OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Keep posting these, I always enjoy reading about how people do in their competitions.

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"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

Well one thing I will reveal of last night that some might find interesting is that I used the Enforce set up for 2 out of 3 singles and my doubles. The other singles I went back to the Cayman. May have been a mistake I'll never know, but I'd accounted for the guy last time with the Cayman, which was my reasoning for using it again, because the red palio gives more reversal than the black. And I thought I had it under control as I beat the guy 11-9 in the first set. I was really tired and having trouble focusing though and the next game stripped off me 11-3 really easily. The next 2 games I spent every last bit of energy I could muster and lost both 11-9.

The Enforce setup with the Tenergy on it is really starting to convert me from the love of the Omega II over to the Tenergy though. The extra spin I get from the Tenergy has convinced me about what so many others have found worth raving about this rubber. I still have similar power to the Xiom, but the spin is awesome. It was winning me more points on serve and allowing me to smash with as much power as anything I've used. The black palio I thought wasn't much against the red, but after I beat the oppositions Captain, he said the balls coming off my pips had him so confused he didn't know what was going on. He said they were dropping at angles and wobbling and doing strange things. I couldn't see most of it, but he said it really threw him. Last time I played this guy I had 2 games in which I was 5 or 6 nil up against him and still managed to lose to him 3-0. So when I was 5-0 up on him in the first set I was aiming to just keep my cool and a lead. He was back to 5-3 very soon and I just kept going and ended up winning it 11-4. In the second game we had a closer stouch and I came out of it 11-8. We got water and he said to me "well, I'm catching you, I should overtake you now." I joked back to him that he should aim to catch me just a little more and overtake me in the next one!

Well he had none of that, and he put his pedal to the metal and took the game 11-6. I was a little worried about this, wondering if he was now warmed up and ready to dish it out to me. So I pulled out all stops in the next game serving up as much as I could to him. I had him 4-0 and was hoping to make it 5-0 as a good headstart. No such luck, he made it 4-1 with a BH flick past me. I made it 5-1 though and recall thinking it was the same as if he'd got his point after 5-0. In the remainder of the match I just served as spinny as I could at him with the odd serve off the pips to mix it up. This is the guy who switches his bat from hand to hand. So knowing he was staring down the barrell started going for smashes by serving with the right and going for the return to his "BH" with the left. He missed a few of these and some off my serves. I ended up at 11-1 with him to finish the match. I was pretty happy at this point as it was match 1. Not so happy being 2-1 down after my teammates played their first matches.

Last time we played these guys we won the first 4 and only won it 6-5. We won the next doubles to be 2-2, but I wasn't confident of winning the round. Our Captains son, who is a guy of about 35 and played in his Dad's team up until about a year ago, and he didn't do a bad job of his games. But his time out of the game, as well as the fact we were playing a grade above where he dropped from told on him. I was hoping he and his Dad would win their doubles to give us a fighting chance, but the opponents had more to fight for. Beating us keeps their finals hopes alive. If we had beaten them we would have guaranteed our finals berth. So now we still have the threat of being knocked out hanging over our head, if only a small chance. Not sure why our regular player hasn't been there the last 2 weeks, but I sure hope he returns and makes up for it next week and the week after!

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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.

Reb,wish i could put so much detail in my posts as you,but my spelling is so bad so i keep my posts short and sweet.Keep up the good work,sounds like your having one hell of a season,if you keep improving at this rate we might see you in London in 2012!

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1.American Hinoki W.R.C blade with Red Tenergy 2.1mm on my f.h Black Galaxy Apollo Tuned 2.2mm on my b.h

Blocker the only way you'll see me in London in 2012 is if my bank account improved very rapidly...and then by enough so I could be in the audience!!

_________________
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 Reb,
Never, never, never changeyour TT material during a match. In fact I would advice to use the same blade for training purposes as well during the league period. All tests need to be done before the season, not during it. Choose one blade and stick to it. Depending on the material won't safe you from difficult rivals, just from the lower level ones.

Q.-

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Blade: Butterfly Legout
FH: YinHe Saturn 2.0 38º
BH: Meteor 8512 0.5 mm OFF

I am glad to be of help with the Tenergy

Cheers.

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Main Setup: There is NO such thing
Table Tennis Directory | Rubber Mass Database I | Rubber Mass Database II | Sponge Hardness Database

Mate I am so grateful to you for letting me try this rubber. Its the ants pants. Yet it took me a while to get this feel for it. Thanks a heap!

_________________
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.

Reb, you are most welcome Personally, it took me quite a while to actually 'fall in love' with the feel of the T05. When I first started, and being an EJ, there were so many rubbers screaming, 'use me! use me!'. But every time I play with the other rubbers such as Bryce Speed FX, Sonex JP Gold, Tibhar Nimbus Soft, etc, I find the feel lacking even though I played better with them. That is why I have now decided on T05 for my FH. Mind you, I do find the 2.1mm quite uncontrollable for my level so I am now using 1.7mm which I think is perfect for my game.

And of course being an EJ even though I have convinced myself that the T05 is my FH rubber, I can't help myself and have just ordered a piece of T64 1.7mm Will see how it goes compared to the Tenergy 05 1.7mm.

Cheers.

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Main Setup: There is NO such thing
Table Tennis Directory | Rubber Mass Database I | Rubber Mass Database II | Sponge Hardness Database

I'll be very interested in how you find that rubber Choi. Yes I can understand you feeling the T05 at 2.1mm being a bit hard to control. I find I have to be quite precise with my stroke as its not terribly forgiving of a poor stroke. I've looped a few into the net by under-estimating the lift its required at some points. I've also looped many with sidespin that has the other guy missing it by a foot on their swing though, and it smashes quite accurately due to power and grip. But once again, the smashes will go astray without a good stroke, but I find that goes for most rubbers.

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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.

Well it was a bit of an odd night for me tonight. Once again my younger teammate did not show up and so we relied on another fill-in. Tonight we were up against the top team who displaced us from that spot yet again last week.

My Captain was running late having picked up friends at the airport having flown over from that auspicious city named Adelaide! (Haggisv's home for the non Aussies). So I played first and was up against a guy I've never managed to beat in about 3 prior meetings. Have had two 5 setters with him before and last time I met him he demolished me 3-0. He complains of injuries all the time but still comes up trumps. I was determined to change the pattern this time and I got off to a flying start on him taking the first 3 points. These were gained because he overhit against the pips, or against a deceptive serve. He managed to score a point by sliding a BH past me though. I was really focused on hanging onto that lead though and I rained a tyraid of spinny serves and 3rd ball smashes on him. I can't quite recollect how it all happened but by the time I was 11, he was still only 2!

The second game started out in similar fashion by me getting the jump on him. This time though he came out of whatever daize he'd been in about the time I had him at 7-3. He started landing his BH smashes which is his favorite shot. For an old guy he moves very well and will position himself for a BH shot whenever he can. I scrambled along to have it 10-6 and was just aching for the extra point. He kept on coming though and and took the momentum along to 10-9. Was I concerned? You betcha! Anyway, it was my serve and I tried to spin him off the table with a side and top of my BH that looked like under and side. He chopped it back and I lightly looped it back to his FH side. He sent back a chop that bounced a foot inside the endline and I pounced on it with a big FH and landed it down into his body. He did get a bat on it, but missed the table by a long way. Phew 11-9. Can I hold out? This is the best position I'd ever had on him.

In the next game he became even more aggressive and more accurate and I matched it with him, but certainly didn't feel as comfortable for the better part of the first 2 games. I got the score along to 9-7 my way by landing more FH smashes in a single game than I have in a long time. He kept the pressure on and got back to 9 all though. I served to him another BH sidespin serve and had him send it long. He was complaining at himself and I figured I'd give it another try. This time he was more careful and chopped it deep at me. Again I pounded a FH back down his BH side and passed him and secured another 11-9! I was spent. It wasn't a warm night, but boy was I sweating.

Next game our fill-in played as the Captain still hadn't arrived. And so I had to sweat it out umpiring the game, even though I felt quite exhausted. I was hoping the game would stretch out a bit to allow our Captain time to arrive. But our fill-in had other ideas. He won the first game in a bit of a battle taking it 13-11. In the next game he took it more easily at 11-4. In his last game he won it 11-7, but fortunately half way through the game our Captain arrived. Now normally he would beat the opposing team's captain, but in all the rush he went down to him 3-0.

He then chose to play the first doubles with the fill-in who was a friend of his. I trusted he knew how to play doubles with him and I was right as they easily took it out 3-0.

My next singles was against the old guy who doesn't move hardly at all on his feet. I comfortably took out the first game 11-7 and it seemed easy sailing. I was winning some easy points by dropping the ball just over the net to his FH side and out of his reach. My accuracy got a bit sloppy though and he started taking advantage (if I didn't just hand him the point). The second game came to deuce and I felt the pressure come on. So I aimed to win it. Plan was going along ok to start as I went 11-10. Oops he got back, 11 all. Then I went 12-11. He got back 12 all. Then I made and error on the next point and he had 13-12. Damn. Ok time to rally. I played him around the table a bit and got a smash opportunity and pounded it at him. I didn't even really over-balance on the smash much, but I had to step right into the table to make the shot and blow me down it blocked straight off his bat and back at my body before I had a chance to even flinch and caught the edge of the table as it proceeded into my gut! 14-12 to him! The next 2 games played out very closely. He took the first 11-9. In the next I took a bit of a lead on him and got it to 9-7. All was looking good to go to the 5th set when he sent a BH down that caught my BH edge and skittered away. Then he pushed one at me that I sent back a fraction high and he flicked another BH down and past me. Next point was almost the same. He got his 11-9 as I tried to land a smash to level the score and miss the end. So I went down 3-1.

My teammates won their next 2 and then my Captain plays me with the fill-in in the doubles. This simply didn't make sense to me as the Captain could play and he and i have a good record. The fill-in I'd never seen play, was a C-Pen player, so his style was different to anybody I've ever played doubles with before. I thought well he's a good player, we can do this. But no we couldn't. He missed more shots than I did, yet this guy was a superior singles player to me by far. We went down 3-0 and never really seemed to stand a chance. I still can't work out the Captains reasoning other than that he perhaps was buggered lol.

I played the opposition Captain, the double sided Phantom 0012 player, next. I've spoken a lot about this guy and I don't find his game easy to deal with. The spin that comes off his bat is mind-boggling. When you think its going to have underspin it often has top and you send it long. You think you're returning a float and it dives down off your rubber having some chop. He beats many player at his level and higher with his rather unique style and equipment. In the first game it was like I'd had hold of a rope that was just slipping through my hands and I was unable to stop it. I went down 11-1! And I was glad to have the 1 I was determined to redeem in the next game and redeem I did. I won it 11-9 with some very carefully placed shots and running him around a bit. Oh and not to forget some good smashes. Played the next game the same way, and almost got the same result. Almost! Except it got to 10-10. Now the next points were played by both of us with a lot of caution a little bit of luck each, and some good and bad shots as we quivered along to 15 all. I'd had the advantage each time, and he'd just pull something out to stop me getting the extra point I needed. In amongst all of this I landed one of the best BH smashes I've played with the Palio and I saw my Captain smiling at it. But at 15 all I then slipped up with an errant angle and let him get to 16-15. It was all he needed and though it was a long tense point that we played next, it ended in an ever so slight overpush on my part 17-15!. The next game I played with as much focus as I could muster and almost made it back to life, but fell just short with yet another 11-9 loss.

The other two singles were ours though and we finished up the night with a 7-4 victory over our closest rivals. I know we won't have the fill-in we had tonight if we play the final against these guys though, so whether we can win THAT round will be anyone's guess. I don't know why our third player has been away. I do know if he comes back just to play the final, I doubt whether he will have the match fitness to win anyway. I'm hoping they will let the Captain's son play in the final if our third still can't make it back, but I'm not sure if he will have enough games. I know they have allowed people to play a final with only two rounds under their belt before, so we will see. Seems a shame to get that far to have to forfeit games in a final. Anyway, if we lose badly enough next week against the bottom team we could still be put out of the final. I think if third won 11-0 and we lost 7-4 if would see them in. Mind you we are now on top of the ladder again after tonight and the team we beat is on the same points with 5 games less than us. So if our opponents tonight lost next week it would be them that would be put out! As you can see it's pretty tight!

_________________
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 would agree with you there speedplay, but I must say sometimes its not down to your partner being bad, its down to your mindset THINKING he's bad, like that doubles I had in that tourny last year, I had a mindset of thinking my partner was bad, to I put the pressure on myself to win it for us, which caused me to have a terrible game that I dont speak about much lol

btw reb, nice wrietup AGAIN, its always nice that your fill-in is a decent play eh?

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

I almost wish it was like this because at least I could understand it. But to start with this guy didn't speak a word of English so I couldn't even communicate with him. He missed serve returns and put me under the type of pressure you are talking of. I hit quite a number of smashes wherever I got the opportunity, but to not much avail. He played nothing like he had in the singles or even his earlier doubles. It was pretty frustrating.

_________________
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.

A lot of it may be that both of you were trying to play with the same distancing and you could have been "occupying" his comfortable playing zone.

I notice with some players (especially less mobile players) you have to cede them the closer area and play maybe half a meter further back. It doesn't sound like much, but just being a step outside their playing distance helps a lot.

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Chasse Patate

Tonight was the last round of the season a win was imperative to ensure a spot in the final next week. We were playing the bottom team, which would seem an indication that we should win, except for one thing. One of their players was on the bench and they had a fill-in no-one had ever seen around before. He was an Asian guy and looked very fit. We were finally a full team again this week, having our young Chinese teammate back on board. He was lacking some match practice it seemed, but it was good to have him back.

I played first tonight and matched up against the tall and lanky 20 yo in their team who plays well on both wings with loops and smashes. He had never beaten me before and every match I've played against him I've taken 3-1. Tonight was a tight match I came out taking the first game 14-12 after being down 10-7. I was down in the next match 10-5 as well. I lost that one 11-9. In the third I became more determined and cleaned up with an 11-5. The 4th looked like it might lead us to a 5 setter and it was too damn hot for that I thought. We leveled at 9 all and I took serve. I served him a side-top BH serve and he sent it long. The next serve was a Tomahawk and he returned it and we wnt into a bit of a rally. He tried eventually to loop a good reversal off the pips and sent it into the net. So once again I had a 3-1 result against him.

My younger teammate played next, and he was up against the fill-in. Their fill-in obviously had some form from the outset taking the first game off my teammate. Teammate got it together and won the next, but then went down in the next 2. The Captain's game started out looking like he might go down against the next opponent. He lost the first game 12-10 and played quite a struggling game to win the next. His opponent looked in great form as was returning smashes from everywhere and hitting good drives off his BH consistently. I think the Captain took him down 3-1, but it may have gone to 5, I can't quite recall. We did win another though at least.

Then the Captain and the other teammate took stage for the doubles. I didn't understand the tactic when he was a bit low on form but I rarely understand my Captain's tactics lol. Anyway they happened to face the "easier" doubles pair as it turned out and accounted for them 3-0. I say easier pair because it didn't contain the fill-in.

The 2 youngsters of the teams then played when I was chatting and half paying attention. I know we won it in either 4 or 5, but not sure which. So now we were 4-1 up and looking good. I then had to play the guy the Captain had struggled against and he is a guy I've only beaten once before. Mind you the last time I played him, I did it half an hour after I had unknowingly just snapped my achilles and could do no more than stand at the table. He won it 3-0 unsurprisingly. Well tonight started out very differently. I went in hard and he didn't handle my spinny serves or my reversing returns well at all and I was 9-0 up on him when he then got his first point. The game ended at 11-2 and I couldn't complain with that. The next game wasn't quite such a breeze as he struggled to find his feet with me, and started to. I felt confident still after the first game though and ended it with him at 11-8 my way. In the third game I had another jump on him as I streaked away to be 7-0 before he got a point. I got hit with a little over-confidence at this point I think and let him back in the game somewhat. I moved the score along to 10-5 and then stalled again as he punched up to 7. Finally though I got to together again to take the much needed last point to win in 3 at 11-7.

This put us in a commanding position at 5-1 up only needing one more game. But it was an elusive one. The Captain played the fill-in and lost 3-1 to him as he had very few answers to the guys skills. Then my Captain and I played him in the doubles paired with the guy I had beaten 3-0. We narrowly lost the first game having gone to deuce. Then we won the second game, although it was a tight one at 11-8. Then we lost the last 2 again in fairly tight games. We still couldn't find that extra game we needed to ensure our final ticket.

And the pain continued in the next match as my young teammate played the guy I had the 3-0 against. He started out looking very good against him being 6-0 up before the guy got a point. He then made the game look very hard as he missed smashes that he probably shouldn't have gone for and dumping a lot of serves with 3 or 4 bounces into the net (trying to put lots of spin, but not enough force). He managed to win the first still 11-8. Then he went down in the 2nd 11-7. To give his opponent credit, he was back to playing very well. Much better than he played me. He returned so many of my teammates smashes with awesome blocks, and patiently out-waited him on errors. My teammate scrambled the 3rd game 11-9 and then went down in the 4th 12-10. This was getting very frustrating as we just needed that one more game. I said to my teammate "please win this one". Don't know if he heard me but he looked like he'd been teasing in the last game (although I knew by his expression t the end he hadn't). He breezed through it, winning 11-5. So we had secured the final at last!

In the next game the Captain accounted for the youth of the opponents and then I met up with the fill-in. I was really wondering what would happen here. The Captain's pips had not bothered him, would mine? Well the answer was yes and no. The pips sure bothered him as I landed quite few smashes on him with them, but the reversal didn't seem to make much impression. I took out the first game 11-7. I then proceeded to do the same again in the second game winning 12-10. I had him on the run and there's where I would like to have kept him. But in the 3rd game about half way through at 5 all, he figured out if he powerlooped at my pips it was a hard job for me to keep the ball down. Prior to this he had been trying to loop past me and I was blocking them back and he had the trouble. Well this changed things quite a bit and he took it out 11-8. He took me down in the next one as well as I managed 11-7 against him. In the last game he just kept on with his loop. I got a few back on but not enough and went down 11-5. This guy was way above our grade. In fact quite a few said he had played higher grades before. The Captain of the 3rd team that was hoping we'd go down tonight said he didn't think there was anyone in our grade who could beat him. He said he remembered him from prior years when he played against him in higher grades. So I was happy enough to take him to 5 sets lol.

The 3rd team went down the the 4th team tonight anyway and so even if we had lost we would have had our final berth as it turned out. But that wasn't decided until their last game as they went down 5-6. So we made sure of it by winning anyway. So as it works out we finished on top of the ladder for the season and next week play the team of tricky old blokes in the final.

I have to say I'm pretty happy with this as apart from the 2 seasons I spent on the bench, I have played a final now for four seasons in a row. The record is won 1 lost 2. I'd love to even the score, but we will see. The team we play against is the same team that quashed my team in the second season last year!

_________________
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.

wow gratz man, not bad for a guy who shouldnt be playing that level yet caus of your leg ;P

_________________
aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX