OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Our story on how my wife, who had never played or never had been interested in TT and my return to the sport started as a (what turned out to be) important part of her rehab after she had a very serious road accident.
She suffered serious brain trauma and was placed into an induced coma to save her life, she also had a broken right femur and other injuries.
She was in hospitals receiving treatment for about 5 months.
After she came home as a part of her of her rehabilitation at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre they used TT to reteach her, balance, hand/eye co-ordination, lateral vision and thought & planning strategies.
This was for 3 to 4 days a week for the next 6 months attending physical and mental stimulation sessions as an outpatient.
They started with an oscillating robot which would slowly sent balls for her to hit back to the catchment net. They then taught her to serve by bouncing the ball before hitting it over the net.
Her instructor was himself was a rehabilitated stroke victim who came in on a volunteer basis to pass on this skill.
She was gradually introduced with the help of a clinician into a local Social TT Club at a council centre.
Along with relearning balance, hand/eye co-ordination, lateral vision and thought strategies the integration with the members of the TT group helped greatly to relieve the mental tiredness that is caused by Stroke and Brain Trauma.
For a person suffering with brain injury or a stroke being in any location with a group of people is almost impossible but playing with this TT group has helped and is continuing help overcome this condition.
More importantly she persevered and a great deal of her increased healing has occurred due to our wonderful sport. She also does Tia Chi which helps her with her focus and balance.
This progress was slow at first but increased has over time to the point where she is today. Her improvement has thus far been truly remarkable.
This also brought me back to the sport after about 30 years of abstinence I was so excited and proud watching the determination of her progress I joined now I play out of enjoyment, winning is good but competing is more important.
I enjoy playing against better players because the struggle to beat them is a continuing learning process. In my opinion if you always win you don’t usually improve.
I’m now an absolute TT tragic and thanks to the research I’ve discovered on the Ooak TT Forum and the help from Alex has been very informative.

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...

What an inspirational story. Thanks for sharing. I love this game!

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My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

Thanks for your sentiments mynamenotbob
I have also been inspired by my wife’s journey ----she is so brave & determine!
But also what blew me away was how our sport is being used in this rehabilitation programme with it being an effective method to reconnect the thoughts of the brain with the mechanical functions of the body and make it work again as once did.
Like you I love TT as a sport and a great social experience.

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...

Yeehaw! Can't do that with other sports, well not many in my knowledge due to the heavy physical requirement other sports need (for recovering patients and at the lower level of many sports).
Wishing you, your wife and her recovery all the best, Sir A TT a day keeps the 'doctor' away

It's amazing how table tennis could help our natural recovery, esp. the neural pathway in the brain. It is almost phenomenal Probably table tennis is the thing which keeps me sane until today ha!
Thanks again for the awesome story and for inadvertently assuring me to promote table tennis as a healthy sport in my region when I will dwell in the public health area later on. This will serve as another proof for that too

Cheers,
Yosan

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GFoT |Blade : Timo Boll ALC • FH : DHS 3 Neo Provincial MAX • BH : Tenergy 64 MAX
Crossover to Takeover!

We thank you for your kind sentiments Yosan.
I love our sport and I love sharing what little I know about it with everybody I can.
TT in my opinion is more than a sport it is a life skill, we should all spread the word and teach all we can.

Gidday
From JC

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...

Yes thank you for sharing that Gollum!

This is the sort of story that could make the papers, and give our sport a nice little boost, or at least some more exposure.

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Thank you for your sentiments Haggisv
It's onward & upward with recovery & enjoyment for both of us.

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...

Note taken Sir!

Thanks again

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GFoT |Blade : Timo Boll ALC • FH : DHS 3 Neo Provincial MAX • BH : Tenergy 64 MAX
Crossover to Takeover!

Note taken Sir!

Thanks again [/quote]

Yosan
Your thoughts are appreciated

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...

Dear Gollum, I came across yr post when searching for ways to help my husband. Hoping you are still active in this space.

My hb had a severe stroke a year back and I am caring for him. He was a avid table tennis player and coach before that. Could you share more about what they do in the program and the activities done? At the me moment, I hang a ping pong ball and try to get him to hit.

13yrs on & my wife has had a very successful recovery with no seizures for 10yrs still plays table tennis & has got her driving license back & driving.
You need to find him a Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre. This was taking her there 3 to 4 days a week for about 6mths. They used table tennis to help her regain her balance & hand/eye co-ordination.
They used a Table Tennis robot which sends balls down at her, you said your husband has played so it should all come back with time & patients. Good luck.

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...