OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Prior to being demoted to C2 grade mid-season late last year, where I amassed a demoralising 1:3 win:loss record, I had started my TT comeback in C1, where I lost all my matches for two consecutive rounds.

What struck me, apart from the fact that my playing sucked and that I had to figure out how to start fixing it, was one temporary teammate in C1 who went beyond the usual introductions and offered helpful advice and encouragement during my matches. In C2, I saw a couple of teams comprised of friends, who did well. Most of the other teams were thrown together by the competition organiser, so even if they weren't strangers, their contact seemed restricted to pennant nights.

Over the end-of-year period (really a short playing season in our club), I met several more players, and we put together a team of three, plus an alternate, for this season. We started an ongoing conversation in a group messaging app where we discuss upcoming matches, dissect previous matches, post interesting TT links, ask who's going to coaching or wants to meet up for a hit, talk about technique, recount other playing nights that the various members go to as part of other teams or as fill-ins, ask who's played so-and-so before. We aren't really friends outside of TT, but we communicate about TT all the time and we "coach" each other during pennant nights and we all get along.

So far this season, the cohesion is paying off. Sure, we're in a low grade and our abilities are nothing special, but I feel the experience is a lot more enriching than turning up and playing, which is mostly what I did in my comeback half-season. Bad players have feelings and ambitions too, you know!

What else (other than winning a lot) makes a team successful or enjoyable for other OOAK members?

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"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor." –Doctor Impossible

It can be very satisfying to have a really supportive team and I think at a lower level it definitely helps (not that it doesn't help at higher levels). I have learnt over the years though that not everyone wants to be a supportive team member and they all have their own ideas of what that even means. I was in a team at one point where we were friends in and out of TT and I built something of a reliance on their support. Trouble was the support would come and go on any night based on whether they felt like giving it or going off and socialising during my matches (whereas I had always been there for theirs). Given I was the team mainstay at the time (my winning % was more than theirs combined for several seasons) I felt a huge pressure to perform and when their support wasn't there it felt crushing. Soon after this our team collapsed and we went our separate ways. I learnt the only person to rely on for support truly is yourself, and to summon what you need from within. Sure its nice if you have a team that helps each other along the way, just don't get to relying on it.

What really makes a good team though is reliable people that turn up on time and give you plenty of notice if they can't make it (and don't do that too often), and preferably come up with their own fill-in if they can't. I have one teammate who I've been with for 6 seasons now, and every season he misses at least 2 rounds without fail. Last week (first week of new season) I rang him at 8.20pm (almost an hour after start, but he usually doesn't get to TT until at least 8pm) and he said he didn't know we'd started and that he was sick. I fluked a fill-in who had come looking for a spot and missed out, but he wasn't the ideal fill-in. He won no singles, but to his credit he helped me win my 2nd doubles and with my 3 singles and one from my other teammate we crossed the line 6-5. But I felt really let down by the absent member.

What else makes a good team....winners! Last night the absent teammate turned up early at 725pm We faced a reasonably tough team that had come back to A3 from A2 last season. The other teammate and I both won 3 singles and we won both doubles and the previously absent guy won 2 singles. So we won the night 10-1! Victories are what the team is there for!

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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
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Oh, and I should add....players that can combine well in doubles makes a good team. Doubles often tips the scales between a win and a loss, and there is nothing worse than trying to play doubles with someone who just cannot or will not play their role and work with their partner instead of against them. Things like this don't always work straight off the bat, but as long as people are willing to build up to working well together, then it contributes to being a good team.

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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.

For me its a good receptive doubles partnership with both of the other players in my team and a supportive, competitive attitude to play.

I've captained teams in my local comp for the last 3 seasons and I find for me as long as the other two players listen and don't give the fight up I'm happy. I myself try to support and provide my other teammates with tactical advice and assistance so they can improve and feel like they haven't wasted time guessing through the season.

To be successful in teams events/leagues, I find that doubles is one of the main pieces of being a successful team. I second Reborn's last statement. I currently have one partner that gives up if they think that our doubles is too hard or he cant return a particular serve, he is new to the division and i understand the frustration, but it is highly unpleasant for myself when I can see that a few balls back over the net and we are in the match. But I do try to help as much as possible so that this player can improve.

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CORNILLEAU Hugo Calderano FOCO OFF+
FH: ANDRO Hexer Powergrip 2.1
BH: ANDRO Hexer Powergrip 2.1

There is one team in our local league who have been playing together for several years. They have consistently played in Division 3. 3 guys in their 50s possibly late 50s 2 of them are brothers. Individually they do not stand out but as a team perform really well. They had their own make shift club in a pitch & putt clubhouse but decided to migrate to a bigger club when numbers fell off. If one of them is sick / injured they draft in a substitute but that's fairly rare. In trying to think of what's their secret ingredient I can't think of it - it must be all of the above.

whole is greater than the sum of its parts comes to mind.

In answer to your heading - I think the captain plays a key role on how a team performs. Having played for about 4 seasons but only played as a sub in the last one I have switched my allegiance to self independence focusing on tournaments. Club politics and the league's directive on putting together teams starting from the strongest in the club can be at odds with what can work in practice. Still I'm conflicted if it should be 'friends' playing together or those who are of similar ranking.
Reliability is a prerequisite and good behaviour (!) is a must. I would prefer to play a lesser skilled player than have a primadonna.

Reading through our club's AGM minutes from last year, it appears that this is an ongoing problem for pennant organisers. You don't really want to remove an essential element of what makes pennant enjoyable for some people – playing in a team with their friends – but if the friends are at significantly dissimilar levels to each other, then the grade will not suit at least one of the teammates.

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"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor." –Doctor Impossible

A question that frequently comes up on a darts forum is how good do you have to be to join a team. The answer that keeps coming back is don't worry about how good you are as long as you are reliable the captain will want you. This is very true. Reliability is very important.

Several years ago I first started playing with some mates and although i was slightly stronger, we could all play in the same grade. I'd write a report pre match then post match and we would all share some banter. Then i improved a bit and had to go up to the next grade. My mates also improved a bit and had to be split. We still did the report but wasnt the same. This season we had a combined grades comp and i was in the same team as a mate for the first time in a couple years and was great to play together again and provide tips and enjoy the banter. Of course the banter is better when winning but I'd rather play in a good, fun team than a winning team.

The best experience I've been in with a team was when i was cycling. We had teams of 3 and raced for about 30km. There were 3 grades and we were in the lowest. To give an idea for any cyclists, we would average about 32kph which for racing, this is slooowwww. We would spend days plotting our tactics of breakaways, attacks, blocks, sprints etc and would get other teams involved in our cunning plans. In the end, despite our brilliant tactics, we were never fit enough, fast enough or patient enough to successfully carry them through but it was great fun. The other teams also made the comment that they enjoyed our constant plotting and sneakiness ás it kept them on their toes and brought life to the races.

So in summary for me, it's reliability and banter. Results don't matter, but a nice bonus.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

http://leinsterttleague.net/wp-content/ ... es2015.pdf

7 PLAY CONDITION
(a) At the time of entering the League, each Club must furnish the Committee with the names of its players, in order of merit on their respective teams and such order of merit cannot be altered throughout the season, without the consent of the Committee.

Had a check on the rules governing the submission of teams in our local league and it would appear that clubs are supposed to rank their players in order of merit. Most of the clubs would be guilty of 'mixing it up a bit' since some of the die-hards want to play with their own cronies. I have been fortunate enough to have had some team mates who were genuinely nice guys and the league has thankfully put a stop to some very unsporting behaviour but it was a little before my time. So given the recent history I can see why some established players would prefer to play with someone that they know and trust than some wild card.

A key element in a good team is for its members to know what is expected of them. 1st ranked player is supposed to win 3 out of 3 working down to 1 out of 3 for the 3rd ranked player. Captain is generally the 1st ranked player and essentially leads by example. I would have played as a 3rd seed in Division 2 and initially struggled with losing matches having come from Division 4. But faith from an exceptional team mate in my ability helped my confidence. For the following season I was comfortable as a no. 2 seed and on balance was winning more than half my matches. So in essence communication is a key component of a good team and one that allows one to develop. Also it is good for higher placed players who are not performing to step back and let a better player move up and not allow pride to get in the way. I cannot think of any club that runs a club ladder except for the one in N.I. so individuals ranking are pencilled in somewhere on an invisible black book so there's no transparency. This anomaly has caused a lot in dis-content and has been the root cause for the TT club representation getting flack over playing too strong a player in a particular division.

Also for newcomers playing in a local league I would be careful about laying all your cards on the table with your team mates since you may well be playing against your team mates the following season and possibly from a different club ! I would still get on the level but would be a lot more vigilant of the dynamics at play.