OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi everybody. I’m a lowly 1000 rated player and I’ve played for 26 years. Is that sad or what? I was just wondering if any of you fine folks know what type of setup Dan Seemiller is using currently? I play a similar style minus the looping. Thank you

i actually e mailed butterfly and spoke to him via message-it was about his blade-i believed that he used a grubba all minus blade.
he contacted me and he uses this one.
https://revspin.net/blade/butterfly-andrzej-grubba.html
he uses butterfly super anti and tenergy as far as i know
the grubba is the old style version

Thank you for checking on that for me, I really appreciate the effort. I had seen information about what he plays with, but it looked out of date. He is an amazing player. I figure I need to do something with my game, maybe try to get better. I'm 46 years old, and I am only rated 1000. A player at a tournament asked if I had been out of the sport a long time, and it did hurt my feelings. Basically, he's saying that I'm not any good. I've always played in basement clubs and rec areas, but I haven't had a day of coaching in my life. Embarrassing to be playing in 1000 rated groups, because I understand that is for beginners. I think I'll just stick to my basement clubs and rec areas, where I do well. I also went to a big club, and got demolished by a lot better players. I would ask people about my game, and in a nice way, they said you're no good. Haha oh well. I guess that's true.

There are a LOT of people like you (and me) out there.. I'd count people rated U-1500 in this group. And if you think about it, there are a huge number of players that reach, say, 1700 or 1800 and are stuck there, and even that level is not really even close to "professional".

Don't stop going to tournaments or clubs, that's the way to get better, and even U-1000 competition is fun. The nice thing about the rating system is that it gives people like us a place to play competitively. Do try to get at least a small amount of coaching, even group lessons can help. We paid Danny and Ricky Seemiller to come down for ONE night many years ago, and it really did help. I forget what he charged but there were maybe a dozen of us in the club and everyone improved on something.

Iskandar

Thank you for the encouragement Iskandar. I may do that, but it is kind of discouraging to be at this rating, at my age. At our basement club, well clubs, there are two...I either win or I'm near the top. Winner stays up. We do a lot of pushing. To me, that takes skill, but players at the big club I went to said that's a stroke for beginners. I'm sure you are right about the coaching. I play with a Mazunov blade and it has Bryce High Speed on one side, with Tackifire C Soft. I only play with one side of the blade. Put my thumb on the back and play pong. Haha. I told the guys at our basement club about going to a tournament, and they said I was dumb for wasting my money. Said just stay here where you are good, and everybody is too. I tried my game of pushing against guys that were 1600 and up, and they destroyed me. After losing 7 or 8 matches, my hip was hurting (its not the best) and I wish I had never shown up. If that makes sense.

This is my current playing situation:

viewtopic.php?f=39&p=355894#p355890

It's actually a lot more challenging than it looks, those guys push a lot but it's a challenge to open up and loop. They can also hot pretty hard if you push something back high, and some of them use long pips (and bare wood, which is worse!). Don't get discouraged because a 1600 player beat you, someone rated 1600 would beat a 1000-rated player pretty much every time. Someone at that level would loop against long pushes. The challenge is to learn to play like him and make the shots he can make, that is, try to learn to drive and flick against backspin. You are rated 1000 at your age BECAUSE you only play in the basement club, where everyone is about that level. If you play at a better club, you WILL improve. With a little coaching you could probably pick up 200-300 points in a few months, and more if you really turn out to be better (a lot of us do stagnate at some level, but based on you just posted I don't think you've gotten anywhere close to that level yet).

I'd abandon the thumb-behind-the-blade style though - Seemiller doesn't play like that, but it is a style I've seen common among frat kids who played in the intramurals at college (and get beat by Independent or Dorm players who actually went to our club).

Iskandar

Thanks for sharing that Iskandar! You guys were having a lot of fun, which is a big part of the game too. That makes good sense as to what you're saying. You also make some great points about getting to the 1600 mark. What is it with the thumb on the back of the blade-I have been told this by many people, that it is terrible. Almost everybody at the basement clubs play this grip. Can you explain that to me, and how is Seemiller's style different? Thanks again for being so nice to a newcomer.

Get long pips on your backhand and you'll be quickly destroying those pushers. That is guaranteed and it's especially a good system if your mobility isn't the best. Another piece of advice is the Mazunov blade isn't good for your level. It's very heavy and too fast. If you need any more help or advice about this style of appropriate equipment, this forum is the best resource in the world.

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

I have never done forums, my friends do, but I have to tell you guys that I am so grateful for your advice and kindness. I really thought about quitting after my last two experiences. I've never taken a break since about the 10th grade, and I've played on and on and on. Basement Club Champ the Pickelman! Haha. I like to smash, but I'm not too consistent with it and my thumb grip. When the ball goes high and middle, I hit the Pickel Smasher (wrap my hand around the blade and come straight down on it with all my power, and I weight about 230 haha). I like to come straight up with the top of my paddle pointed down for a flat kill shot; hit and lift up, driving the ball straight. Does it get spin? I have no idea, but it is fast and hard to return. mynamenotbob yes, the Maz is very, very fast and heavy. I do a push backspin servie and it is a tough one, unless I play those 1600 guys, they just laugh and say that is a weak serve. One guy counter hit all day, and was a tough smasher. My footwork is awful. I really wish one of you guys could coach me, of course I know that cannot happen. I would like to get to 1500; I could really tear up the basement club then. Win me another title. mynameisnotbob, this will sound really dumb, but I've been embarrassed so much lately in ping pong, what is long pimples? I know what anti is, because one of our younger players uses it and he is tough with it. He's got a strong forehand smash too. Nobody in the basement league loops, or really plays any spin on the ball. One guy tries big loops but he misses all the time hahaha. Sorry for the long reply.

I know I spell pickle wrong. Got a t shirt one time with "pickelman" on it, and I have used it anyways ever since They spelled it wrong but I kept it

Seemiller's grip has this forefinger and thumb over opposite edges of the blade near the handle. He said he plays like this because, well, he learned to play in a basement... Yes, he plays with the same surface on forehand and backhand sides, and he certainly does loop. He can generate a LOT of power on both sides but doesn't loop on the backhand because of the grip (so he said in one of his training videos). He's got anti on the back side of the racket and he twiddles (changes sides) sometimes. He and Eric Boggan were trading the US #1 spot for over a decade, I think, until people like Cheng and Fan Yiyong moved to the US. Here's a fairly recent video (boy, he's a LOT older than when I saw him last...). You can see him twiddle at 0:29. Last I checked a couple years ago he was still rated over 2500 (though the best players are now in the 2700-2800 range).



Iskandar

Haha, he is a basement guy too. What color is the anti-black or red?

Pickelman, here is a good youtube channel that explains more: https://www.youtube.com/user/G309

There's a lot to go through there. Here's a good place to start.

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
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My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

The anti is red. He uses the black pretty much all the time.

Iskandar

Welcome to the forum, 'pickelman'!

You do have an interesting dilemma: stay a relatively big fish in your small pond, or venture out to the club and lose for a very long time with a hope of becoming a better player. I was in a similar situation several years ago (although I have to say that I did not play for 26 years with the grip like yours, which is likely to be a problem for you - more on that below).

I still think it's worth a try to play in the better club - but I would suggest playing people closer to your level - 1600 ones are too tough for you right now (just like 2300 ones are for me - very different game). Most clubs have a decent range of skilled players (mine does) - aim for folks like yourself, kids who are just starting out, senior citizens etc.

Long pips (LP) are a type of rubber that has pips on the outside (smooth rubber has them facing the sponge, that's why it's called inverted - originally everyone used pips (till 1950s?) - and these pips are longer (duh!), compared to short ones. One can do a lot of weird things to the ball with these, especially if your opponent puts a lot of spin on their shots, that's why folks here suggested them for you. Also, a lot of long pip shots are pushes and blocks, and these can be easily done with your current grip, which is extremely backhand (BH) oriented, which probably would help. Note, LP probably won't help much against your current crowd, since I suspect no one there uses spin that much, but it might be very handy against these pesky 1600 players in a better club, especially if they don't play against pips much.

The reason your grip is is a problem: it is good for BH pushes and blocks, perhaps, but awful for forehand (both for pushes and attacks), which is essential to be a better player. I have no idea if you can change - 26 years is a lot. Try a couple of lessons if you can and see if you can develop a forehand with proper grip - it will pay off in the end.

By the way - the guy in your club who is trying big loops and missing for now: once he starts landing them, all of you are toast .

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