OOAK Table Tennis Forum

In the leagues that Ive played the matches are held at night and they end around 930-1030, so there is little want to hang about and socialise after the matches of the week. Also with teams that are not created by submission, but rather by balancing and scaling the club members into relatively balanced teams, it leaves you with team mates that you may not have a great deal in common with.

While at the club there is a good nature and everyone seems to get along really well, but it rarely extends to beyond play at the club.

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

Typical profile of a TT player is Male or Female between 4' and 7'2" aged between 5 and 90 years with a personality somewhere between extreme introvert or extreme extrovert and of racial origin somewhere on earth and having some means of holding (and maybe even swinging) a bat.

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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.

And there was me thinking it was a grumpy old man, with mobility issues, eye sight problems, delusions of grandeur, seeing equipment as a fast track to better results, never having any luck except bad, with a whole bookful of excuses primed for use, full of good intentions but lacking in any actual positive action, spending too much time on forums living their lives through others experiences.

Or maybe that's just me.

Well, he does fit the profile too

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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.

RebornTTEvnglist wrote:

Debater wrote:


RebornTTEvnglist wrote:


One of the issues with a text medium is that you (well, me at least, and probably the plural you, very meta) read into messages your own mindset. Until someone says something to totally jolt such preconceptions. It is a lot easier to interact with people in the real world and be less (but not totally without) casting one's own shadow in that way.

Also in my mind I am totally normal. And I am sure that you all agree there.

From a grumpy not so older but still probably old to many people, with dreams of improving soon (with no plan as to how), reasonably mobile, no excuses beyond the usual (not able to practise because of health <week and a half to go but who is counting>, no time to practise, no-one to practise with, old rubbers, not able to play with the old team, wife who is not positive towards TT, I could go on ...).

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

haha - that's just funny!
Wait... you're being serious? Sorry, Retriever...

Retriever wrote:


PRW wrote:


1st sentence was serious. The 2nd sentence ... um not so serious. I really should have put in a or something.

I was attempting to be self deprecating and funny simultaneously, or at the same time..

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

Sorry Retriever, not buying it!

I guess we'll need to find a way to socialise and find a Norm...I don't currently know any Norm's btw

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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.

Let's switch this questions around.

How social / antisocial would you want people to be who either played against you or who played in your own team?

Do the people you play / who are in your team display those characteristics.

The reason I ask this is because are first team very nearly fell apart a week before the season started due to a conflict in expectations and attitudes.

Funny experience at this week's league. The other two members of my team were so deep in non-tt conversation that, when the time came for them to step up for doubles, the other team were on court, warming up against each other and the umpire was standing around trying to get their attention. In the end, they made it to the table and their relaxed attitude served them well (although they lost in straight sets ).

Have had dinners out with teammates and other TT players Debater, and have also had nil to do with many outside of TT. It comes down to the personalities of the people. Have had some who are quite happy to have text conversations about TT things and extensions to that, some who throw parties (like at Xmas) and invite a TT group plus other friends, had others invite me for a hit at their place and then some dinner/TV/coffee/discussion. Others I've never seen outside of TT. I just go with the flow and let others go with it too. Make suggestions occasionally for social functions, some are taken up, some are let go. Everyone has their own life situation, sometimes it avails itself to be social, sometimes it doesn't.

I like being social with my fellow TT players, but I generally have time to do so at some point. I know some others don't, or its not a high priority. It's pretty much the same as life for most people, not just TT players.

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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.

Not generally as sociable as team sport players of basketball, football and baseball in the USA.

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Panda Drive / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH Xiom Omega IV Elite Max / Play right-handed
XVT balsa carbon 10mm / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH Globe 979 Long Pips OX / Play Left-handed shakehand
Stiga Def Wood / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH GD CC LP OX .. Play Left-handed
Cpen SOS Wood / 4H 729 802-40 2.0 / BH GD Talon use righthanded shakehand grip
HARDBAT / Shakehand Hock 3 ply / Friendship Dr Evil OX .. Play Right-handed

I have been wanting to speak to this, but havent had the chance. I LOVE TT. I love the sport. I love many of my friends in the sport. But TT players are weirdest group of people...as a whole...of any sport I've ever played in, one of which involves beating the other up for 3 rounds (MMA).
Sports I've played: MMA, Kick Boxing, Judo, JuJitsu, Wrestling, Baseball, Hockey, Football, Soccer, Rock Climbing, Racketball, and Beach Volleyball. In all of those sports, right off the bat most people (same regions) are far warmer.

Most TT players in this area, not all, are tend to be introverted. Rarely are people overly smiley, or talkative. Players like myself or Der_Echte are downright clownish by comparison.

1- TT players are quirky.
TT Players are quirky. I mean, the things they say or perseverate on are crazy. Wiping tables, cho'ing, playing with lower level players, higher level players. Shaking hands, not shaking hands. Yes it happens in all sports, and yes you'll find quirky people in all sports, but the % of quirky blokes is far higher in TT. I certainly have my fair share of quirks!

2- Material
Pips vs. no-pips.... enough said. I don't need to explain that.

3- TT Players are Geeks
TT players will argue about anything. ITTF, Rules, Serves, Boosting, Material, Ball color, Size, Plastic. Generally speaking TT players are more analytical compared to other sports....so I think they have brooded over more the inconsistencies and choices of medium in the sport. This describes me

4- Unfriendly or mean...
Again, not all TT players, but there are far more unfriendly people in TT IMO (In my region).
There is a guy in my club that has scared everyone from playing the table next to him because he gets mad when someone reaches for a loose ball even 2 tables from him, calling a let. Door opens "let." Lobbers vs. looper in the next table? LET! Laughing in the club? LET! He yells at people, and people get in to fights with him. One of these days, I might knock him out...and I'm not kidding. And these are practice matches. Disrespectful. I would like to say he's the only guy I've met like this, but he's not.

5- Kids vs. Adults vs. Gender
TT is one of the only sports were grown men must fear young kids. Also, Gender barely matters. Bogeyhunter proved that when he lost to Crystal Wang, who I believe at the time was 11 years old, granted she's elite, as is Bogeyhunter, but I don't have to worry about some kid murdering me in any other sport. I think this creates a strange atmosphere in TT. I invited some friends to watch me play, who already had preconcieved notions about TT and it being dorky, only to lose to Josh Gong, a 8 year old boy who was flat affected like Spock and pummeled me mercilessly. They have yet to stop teasing me for that. Josh is no around 2000.

6- Cultural Divide
And naturally, a large contingency of TT is Chinese or Asian, and it is a very international sport. I think cultural differences are often hard to overcome for some, and that lends itself to the idea that TT people are cold or off-putting.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

I think your views is on point^ more % of quirks definitely. Especially on how old guys should fear the kids haha that bit got me there.

Thanks for the feedback Japsican. Intestesting stuff.

Regarding pt 4, that wouldn't be tolerated at our club. We have duty officers or coaches who would ask the person to stop and if they continued to either leave that session or on repeated offences be banned. We want people to play TT but not at the expense of others enjoyment.

Regarding pt 5, this is an intersting one for me. Young kids seem to fear no one or anything. Middle aged kids who've seen other league players play seem to treat them with "awe" and can be beaten before they've event played the older players in an actual match. But once some kids beat an older player, all that respect disappears. I've heard juniors talk of "good players" in high regard and want to be around them, but once they've beaten them I've heard them talk of that "good player" as being rubbish and they dismiss them out of hand.

Another thing some juniors do more than seniors is walk out of the hall when they've played a match. They don't seem to understand or want to understand the dynamics of "team play" and the need to stay, support, watch and learn from how their peers play the same opponents. It's out in to the hall to play on their mobile phones or listen to something or talk to other juniors. Some seniors behave liek this too but generally kids don't seem to be interested in anything other than themselves unless there is a senior there to rain them in and help them develop good team ettiquette.

If there are any juniors reading this, what's it like from your perspective? Do you find seniors dismissive / unsupporting / unfriendly towards you or is the reverse true? Is there a difference between how sociable different age groups are?