Almost Closed: Tommy Finally Hits the Ball!

what can i say....good luck.thebest 

Thanks Holda!!! I'm getting there. The last shot really felt good. I need to build on that, adding more snap, crackle, and pop!

gulca, taking the ball on the short hop has been one of my strengths. If I'm playing well I don't give players time to recoil. I do frustrate shakehand players more because they are usually loopers and have the weakness at the elbows. The paddle straight up has been one of my biggest questions. It allows me to take balls hit directly at me and punch them back fast and I can tilt the blade to my left (or right for the short balls; however, I often bash the bottom of the handle into the edge of the table, or worse . . . my knuckles. This is one of the reasons I tried to use cpen. I should mention that for years I used a cpen blade with my grip. That might be another reason why I'm crashing into the table a lot. Maybe I'll start cutting them down. :-). I agree with you on coaching. Sadly, almost every time I get advice from one the first discussion is changing me to shakehand.

chronos wrote: NICE fierce attack, the timing + sidespin here would definitely give me problems tzai!  Your game will only get better as you recover after surgery; take the time you need to recover but it looks like the surgery is a success. I think you guys will have a blast playing in China! Fashion inquiry: where did you get that shirt?  It's nice!

chronos wrote: NICE fierce attack, the timing + sidespin here would definitely give me problems tzai!  Your game will only get better as you recover after surgery; take the time you need to recover but it looks like the surgery is a success. I think you guys will have a blast playing in China! Fashion inquiry: where did you get that shirt?  It's nice!

Thanks for the encouragement Chronos. For the first couple months after surgery I was really worried I wouldn't play again. That's one of the reasons this silly little clip is so important to me and I posted it. It's not supposed to demonstrate my amazing skills, ready to win a world championship or show my level, which based on who I've beat and lost to in the past year is about a modest and humble 1600-1700. It's just to share this breakthough with friends like you.

It'd be great to you in person and hit the ball around a little. I plan to visit my family in NY this April or May before going to China. Let's keep in touch.

BTW, that's a Ekko polo shirt. I gave the shorts away yesterday. Everytime I wore them out I got looks like I was one of the members of the Village People. :-).

Actually, one guy in my club plays the same style. His ranking is about 1300. But some of 2000 ranking player avoid to play him since they could not beat him easily. He put too much side spin which could cause trouble to a lot of people.

Good job and great effort Tommy.Hope to see you soon in San Diego.
Regards,
Borko&Son
***Power is Nothing Without Control***

tdragon wrote: Actually, one guy in my club plays the same style. His ranking is about 1300. But some of 2000 ranking player avoid to play him since they could not beat him easily. He put too much side spin which could cause trouble to a lot of people.

YES!! Most loopers don't want to make the adjustment to hit with players like me, but I like playing them. It's just not fair!! :-). But for some reason I can lose to a 1200 level player who hits short little spinny shots and beat a high level player who hits rockets. I have a long way to go!!

Thanks Borko,
I'll get down there later this summer. I look forward to spending time with you and visiting your club. I heard it's one of the best in the USA. I might bring everything, including my little Chinese girl, and look for a job! :-).

dragon kid wrote: Your stroke will suit an Anti rubber very much.. Am not kidding..

I wished I didn't sell that Nittaku Anti. it was thin, light, and very slippery. I didn't even try it. :-(. Varghese suggests long pips, but I never could hit well with it . . . sending floaters off the table. Maybe I should give anti a try on the BH/secondary side. That will probably take time to learn how to use it effectively. I'm also thinking I should go with a harder tackier Chinese rubber on the FH/Primary side, but for now I'll stick with Sriver. A lot of high level players block well with it so . . .

You can't beat blocking with Anti T-Zai.. You will feel none of the incoming spin..
You can try Chinese tacky rubber/Anti combination and twiddle.. Serve with a tacky Chinese rubber, and when your opponent starts looping on the FH, just twiddle your bat and block with the anti.. many will send their loops to the net or off the table all the time..
Joola Tony Hold is a good Anti rubber..

Hey can anyone explain to me what the level 1700 means, does it mean you are ranked 1700 in the United States? and if so how good is a ranking of 1700, say... local club champion? of a small city? or better than that? not that good? or is there any link on youtube of a serious match between players in the 1500-2000 level so I can get an idea

you did it fine.I am sure that is more difficult for you after your surgery...I also have a problem with my leg a couple of months now and I can't do all the strokes properly,but I just cannot stop playing...I wish that you will be in perfect health as soon as possible...

I will be waiting for your vids tommyzai...keep up the good work!

Jon, I agree with everything you just wrote except for the additional dig about "unlike you, better players. . . "

I'm trying to find the words to smooth this over, but you keep insulting me. Am I misunderstanding? Am I being too sensitive? What did I ever do to you? What set you off? That wasn't your sister I dated in Sydney was it?

There is no one right way. There are all different styles. If you learn more about Seemiller you would realize that I'm a respectable intermediate level player in that style. I'm not a beginner as you suggest, and it's insulting to me that you suggest such. Get reconstuctive surgery, film yourself hitting, then post up and we'll talk more. I never claimed to be great. I continue to claim an intermediate level with lots of room for improvement. If you study my little clip you'd see there is spin on the ball. I am NOT flat hitting. It's just that I am so fast you can't see it. LOL. Weoooooooooo. I'm still willing to work out these harsh exchange of words, but please show me a little respect. This post was merely an announcement to my friends that I can finally play again. It wasn't intended to be a display of my glorious skills. I'm highlighting one shot that indicated I can hit again!