OOAK Table Tennis Forum

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/10/21 ... l-at-spin/

The latest wisdom from the face of table tennis Susan Sarandon...

1. Ping pong is not just for geeks. “Some people either think of it as a really geeky loser thing or they think of it as totally Asian and non-emotional and therefore boring. But at our club we’ve got 11-year-old pros to Marty Reisman who’s been playing for 67 years. He’s 82. Ping pong cuts across gender, age, body type, every expectation that you could possibly have.

2. It makes every party more interesting. “For the Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps premiere, we did the wrap party at SPiN and it was the best wrap party ever because people have something to do.I’ve never been a bar person myself. I never know what people talk about for two hours in a bar. But if you have ping pong and there are places to sit, you can watch the other people play and make fools of themselves. It makes bar life much easier.”

3. Ping pong is one of the few activities that you might be better at after a few shots. “When I’m talking, I’m much better than when I’m focusing. You’re in the zone and you’re relaxed. We’ve thought of actually having a tournament where your alcohol level on a breathalizer has to be over a certain point and seeing what happens.”

4. It’s an inexpensive night out with friends. “You get a table and as many people who want to play at that table can (it’s $28 per hour after 5 p.m.). It’s not like bowling where you have to pay per shoes or per person. They can come in and drink and watch tournaments and socialize.”

5. Your new ball addiction will require a practice space (food and booze is a bonus). “The learning curve for ping pong is very quick; so people get hooked and they start to want to get better. When you get to the level of some of these people, it becomes about strategy like chess. One of the guys here, Kaz who’s from Japan, when he plays in tournaments, he’s been known to strip down to his speedo to distract the other players.”

Plus a bonus comment on competing NYC TT clubs: The ping pong clubs in New York which exist are so serious with bad lighting, bad floors, no food and definitely no drinking.

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I like what she says!!!

She broadens the consumer's opportunity for the sport! Many people would be intimidated by the idea of going to a TT club in a gymnasium where the whole focus is TT. I think it's great to add some partying to pong if people want to!

And it is true that in a few minutes beginners can see improvement.

Our club members are constantly bringing in fresh fruit. I do that too, and usually bring in Microwave popcorn (a novelty here in Korea), sometimes stuff I make at home, or every week canned nuts. The guyz and a lot of the ladies like it if i bring in a 24 pack of MGD or Budweiser. The club manager hates it if too many of those get consumed for obvious reasons, that is why we have mini tourneys to decide who pays for the drinks somewhere else after TT. having the same mini-tourney to decide who pays for delivery Korean/Chinese food is a blast. You never see such serious TT going on in a real tourney. These mini tourneys for food are all out madness and a stroke of genius.

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[quote These mini tourneys for food are all out madness and a stroke of genius.][/quote]

That's a great idea!

It adds some positive intensity and some socializing!

Glenn, I don't think MNNB was trying to highlight her "good" side there.

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There's no denying that TT can be enjoyed on so many different levels from chaotic social to focused tournament styles.

From Sarandon's POV, she obviously enjoys the social game with a good dose of chaos (alcohol and guys in speedos). Even though a serious player might frown at this sort of behaviour, social play like this has been known to get people playing and eventually taking it more seriously. There are not too many sports where you can play with laughs and then discover that you can take it further.

I've been known to have a few beers at a BBQ and play TT. It can be good for a laugh, but the biggest high comes from playing sober!

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And maybe my naive innocent Canadian mindset didn't pick up on that......

I still think that what she is doing raises quite a bit of interest in the sport.