Nemesis 6 Clee Sports F 4 (Plus our Cup Wins!) Plus!!!

Last week we beat Clee Sports F 6-4. All three of them (Andy Vinson, Ernie Bromley and Simon Appleton) were experienced chop\push defenders. Andy has a bad habit of trying to chop against chop, but otherwise they are a solid, hardworking side.

One highlight was Ernie's fightback from behind to beat Brian in the 5th. Our Dennis also fought back, from 2 games down, to beat Andy. Andy versus Dennis became chop versus lob, a rare sight. Simon took a game off me and generally battled well. Dennis and I lost the doubles, but three points was already secured.

This week we play our postponed cup match with second division Louth. My main concern is that my back is rather sore this weekend. I will have to take more care.

26\11\11 - Last Tuesday we beat Louth by 59 points (from a 110 point start). Their captain Ian Turner admitted they made the classic mistake of trying to defend against lower-league opposition. Personally I took games off both Ian and Ken Harrison. I even ran Jason Lambert close. Our Brian was solid too. Dennis's only blot was losing 6 and 12 to Jason. To make up for that, Dennis took a game off Ken to 17.

We play Cup Holders Clee Sports H (also from Division 3) in the next round.

3\12\2011 - Last week we beat Clee Sports G 7-3. Again Eileen Allison was My nemesis with her "funny" combination bat. Without being unsporting, however, I must say her "nets" in the first 2 games were killers for me. That does not disguise the fact that I have yet to find winning tactics against That bat. Brian beat her in the end with a couple of high lobs! Indeed Brian was MOM with 3 wins.

I seem to have got used to Roger Chapman now, with his F\H flicks and F\H drives from his B\H wing. Dennis beat chop\pusher Richard Barnes (who hated his sidespin lobs) and helped me take the doubles. On reflection, decent luck might have given us an 8-2 win, but we can't complain.

Wed. 7\12\11. 22.00. Tomorrow I now intend to attend Practice. My back still isn’t quite right, but I want to try out some new shots. I’d like to develop my long B\H loop and F\H+B\H combinations. Need to practice my chopped return of a fast topspin serve (because returning in kind is too predictable and exploitable). Would also like to try attacking with my combination bat on both wings.

Have enjoyed watching the World Pro Tour Tournament (or whatever) on Sky Sports. The game looks quicker again after a period of rangy loops. There have been some real tat-at-at rallies going on in this tournament. The Chinese still dominate proceedings of course.

Last night we won our Cup match very well! I went on in the last “match” needing just 2 points to take the tie! Earlier it had been more nip and tuck. My battle with Alan Walton was an epic. This time I was untroubled by his clever serves, so we both attacked well. I won the first game 21-13, a fine achievement. The 2^nd game was very close though, and I cannot recall who won.

Pushing to Keith Farmery’s backhand proved effective and I hit great form against him. Keith is very sporting, openly applauding all good shots and play by his opponents. He makes no excuses when he loses. In fact he keeps saying I am giving another “master class”! (Wait until I play well, lol).

My match against Janet Clarke was just a “knock”. Dennis improved enormously from his earlier league showing. His lob game is getting quite effective now. Getting your range must be very hard when lobbing. Brian was as solid as ever. Like me he plays a very efficient game. Both Brian and I avoid moving our feet too much. In fact I am playing some incredible B\Hs these days, from ridiculous positions! Dennis, on the other hand, runs all around the court. Sometimes Dennis will charge forward to hit a F\H smash! The coaches would tear their hair out... Nuff Said. Out.

More:

http://sportales.com/sports/grimsby-table-tennis-latest-2011-2012/

A Week of Mixed Fortunes

Last week we (Nemesis) played two 3^rd Division matches. On Monday we beat DC Plastering 8-2. Wednesday saw us lose 3-7 to Urban Juice.

DC Plastering finished second in Division 4 last year and were promoted. They have found the going tough at this higher level, but recently gained a draw against Colbrook Roofing. Technically they are a sound team, with both Ray Corke and Howard Mills having played at a higher level. I recall playing a cup match against Ray in the 1980s (for NALGO), when he was with “Grimsby Valuation” alongside Steve Carter. Valuation played down Bargate, Grimsby and we were given a “start” against them.

On Monday Ray beat Dennis Burgoyne quite convincingly. He only lost 12-14 in the fifth to Brian. But it was Howard who did best against me, taking the first game. Ray’s son Danny produced some big forehand winners against us all but without much reward. In the end they took the doubles (I was rested) to make it 2-8.

Against Urban Juice, the boot was on the other foot. We grabbed just a point by winning the doubles. With one or two better shots and more luck we might have stolen a draw.

My match against Billy Wong was incredible: I lost 11-3, 5-11, 4-11, 11-5, 10-12. In that final game I came back from 2-8 down to lead 9-8, then missed two smashes at the end.

Brian lost to Leo 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 8-11. I watched that one from afar: it was a marathon! Brian complained of unlucky edges...

The solid, big hitting Dave Hanks, who named his team after his graphic design firm, did his bit by beating Dennis convincingly. Urban Juice seem to be champions elect, so I think we stood up quite well against them.

While we played Urban Juice, just behind us in the hall, “Grimsby Mariners” were beating Market Rasen 6-4. Lesley Keast did her best to spoil the Mariners’ fun, by winning all three. She beat Sean 14-12 in the fifth to avenge a defeat last season. Girl Power! The Mariners won the match though. Craig Kendall updated Facebook for the team. Well, sort of for the team. Nuff Said.

PS - Have been making a lot of comebacks this season. Against Danny (above) I came back from 0-6 down to win the third game 11-9! Earlier I recovered from about 1-6 down to beat Alan Walton 12-10 in the fifth.

Paul Butters

Nemesis 7 Colbrook Roofing 3

Frid. 21\10\11. 11.15. This week we beat Colbrook Roofing 7-3. We got off to a bad start when Wendy Newman came back from 0-2 down to beat cold-ridden Brian. Yet in the end they only snatched a point with a doubles win.

That doubles was weird: Wendy with her “funny bat”, Andy Watts and his deadly spin serves, and our Dennis with his lobs. I was the only “normal” player taking part! They had just too much guile for us.

Dennis won two singles: off the mark at last. Brian got 2 too. And I took 3 after some more “scares”.

Against Wendy I found the more I “mixed” things and moved her about, the more mistakes she made with that peculiar combination bat of hers. Andy got some nasty serves in on my F\H wing but otherwise I returned well. Jean was just as lively as ever, but doesn't like spin.

Yesterday I played a chap called John Coe (Franklin, D4) at Thursday Practice. He was a steady penholder. Talking of which, Steve Higgins came to practice again. Dave and Tony Roberts (unrelated) were there too! And George Tyler. Ken Harrison was sharp again ahead of our Cup encounter. Nuff Said. Out.

26th October: Right now I'm 2nd in the Division Three Averages to Billy Wong! Have won 8\9. Not all results are in, however. To be honest I expect Billy and his mate Leo Tsang to beat me comfortably next week. They have won 12 points out of 12 so far. Last year Leo defeated me in our one match. Against Billy, I took the first match and he took the second. They are full of energy and improving rapidly.

28th October PS - Well I really set my stall out there^^^^^^^^^^^^^!!! Yet I do not want to bust a gut this time round against those Chinese lads. I will play at a decent level and if that's good enough then fine. If that's not enough then tough.

Before then we have to play Ray Corke's side...

NALGO D 5 NEMESIS 5

Frid. 14\10\11. 15.30. On Tuesday we drew with NALGO D. Brian Ashwell was the nemesis of Nemesis I’m afraid. I played him tight and disciplined but he still got those swiping wide kills in. In fact he took very high risks, but they paid off. I lost 5-11 in the 5^th and wondered what had happened! In retrospect I was beaten by greater mobility and aggression. Next time my own Plan A will have to involve much more movement and attacking. Plan B will be to close things down again.

Mo Kayali tried to contain himself but it didn’t work. He curbed his big left-handed forehand hit. Dennis was 3 good kills away from beating Roger. Mr. Deboick was his usual steady self. However, in his final match Dennis reopened a calf tear! Hope he’s okay for next week. Anyway, Brian and I fought back from behind in the doubles to snatch a draw.

However, I personally had an amazing comeback in my final game against Roger: back from 6-10 down! Overall, our draw felt like a win!

Our next opponents are Jean Ashwell and Company (Colbrook Roofing). I thought we were playing the Chinese lads, but I miss-read the script. In fact our match with “Urban Juice” has been put back a week owing to half-term.

Highlight of Thursday Practice was another doubles lesson from wheelchair users Colin Woodford and Kath Fisher. Nice to see Aaron Chaplin practising again. Nuff Said. Out.

From My Journal

Frid. 7\10\11. 14.35. Yesterday I took a game off Steve Carter and generally pushed him close. I 1) returned his serves well and pushed them about effectively, 2) varied my service placements to good effect, 3) blocked well. There is no need to do flicked returns except maybe against topspin. What matters is placing those returns where the opponent least expects them. I'm learning!

Will have to get my F\H drives going more, if my back will allow this! It is still a good idea to practice flicked topspin returns: another weapon for the armoury. But it’s what you do with all your returns that counts.

Also spent lots of time working on Dennis’s backhand drive. Actually Dennis has a good attack on both wings but is loath to use this. He prefers to lob. His drives and hits are wild too, but that can be corrected. See how we do on Tuesday against Brian Ashwell and company. They surprisingly lost to Jean’s team last week. A wounded animal... Nuff Said. Out.

Sat. 8\10\11. 15.50. Been thinking. Back in the good old days my team-mates Dave Wagstaff and Richard Wilson played a very solid push\chop game. I followed suit but with slightly less consistency. I was more of a flair player. Anyway, it was enough to give us a couple of 2^nd Division titles. Perhaps I need to revert to some push play, at least as my opening gambit in the lower divisions.

On reflection I was maybe too gung ho last week. Sometimes you have to play within your limitations. I’m not exactly a spring chicken. Indeed I’m still carrying a nagging back injury. Last week was generally difficult too. Mum had had an acute illness (thankfully she is okay now). There were many distractions. Just the right time to ease my way in. As it was, my play was very patchy. Regular Thursday practice can unfortunately get you into bad habits if you are not careful. Duly noted. Will be much steadier this coming Tuesday. Nuff Said. Out.

Nemesis 7 Clee Sports H 3 (Grimsby League)

Wed. 5\10\11. 22.30. Last night we beat Clee Sports H 7-3. I won all 3 but only just! Dennis and I took the doubles from 0-2 down! All in all it was a tough match.

Clee’s new man Alan Walton proved quite a handful. I couldn’t cope with his serves! His all-round attacking game was very good too. Having fought back to 2-1 up in games, I let the 4^th game slip 15-13. Then I was 6-1 down in the decider but came back myself to steal it 14-12!

Pete Dyson and Keith played well too. I noticed for the first time, however, that Pete runs his finger down the middle of the bat. That gives him extra power but reduces his flexibility. Keith Farmery is a left-hander with a big F\H hit – so just be ready for the unexpected! Serving to his B\H did not work much!

Brian took his 3 convincingly but Dennis could not find his lobbing-range, until the doubles!

BTW “Urban Juice” are those Chinese lads: they must be strong favourites for the league title. Good to see John Hancock back in D1. Mike Bailey is also back, alongside Sean. Nuff Said Out.

Season 2011-2012

(Pictures of Waldner are by Guano on Wiki)

Our league Treasurer Colin Woodford says my new team Nemesis will play in Division 3 this season. This will give Dennis Burgoyne a fair chance at a successful comeback. We also have a good veteran – Sharpe – on standby as a reserve. Our Captain Brian Lomas is a leading player at this level and was well taught by outgoing Captain Colin Tyas. Colin drops to Division Four where he aims to start winning again. Matches commence in October or late September.

I have now stopped trying out various bats and started to hone my game into competitive shape. My Goldilocks bat is back in full commission. Thoughts of using the carbon-fibre have been dismissed.

Something to consider is the importance of the service and return in match play. I have a good variety of spin serves but need to find the extremes of shortness and long-length. Mostly I return very well with a bat-laid-back push. Few spin servers really trouble me. However, gentle pushes like this can be very easily attacked by good players. Perhaps I should try topspin-flicking my opponent’s topspin serves, just like I topspin the topspins in rallies. Could even flick some chopped serves, though I will have to lift them more. Perhaps by varying my returns more, I might put my opponent on the back foot, and discourage him or her from attacking. Plenty of scope here for personal development.

Let's hope I can stay healthy and get fit for the new season. Nuff Said. Out.

My latest Triond article:

"As the 2011-2012 table tennis season approaches, it is time to revise our approach. I remind myself that my game is based on a system I employ called Countering. It is a consistent approach for both beginners and advanced players.

The 2011-2012 table tennis season starts in October. For me that means 18 league matches, ending around next April or May. So I am starting to hone my competitive game into shape. On reflection I acknowledge that much of my game is based on a system I call countering. This system is very useful for beginners, and is often used almost subconsciously by advanced players."

For more go to:

http://sportales.com/sports/table-tennis-the-consistent-countering-game/

55 Views to press. Thanks everyone. $0.04 earned.

http://www.wikinut.com/table-tennis-rocks%21/1yhexb37/_osqskjz/

74 Views in 2 days (62 2nd day) for "TT Rocks"! Thanks folks. £0.003 earned. Oh well... 155 Views 4\9 alone! £0.07.

The Future of Table Tennis, also known as Ping Pong

(Picture is Waldner by Guano from Wiki)

(My article, as published on Triond):

Table Tennis is called Ping Pong in the USA. In Britain, however, the local leagues are shrinking. The game is only televised on Eurosport. The Americans held a Ping Pong World Championship with sandpaper bats recently. Where is the game going?

When I joined the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Table Tennis League in 1982 we had seven divisions. (I started in Division Six). Now we have Four. We also had about twenty venues. Now, again, we have four. The league keeps shrinking. I’m pretty sure other local leagues are the same.

Yet where is the inspiration to take up the beautiful game? Table Tennis (Ping Pong in America) is rarely televised and then usually on specialised channels like Eurosport. Even then the spectacle is questionable. We only play an eleven point game now, instead of twenty one. No doubt to cater for short attention spans. The dominant playing style is “Three-Ball-Attack”: spin-serve, return, fast topspin loop. Often that loop is the final ball of the rally.

The Table Tennis Forum

Actually I have recently joined the UK Table Tennis Forum and discussed these matters there. Here is the forum link:

http://www.tabletennistalk.co.uk/forum/content.php

I asked whether the “Countering” or “Rallying” game could still be effective against good three ball attack. Can players block and counter-hit consistently enough to beat all-out attackers. Top ranked Lincolnshire player Andy “Wiggy” Wignall says that ralliers can win given the right conditions, including a non-slip floor. Grimsby’s Sports Hall is too slippery for Wiggy’s liking and he employs three-ball more there.

In “lawn” tennis rallying or countering players like Nadal and Djokovic rule the roost. Yet in table tennis it is more the aggressive Pete Sampras types who rule. Carbon-fibre blades and fast rubbers (and glues!) give all-out attackers more than an edge.

Equipment

Playing equipment plays a crucial role in Table Tennis. In cannot think of another game where this is so marked. Your racket (or bat) covering is crucial. Butterfly, Stiga and many other manufacturers produce faster and faster “rubbers” (bat coverings). I have some “Tenergy” rubber but hear there are much faster rubbers out now.

Recently the Americans held a “Ping Pong World Championship” in Las Vegas. In that tournament players had to use large-looking “paddles” covered with sandpaper. The game was much slower, allowing a fair amount of defensive “chop play”. It was a throw-back to the 1950s when “Hard Bats” were used. I remember those rackets: no sponge and (short) pimpled-out coverings. Classic “Barna Bats”!

I gather most Table Tennis players feel that the Americans took this latest Ping Pong experiment too far! Those bats were poor quality and simply too slow. Even for a $100,000 prize!

However, maybe bats could be standardised to a nice happy medium spin and speed. Long-pimple “effect rubber” players might not welcome such a move though. The ball could be made larger (again) for a slower game. Is the net height right? And the table height? Perhaps each game could be 15 points? Much to ponder here.

Perhaps we should not put so much reliance on television. Maybe we should accept that most of our spin variations are not visible to the spectator. This is not Snooker or Pool, after all. We need to nurture the “grass roots” of the game. Whatever happened to Youth Clubs? To me a table tennis club is like a family. I will be practising as usual on Thursday. How about you?

Paul Butters

22 Views on Triond today (26\7)! Thanks Everyone.

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Our Local Men's Doubles

Humberside. Wednesday 4\5\11. 22.10.

Tonight I was paired with Sean Brown (D1 player) in the local Men’s Doubles. Sean had not picked up a bat for weeks. We reached the Semi Finals!

There were 6 entries split into 2 groups of 3. Against the powerful Allison and Thornley we led 5-2, only to slip away about 8-11. 2^nd game they thrashed us. Then 3^rd game we ran them close again.

Next up was the reigning Men’s Singles Champion Ben Anderson, and the well established D1 player Jack Blyth. We were unlucky to lose the first game 9-11, but then we turned things round completely. They got very rattled and tense, especially Ben, and worsened as we kept pressing. We won 3-1! Shaken by this shock defeat, the lads were no match for the other pairing, and duly lost 0-3.

In the semi we were well beaten by Sean Ward and Craig Kendall 3-0. We might have nicked the second game, but it was not to be. Congratulations to Sean and Craig, who went on to win the Final. They beat Jonathan Corry and Pete Heath 3-2 after letting a 2-0 lead slip away. That was the same Sean Ward who shared the Second Division League Title with Jack and I last year. It was Craig's second Men's Doubles title in two years.

Thursday Morning Practice tomorrow. Men’s Veterans on Friday night. Nuff Said. Out.

See also :

http://paulb.quazen.com/shopping/the-future-of-table-tennis-also-known-as-ping-pong/

High Forehand Loop Coaching.

(THAT Ma Lin picture by Guano again. Love it.).

Clee. Saturday 15\1\11. 14.30. (On Laptop). Had good session with The Elite Squad last night. After a long knock with Jack, I was given a lesson on high F\H looping by Bill Moran. Apparently I do just about everything wrong. Don’t shuffle into right position so have to lean, jump etc. Don’t connect with right part of bat: needs to be fairly near Top so I can brush ball with most of my bat. Don’t do full upswing: need to end with bat behind my head. Need to go Forward as well as upward. Must use my arms, not my body and head. And some more. Otherwise perfect lol.

Interesting that when I try to move better, and this is generally, I sometimes make things worse for myself. In attempting to move, I stretch, lean, jump, and so on. Need to take lots of little shuffle steps (which I can practice) so that I can be in a position to play the ball with an upright stance. Plenty to ponder. Bill is a former coach and top player, plus International Referee, so I’d better take notice.

Last night I also had some decent games with Aakash, who is becoming a force to reckon with. Sad to see no sign of Sean, Ben, Jon etc. Another generation succumbing to wine, women and song? Nuff Said. Out.

16\1: See my Latest Article on a Quality website: http://www.suite101.com/content/achieving-consistency-at-table-tennis-or-ping-pong-a333296

Enjoy! (Have used this Ma Lin picture again! Luv it.