OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Yeah I know after a match it's tradition and shows good sportsmanship.

After a match, I do a light finger handshake or I try to cup my hands hoping for just a little contact. Most players do the same, while some won't even even wipe their hands on their clothes before shaking and just grip my hands doing a manly full on tight handshake. Then there's the drippy sweaty wet handshakes. Gross.

When I first started playing, watching videos of the pros, I use to wonder why they gave such half effort shakes after matches. I use to think they were jerks, but now I understand.

I started doing this at the club with the younger guys who are perfectly fine with knuckle/fist bumps, or even high fives. I only do this with guys who I would label as friends.

The main reason I don't want to do full handshakes anymore is the flu season will be coming up. I could easy shake hands with a guy who just sneezed earlier, or is day 1 of a sickness, get the virus on my hands and transfer it to my paddle or water bottle. Then inadvertently rub my eyes, nose, or mouth.

I would think it would be uncouth to pull out sanitizing wipes or sprays after the handshake? There's got to be ways to help mininize the spread of germs and virus.

Any ideas?

Fist bump it!
I thought the fist bump was a lame fad, but now that i've been a teacher about 8 years it makes sense, especially with cold and flu. Already caught something the first week of school... ugh. All cause I forgot and shook hands that first week.

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The antiseptic hand cleaner is a good idea. So's a flu jab.

One time I was working as a sales rep and met a store owner for the first time. He sneezed into his hand shortly before we shook hands. I caught a nasty cold soon after.

Another time I was at a uni camp where everyone was scooping hot toddy out of a communal tureen. Oh, so many of us got the flu after that.

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i'm in the fist bump camp, I think even when I do handshakes in workplace most of them are okay with fist bumps, and even handshake and bump afterwards.

I'm all for the shake, in my view, thats what men do after a sporting contest. Leave the bumps and high fives for the kiddies and home boys.

Besides you've been using the same ball for the last 15-20 minutes. I'd say if you were going to catch anything, you would be just as good a chance of getting it off the ball as you would a handshake. You don't actually get a flu from shaking hands, you get it from the virus entering your hands or nose so if you just keep your fingers out your mouth and nose until you next wash them you should be right.

In my role as work I shake hands with lots of clients and its not unusual for me to wash my hands afterwards when I feel a bit icky or about to go for lunch so I understand your point but not at the expense of the good old fashioned handshake.

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Hmmmm....



Iskandar

I tend to agree with Cobalt. I think handshaking is the polite and sporting thing to do.

I first encountered a fist bumper when I played at pgpg's club in Boston. I finished a game, went to shake the guy's hand and he just held up his fist instead. It felt very weird. A combination of rude, rejection, and pretentious. I pondered it later and concluded the guy wasn't trying to be painfully street, but just didn't like shaking hands. Still, I felt uncomfortable, and I wouldn't want to impose that on other players. If they want to fist bump, I'm ok with it, now I've reflected on it with some compassion.

I also agree with cobalt that the ball is likely super contaminated. I even saw someone put the ball in their mouth to clean it once!


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Yep, handshake and then wash if your skin is crawling LOL

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That was Ovtcharov, wasn't it? At least, someone posted a video of him doing it.

Iskandar

Just fist bump it.

Put it out there. They'll figure it out. If they don't and their hand is open, you just fist bump that.

Perfectly understandable IMO for people concerned with germs & staying healthy, etc.

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ZeroZero, are you serious?

You could as well say home as this will minimize the risk to catch a flue...

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That's likely just a custom/cultural difference - fist bumps got a bit more popular lately here in the US. So, I would not read too much into this as far as highlighted section goes. I'm more of a hand shaker myself, but will fist bump as well, no biggie.

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All the places I've played in NC, USA, everyone fist bumps. I found it novel at first because people didn't really do that in other sports I play (nothing beats the limp-fish-low-five down the whole line of players at the end of a soccer match!). But I really don't care, as long as people are friendly.

Knowing I spit on the ball occasionally to clean it up, you wouldn't want to play me, right?

If someone has the flu, I wash my hands with soap after the game and stay out of their contagion zone if they cough,... Done.

The ball is probably highly contagious as well.

Not every contact with a germ or virus results in being sick. We have a system called the immune system and exposing it to germs/viri is necessary to keep it optimal.

And imagine the horror of being sick. Nothing even compares slightly to it.

Whoa! All these different views of to shake or bump. As someone said above, it does seem more culturally influenced in regards to a fist bump being acceptable after a match, and I would also add age range influenced as well. It's much more common in the US to bump, but I would still reserve it for friends and informal settings.

I don't think I would bump fists with a person I played for the very first time, but I might depending on how young his age is and personality type.

In regards to spreading the virus with the ball as some are saying, it's definitely possible, but it's less of a percentage IMO due to the surface material and moisture content then compared to a full on wet handshake. Consider most shake with the right hand, then hold their paddle with the right hand, you might just inadvertently rub your membrane later with the infection?

I'm not trying to avoid shaking hands 100%, but if I could minimize the percentage of transmission with a simple bump where both players are happy, I think it's worthwhile. Use judgement and discretion.

Anyways... I was hoping to hear some ideas, and maybe I can get the club to invest in a hand sanitizing dispenser?


Remember I said to use judgement and discretion above? If not, sometimes this may occur after the match:




...or even more awkwardness when one thinks there should be hand explosions after...