Any other table tennis (pingpong) players here?

[torredcuda]

So last fall I was looking for something to do over the long New England winter to keep me from going stir crazy (and making the wife hate me because I`m miserable in the cold weather) and saw a table tennis club. Ping pong was something I loved to play as a kid into my teens/early twenties with family and a few friends so I thought it would be great to get me out of the house, get some exercise and have some fun. I started last November and play once a week at a local club, I`m not that good compared to some of the players but slowly working on my skills and getting better. Anyone else play either just for fun or competitive?

 

[f569]

Haven't played in a long while and was never that good but always had fun.
Sounds like a great time getting out there with others.

 

[torredcuda]

I hadn`t really played in close to 40 years, at 63 yrs old I`m trying to regain some skills but it`s mainly just to have fun.

 

[bandit67]

I was pretty good back in the days of my youth, prolly way too slow to be of any challenge now. Firemen were always the best competition. Grandkids are getting big enough now to set my table back up...

 

[QuickBpBp]

Played for about 6-7 years when I was a teenager. We had our own table set-up at our house in a large finished recreational room. I was pretty good at it. I remember playing it till late into the night when my Mom would come down and grab the paddles and say I think you guys played enough...

 

[kiwigtx]

I hadn`t really played in close to 40 years, at 63 yrs old I`m trying to regain some skills but it`s mainly just to have fun.

Don't let age be a barrier.....I was playing after work for about 2 years. We had a table setup above the workshop....even the managers joined in. Quite often it was the older ones who won the games. When you get older you play less aggressively and use more cunning.
Drop shots and spin will be your friends.

 

[64BEL]

Seemed like everyone had a table in their basement in the neighborhood I grew up in in the '60s. Lots of pool tables in houses, too - including ours.

 

[Cranky]

I used to play at work too and even had a table in my shop. One of my little tricks was to act like I was going to slam the snot out of the ball then when the opponent started backing up....little tap off to the side.

 

[Cranky]

Don't let age be a barrier.....I was playing after work for about 2 years. We had a table setup above the workshop....even the managers joined in. Quite often it was the older ones who won the games. When you get older you play less aggressively and use more cunning.
Drop shots and spin will be your friends.

Right now it's my knees slowing me down

 

[eldubb440]

20 years ago I played like a Chinaman, about 8 feet off the table.......I wonder if it's anything like riding a bike....... @HawkRod has a ping pong table, I think we need to play next time I'm in the neighborhood

 

[QuickBpBp]

Seemed like everyone had a table in their basement in the neighborhood I grew up in in the '60s. Lots of pool tables in houses, too - including ours.

Yep we had a 9ft Brunswick tournament table on the other end which I have now...

 

[HawkRod]

20 years ago I played like a Chinaman, about 8 feet off the table.......I wonder if it's anything like riding a bike....... @HawkRod has a ping pong table, I think we need to play next time I'm in the neighborhood

I used to have one, but I'm afraid it's gone now.

It seemed my game was best after about two beers. At that point, my inhibitions were gone and I had a really effective and quick smash. But by beer number 3 I was starting to miss!

 

[furious70]

Always have enjoyed it, just for fun.
Before covid we started a game at work that is part ping pong, part racquet ball, part horse. We got barred for life when one of my engineers put his shoulder through the wall...
After covid it was a new building manager who knew nothing of the former's policy decree...

 

[kiwigtx]

Always have enjoyed it, just for fun.
Before covid we started a game at work that is part ping pong, part racquet ball, part horse. We got barred for life when one of my engineers put his shoulder through the wall...
After covid it was a new building manager who knew nothing of the former's policy decree...

That reminds me of a time back in the late 80's when I worked for a small company during the big slow-down. Work was short, and the boss couldn't win a bid to save himself. Wages were getting harder to pay each week ...so I did them a favour and eventually moved on to another job.

But when I started there, the boys decided to play some indoor cricket. Big workshop and loads of shelving....lots of fun. But eventually too much stuff was getting brokjen....including most of the light fittings. Fun times, but sad times also.
It was so quiet at times, that guys were bringing in lawn mowers to repair, and even practicing fly-fishing casting in the carpark. We had some keen trout fishermen at the time.

 

[torredcuda]

Balls and paddles have changed a lot since I played, most guys use padded, flat, sticky rubber but there are still some that use pips (the little bumps sticking up) on one side. The techniques have also changed, the new way is lot`s of spin even on the forehand shots, hence the sticky rubber. There are a couple kids that are pretty good but some of the older guys are really good.

 

[torredcuda]

That reminds me of a time back in the late 80's when I worked for a small company during the big slow-down. Work was short, and the boss couldn't win a bid to save himself. Wages were getting harder to pay each week ...so I did them a favour and eventually moved on to another job.

But when I started there, the boys decided to play some indoor cricket. Big workshop and loads of shelving....lots of fun. But eventually too much stuff was getting brokjen....including most of the light fittings. Fun times, but sad times also.
It was so quiet at times, that guys were bringing in lawn mowers to repair, and even practicing fly-fishing casting in the carpark. We had some keen trout fishermen at the time.

I worked for a company years ago that had a similar slow down, owner kept a handfull of good employees for when we picked back up. We usuaully only had enough work for about half the day so we would take 2-3 hour lunch breaks (paid) and have wiffle ball games in the parking lot - lot`s of fun!

 

[torredcuda]

It seemed my game was best after about two beers. At that point, my inhibitions were gone and I had a really effective and quick smash. But by beer number 3 I was starting to miss!

Funny, that`s how I am with a lot of things - 1 or 2 beers and my skills at sports or anything needing hand eye coordination get better but then after beer 3 or 4 or more I get progressively worse.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I enjoy playing against my grandson, yes he whoops me but it is fun. I really wish I had the hand eye coordination I did when I was young.

 

[WileERobby]

 

[khryslerkid]

When you can't afford the table - Video