OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Well, you sound pretty skilful ! . Great ! . Dms rubbers are not easy to master and are little effective to attack consistently . I have been testing Reflection and Scandal . Yes, great reversal but the attacking possibilities are poor and control is hard .

However, the new ABS 2 Soft is really versatile.You can attack nicely, defend with quite a good reversal and even block actively sending diving no spin balls . It is safe to use as well .

The idea for me is at least to play with ABS 2 Soft against LP / Sp because they are easier for me to beat them. If you struggle with SP hitters, I think this flanti will make your life easier and more successful

I trained pretty hard through late summer and early autumn, and made my Senior British League debut. Locally I'm playing in the top division of one league, and the second top of another (the strongest local league), and also helping out my brother in the lower of two leagues. Have played a few tournaments too.

I also spent two weeks in Portugal, and have been to a number of training camps - all working towards trying to get everything to click as a modern defender. Here's the thing: in training I'm really pretty good, even with random or semi-random drills, but in matches things still aren't sticking. Then a few weeks ago I hurt my thumb, and couldn't play for a few weeks. Once I started to get better, I just felt like I wasn't that keen on playing. I wasn't really enjoying myself - BH chopping was good, but transition to FH topspin, and transition between topspin v chop/push and topspin vs topspin/float/block was murky, and footwork was all wrong. I was getting frustrated, and just not having fun.

Finally found time to warm up with someone, and with my regular inverted/lp setup, played a bit, and straight away it felt the same. No joy on my FH - just didn't feel nice. I don't *enjoy* spinning the ball, and I'm crap at it. In near desperation I rummaged around in the (very depleted) stores, and hidden away I found a sheet of DHS 651. I took off the inverted from my spare bat, and replaced it with the 651, and played a few friendly games. Straight away things felt normal - shorter, crisper stroke, hitting through the ball, lovely feedback. Interesting.

Had a 2 hour practice session on Saturday, working through a range of drills, finishing with me attacking against chop. Overall very promising - it's a more error-prone style, but it's very rewarding, and feels natural, and my movement and footwork is better nearer the table.

Since then I've played 11 league games, and have scored 7 wins, with the losses against very good players, and very close too. SBL tomorrow and Sunday, then a league match on Monday and Tuesday.

The difference - I'm feeling confident. I'm looking forward to playing. I understand what I am doing - it's pretty simple, and I'm fairly effective at it - more close to the table blocking/bumping/pushing/flicking, and sharp hard FH attacks.

This was pretty much my style 2-3 yrs ago... and of course I'm a better player in all areas now, so returning to that style after a long period of more traditional modern defence is an interesting experience - I've learned a lot.

I understand and appreciate there are advantages and disadvantages to each style, but the key thing for me right now is that I'm enjoying myself and I believe in myself.

We shall see how things develop!

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

A good weekend - our SBL team managed 2 wins out of 4, and stay at the lower end of mid table. I played six matches, four against very strong players, against whom I was competitive, but lost 3-0 or 3-1, and won two against strong players, one 3-2 and one 3-1. Everything felt good - there are some areas to work on - I need to be alert to very wide balls to my FH, and move rather than reaching, and sometimes I'm caught out by very deep balls, because I'm quite near the table. Finally I did give away too many cheap points against players with very good disguise on their serves. But overall, a very good performance.

Last night we had a league match. It was quite a change - our team was basically the same as the team from Sunday's SBL, minus our number one.- ie our 2,3,4 from SBL played 1,2,3. The opposition were my old practice partner RH, my old rival RA (reported in the early days of this blog as beating me 11-0 once!), and MJ, whom I played and lost to 3-4 years ago in div 2.

I bet RA 3-2 - it was a bit of a scrappy game, because I know how he plays, and I decided just bumping and annoying him and putting away the occasional ball was the right tactic. I made quite a lot of silly mistakes - mainly because the playing conditions were so very different from 24 hrs previously - much faster table, much smaller court, very different light, and different ball - took me longer that it should have to adjust. But job done.

I beat MJ 3-1 - the first I was just trying to work out what to do, and was unlucky to loser it 13-11. The next two I won 1 and 2 - my fh open up against push was really strong, and fh hit also very effective - was really pleased with how I played. I tensed up a bit in the fourth, but got over the line.

RH and I were very close - but I had match point in the 4th, but couldn't convert. RH edged away in the 5th for a well-deserved win. On reflection I was a bit too passive, and my strategy of serving short to the middle neutralised his strong service return game, but made me a bit predictable. Fair play to Ricky - he played well, and it was the first time we've ever played a competitive match. Bearing in mind, if you go back in this blog, I used not to get anywhere near him, to have had match point was good. No shame losing here - he's a quality player.

We stay top of the league - TH and DL both won 3/3.

Equipment wise - I'm remembering how much I love 651 - it's just perfect. Hard to get used to, but once you get the hang of it it just feel so so good. Blade still feels nice too, and works with the SP. Only possible consideration is whether the Dtecs is a bit quick on the BH on this blade... half tempted to give the old Dornenglanz a go on my spare blade - I remember that being very effective, and a bit slower and easier to control, but the Dtecs isn't bad at all.

Tonight I make my debut in the premier division of the strongest local league, as a reserve. I'll be playing with friend and SBL team mate ES - really looking forward to it.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

It sounds like you are playing great right now LC. Would love to see a video if you get a chance to record a league match sometime.

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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

I should be able to record my matches this evening - Southampton Premier is played all in one venue on the same night every week, and it's quite common for people to record matches, and there's plenty of space to do so.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

Well, slightly annoyingly, there was a mixup in communications and I ended up neither playing the premier match, or in my division one team this evening... so nothing to report and no videos!

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

I took my daughter with me to training this morning, and she recorded some of my exercises:

1) Random exercise over 2/3 of table:



2) Semi-random exercise - middle and wide:





3) Regular exercise 2BH (twiddle) 1BH:



EDIT: Fixed URLs so the videos embed.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

It was my birthday yesterday... and I received some goodies! 2 x DHS 651 and 2 x Spinlord Dornenglanz!

Why, I hear you ask?!

Well... despite the purge, I now own the following blades:

- 2 x Donic Li Ping Kitex (one with ST and one with AN)
- 1 x TSP Defense Classic
- 1 x Ando Fibrecomp Def (new version)

The TSP was what I was using when I had inverted/LP ... but never quite liked it as much as my friend's Andro Fibercomp Def (with identical rubbers). I tried to source one, but accidentally got the new version, which is a bit different.

The TSP will be sold / given away (ping me if you're interested).

Now... I like to keep a backup bat of the same sort... but I got rid of all my dtecs ox rubbers, and they're blooming expensive. Also my friend recently switched back from dtecs to dornenglanz, and can't stop singing its praises, so I thought I'd give it a go too... so I now have:

- LPK/651/Dtecs
- LPK/651/Dornenglanz

And just for fun:

- AFCD/651/Dornenglanz

I had a little knock with my father for about 15 mins yesterday, without a table - just volley to volley, to get the feel of the blades, and the Andro is much much slower, much softer, and much sweeter. I'll get a chance to try it for real on Friday.

I'm playing in a tournament on Sat and Sun... and will report back, with videos (although I'm rather deflated that after finally putting up some videos in my last post, nobody said anything!)

Happy Christmas!

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

I've realised I completely failed to embed the videos, so here they are in a more easy way to digest:

1) Random exercise over 2/3 of table:



2) Semi-random exercise - middle and wide:





3) Regular exercise 2BH (twiddle) 1BH:

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

Happy birthday!

I only watched the random two-thirds one.

Improved fitness shows in your ability to reset your feet and recover balance after you get jammed. That makes a big difference.

I can't comment on your LP bh bc I know zero abt LP.

On the fh many of your strokes finish by your head or even behind it. Like the still for the first middle-wide video caught it. That is not ideal. At :07 and :16 you play a much more horizontal/forward fh that looks to produce a lot more ball quality. It also leaves you in better position and recovery. You go back and forth between the two stroke paths throughout, but the vertical one seems to dominate. I would try to use the horizontal/forward stroke whenever possible.

In the 2-1 video you only use the forward stroke, so I assume that is where you want to go and it just takes time and reps to get it into a more random drill.

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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

Yes! I spotted that too. I also have a habit of "shrugging" my shoulders...



Indeed - thanks!



Yes - I think I get caught between spinning up vs push and hitting forwards otherwise, and in my mind they merge and I do a half and half, which is less than ideal.

I think I mentioned I'll be playing at a tournament on Sat and Sun, and I will absolutely be able to get video footage there, which I'll publish.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

Cool. Would love to see a match video. I remember some of your local league footage from a few years ago. Your game has come a hell of a ways since then. Will be fun to see it.

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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

Only a positive comment on how fit, sharp and good shape you now are for further improving your table tennis LordCope. As BRS says, a vast improvement from few years ago. Keep going and as better late than never 'happy birthday and merry christmas' too

Day one of tournament. It was a banded tournament, with an open section. I was "seeded" bottom of both groups - there were a few seeds and then "pots" of players for 2nd and 3rd position, randomly drawn. So I was expected to finish last in both groups.

I finished 2nd in both groups, winning against the "second"; seeds, quite easily, and putting up a good fight against the top seeds.

I also did ok in the open, putting up a good fight.

I managed to record every match, I think, so after a bit of editing, I will share the highlights.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5

Quite amusingly, my setup has gone full circle and has evolved to something very similar to that which I used 3.5 yrs ago!! 651 on the FH (although 2.0mm, and red) and Dornenglanz on the BH (but black, not red) on a similar blade!

Funny old game.

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Donic Li Ping Kitex | Wanted: Thin, Slow, Soft, Inverted | Dtecs 0.5