OOAK Table Tennis Forum

My style has been called that of a chopper, but it's not.

I use equipment that would not normally be classified as defensive, but defend with it.

I have been accused of "not playing real table tennis", but as far as I know haven't knowingly broken any of the laws etc of the ITTF.

I have come off the table and been told, "I didn't realise you were left handed".

Players in hitting up have asked me which pimples I use when I don't.

I have been told that "to get anywhere in table tennis I would have to learn how to, and actually use a smash". I haven't really (much) yet.

I intend this blog to record how things go etc since I have come back from a hiatus of around 15 months. I have been back playing comp for about a month, and picked up a bat again around 3 weeks prior to that.

Equipment: Old Nittaku carbon bat won for being most improved at the club I play at & for. Year after they started giving a trophy instead.
Rubber: 2.0 & 2.2 Joola Tango Extreme, 18 months - 2 years old, so not extremely spinny at the moment.

Style: Defensive, retriever, lots of spin not a lot of it top, & no spin (hence questions about pimples), placement to make it awkward for the opponent. Old doubles partner described me as someone who thought the most about how to play people (which may be more a comment on his game).

The Back Story
When i was a teenager my father made up a table out of gardening stakes and masonite, and put it on trestles. Later it went on top of an 8' by 4' pool table. My brother & I used to play endlessly, he slightly more an attacker, i slightly more a defender. We used pimples out cheapie bats. Friends used to say i should play competitively, but in my area competitive table tennis was a well kept secret.

After having a patello-femoral reconstruction for a dislocating kneecap in 1981, I was going to the Harbord Diggers gym for rehabilitation in 1982. On the way there in the club there was a small notice up about the table tennis club having practice on a Saturday afternoon. I went along and was watching a couple of guys having a game. I thought that I could beat one of them. I remember losing 8-21 to him. He was already playing comp and was just too consistent.

Mid way through that year I played in the club D grade championships (lowest on offer) and won. The next year I won B grade, and the following year I won A reserve. I think it may have been one of those years that i got my Nittaku carbon blade, after using a Stiga premade with green Cobra 3 star rubber on it.

Along the way I became a state level umpire, and have helped out with the NSW junior team going to the Australian Junior championships 3 times, usually coaching a B team. I play in a team in the local district competition, along with the Secretary of TTNSW & a director of TTNSW who is also an international referee, in the top division.
Highlights
When representing Manly Warringah District against Western Districts being down 15-20 in a game and winning 22-20.
Losing to Denis Makerling (I think he was then Australian champion) 10-21, 10-21, and you guessed it, 10-21.
Losing to Genna Raber (I think he was then Australian Junior champion) 14-21, 16-21, 18-21.
Losing to Sharad Pandit 2-3 in the Australian O/40 Mens Singles in Perth 3 years ago. Was the only one to get 2 games against him in singles in the whole week. I was even up 2-1 against him before he took things a little more seriously. He made the comment to me that he didn't see me smash against him or the 3rd player in the round robin.
Club champion at Harbord Diggers 7 times. The last 3 years another former Australian Junior champion has been there
Various other wins at club & district level & NSW tournaments (along with a lot of losses).
Representing NSW on O/40 B team at the Australian Veterans.
Watching my son help win the U/13 teams event for NSW at the Australian Juniors, & get bronze in U/13 boys doubles 2 years ago

Next up catching up on playing since coming back.

Retriever (sometimes golden but often leaden)

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

as the 3rd player in the round robin, I remember your style being unique, and not a little annoying....

Is that you and retriever in that vid PRW?

Welcome to the OOAK blogging world Retriever. Nice to read your blog!

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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.

Hi PRW,

Glad you remember me. My style has been characterised as "annoying" by many people. I remember you as having pimples on the forehand, and I had to change my game more than usual for it.

Hi Reb,

That is Retriever at the near end. The ball seems to be higher than I remember. I think PRW & I were both waiting for the other to "do something" in both rallies shown. Unfortunately my hair is now a little greyer than in the video.

Regards,

Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

remember you?! Still have nightmares...

Will you be in Adelaide?

Hi PRW,

Unfortunately not, as haven't qualified. I believe to represent NSW (or be nominated for Presidents team) I needed to play in the Vets Open & Closed tournaments & a certain number of Vets Challenge matches. As previously noted I am only back playing for 2 months, missed both tournaments & I am told the last Vets Challenge round was yesterday

The reason I was away was "Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your kids" problems with my eldest (the table tennis player).

I am told Sharad won't be there anyway, so where is the challenge? (a joke in case anyone missed it)

Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

Pity... but maybe next year...
Sharad probably cancelled because he thought you might be there!

Hi PRW,

Since you have actually played me, can you describe my style and its effect on you to the wider audience? Also how I came to be 2-1 up against Sharad Pandit if you can remember that as well? Thanks.

I can still remember drawing a NSW team member's attention to the score at change of ends (she was watching a different match on the next table). Her reaction was "so what?". Then I pointed out who was 2 and who was 1. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there

Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

OK, I need to be more descriptive than "annoying"...

the best description is probably "perpertually unsettling" - with continual variations in spin, placement, speed, height(!), and the expected return is never what was expected. Those shots I expected you to take on the forehand, you took on the backhand, and then placed where you should only have been able to play a forehand...

As I remember, I beat you in the Teams competition, and was (unwisely) expecting to do the same in the Round Robin. I am not normally as ultra cautious as the video shows.. but I think I was continually puzzled as to what spin was what, and had given up guessing where the ball was going next...

Sharad commented that he had never faced such spin variation at such an unusual height...

Oh we have a couple of guys like retriever in my club. In fact we are due to play them in our season final tonight if we can't get a postponement as we are missing one of our guys (3 man team). If retriever is anywhere near the consistency of these guys I can vouch for how darned annoying that is!

Edit: I should add, its well and truly possible to smash through this style, but to do it consistently throughout a match becomes insanely hard as you wear out! And you have to get the right blade angle on the smashes!!

_________________
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.

Hi PRW,

Thanks for that!

Hi Reb,

Yes, people can smash & loop through me if they are consistent enough. However I will always try to get the ball back, almost no matter what. I have lost count of the number of times I have "ballooned" tha ball back without any overt spin in desperation, and the attacker has missed it because they took it too high or allowed for backspin which they expected to be there, or simply didn't expect to have to play the extra shot.

Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

Unique styles are always interesting to watch. Please post some more video.

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Yes my thoughts exactly!

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Is it just me or is their some PB (maybe not in style, but look and movement) about PRW at the other end in that vid?

_________________
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 have been told in the past I should be playing rugby, not table tennis...