What constitutes as a level for you?

[RebornTTEvnglist]

Its exactly the opposite, their wins in international matches/tournaments count in the English rankings, every foreign player who plays against an English player gets a dummy English ranking, based on their ITTF ranking. At the same time, as you state, they play less domestically, so they are not exposed to the players just below them. To widen the gap even further, international events carry high ranking point weightings (x2 or x3 the norm)

Ok, interesting. So what happens in they compete in other country's domestic competitions?

[big ears]

Ok, interesting. So what happens in they compete in other country's domestic competitions?

 That's different, their wins and losses don't count in the English system.

[Der Echte]

It is officially now the day before Christmas here in Korea. We had two snows that have already melted.

9 months ago, I had a problem believing coach when she said I was div 3 city level. I had been playing div 4. I simply didn't believe I was good enough. No matter how well I won and kept winning, I did not believe I could cut it one level higher.

Now, from 4-5 months ago to present, I have the opposite problem. I play two levels above where I was last year (which would represent a +400 or more ratings increase USATT) and I am never satisfied with any of my training, club matches, or tourneys. I get pissed off to no end creating and setting up a finish with combinations that I had never been able to do before, but miss the simple shot to finish the point, or I otherwise miss shots or make poor decisions that a 7th division player wouldn't make. I believe I should be playing WAY better than I am, and I play div 2 city level and have advanced from group stage both times I played that division, even being favored once to win. (until I ran into the finalist too damned early, which happens all the damn time.)

This problem is something that I should expect during a period of growth, but I still find it unacceptable for the shots and skill I am capable of.  At any level, the mental aspect of TT is important, but it sure seems to get magnified more as you move up in levels.

I shouldn't expect within a year to overtake jokers who have been training since childhood in this sport. Yet, I have done that over a pile of my clubmates who have been playing anywhere from 5-10 years. Still, I call myself a failure at my current state. I expect too much. I want too much to win points. I cannot accept defeat worth a crap, yet it happens and it takes too long to get over it. It is not realistic to accomplish too much with just 3 lessons a week and club matches/tourneys. That really isn't considered serious training by most accomplished players.

Still, this aspect of the game is one of the things that distinguishes the class from the rubbish. (like me, for now at least.) Easily an indicator of level.

[big ears]

At my best, alas some ten yrs ago, I beat the player the other end twice in one season, he was no worse than he is now though.


http://www.tabletennistalk.co.uk/forum/media.php?do=details&mid=137

[RebornTTEvnglist]

Der, you are being way too hard on yaself man! Sounds to me like you are doing well and have come a long way from where you were in the dustbowls of Iraq or the travelling circus of the US. You are in TT heaven and have some talent finally to play against. It has raised your level, but you are still human. Humans make mistakes. You can't eradicate them completely. Accept that fact and recognise the good (which Im sure you do and some of your post is actually tongue in cheek). Anyway, be thankful your military career hasn't impeded you with injuries so much as to stop you playing TT altogether at your age. And don't go improving much more or I won't have a chance against you when you come to Oz. 

So Biggy, how many levels would you say you have dropped since your best?

Merry Xmas boys!! Have a safe and happy one and we'll continue the discussion in 2011! (or late 2010  )

[big ears]

So Biggy, how many levels would you say you have dropped since your best?

 One, though you never lose the experience and the decline is so gradual its hard to notice, its only when you look over a long period of time you can see glaring differences, mainly in fitness and agility

[Der Echte]

Der, you are being way too hard on yaself man! Sounds to me like you are doing well and have come a long way from where you were in the dustbowls of Iraq or the travelling circus of the US. You are in TT heaven and have some talent finally to play against. It has raised your level, but you are still human. Humans make mistakes. You can't eradicate them completely. Accept that fact and recognise the good (which Im sure you do and some of your post is actually tongue in cheek). Anyway, be thankful your military career hasn't impeded you with injuries so much as to stop you playing TT altogether at your age. And don't go improving much more or I won't have a chance against you when you come to Oz. 

So Biggy, how many levels would you say you have dropped since your best?

Merry Xmas boys!! Have a safe and happy one and we'll continue the discussion in 2011! (or late 2010  )

RTTE, I meant every word and was quite serious/factual. Not a single lick was tongue in cheek. I have bad problem. Earlier in the year, I grew a lot, didn't realize it much, and wouldn't believe that I would play a level higher even if the nation's president gave me a personal certificate. At the end of 2010, it is completely different. I started lessons in March without much expection of accomplishing much. I never see the progress day to day, but over the months, it is clear, both where I gained and mastered, and where I gained and fail to put together in a match with any consistancy. In 2010, I gained two levels and think that is not enough. The kind of stuff I do with serve/attack and rally make me a player no div player wants to see. However, putting together everything in a match under match conditions is simply not happening, yet I expect it to. I should be realistic and understand that it will take another 6 mopnths to put whatever I have gained into consistant play in matches. Still, I fail to accept that fact and am too unhappy with what I gained. It feels like it isn't enough, at least the match performances scorewise vs these div 1 and div 2 opponents. A year ago, I would have been overjoyed at progressing even 1/4th of what I did this last year. I should be very reasonably satisfied with the progress, yet I am hardly satisfied with any of it. I expect way more for the kinds of things I am able to do. The worst thing is the all the difficult level stuff to setup a finish and I fail. I realize that, especially for me who takes much longer to "get it", that I will have that period where I am developing something and when that something is put into practice in a match, I am hot garbage in that something. Knowing that still doesn't wipe away frustraition with my inability to finish certain points that am am capable of doing.

I play our club no 1 and no players, who are 2250-2300 USATT easily. Month by month, I am making rallies with them that I never thought possible even 6 months ago. I push the score to 8, 9, or duece a lot. My results are the same as I fail to kill the ball I can after all the work to set it up. My anticipation or reaction to the ball before the final hit is not there yet for some reason, likely me needing more experiece putting it together. Specific example might be something like...

Receive serve with BH opener, play 2 BHs to the body, hit another BH to his wide BH, opponent stretches and gets back the BH, I hit FH down FH line, opponent scoop FHs it back, I try to finish strong down BH line with FH and hit the edge of blade trying to do so. BH line was so open and any fast shot would have won point.

Or, I do a lot of the same work to setup A BH loop to the same area, then on the FH finish down the FH corner, I fail to move the feet enough (quick pivot) and mis-hit, even miss.

The little things are killing me and each time I miss something, it is no longer "What Happened?", it is more like, "William, why did you not turn the body/feet" Knowing why I miss stuff is pissing me smooth off, because I am not correcting it as fast as I think I should.

[blue_smartie68]

Wow Der!

My immediate reaction to all that is...
Relax, take a chill-pill..back off on the go-juice... change down a few cogs!!... you seem way too intense and are forgetting to simply enjoy the game!!!

I have found that techniques seem to fine-tune themselves in their own good time (as long as you have the basics right)... and if you try to force development by trying too hard, it's actually a major hindrance!
Curious though, as to what assistance anyone else offers....

[RebornTTEvnglist]

The little things are killing me and each time I miss something, it is no longer "What Happened?", it is more like, "William, why did you not turn the body/feet" Knowing why I miss stuff is pissing me smooth off, because I am not correcting it as fast as I think I should.

I hear ya on all that stuff Der. I have spells of it at times, but have eradicated more and more as I've moved up divisions. Now it comes down to a particular night, and perhaps player. If I'm playing well, I miss very little. If I'm down on my game, I miss more. Some of it comes down to not recognising the opponents spin is affecting your (my) shots more than you realise. Some of it is not getting feet or body into proper position. A lot of it simply comes down to maintaining proper focus, because being well focused makes you get into position, makes you more alert and aware of what you need to do to win the point and it stops those "one second fade outs" that let the ball hit the bat edge, get the bat angle wrong or miss the ball altogether. The more and more match play you play, the more you eradicate these miffs, and gain consistency. Being human means we will never completely eradicate them though.

[Der Echte]

Today was one nice day on the table. Just got over a week long body flu, did my 30 minute lesson then had a few matches. Defeated our club captain, a 2250 level player, 3-0. Just about everything was working. Did the same stuff as before on serve/receive/rallies, but finished 8 out of every 10 of those chances I always do all that hard prep work to get that chance. No explaination why today I play a level higher. I was ready for every chance, wasn't feeling rushed, and made the finishes I was always missing.

I know that the next such match will not be even close to this, but it is nice to put it all together for one match. Never did that before at this level, ever. Even if I have half of one of these matches every couple weeks, it would satisfy me fine as frog hair. Getting better is one thing, but putting it together in a match is great. Up to this match, I was missing 9 out of 10 of these kind of finishing chances after the difficult setup work. If I can see the percentage of that keep going up, I wouldn't have complaints. I can subjectively measure getting better by the kind of things I do in rallies, but I have to be winning those rallies for it to be of any worth. Moving the opponent around and controlling the rally is a sign of improvement, (where I wasn't able to do before) but controlling the rally and winning the rally are different things altogether. As long as I can see measurable improvement in putting together the things that contribute to winning the rally and then actually slightly increasingly winning some more of them, then I happy as a fat boy at a free lunch buffet.