OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Let me begin this post my saying that I like playing table tennis and I enjoy watching (regular) tennis.
I have been watching tennis on TV since about 2002 or 2003 and so I know hundreds of professional players.
I tried playing tennis back in 2005, but I could not get the serves in, and I was outside in the heat.
A few years later, I found table tennis, which really enjoy, and that's why I'm on this forum now!

I was wondering, based on the way Rafael Nadal plays tennis (with lots of topspin), how great of a table tennis player he would be?
I think that if he played every day and practiced hard enough, he could become at least a highly rated club player, but I am not sure how well he would do professionally.

What I have noticed, though, regarding most tennis players trying to play table tennis (i.e. Andy Murray vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's locker room table tennis match during the rain delayed 2011 Aegon Championships:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0QQ38eUBWU)
is that most tennis players are used to striking the ball with longer strokes and most do not know how to get enough spin on the ball which even the most basic of table tennis strokes require.

However, I think that Rafael Nadal would be able to cope with the change because of his style of play. In addition, check out the following video which shows him playing pretty well!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhLts9iRTS8

Also, I was wondering why some tennis fans hate on Rafa and his style of play, calling him defensive and that he just relies on his opponents to make errors when he is actually a scrappy player, which should earn him respect (and the fact that he never gives up and will always fight).
Whereas ironically, if he were to play his exact same style in table tennis, he would be considered an aggressive, attacking offensive player. I wonder how that would go over with those same so-called tennis "fans".

Do you think this is just due to the nature of both games being different?
It seems like table tennis and tennis are almost exactly the opposites of each other:
For example, in addition to my last comment, I find that good table tennis serves are the worst tennis serves and vice versa.

Do you think it would be easier to transition from playing tennis to table tennis or the other way around?
(I tried playing pickleball after I had started playing table tennis, and I had to get used to gripping the racquet differently and hitting differently, but that's a story for another day. Obviously, I do not like it as much as table tennis.)

Thanks,
~J.J.

Last year a friend of mine called me and asked if I wanted to go play tennis with him. Once I got there he asked me if I could play. I said yeah I think so. He then asked if I ever played before and I said no but I think I can play. He didn't think much of my playing level I think but we started playing anyway. Boom, ace. Boom, another ace. He then asked me if I really never played before. I confirmed I really never played before.

We played a few sets and as I expected I found tennis to be much easier than table tennis. The lines are the same but the whole spin thing just isn't there. Fast or slow, high or low and that's about it.

Later I asked around a bit and found that most tennis players don't really enjoy playing against table tennis players because they play "different". Different as in more passive, more drop shots, more slice, smarter. I kept playing tennis for some months but I didn't enjoy it as much as playing table tennis.

One unexpected thing, playing tennis I don't get tired as quickly as while playing table tennis. You move more meters but you have way more time to react to incoming balls, pause getting the ball, pause on service, pause on second service. Speaking of second serve, I think it's a completely unnecessary rule. There is absolutely no pressure on your first serve and you can take all the risk you want.

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I have no idea what kind of ping pong and tennis you play where the former tires you out faster than the latter .

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Custom Blade 'Hard Justice' w/ Yasaka Cobalt a
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Way less intense because of all the interruptions of play.

_________________
Competition bats:
Win-tec power def Tibhar 5Q sound Power Update 1.8 * Spinlord Agenda ox
TSP Balsa 3.5 Tibhar Genius+Optimium sound 1.8 * Grass D-tecs ox

Put to rest:
Galaxy T10 Bluefire M2 2.0 Palio Ck531a ox
Victas Koji Matsushita Tibhar Genius+Optimium sound MAX * Spinlord Dornenglanz ox
Donic Defplay Senso Tibhar Aurus Sound Black max * Grass D-tecs ox

Check out my quest for my new blade here: http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=23241
Current standings:
Butterfly Matshushita powerdefence * Joola Chen Weixing * Nittaku KVU * Nittaku Shake defense* Tibhar stratus power defense * Victas Koji Matsushita * Yasaka Sweeper * Win-Tec power defence

I play both tennis as table tennis competitively at a reasonable level and I can tell you that IMO tennis is much more exhausting than table tennis. If you play a competition tennis match for 2-3 hours, you can't feel your legs and arms anymore. If you play 2 or 3 such matches in one day, you are dead - both physically as mentally. Tennis requires a lot more power and short sprints to get the ball. On the other side, table tennis requires a different kind of concentration and precision. Movements are smaller, shorter, quicker.

I can't choose between the two, I enjoy both very very much... so I combine them: tt mainly in winter, t only outside - mainly in summer... I started playing both when I was a kid.

Some people ask me if both sports don't interfere with each other. I don't think they do. I have more the impression that my tennis benefits from table tennis and vice versa.

BTW: tennis equipment is FAR less complicated and diverse (and less interesting) than table tennis equipment . I use only one racket and always have the same kind of strings. Ok, I have one back-up racket but it's exactly the same as my main racket. For table tennis, that's a bit different but there equipment & testing is just part of the fun.

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I play both as well, and I only wish that ping pong came near the level of physical exertion that tennis requires. Tennis is a no-holds-barred workout while ping pong will only really get you sweating after an hour or more.

I think ping pong is usually more fun, but I don't consider it in any way to be a workout or substantial part of a fitness routine. Lots of people that play several times a week are overweight, and one of the main reasons that people in the U.S. don't view ping pong as a real sport is because of the relatively small amount of athleticism required when compared to more popular, mainstream options.

You can be morbidly obese or a 10-year-old kid and still be extremely competitive at a high level, which can't really be said for sports that are more heavily reliant on athleticism. A co-worker once told me that it was hard for them to take the game seriously after they witnessed a little kid destroy an adult in a tournament and a somewhat rotund, older gentleman defeat a young guy by 'just holding his paddle in front of the balls.' I can definitely see his point from the perspective of a spectator.

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Custom Blade 'Hard Justice' w/ Yasaka Cobalt a
Tatco Hornet w/ ATP Leland Era

I didn't say table tennis is not exhausting by definition. Also, most top TT-players are quite athletic. But indeed it is true that there are certain styles that require less or little effort. Which makes it possible that also overweight or older people with good technical skills can compete at all levels. I think this is a good thing!

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I agree with Pipsy. TT has a much lower entry threshold, in terms of cost as well as physical strength/technique, so it is accessible for most people. TT can still be (depending on your opponent) physically and mentally challenging up to a very high level. I see that as the greatest beauty of our sport, that with various physical disabilities you can still play competitively, and to some degree compensate with smart playing, and there still is a challenge: you need both physical exercise and technique training to get better.

There may be good reasons why TT is better for workout than "lawn tennis" for some players.
The level of workout you get from a technical sport, be it TT, tennis, or other, depends a lot on your experience. In tennis, a table tennis player (also a squash or badminton player) will have the "feel" and motor skills to hit the ball well. However, until you get the feel for the court and how the ball flies, there will be many unreachable balls, where you just give up. Giving up does not add to the workout...
When you develop a better sense of placement and ball trajectory, you get within reach of those formerly unreachable balls, so you run for them. More runs, longer rallies, less interruption = better workout.

Myself, I am quite a bit overweight and my knees are not so good. I suspect that if I try to play tennis, I'd see a lot of those "untouchables", because my mobility does not suit the game of tennis very well. So for me too, TT is likely to be the better workout.
In TT I suppose I can get my racket on any serve, from any player in the world. Most basement-level players could do the same.
Receiving serve from even an average local tennis club player, most of the time I'd just stand there and watch it pass (or if they serve into the body I'd stand there and say "ouch", unless I happen to get the racket on it)...

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My blog of failures, etc., also containing equipment list at "resurrection" (referred to in a few of my early posts), and my current lineup
Rating in the middle/low range in the region.
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It does indeed require less physical strength and mobility, but the learning curve is incredibly steep in terms of technique. Most beginners can barely understand why their serve return is going into the net, while there is no such deception in tennis, or really any sport to the degree of ping pong. I also don't think the cost is less: a decent paddle costs as much as a decent tennis racket, and there are no free ping pong tables in the park (in America at least) like there are with tennis courts.

Back in the hardbat era, I would agree that it was "easy to learn but hard to master," but now it's hard to even properly learn for the vast majority of people, and not everyone is willing to endure the learning curve; some just can't seem to get it. I'm just being objective here.

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Custom Blade 'Hard Justice' w/ Yasaka Cobalt a
Tatco Hornet w/ ATP Leland Era

With our temperatures hoovering around 25 degrees at the moment when a saw a sign yesterday saying indoor tennis I took a double take.
At our local gym they've recently starting playing outdoor tennis. Starts at 2pm and by 4pm it's over. If it was table tennis it would still be going on until 5pm.
You would certainly do a lot more running about in tennis not to mention the physical work of serving but a decent table tennis game seems a lot more tense and can be mentally draining.
Came across some calorie comparison and TT only burns 200 calories an hour can't remember what it gave for tennis but squash was 800 calories an hour. I know from a recent match played on holiday that one hour is all my back could cope with. Whilst with TT I have happily played for 3 hours and was still able to walk the following day.

I play both and I can tell you tennis is a million times more physically demanding than table tennis.

In the last tennis tournament i played,i lost both my singles matches which includes the consolation singles for first round losers. Both were played in the cool of night around 20 C.

After 4 close sets in two days,running for anything and everything my legs turned to jelly.

It took me between 3-4 days to recover.I was not injured in my legs it was just pure fatigue.

Tabletennis is 10 percent fitness 90 percent technique,while tennis is the opposite of that.

The best tennis players in Australia would be lucky to be B grade at tabletennis,though potentially better.

Tennis like squash seems to come quite easy for many. With table tennis however,the technique is so much harder to grasp. Just my experience.

http://calorielab.com/burned/?mo=se&gr= ... n=lb&kg=68

Above is a comparison chart of calories burned.
Tennis is 2 fold of TT whilst squash is nearly double again !
It's difficult to have an easy game of squash but with TT it's easy to vary the intensity.
Know of 2 guys who play tennis & TT at a decent level but I reckon one is better off doing a different sport so that you're not leaving yourself exposed for tennis elbow or a strained shoulder.

I agree mostly with the chart. At the competition level tennis does get a lot more physical than playing your mate for a social hit!

When i first tried squash I was amazed at the lung capacity that is required.

Indoor Soccer is another killer sport,as there is nowhere to hide in order to get a rest.

Playing tennis in direct sunlight on hard courts in the middle of a hot summer like at this years Aussie Open is another two levels up again!

Those guys deserve a medal.

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A big bag full of blades and long pimples, donuts and coffee!

Used to follow McEnroe in his heyday. Being a leftie we had something in common. Thankfully I didn't have his tantrums but.i might have been a little borderline at one stage. Good parents & a coach kept me under wraps.
Good article here...
http://www.psmag.com/culture/john-mcenr ... ess-66758/

Seems that his temperament cost him dearly. Apparently a lot of his earnings went in fines but I can't recall him ever endorsing any products.

Was there ever an equivalent in Table Tennis ?