period of time but took off the Apollo 5 and glued a new Tuttle 55A(yesterday). So today was the second day with it. Overall the same things that I wrote last time about it. It has ok spin(less than A5 and B2, but still enough), some springiness in it - more like a Japanese rubber, but the control and the ease of play with it is on another level. In this regard I would compare it to ESN rubbers but with a more Chinese feel.
So today played with it for a second time - very satisfied. Need to get used to the short game - it catapults the ball more than with the B2 or A5, the throw angle is a little different too.
Somehow when playing with the BH with this rubber I generate more spin on opening shots so I think I should change my 3d ball attack with the FH. probably cause it has more dwell time it needs a longer stroke. Not sure. Still the control is amazing. So I'll stay with it :Chop:

Author:  v100ev [ 03 Jun 2019, 23:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Nothing to blog about. On 20th of May twisted my knee(while playing, of course). The doctor said that everything is intact but will need some rest.
Well, no tennis and not a lot of walking these days. And it still hurts a little (although I'm wearing a stabilizing knee support).
I'll miss some major tournaments in our club. Hope I'll be able to play in July. Such injuries can't be taken lightly ;(

Author:  v100ev [ 14 Aug 2019, 03:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

So I still haven't played a single day since my knee got twisted (and it still hurts a little :( ). But Bulgaria Open has started and today was the first day.
Watched a lot of interesting matches (King Kara beating a Chinese boy for example). Also got Ma Te's autograph on my photo of him from the last year which I printed beforehand for exactly this reason :)
This was the photo:
ImageIMG_2952 by Vasil Stoev, on Flickr
So tomorrow will be another day of watching - maybe I'll take some videos (not sure about that - need to see the schedule).
So, no TT for me but still plenty of it :)

Author:  v100ev [ 14 Aug 2019, 13:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Well, saw the notification that I have a PM only today. and the PM was from the 8th of August..
Somehow not very noticeable :(

Author:  Rawr [ 15 Aug 2019, 01:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Very cool picture! I hope Ma Te plays in the Swedish Open one day so I can meet him.

Author:  v100ev [ 15 Aug 2019, 06:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Today was another great day of the Bulgaria Open 2019..
I'm really tired now (it's 00:10 here and I've just came back from Panagyurishte (cause I live in another city)).
Overall - some unbelievable matches and very high quality of play.
Ma Te's second match was on a non-TV table so I recorded it (and also Ruwen's match on the next table), so I'll be editing the videos and posting them after some time.
The match against Robles was very nice. Against Platonov - nerve-wracking :lol:
Hina Hayata has some wicked shots and is a great fighter..
Lots of interesting things but it's time to sleep.. Cause tomorrow the day starts early in the morning with the mixed doubles :)

Author:  v100ev [ 24 Aug 2019, 17:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

So after Bulgaria open, on previous Wednesday I visited the doctor and he sad that I can start playing without worrying about my leg.
So I played with my wife (I decided to wear a knee support for the first month or so) and after that on Thursday I played with the guys in some league matches.
Well, three months of not playing are pretty damn much! No feeling in the racket, some absolutely wild shots, etc, etc.
But I'm finally playing and I'll be taking it easy - max 2 times a week more serious play and a couple of times with my wife for fun.
Let's return to Bulgaria Open :)
I visited all the days except for the final one (cause it's boring on one table).
Some memorable things:
On Saturday we went for the Mixed Doubles finals match only to came and see the last set (cause they've started earlier!! :punch: )...
Aruna beating Ma Te was unexpected, but those forehands where lethal really.
Aruna beating Mizutani - the whole crowd was supporting Aruna (I really felt sorry for Jun) - and he won! But what a dramatic match it was :)
Mens doubles finals - no problems for the Korean pair but we where sitting with the Korean support team and it was a lot of fun (singing, rooting, yelling, they taught us some Korean words, also they had a buk (a Korean drum)). So the match was not as interesting as the thrill of rooting for the guys :):)
Overall I can say that this year the qualifications had a lot more amazing matches and rallies than the main draw. That's for sure!)

Author:  v100ev [ 08 Oct 2019, 19:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Quite the time skip here..
Overall my leg is almost at 100% now (more like 80-90) so I play a couple of times a week so that I don't overstrain it. Using a knee support helps a lot - my leg hurt only after a 2.5h serious chopping training and didn't hurt after longer matchplay.
We had our first round of team competitions - 4 wins, 0 loses for now. I played well, didn't lose a match in singles and lost one of three matches in doubles (we lost 3:2).
I recorded my match against a boy that I played last year (and won 3:2 (it was not easy for me)). But this time I played better and he didn't so the match was not interesting. Still - I filmed it and cropped so here it is. (the guy with the glasses and the knee support is obviously me)

I would say he underperformed or expected an easier match - I don't know. He is used to playing against pips cause couple of his teammates are LP users too. Well, I played well so that's that) Btw he beat our #1 guy 3:0 after this but overall we won(4:2).

Last week we had a big tournament with players of absolutely different levels and I lost to a couple of strong guys but it helped me return to my good stable chopping form.

the Victas Sticky Extra feels nice - I'm very confident with it now - chopping is very good, the control is nice.. So let's see how long will it last.

Author:  v100ev [ 22 Oct 2019, 19:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Been playing pretty well for the time being. Mostly defense - that's where I feel the best. My current mindset suits this type of game the best.
The Victas Sticky Extra is very good for this but it'll have to go.....
The main problem - humidity. It just does not perform nearly as good as all my previous rubbers in humid conditions. And knowing that the humidity is high in our club most of the winter and summer that's a big problem.
In normal conditions the rubber is great, but yesterday was yet another day of struggle with it because of the conditions in the club. The touch game, the spin game - it's just so hard to get it right when the rubber does not grip the ball. Had to play a couple of defenders (regulars - we know each other's games very well) and attacking the first ball (like - a nospin serve to the anti(!) and then attack) needed to be done like there were tons of spin - getting very seriously under the ball cause in any other way the ball will either slip or the sponge will launch it to the other end of the hall. My opponents confirmed the fact that they didn't feel any heaviness in the ball and that they usually do have problems with the spin (and we know each other and even I can see that the spin is not bothering them).
I know that in humid conditions every rubber underperforms but I find the Sticky Extra too susceptible to this..
Probably will order the Battle 2 again cause it plays well in such conditions. But it will need to wait until our next team competition..

Author:  v100ev [ 05 Nov 2019, 17:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

So after about 3.5-4 months of play with the Victas 07 Sticky Extra I returned to the Battle 2 :)
Overall the 07 is definitely better for chopping and is less spin sensitive in the short game, but it's probably just a fact that my technique is better suited for playing with chinese rubbers.
Yesterday played the first session with the B2. Attack vs chop is much better cause I can easily loop the ball with much more power and be sure that it'll go where I want it. My chopper opponent confirmed the fact that the balls were much harder for him too. Chopping was ok, somehow needs more vertical movement but the chops are not as loaded as with the 07.
Rubbers on the side, yesterday I worked more on using my hips when looping against chop. Cause, probably because of my knee injury, I started twisting only my upper body for a FH loop and lost some power (quite a lot). So yesterday, cause my knee is pretty much healed, I worked on recovering the proper technique. The difference is very big of course.
Also played some matches but those didn't matter cause I was getting used to the rubber and racket (it became 6gr heavier now) so I made a lot of easy mistaces (mostly mishits) but I wasn't bothered with them. Also the B2 needs some time to break :)

Author:  v100ev [ 03 Dec 2019, 21:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Nothing interesting to write about for now. The Battle 2 is my rubber for sure. I always return to it and it's just perfect for me. Pretty satisfied with my game for now. Finally stopped using the knee support so I am almost as fast and as flexible as Joo now :rofl:

Author:  v100ev [ 10 Dec 2019, 00:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Yesterday I took part in our monthly amateurs tournament. It has an upper boundary of 3rd league of Bulgaria (meaning anyone who is registered in 3rd league and below can participate)[our team plays in 4th league]. So because of the fact that there where not a lot of people this time (only 17 players) we took vote and decided to play the groups in best of 5 but the eliminations best of 7.
In the group I beat a strong player whom I've never beaten before (currently he plays in the 3rd league) 3:1, also a boy who played quite good - 3:2 (this was the first match so I was losing 0:2 but after the second set I warmed up pretty good and took the next three sets) and the third match was against good friend of mine - lost it 3:2 but the result didn't matter so I played mainly for fun and to get him in the right mood. Somehow he was pretty down before the match :(
So I finished 1st in my group.
Well.. when you know that you'll have to play best of 7 you start to think and play absolutely nothing like when you play best of 5. The main fact is that you think that you need to win effectively so you can have more stamina left for the harder matches.
So 1/8 - a friend of mine from our club, not a regular, has a strong FH, but his receive game and the short game are much weaker than mine. So, a rather easy win 4:1.
1/4 - a blocker with medium pips on his BH. He took the 1st set 14:12 with 3 nets in the last point :lol: fter that I stepped up a bit and won the next 4 sets quite comfortably. (4:1)
1/2 - the opponent is a friend of mine from our second team in the league. We play every week so we know each other's games very well. Overall a tough opponent - a flat hitter/blocker/counter player. Plays near the table, has some very fast and flat combinations and very good blocks. I lost lots of my mental strength to concentrate and win 4:0 with lots of discipline and very effective play. No half-ass topspins, no easy balls.
So, although the wins were rather comfortable score-wise I was rather drained after those.
1:1 (finals). Another tough flat-hitter-counter player from the 3rd league. He is from another city - we've played with him and it was always close and I'm not sure that I have a positive balance against him. So I take the 1st quite easily , then I lose the second the same way. After that two very even sets but I played better in the endings. So 3:1, I lead 9:7. His TO, after it he makes an unreturnable net, and after that a return of my strong attack and I did not expect it. So 9:9 and he gets the set 11:9. :( :D Because of the fact that I didn't play well after his TO I concentrate to the max and play very well. 9:2. A couple of mistakes - 9:5. My two serves - I think of a combination, he pops the ball... missed a sitter :swear: . Second serve - the same thing, I make him give me an easy ball and I don't deliver. Probably the fatigue. A little late but a TO for me(9:7). After my TO he tries a new serve and get's me with it - 9:8. After that he gets and edge (like, what the?! :rofl: ). 9 all. My first serve and I lose the point. Then I win the second one - deuce. He wins his serve, then I win mine - 11 all. He serves fast to my middle and somehow I decide not to chop the ball but to attack it with a side-swiping topspin from a very awkward position. He does not expect this, the side-spin helps and the here's my first match ball. My serve, nothing fancy - short under, get in the short game and bang :punch: - a BH with the regular rubber from the middle of the table. 13:11 - my win :party:
This was not my first win of this tournament this year but this was, probably, the hardest. Those best of 7 games where just very tiring but a great experience.

Author:  v100ev [ 21 Jan 2020, 22:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

Yesterday put on P4 0.5 mm. The racket is now 5 gr lighter and the balance is not the same so I'll need some time to adjust to it.

some kind of offtopic :)

Yesterday I saw our club owner and he said that our club shop (tt-store.eu) will start selling Hallmark products (as I understood the package will come tomorrow) so he already uploaded those to the online shop on pre-order.
There's a bunch of pips and pips-in rubbers(also some of those can be bought in 1.0 thickness!) and also some famous light blades! :rock:
He also said that Gewo bought them and he's an official re-seller of Gewo so he decided to try this niche brand and see what happens..
And I just bought the P4 before that :envy: When I could've had my hands on a free rubber for testing :)
So Hallmark is back, P4 needs testing but it feels quite good.

Author:  v100ev [ 22 Jan 2020, 23:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Trying to simplify my complicated game.. v100ev's blog)

So if anyone decides to visit Bulgaria in the future...

I've been working on a project for some time now: https://tthalls-bg.com/en/ :party:
It's a site with most of the table tennis halls in Bulgaria where you can go and play.
Today I published the english version and that's why I'm writing about it now.
I would love to fill it with more content but for now the bulgarian TT community is not very active with helping in finding information about the halls..

Anyway, check it out! And if you visit Bulgaria in the future I hope it'll help you find a place to play table tennis :Chop:

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