March 2, 2015

Tip of the Week

When Should You Go For a Winner?

Rest in Peace Leonard Nimoy

Famed actor Leonard Nimoy (best known as "Mr. Spock" from Star Trek) died on Friday, which happened to be my 55th birthday. He was 83. Mr. Spock, the logical Vulcan, was one of my heroes growing up, and that it happened on my birthday was especially memorable, in a bad way. I have several connections with Nimoy.

  • My mom told me that when I was about two years old (circa 1962), when Nimoy was already a well-known actor but before his role as Mr. Spock, we were at a bank in the Los Angeles area, and Nimoy was in line. She said I began running and crawling between people's legs, and that I crawled between Nimoy's legs.
  • I met Walter Koenig ("Chekov") at a science fiction convention.
  • I attended a writers' workshop with Ann Crispin, a famed Star Trek novelist.
  • This page has four pictures from Star Trek (you may have to page down a bit) where the characters are playing table tennis. (Alas, no pictures of Nimoy/Spock playing, as this is from Star Trek Voyager, not The Original Series.)
  • Here's the home page for the Vulcan Red Tooth Table Tennis Club. Alas, it's named after the God of Fire from Roman mythology, not Mr. Spock's race.
  • Finally, when I'm under pressure in a table tennis match, I sometimes ask myself, "What would Spock do?" It's a great way to get yourself to look at things analytically and without emotion.

Weekend Weather Worries

For the second Sunday in a row all my coaching was cancelled. Sunday is my busiest coaching day, where I normally coach nearly non-stop from 11AM to 8:15PM. (This includes two 90-minute classes - a junior class and an adult beginning/intermediate class - so that's a lot of makeups coming up.) This time the problem wasn't actually snow but icy rain, which apparently froze over during the night. Schools here in Montgomery Country, Maryland, are closed today, as they were for previous snowstorms on Feb. 16, 17, and 26. So no afterschool program today, and I just got an email cancelling my only private coaching scheduled today (a 90-minute session), so I probably won't leave my house today, just as I didn't yesterday. I have a rather long todo list, so maybe I'll get a lot done today.

Chinese Alumni Association of Greater Washington Tournament

On Saturday we had about 100 people at MDTTC for this. The club was jammed from early morning until around 5PM. This was for college alumni from various colleges - not sure which ones. It's a good thing it was on Saturday; if it had been Sunday, it likely would have been cancelled as we had snow and icy rain all day.

Net Extension Rule

In my blog on Thursday I wrote about various interesting rules, including the one about the net extending six inches to the side. I've been told numerous times over the years that this rule came about around the early 1970s because of Istvan Jonyer's ability to sidespin loop around the net, but it looks like that info was incorrect.

When a few people questioned this, I looked at old pictures from the 1940s to the 1960s, and they nearly all seem to show the net extending out six inches. (Google 1940s table tennis pictures, and plenty show up.) Then I went to my table tennis book collection and looked at the rules published in old ones, and found that until 1933, several of them specify the net as being 66" in width, which means it would extend 3" off each side. (Table is five feet side, or 60 inches.) Starting in 1933 most begin specifying six-foot nets (72"), with the net thereby extending six inches outwards. Somehow I doubt Jonyer (born in 1950, European Champion in 1971, World Men's Singles Champion in 1975) was sidespin looping in 1933. I've edited the original entry, and will bawl out a few people over this.

Backhand Counterhit

Here's the coaching video (4:53) from PingSkills.

Ask the Coach

Here's Episode #86 (14:25) - Can Timo Boll & Ma Long Win World Doubles (and other segments).

Don't Serve First!

Here's the coaching/mathematical article. I haven't studied the math, but I generally agree with the conclusion. Here's my Tip on this.

Coaching Beginning Kids

Here's a video (6:58) that shows a clinic with coaches teaching beginning kids.

Changes to the 2015 Selection Procedure for Cadet and Junior Teams

Here's the new info.

The Story of American Champion Jimmy Butler

Here's the USATT video (22:05).

Old School Pong from the New York Times

Here are 19 vintage table tennis pictures.

ITTF Annual General Meeting

Here are the meeting documents (162 pages), including agendas, reports, financial statements, propositions and resolutions, and technical leaflets.

Interview with Norio Takashima

Here's the interview at the OOAK Forum with the former Japanese defensive star.

Amazing Rally at the 2015 French National Championships

Here's the video (43 sec) of the rally between Antoine Hachard and Adrien Mattenet.

Kreanga Backhand Rips

Here are two (9 sec), including slow motion.

Soo Yeon Lee's "Don't Hold Back" Table Tennis Ad for Joe's Jeans

Here's the video (30 sec).

Funny Table Tennis Trick Shots

Here's the video (4:04). I've linked to most of these, but here they are all put together in one video.

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