OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I became extremely pi**ed on monday once I realised that the internal club championship isn't worth calling it a club championship. They've managed to do two 'championships', one with participants of the first teams only (6 in total, fighting each other) and one group with everyone else, about 17 members 'fighting' for the crown to be at the top of the bottom. Here they've formed groups of up to 6 members where the top 2 would advance and I've trained already over and over with 3 of the 4 members of my group, the fourth beeing one unseen yet at training days.
So there's been zero excitement and almost no challenge. Additionally, my wife managed to bring home the flu last friday and I had some coughing and sneezing next to me the nights before, so I refused to spill energy in this 'tournament', managing a non-influencal role to the outcome within the group and simply left the building. Ugly character? Probably, but at least I didn't freak out.
I rejected to juggle with material previous to the championship and I've trained and prepared myself properly to be able to give more than just some resistance against the top +-15 players, just to notice that there's absolutely no chance for confrontation. Did I mention my disappointment?
Always playing those who barely play with topspin (some refuse to use spin at all) and without any pressure within their strokes doesn't help one to improve, or even worse: it keeps you low.
So, I eventually have to shift my beeing-top-5 target to the end of the year since it will be next to impossible to prove at the end of June and I have to make use of all options to show my skills at tournaments, league-plays and going all-in in unprepared encounters on training days. The latter will ultimately turn people off and it will make it hard to find a training partner as easily at it is now.

One of these options mentioned is a small tournament in June where I may face skilled opponents. So yes, I accept the challenge.

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Red is blogging here >> http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=30522

I hope this does not affect your enthusiasm at all. From the looks of it, it does not. OK Good luck in June.

I do not aspire to be top. I just wanted to be good enough to play with the best in my club, enjoy, get a good knock and a good sweat.
Yes I agree with you that playing with lower rank players does not improve and may even harm your play. Your reactions are not tuned to be that fast and accurate. The 2 competitions I have been 'forced' to take part showed that I am not tuned for competitive play. But I still play with lower rank players every time.

'Forced' as in that competition is for everyone in the club and one can be perceived to be not sporting enough should one not take part.

I know the situation, I've been in a similar. Try ti hi-jack one of the top-gang's training session (say you made a misstake and got there the wrong day if they ask what you are doing there). You will probably get to play some with them and surley they will play matches at the end of the session where you can participate. That is how I did some 5 years ago (I made sure to be at the session before the top gang's, and if they were an un-even number of players I stepped in). If they are descent people (most are) they will be nice to you, at least that session. And if you impress them some, you might get invited to train more with them. That is what you need to take it to the next step. Good luck!

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Getting better - health and game | Def-attack's attempts to find balance between defence/attack

Thanks, it already helped to air my frustration.
There are 61 members with an ELO-rating plus about 35 players not participating in competition and the difference between my position and the position they've considered the lower end of 'the top' is a total of only 3 players.
Make it 2 since one of them is the unknown one in my group at the championship - and he was no match. And yes, with some motivation I eventually would have won the tinhat crown of the bottom-league.
But I didn't made it a secret to the club previously that a simple divide in classes, locking out encouraged aspirants, wouldn't be appreciated.
I also made it pretty clear that I'm done with the low class I entered in January, so the pigheaded me had little choice but to play out of competition - apart from immediately leaving the location, I guess.

I am already attaining at all three training days (apart from the recreational days, that is) so 2-3 of the higher ranked players do already know me first hand with training-matches and another 3 or so did hit with me without any training match so far, mostly dated a few month back. It for sure helps to stay in touch with the difference in speed and spin.

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Red is blogging here >> http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=30522