OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Donn Olsen, the author of the PATT table tennis books, a coach at the Werner Schlager Academy in Austria and a big fan of Adham, has posted on another forum that the ITTF is currently experimenting with different increased net heights. He writes "my personal sense is that 1 inch would not be enough. Were I to guess, I would say 2 inches."

Two inches would be a 33% increase of the current 6-inch height!!!

Personally I think that would be ridiculous, radical and hugely change the game for the worse. What do you think?

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What "problem" is this attempting to solve? Game still not full enough of crowd-pleasing counterloop duels?

Such a change, were it enacted, would put flat hitters and (probably) choppers out of business, and imho, would force many recreational players out of tournament level play in disgust. I can't think of another internationally sanctioned sport so intent on tinkering with its game, all presumably in the name of boosting its spectator appeal.

I hope if they do a 2 inch change, it causes a world wide rebellion. This is not a little change.

What would the tennis world do if all of a sudden the net was raised 1 foot?

You just have to ask yourself: If ITTF is run by Persson, Waldner, Saive, Guo Yuehua, Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui, would the sport have become more popular today without the changes Adham's ITTF had made/will make? If the answer is "yes", then it's clear we don't have the right people controlling our sport, period.

*Luckily these legends are still young enough, and perfectly able, so maybe we should let Adham mess up as much as he could right now before he gets the boot.

It's been done before-the other way round. The net was once 3/4 of an inch higher, until the 'chiselling' epidemic of the mid-1930s. After the 1936 Worlds ended in near-farce, with the Swaythling Cup Final taking 11 hours to complete, the longest point ever recorded (over two hours) and another singles match having to be decided on the toss of a coin after seven hours of play, the ITTF took the decision to encourage attacking play-or at least get points decided more quickly- by lowering the net to 6 inches.

I think the idea is to eliminate so many third ball attacks, as well as thwart the Chinese close to the table attackers and favor the Euro Looper types. Add in the new faster and less spinny ball, and who knows what the game will look like in a few years?

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

haha. I just gotta to laugh. Such a proposal/suggestion is rather comical. Hmm, third ball attacks would probably decrease in effectiveness and the new weapon of choice would be lobbing.

So pathetic, it is not even funny!

This guy must be so far up Adham's backside that his feet are sticking out!

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There mustn't be enough 6 inch nets selling any more. What better way to increase sales than to change the equipment requirement. There must be a kickback to the ITTF somewhere in it.

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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!
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S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
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I thought a 1/2 inch change would be pretty radical. But 2 inches? It would be a different game. The manufactures would have a field day again. Hot rubbers would now be spin first, speed second. Probably real thin top sheets that wont last. No matter what, this would cost most players $$$$$$$$.

I wish the ITTF would just come out and say what they invision for the future of the game.
Just say WHAT they want to accomplish with new rules. What is thier goal?

ITTF has been pretty successfull getting what they want so far. I have heard talk about a higher net for a while but never dreamed they would consider 2 inches. Even one inch would change the game alot. I think it would go to super spinny slower loops that hug the table after the bounce.

I wonder what the Chinese think about a 2 inch change?

Having read through this thread (and any number of other ITTF related ones), I suggest that we should all go back and reread the children's story "Chicken Little". Do you remember the important refrain: "The sky is falling!"?

BTW: Did none of you realise that Donn Olsen first wrote about this 119 days ago?

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So sad that it should come to this" Sung by the dolphins in The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

Donn Olsen just posted the quote found in this thread's first post on June 28, 2011. It's not old. Just to be clear, are you stating Donn Olsen, the author of the PATT table tennis books and a coach at the Werner Schlager Academy in Austria, is not a credible source?

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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
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

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

the way it's going, this is how we could all end up....

Unfortunately Tassie with the ITTF's track record you have to suspect they will make the sky fall...or perhaps the game as we know it? They have already caused people a lot of pain and expense with their decisions and the way they go about things.

_________________
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.

I wonder how many different Pickleball paddles there are? Are there faster ones, spinnier ones, ones with carbon, racky or grippy ones?

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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.