OOAK Table Tennis Forum

RebornTTEvnglist wrote:


My going to almost any sort of pimples would remove most of my game, just saying.

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

Opened up the community centre for the first time this year on Saturday afternoon. Although it was pretty warm, I had high hopes from an enquiry I had during the week, but it was not to be. Maybe they'll turn up next week. Had some of the regulars from last year, but were still a little down from being self funding for the 1st week.

Having a busy week this week - Monday & Thursday nights at the club, district AGM on Friday night, then back to the community centre again next Saturday.

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

Got to the club closer to opening time.

First up was a match V M?, a mostly forehand looper, but when the play goes unstructured has problems. 3-0. That is where I seem to excel. Then a singles with JH for another 3-0. I served in the first game with forehand only. Then a singles with AF for a 1-2. He can wait for a relatively loose shot and do things, particularly when I do a slightly too high push. Then a doubles with MD & N? v AF & me. Lastly a 1-3 loss (started as best of 3 1-2 then an extra game for 1-3.

Left relatively early as this week is a bit heavy with TT and other things happening.

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

Ran the community centre again on Saturday. The inquiry from a couple of weeks ago was a no-show again. Instead of heat it was rain, I think. Just about covered costs.

Went to the club last night. First up played MD - got to 1-1 then fell away in the third for 1-2. Then played a lopsided doubles with MM v MD & N? - MM has started coming to the club this year from having played at the CC for the last couple of years. Then a singles with M? - I concentrated on returning everything with either top spin or at worst no spin, but unfortunately lapsed to a little back spin that he sent into the net, for 3-0. Then a more even set of doubles with all 3 pairings among myself, AF, MD & M?. Apparently the team I was on won each time, I was not keeping track. That was it.

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

Went to the club last night. First up had a hit with S?, who seemed to want to duel with spin. So we did. After a while we played a single game for 1-0 to me. Next was a doubles with myself & MD v AF & Jl. MD & I expected an easy win but only just eked it out. Next was a singles v JL where I got the 1st game, closely lost the 2nd and lost the 3rd not so closely for 1-2. Then another doubles with various combinations of MD, me, AF & JL. Not so successful this time. Lastly was a singles v AF, again where I won the first but lost the latter 2 for 1-2. I must look more closely to see where I am being exploited.

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

Ran the community centre on Saturday afternoon as usual. Got caught up with one of the parents of a junior who started coming last year, so only 3 of the tables were gotten out and put up. Also, the curtains that we use to cover the wall of glass doors wasn't put up either. Eventually both were remedied, but not by me. A guy who has texted about coming for the last 2 or 3 weeks turned up. I was playing at the time, so interrupted things to welcome him and assure him that he would get a game in a few minutes, then went back to play. Next thing I know, he is out the door, I assumed just to wait in the open air. When the match finished, I went out to ask him if he was ready to play, but he was not to be found. Oh well.

Fortunately I have arranged for someone else to run things next Saturday while we help our daughter to move to Bathurst for uni.

Sunday I played Veterans, 3 person teams playing each other, one match in the morning, one match in the afternoon, for 3 singles and one or 2 doubles before and after lunch. I won 2 out of 3 in both, but we lost both teams matches. My loss in the morning was against a long pimples combination player, while in the afternoon it was a short pimples combination player. Oh well, again.

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

Went to the club last night. One of the prospects who I have been corresponding by text with turned up and said he would be back.

Started off with a singles against MD. I got off to a good start, winning the 1st game. Sadly it was all downhill from there for 1-2.

Then I had a game with the new guy, T?. He said that he had played at work a lot but that there spin was almost unknown. I gave him my usual primer on using the direction the bat faces to counteract its effects. He asked for a game so we had one for 3-0.

We then had a doubles with myself & T? v JH & R?, which we lost but not too badly.

Next was another doubles between AF & me v MD & M?

Last of all was a singles between me and AF. I lost horribly, popping up returns and missing easy shots. Even AF remarked on it. 0-3, where I think I lost one game 2-11 or 3-11.

I blame having played on Sunday or climate warming or old age or brexit or ...

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

At the club again last night. The prospect turned up again, and should further on as well. He had asked questions about equipment by email in the interim, which I had pretty much said that his current bat (Palio premade, approximately $Au70) could impart spin and to stick with that for a little while.

Anyway first up was a hit with MM who will be running the community centre tomorrow afternoon.

This was followed by a fun doubles with me & MM v J? & K?. MM remarked, after we won 2-1 by 2 points in the 3rd, that that was the first time he had beaten the 2 women at doubles. Modesty forbade me mentioning my modest role in that win .

Next up was a singles with a guy who plays the same division in Veterans comp, for a comfortable 3-0.

Then another doubles, this time more serious with AF & me v M? & MD. I can't remember the result but have an impression that we lost.

Following this was a singles AF v me. AF won the first 2, he seemed untroubled by most of my spin. I ground out the 3rd for a 1-2, better than Monday night's effort.

Last was a singles with MD. I got off to a good start in the first, winning something like 11-6 or 7. Downhill from there for another 1-2 which I didn't mind too much.

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

No Saturday afternoon, helping daughter settle in at CSU Bathurst that day.

Went to the club last night. First up, a singles with S?. He has CP so can't use his other hand to toss up his serve, and missed even hitting his serve numerous times. More about that later.

Then a singles with CJ. One of my few losses to him for 1-2. For once he got a few more nets and edges than I did.

Next was a singles with AF. I decided almost from the outset to attack more. Lost the first closely, then won the 2nd, but then lost the third for 1-2.

Then a fun doubles with M? & I v J? and J?. We won, and M? remarked that he felt wasn't being a dead weight for once. I demurred.

Following that was a singles with J?, a forehand looper, backhand pusher (although wanting to loop) for 3-0.

After that was a serious doubles, initially MD & I v AF & J? for either 2-1 or 3-0. We swapped for AF & I v MD & J? for another 2-1 or 3-0.

Last was a singles with MD. I lost the first fairly easily - I remember being 1-6 & 2-8. I won the 2nd in deuce. He won the 3rd as per usual.

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

Having just realised that I have left my single gentle reader on tenterhooks, I will add this to what occurred last Monday night:

At some point, S? & I came free at the same time and a table was also, so I offered for him to practice serving while I stood at the other end of the table and returned the ball for him for his next serve. We did that for 5-10 minutes.

Now for last night.

For some reason the place was parked out, so I parked around 5 minutes walk away, having already tried parking in the usual parking area for the club.

Anyways, first up I played AF. I won the first, he won the second, while I got over the line in the 3rd, on the back of a replay of a point that he thought had missed his side of the table while I had seen it touch. This was the first time I have beaten AF in months. We both made comments about it being the first game & I remarked that I felt that I warm up more quickly than most players I know.

Then while waiting, around one of the semi-regulars came in, asking if anyone owned a particular car as he had parked it in. I replied that I had parked 5 minutes away on the street. He again asked about the particular car he had parked in and again I replied that I had parked 5 minutes away on the street. My subtlety was saved from transforming into harshness by the owner of said vehicle coming in and asking the semi-regular to move his car.

Next was a doubles between AF & I v MD & N? which I think we won.

After this I played IF, and lost 1-2, again for the first time in many months if not years. He served more to my forehand with his pimples with a top spin motion, which he hasn't done for ages, which I failed to return or made a very weak return to set him up. He made the comment that he was trying to concentrate on serving because at the last Vets comp he had served more faults in 3 matches than he had in the entire previous year of competitions.

Last was a doubles with IF & I v MD & AF. I thought that IF & I were up 2-1 when we decided to take it to best of 5. I can't remember how it ended up, but I think we may have lost.

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

Ran the Saturday afternoon at the community centre - back to normal transmission, at least for a week or 2. We had 6 turn up, one junior, which didn't cover the rent for the week. We also were shy the equivalent of a week for the month. Just as well I don't bank roll the thing. We had a couple of enjoyable doubles and I had hits with DM & LT.

Unfortunately, the main local advertising for it, the local newspaper no longer puts the "column" it is in into the paper edition. I haven't found out if it is there on the web site, as parts of that are subscription only. I may look into it soon.

I missed the first local association committee meeting last week as it was my wife's birthday. I will have to find out the date of the next meeting and the rest of what went on.

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

Went to the club last night. Started off with 2 fun doubles.

Then a singles with N?. Afterwards I encouraged him to keep trying with his backhand loop, which was missing more than it was landing, and he agreed with me.

Next was a singles with EC (long / short pimples), where I won the first, lost the 2nd closely and lost the 3rd horribly.

Next was a singles with J?1. I got away with the 1st, lost the 2nd and scraped home in the 3rd. He was quite apologetic about the nets and edges though.

Next was CJ for a 3-0 revenge for last week. I really don't know what the difference was.

Last was J?2. This was a bit easier for me as he was quite happy to push then go for a forehand or backhand rip with the right ball if his consistence didn't let him down before then.3-0.

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

Went to the club last night, no parking worries this week.

Started off with a singles v J?, a forehand looper working on his backhand looping, for 3-0.

That was followed by numerous doubles, fun & otherwise. I think we had around 20 players for 5 tables, so play seemed to almost alternate between all 5 tables having singles on them to 3-4 having doubles on them. I just lucked into a lot of the doubles, I guess.

I ended up with a singles v MD, where I went very close in the first game, less close in the 2nd and even worse in the 3rd. 0-3.

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

Still poor turnout at the Saturday afternoon community centre. We had 5 paying customers, all adults this time, but it still doesn't cover the rent. I spent a fair bit of time not playing, as the 5 didn't all overlap. Just as well I brought a book. This was despite having had an enquiry during the week and doing my best to get them to come along. Oh well, looking forward to the club tonight.

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

Monday afternoon I broke a tooth, but still went to the club that night.

I played singles with a number of lower level players. J? a penholder just back for the new year was a little tricky. MM, the guy who sometimes helps out at the community centre, I tried to beat with only placement, which he was prepared to run down. CJ I think I beat 2-1. Then the rest was fun doubles.

Between then and now I had the broken tooth removed, hence the lateness and vagueness of my report.

Next Saturday afternoon I am again getting MM to run the community centre while I attend the URC and state AGMs. Yeah I know, goofing off.

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