OOAK Table Tennis Forum

If the other player is better, why does the worser player have a match point for a net ball to end it? For that matter, if we know who is better and want to ensure they win, why are we playing a match? Could save a lot of time.

This thread sounds like somebody got beat, blamed it on nets and edges, and wants to fundamentally change the whole game so it never happens to them again. We have all been there and feel your pain.

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Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.

Yoko Ono

Yep, was responding to edges

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2. S&T Black & White / Armstrong SH-I 1.8 / TSP Curl P3 Alpha R OX

Some years ago I spent a few months in Holland on sabbatical, and there were a couple of these tables in the outdoor courtyard in front of the Vrije Uninersitaet on the south side of Amsterdam. I don't think I ever saw anyone ever use them. There's a reason why there are so many windmills in Holland! Maybe you could devise a game using paddleball or pickleball rackets and a (American - the British ones don't bounce!) squash ball, or maybe even one of those superballs. Just stand back 25 feet and loop away...

One problem with nets is most people don't set them up with enough string tension. There's a gauge you can buy, it weighs 100 grams and is supposed to hang from the middle of the net and not touch the table. And most cheap net sets (in particular those with the clothespin type clamps) aren't strong enough to hold that much tension. This is why we experience far more net dribbles in real life than we see when watching world class competition on YouTube.

Iskandar

I'm going to go against the grain here and side with the OP. I think the net is the worst part of TT. Yes every sport has randomness built in, but some more than others, and with TT, it's WAY more than others. There should be an effort to mitigate luck.

Darts, Jiu Jitsu, Sprinting, Marathons...these sports have almost no luck involved.

I think TT people are desperately afraid of change, and it's well founded because historically there have been awful decisions.

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The issue is luck. Not durability so much. Also, with a plastic barrier, the height would never need measuring.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

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

LOL. Very poetic!

Of course, a solid plastic barrier, if implemented, could also become a very integral part of the game. Just like reverse rubbers became integral. Or how larger balls became integral.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

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

Maybe, but if the levels of the players are almost identical, and the match is very close, the luck points play a huge role. It is in this case that reducing luck is valuable. And, I have defeated players twice my level because I got a lot of edges and nets. For some people, the frustration gets the better of them if it happens often enough and they begin to play angry. I would rather have a clean victory with none of that nonsense. During practice, I've played games were we decided nets and edges were a lost point. It was pretty fun that way actually.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

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

Chess... as well as Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Long distance running, sprinting, cycling, power lifting, darts, rock climbing, skiing, speed skating, boccia, MMA, snowboarding, Muay Thai, boxing...

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

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

There is an embedded assumption in this thread that if the ball dribbles over the net that's an automatic free point. And maybe if you are a chopper it is because you are so far back. But I get to at least half the net balls in matches.

Most players in warmup or drills or practice ignore the net balls and just start over. If people are going to do that they shouldn't be surprised when they can't get in for a net ball when it counts.

_________________
Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.

Yoko Ono

OK, so you want to get rid of the net. What sort of alternative would you suggest? Something that eliminates dribbles? But wouldn't you need SOMETHING to make shots a certain height? Or is this even necessary? Maybe no barrier at all, or a table gap? Or a "hard net"? If you use a gap, what happens when you get an "inside edge"? Maybe we should get rid of table edges too..

Iskandar

I’m sure that the ball manufacturers would love the introduction of a hard barrier.

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2. S&T Black & White / Armstrong SH-I 1.8 / TSP Curl P3 Alpha R OX

So, you're lucky 50% of the time because the spin on netted balls are pretty randomized. I actually attempted to drill this with my robot...even with the consistency of my robot in terms of pace and spin, the results are random.

Question: of those 50% you get back, how many of the returns are quality such that you don't get blasted on the next hit?

And yes, net dribblers are worse for choppers and players off the table.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

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

Who's proposing to get rid of a barrier? The OP spoke of a solid piece of plastic, that's a decent thought. You can't eliminate the luck completely, but I'm sure something can be engineered to mitigate it.

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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 would be OK with a solid plastic "net", especially for playing under poor lighting. I sometimes have a problem telling if the ball is in front of or behind the net , and a totally opaque barrier would stop that. And i don't see that it would be hugely different in normal play. On the other hand, not that important really.

Although for public free table tennis, normal nets are very cheap but constantly need replacing.

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Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

Funny that the OP posted this.

My cat loves to bat at balls when I'm practicing my serve. He gets excited and chews on the net. Now the net is ruined.

I'm currently on the lookout for a plastic stand or wood frame, not sure which that I can put there the height of a normal net.

At home I just use my table to practice against the robot only. It's not suitable space for actual play.

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Stiga Clipper Classic
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