Adapting: Against Long Pimples etc.



(Picture Credit - Waldner by Guano)

3\2\13:      A postponement, a "cup week" (we are Out!) and a "blank week": couldn't be a quieter start to the 2nd half of the season. Seems ages since we beat "Fast Shipping" 6-4. Oh well, am recovering from my injuries.

From the 11^th February, however, we will be all action: 2 matches in 2 days and a busy “Closed Championship Week”! The good news is that my back and knee are now okay for the rest, though my left heel is still sore.

Been thinking. Against long-pimples the first choice tactic is to flat-bat everything. Push or hit straight through the ball to avoid putting any spin on the ball. Simples. Topspin drives can be effective too so long as you go more for power than spin. “Alternating” (chop\loop) is an option also , especially if your loop creates lots of backspin for you to handle. Actually topspin-driving works well against Pete Calvert’s anti-loop rubber.

The big decision with alternating is whether to loop or chop first. If you open with a loop you will get lots of chop back... But if you chop initially you will receive an attackable topspin ball. Against pimples You decide what’s on the return, but you Must remember what you’ve decided! Of course once your opponent uses his spin-side, all this changes! That’s the challenge: so much to think about.

They say you should never compromise on your main game. Yet I can think of many situations in which you simply have to. For example, having to be patient against a chop player or a lower-league opponent with a points handicap. Then there is playing against long pimples or anti-loop, as I’ve said. Wheelchair-users such as Colin Woodford present another unique challenge: you have to push more and beware the early block.

 
 Think that covers everything, for now. Out.  

(But do please scroll down for earlier posts)

Ping Pong World Championship 2013

(Picture Credit - Daniel Schwen)

The following blog was first posted on Triond on 12th January. It got 6 Views and went onto the "Sportales" top ten straight away. However, unfortunately I made a typo on the submission page: "champoinship" so I asked for a "fix". They fixed the title and even the URL, but sadly none of the links work (apart from a link in "Sportales:Sports") so nobody can see the blog. Hence no further Views. Rant over. Here it is (Enjoy):

This is not Table Tennis as we know it. Called “Liha” in the Philippines: played with sandpaper-covered bats. I watched it on Sky Sports early in the New Year. Maxim Shmyrev (Russia) was defending his title here, at the Alexandra Palace, in London...

It was not Table Tennis as we know it. Early in the New Year I watched highlights of the Ping Pong World Championships on Sky Sports. This tournament was held at the Alexandra Palace, London.

Most Table Tennis (confusingly called “Ping Pong” by the Americans) is now played with bats (American “paddles”) covered with sponge and very fast, spinny rubber. Very spinny rubber indeed. Most of the top players play a “three-ball-attacking” game: swirly horrible spin serve followed up by an attacking topspin-loop-drive, usually a big forehand. Harsher critics of the modern game say that it’s too “samey”: all the players are the same and there are few rallies. Sometimes it’s the player with the best bat who wins. This is like watching lawn tennis when it was dominated by serve-volleyers and formula one if ruled by one constructor.

“Ping Pong”, or “Liha” as the Filipinos call it, is different. Everyone uses the “same” bat, as far as physically possible: the wooden blade is covered with black sandpaper. On this occasion bats were handed out by the organizers to competitors just before the start of each match.

Sandpaper puts next to no spin on the ball. Yet these international Table Tennis players were able to topspin-loop the ball very effectively. Unlike in modern table tennis, players seemed reluctant to block back those loops, preferring instead to backspin-chop the ball back. Thus there were many long loop versus chop rallies, like there was (I’m told) in the 1930s when short-pimpled-rubber-covered hard bats were used. Ping Pong seems much more “tactical”, again a throw-back to the good old days.

The highlight for me, however, was seeing the amazing Backhand attack of a Lithuanian girl called Egle Adomelyte. Like me she uses a mainly wrist movement on her backhand, but she plays it from almost anywhere, attacking both wings of her opponent. Egle seemed to use very long fast serves mainly and then attack every return. I say “seemed” because it’s difficult to tell serve-length on the telly. Anyway, she reached the last 16 and was unlucky to lose there to Martin Groenewold (Netherlands) 11-7, 6-11, 9-11. (Yes, most matches were best of 3 ends). As the only female in the tournament Egle showed lots of Girl Power!

Another “difference” in this tournament was that each player, in each match, could call for a “Two Point Ball”: any point won with that ball would be doubled. Nice variation. (Most points were played with a yellow ball, but the two pointer was white.

Last year this same Championship was played in Las Vegas (America), with lots of razzmatazz (as you can imagine)! Maxim Shmyrev (Russia) won that first title, and lots of US Dollars. Well this time he won again. He beat Sule Olaleye (Nigeria) 11-5, 13-15, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 in the 5 end final for $20,000. Sule won $10,000. The losing semi finalists got $5,000 each: Christopher Doran (England) and Ilija Lupulesku (USA).

Sule was the Nemesis of the Brits in this competition. In the last 16 he defeated Gavin Rumgay (Scotland), then beat Andrew Baggaley (England’s Number Two) and then Christopher Doran (England).

The Filipinos made a good showing. Richard Gonzales and Joseph Cruz reached the quarter finals. Having dominated the US Open earlier, they were philosophical in eventual defeat. Incidentally, they were the only Asian country to respond positively to the invitation to participate.

Much was made of the presence here of “Veterans” such as Patrick Chila (France) and former England number one Denis Neale. Sadly the latter fell in the group stages.

Altogether an interesting experiment. As for me, I’m busy practising my backhand attack to my opponent’s forehand wing.  

Paul Butters

How to CHEAT at Table Tennis

(Picture Credit - John McEnroe by The Abbott on bestplayerintheworld dot com)

(Blog - As posted on Triond - )

The other day a table tennis unofficial umpire accused me of cheating. This has never happened before. Allegedly I deliberately forgot the score in order to put off my opponent. Nonsense of course, but as we say in the UK, in for a penny, in for a pound. Here are some more cheating tips...

Having been accused of cheating at table tennis by deliberately forgetting the score to break the concentration of my opponents, let me see what other forms of cheating I can list:

1)     Foul Serves: the easiest foul serve is simply to hold onto the ball and brush your bat across it before it leaves your hand. None of this six inch toss rubbish. With this serve you can get lots of speed! Very popular in the lower leagues where it comes naturally to raw novices.

Getting your arm in front of the ball as you serve can be effective. At one time young kids practised this for hours. Be careful, though, there are laws against it these days.

2)     Damaging your bat-rubber on the table can yield benefits. The rough edge of the remaining rubber can be used to impart some amazing spins. Well, that’s what the umpires told me when they disqualified me at a Two Star Tournament at Huddersfield. I was surrounded by blue uniforms and one of them filled in the gaps on my blade with a felt tip pen. I was informed that if I beat my Staffordshire County player opponent I would be out. In the event I lost about 12-5, 21-4! I borrowed an undamaged bat for the remaining events.

3)     A common form of gamesmanship is “Old Manning”. This can be effective against young, lively players who prefer a fast rhythm to the play. All you do is take your time. Go slowly to pick up the ball, towel down, check the score, chat with spectators... (anything you can think of to disrupt the flow).  Leave your mobile on and get someone to ring you. A slow, defensive chop or push game is ideal for this approach. Anything to frustrate these young whipper-snappers.

4)     Use an “effect rubber” such as a long pimpled one. This will give you all sorts of weird spins. The more spin an opponent uses, the more funny spins he or she will get back from you! Best of all use a “Combination Bat”: an “effect rubber” on one side of your blade and a spin-rubber on the other side. Expert exponents of the combi-bat also “twiddle” the blade in order to confuse. And it’s all legal!

Our own John Hilton won the European Championship by using two black rubbers: one anti-loop and the other spin-rubber. After he’d bamboozled everyone they brought in the rule whereby one side of the bat must be red, the other black...

5)     If you want to make your own “funny rubber” it has been suggested you might bake a spin-rubber in the oven! That will change its playing  “properties” completely. Sorry but he didn’t give me the exact recipe. Lol

6)     For the girls: against male opponents, wear very short skirts and low-cut tops to show yourself off and distract your opponent. Giggle at every opportunity and smile. Flutter your eyelashes. Turn your back to him when you bend over to pick up the ball. These techniques may also work when you take your driving test. But not if you are a “minger”, as we say in the UK.

7)     If you are a strapping, athletic male you might be able to distract a female by leaving your shirt off to show off your six-pack. Beware, though, the umpire might have you painted red, blue or some other officially acceptable non-white shirt colour! With my beer-belly, I’ll pass on that one. Lol

Yes this is all tongue-in-cheek. Hope you had a nice giggle to yourself.

Paul Butters

PS my team Nemesis (Grimsby League D2) are currently on 14 points from 8 matches, level with "Fast Shipping", 6 ahead of "Pipefit Supplies" and 7 ahead of "Parkside C". So far so good.



LATEST

(Picture Credit - Competive Table Tennis by tsor)

Clee. Tues. 27\11\12. 11.50.

From Facebook Note on the Scunthorpe One Star Tournament, played Saturday 24^th November:

“How did everyone do? Sean, Jack, Jon and Brian were still going strong when I left 1 hour b4 sunset. As for me, I didn't disgrace myself. In the Vets Group I played Hon Kau Choy (?) (Nottingham) and of course lost 5-11, 4-11, 5-11. He was an unusual player: a pen-holder using short pimples with very thin sponge yet still using lots of spin. Fortunately for me he started in first gear...

Then Clive Mitchell (Scunthorpe) beat me 3-11, 3-11, 7-11 with some more orthodox loop-play. Only the top player went through from the group and

that was Hon. He played Brian Allison at one point.

In the Men's I played 14 year old Will Hornsey (Scunthorpe D2). 10\10 for aggression from him! He got some lucky edges etc. but frankly outclassed me: 2-11, 5-11, 11-8, 7-11. Then I beat 13 year old Lloyd Pearson (Wakefield) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5.

The "Consolation" saw me face our own Brian Allison! As usual I could not handle his weird long-pimpled spins and I lost 3-11, 3-11, 7-11, just like against Clive Mitchell.

When I left, Jack had reached the semi finals of the Juniors and Sean and Jon were still going in the Men's. John Aberra was maybe still in the Consolation. Brian and Eileen were still going, and Eileen was umpiring a lot. Eileen of course won the SCREAMING competition. lol

PS Eileen later told me that Sean's Semi should have been the Final! He was very unlucky. He says he lost 13-15 in 5th! Jack tells me he was Runner-Up in the Junior Boys event.

Eileen was happy to beat a GOOD woman and finish 2nd in her group. Brian I think reached the Vet's Final and the Consolation Semi or something. He might have beaten the Chinese guy. Something like that.

PPS the Scunthorpe Club website confirmed that Sean's semi with eventual Winner Reece Lo (Hull) was the highlight. Reece beat Hon 3-0 in The Final. Hon won the Vet's. Eileen lost the Women's to Rachael Codd (Hull). Mark Firth from Derbyshire beat Jack in the Juniors from 0-2 down. Tomaszi Chabowski (Scun) won Consolation Final against Brian 11-9 in the 5th."

Think that’s everything.

From Facebook today:

“After doing so well this season, and bragging about it as usual (!), my team Nemesis met its Nemesis last night. Clee Sports C (Marland, Spencer, Saywell) beat us 10-0. I led Tom Marland 2-1 in games and 8-4 but he came back to beat me about 11-6 in the 5th. I had a similar defeat to Tom Spencer and had little left against Sam. And I came nearest in my team to winning any matches. That's me back down to 61% :( .

Sadly I checked those old results I have kept. This was my 10th 10-0 defeat in Grimsby since 1990.

The others: 12th November 1990 to Stones B (D1) (including Pete Calvert!); 25th Oct 91 to Caistor A (D2) (Pete Taylor et al); 1st Dec 92 to Parkside D (D2) (Fred Watson et al); 21st Oct 95 to Parkside A (D1) (Mick Corry, John Hancock, John Lilley); 21st March 96 to NALGO A (D1) (John Bray et al); 11th April 96 to Tetney A (D1); 7th Oct 97 to Parkside G (D2) (Tony Roberts, Ian Woodford, Malcolm Gregory); and 20th April 2000 to Police (D2). John Whitfield featured in Both the NALGO and Police defeats!

Another titbit: I beat Kev Cooper (then in D2) TWICE in season 91-92: 21-16, 21-15 and 21-14, 21-18!!!”

That covers everything for now. Out. 

Grimsby Table Tennis League 2012-13 Season First Third

(Picture - Mickael Maze by speculos, wiki)

We are just about a third the way through the main table tennis winter season in Grimsby. This is a personal take on proceedings.

Last table tennis season Brian Lomas, Dennis Burgoyne and I entered a new team into Grimsby League Division Three. I personally titled us “Nemesis”, once again showing I watch too much “Star Trek”. Anyway, we did very well, finishing second in the league to “Urban Juice”. We also reached the Cup (Handicap) Semi Final.

Now in the 2^nd Division, our objective is to avoid finishing bottom. The second objective is to keep out of the bottom two and escape being relegation candidates completely. Well so far so good. We are 5^th out of 9 teams, 8 points above Parkside C (surprise bottom markers) and 7 ahead of Pipefit. Way above our expectations.

Personally I have punched well above my weight so far. All season I have trialled my fastest bat: a carbon-fibre attacking blade covered by fairly thick Butterfly Tenergy rubber. I say “trialled” because I still prefer my “Goldilocks bat”: Stiga All Round (wood) blade with Butterfly Sriver L (medium thickness sponge). Bats are extremely important in table tennis and I can get obsessive about them. These days I’m simply trying to “take it to my opponent” more by attacking as early as I can. Having won 11 out of 15 personal matches played (73.3%) I have excelled myself so far at this level.

Actually our season started very slowly. Kingsway Printers dropped out of the league through player-injury etc. before we could meet them, and our “first” scheduled opponents Pipefit requested a postponement owing to holidays. So our first match saw us beaten 3-7 by Parkside B. We were happy that this gained us a point in the league table (you get 2 points for a draw, 3 for a 6-4 or 7-3 win, 4 points for 8-2 or better).

Personal highlight against Parkside was a rare win for me over Stewart Dean. He too is on 73.3% now. I came charging out of the blocks and blew him away. He reckoned I hardly missed a hit! The ever-winning Kev Cooper put me in my place however with his well placed spin serves and mighty hits. Kev can hit a winner from almost anywhere. Earlier I beat Stewart’s son Sam, but he went on to defeat both my colleagues. Captain Brian and I beat the Deans in the doubles to snatch a point.

Next up we beat Pipefit 6-4. Highlight here was our Dennis beating the ever strong Pete Calvert. Pete clearly did not relish being “lobbed”. Tom Garrett had flu yet was far too clever for me. But for once I beat high topspinner Les Gagg. Overall a very valuable win for us.

NALGO B shared a tight draw with us. I beat Dorothy and Angela but the legendary Mick Corry was too clever for us all. Dennis got another key win over Angie and Brian refound his usual consistency against the girls.

Our next opponents were YMCA, including my old captain Ryan Wadham. But the highlight for me was beating his Dad Duggie for the first time ever. Duggie was a top first division player for many years. Against me he tried using anti-loop on his backhand, instead of long pimples. Against Brian he reverted to pimples. Okay so I beat Duggie 11-9 in the 5^th with an edge, but I did lead most of the way. I handled Ryan’s serves better too, but Ryan seems to have found some consistency. Beating Mike Twidale of vicious forehand loop was another good scalp for me. We gained another point, losing 3-7.

Early in November we went to Oasis Academy, Immingham to play “Wild Birds Direct” (AKA Immingham TT Club) in the Cup (Handicap). This is their first season in a league. We played each other 2 games first to 21 and overall they had 200 start. In other words we had to keep them down to 21-8 to win comfortably. Scott Dimbleby lost about 16-21, 19-21 to Dennis so we had to be even meaner. We won by 35. It felt like a Championship football team playing an FA Cup tie at a Conference North Club. They get kicked out at 9PM so have to play most of their individual matches on two tables.

A highlight for me was when one of them asked, “Why is the ball going dead on me and dropping into the net?” Afterwards I explained about my use of “chop”...

On the 12^th November we beat Parkside C 8-2! Luckily their best player Pete Heys was on a cruise but even he couldn’t have saved them. I beat Tony Roberts, whom I usually lose to, very well. Also I beat heavy chopper Dave Roberts (no relation) and big hitter Neil Drewery. Hard to think such a solid side are now bottom. Dennis bamboozled Tony completely with his swirling lobs. And Brian kept winning consistently.

Last Saturday I took part in the Scunthorpe One Star Tournament. Both looper Clive Mitchell (in the Vet’s) and long pimple expert Brian Allison beat me 3-11, 3-11, 7-11 (the latter in the “Compensation” event). Brian went 9-0 up in the first game! In the Vet’s Hon Kau Choy (Nottingham) beat me 5,4,5. Will Hornsey (Scunthorpe), a very fast 14 year old, thrashed me 2-11, 5-11, 11-8, 7-11 in the Men’s Group. I did better when I realised he was left handed and served to his backhand. I came second in the group by beating Lloyd Pearson (Wakefield, 13) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5.

In this tournament our Jack Blyth was runner up in the Junior Boys and Sean Ward reached the Semi Final of the Men’s. I think Brian at least reached the Semis in the Vets, where he played Choy. Jon Corry and Eileen Allison had good runs in their events. John Aberra had a similar day to myself: mixed fortunes.

Let’s not forget that on a Thursday morning I’ve regularly had good practice with the likes of Ray Simpson (D1), Steve Carter (D1), Ken Harrison (D1), Stewart Dean (D2), Brian, Dennis, Tom Marland (D2), Brian and Jean Ashwell (D3), Trevor Broughton and a whole host more players too good for divisions three and four.  Not forgetting ex D2 player Phil Wressel and stalwarts like Val Wilmore, Alf Evardson and Don Ellis.

Tonight we play Clee Sports C: Tom Marland, Tom Spencer and probably Sam Saywell – a good side. Which will make all this history of course.

Paul Butters

Tags:      Grimsby Table Tennis, ping pong if you must, table tennis bats, Scunthorpe One Star, Immingham Table Tennis, Nemesis, Paul Butters table tennis

© Paul Butters 26\11\2012 in Humberside.

New Season

(Picture by Magical World)

Long Lee. Wed. 10\10\12. 19.20. (Last Entry 6\9).      The Season is nearing the end of the second week, yet I last picked up a bat on Thursday 13^th September. Since then I’ve mainly stayed in Long Lee looking after my convalescing Mum. I have had no chance to leave Mum to go practice. Our first league match with Pipefit was called off because Les Gagg was on holiday. Then our second opponents Kingsway Printers pulled out when Phil Bodsworth broke his ankle!

So our first match will be against the powerful Parkside B at home next Tuesday. I will travel back on Monday for that. Out of practice but at least back in action. After that we will soon have two matches in a week, when we finally play Pipefit. Otherwise there is nothing to report. Out.

PS on 19\9 I cut my right hand open on a dog-tin lid! The mark is still there. Just hope it doesn't cause me any problems when I play again. At least the break has given it chance to heal.

End of a Fine Season: 2011-12

That’s the winter season over, just about. Only the Veterans’ Tournament and Third Division Individual Championship to go for me. Plus maybe the end of season handicap.

In the league my team Nemesis (named by me!) finished a creditable second. We will apply for Division Two for next season. However, there is talk of a new six team premiership, so we might remain in the third tier. Selfishly half a promotion might suit me perfectly.

In The Cup we beat Keelby B (D4) to reach the Semi Final. We had to keep them down to 21-8 on average and just made it. It was like a premiership football team playing at a non-league ground: white walls, slow table, settee against one wall... Without being unsporting, they got lots of nets and edges. Personally I only conceded 40 points in 6 games, but that was not easy. They were decent players actually but so lucky! Still, we won.

That semi final was our nemesis! NALGO D (Roger Deboick, Brian Ashwell and Mo Kayali) were really up for it and played well above their league form. They look like finishing 3^rd or 4^th in D3 but received a 20 start. In the event they piled on a further 39 points... If our Dennis doesn’t mind me saying, they really had his number. Well, Brian and Mo did. Their big hitting was perfect against Dennis’s lob. Brian beat him 11 and 11, Mo mowed him down 14 and 14. Mo beat me about 17 and 15 too. Our Brian beat their Brian game 7 on one occasion but it made little difference. I led Roger 6-0 in the first game but only won about 21-17. I told NALGO they were magnificent, and I stick to that.

If you’d have said to me last September that we’d finish second in the league and cup semi finalist I’d have bitten your hand off. So, a very good season.

Paul Butters