Believe it or not! I hate it when someone sits behind the table where I’m playing - within just feets away - and murmuring a long story to someone else. That keeps me out of focus while I play. That’s what happened exactly at the club yesterday. A guy who was absent for some months to the club, came to the club and sat behind my table. I was playing against a good player from Honduras. I had to think and plan my next shot, and that does not work whenever I see the guy who sits behind me who is making a commentary of “some nonsense”. I halted the game for a moment, and told the guy I’m losing focus because of his talk. The game resumed. But the guy did not stop. I had to tell that again to him in the middle of the second game. He did not stop. At the end of the match, I approached him again and told him about his bad manner. I thought he would understand the mistake that he did. Unfortunately he did not. He started defending, and from that I understood he did that purposefully. I watched him carefully for a while and found out he is a “story teller” even when he plays.
I also hate when someone suddenly comes behind the table, stand there and does some actions with his hands. This happens especially when you play a serious match against someone, and your opponent’s friend come across to help your friend to win. And there are players as well as viewers who without any courtesy intercept someone else match by running to their table to collect the ball they are playing with. You all have incidents like those to relate to.
The table tennis clubs are mostly run in gyms or basketball courts everywhere. Such clubs don’t have enough space for players who move around much. This constraint of space is the problem for many such nuisances. Many clubs don’t have barricades to separate tables. I have seen my opponents getting really mad when the ball from the next table runs under feet because of the lack of barricades between tables.
The table tennis should be a gentleman’s game. I try to avoid few things at the club. Here is the list.
* I try to avoid intercepting someone else playing at a different table to collect the table tennis ball that has rolled towards them.
* I don’t intercept someone else playing to ask how many games they have played already.
* I don’t pull a chair behind someone playing to support one of the players. My policy is, as long as I’m not a coach for someone, he does not need my service.
* At the club, I keep my gears at the entrance. I socialize with others outside of the playing area in the club.
* I walk behind the yellow line for not to disturb the players.
* I bring a towel and water only to the table. The sports drinks can spoil the floor.
* I pay my club fee at the entrance as soon as I come to the club. I don’t consider the club is free for me.
* I don’t borrow someone else paddle to play.
* I don’t try to boast myself how good I’m. I don’t call another player a “joker”.
* I don’t say I won against someone, but I would say I did not lose to someone.
* I only play against someone whom I think I can score points against. I don’t bother anyone who is the best player in the club.
* I bring my own table tennis balls than borrowing from someone.
* I give a little help in putting away the tables and cleaning the club if the club is closing at that time.
* I don’t scream “cho”, “f***”, “what the h***” at the club. I try to be calm.
* If my opponent takes more time between the game or points, I don’t complain. I leave that to the referee.
* I don’t call someone “son of a b****” if he has got a point after hitting the sideline of the table or the net. I just think that is his skill.
* I tell “sorry” and raise my hand if I get a point after hitting the side line.
* If I jam my opponent, and he struggled and finally lost, I would say “sorry”.
* If I win the match, I try to shake hand and pat my opponent and say “thank you for the match”.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
you forgot a few…you might add:
1) I do not try to coach weaker players especially the ones who think they will beat me within a year or so and who DO NOT want my coaching so I can’t ever say they won because I told them how
2) I try to balance the time I am spending with better players with the time I am playing with weaker players. Of course I will have tendancy to try spending more time with the best players and my job is to be stronger and spend time with the weaker players.
NOTE: There is ALWAYS a way to make practice with a weaker player interesting. One way is to practice your weaker shots. Another way is to practice fitness and footwork while doing consistent shots at no more than 65 or 70% of full strenght.
3) I do not say “keep your coaching for yourself” when a better player tries to coach me when I do not care what he’s saying (especially when it’s an obvious remark like “you need to move better” or “not enough spin man! that’s why i did not touch the table”). I just look at him and say “really?” or “no kidding?” and “that makes sense”. Generally they will understand and stop bothering.
I like #3 there, Fatt. A little sarcasm goes a long way. Heh.
I am not the best player at any club I’ve been to, but I’m not the worst, either. I know the rules thoroughly–even those that are courtesy rules that aren’t in the books. One of the things that is most off-putting to me in club games or especially in practice (since nothing is on the line) is when players enforce every little rule to the point they treat you like crap because your toss was only 4 inches instead of 6, or your hand sort of moved in front of the ball for a sec on the serve, etc.
The way I see it, the players who I play with are either play too poorly to worry about it, since they can’t even put a straight ball over the net, or they think they’re better than they are. If you were that good, you would be able to beat me sans the perfect 6-inch toss. When you’re playing in the olympics, then you can cry about it. Until then, just enjoy the game and worry about your own folleys.