OOAK Table Tennis Forum

On his site, Ron Trudell has posted the recent match between Richard Hicks and Chong Keng Tay at the US National Table Tennis Championships. This is the 70+ final.

The reason I bring this to your attention is:

1) Hicks is a 70-year-old 2200-rated chopper
2) He very effectively uses Yasaka Phantom 007 pips (with a sticky Chinese inverted on the other side)
3) He's a great twiddler
4) He has won many tournaments on the U.S. scene
5) He breaks down and beats a penholder (SP?). Never easy for an LP player to do.

http://outpost81.com/nationals08/Chong_ ... 0Final.wmv
http://outpost81.com/nationals08/Chong_ ... Final2.wmv
http://outpost81.com/nationals08/Chong_ ... Final3.wmv
http://outpost81.com/nationals08/Chong_ ... Final4.wmv

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

Special note to Tat and R*1 fans: Hicks plays with a Brendling blade, which is a fast, thick Swedish balsa blade custom made by Lennart Brendling. I guess they are no longer sold. Does anyone know how these Brendling blades compare to the current crop of fast balsa blades?

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

MNNB, is this how they warm up? I like it because I can't do the fast forehand to forehand and bh to bh drive warm ups the young one are doing nowadays.

Watching these two mature players play, I felt I can hit with them. The balls were not fast and controllable, mu kind of table tennis. Hopefully, when I am 70, I still can see and hit the balls like these two.

Regarding Hicks balsa blade, I can see that he flick several fast ones. Chong must be using some kind of shot pips the way he block and hit the balls. Both these gentlemen are very patient, that's something I got to learn.

Mine took forever too, so I stopped it...

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I think you have to just download it. Streaming takes forever.

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

Try downloading GOM Player. It plays most any file, with a keystroke can instantly rewind ten seconds and playback in slow motion for analysis of strokes. Best of all it's free. http://www.gomlab.com

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

I'm pretty sure tay uses long pips, on both sides even.

One of hicks' wins at the teams two months ago was over eric amoah who, according to dark horse in another thread, is english #25.

Hicks is also one of the few players i know of who liked using frictionless long pips for chopping (not blocking). Note his use of twiddling; he doesn't twiddle as much as, say, greg letts (and it may not be that useful against a long pip penholder anyway) but he's pretty fluent in all shots with each rubber surface on both forehand and backhand. I've even seen him counterloop, in doubles.

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Equipment: Matsushita PowerDefence, Spin Art 1.9 black, Xiying 979 ox red
Style: American | US Rating: barely 2000

Hicks is a very impressive player with an interesting style. I wish there was more online video of his matches. It seems that he doesn't put much effort at all into making good serves (maybe just against this opponent?). Other than with his great consistency, Hicks got a lot of points pick-hitting with his backhand. Do you know anything about the balsa blade Hicks uses? I gather these Brendling blades are rather fast for what a chopper normally wants. I imagine he plays further back against harder hitters?

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

I think it's got something to do with aussie internet connection, but I am having to wait really long time to watch a file

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the re-evolution of war
Bty Gergely Palio Macro Era 42.5 Max DHS H2 Max

Thanks for these matches MNNB,

just like the other Aussies it took forever to download but from what I saw these 2 guys know their games and stokes inside out and have the skill and patience to to execute their game plans. Something I could learn about and try to emulate.

It again shows and gives me inspiration to play and learn about this wonderful game for as long as I draw breath.

I frequently play against a couple guys in their late 60's and a few others in their 70's in my comp and to a man they are still extremely competitive, and amongst the most dedicated and smartest players I have faced. And the best sportsmen by a mile.

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Blade Stiga Hybrid Wood FH Butterfly Dignics 05 BH Butterfly Tenergy 05 FX

My sentiments exactly...except I am already 71.

magritte

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Toxic3,
Juic 999 Elite Defense
Peacekeeper OX

Sorry i don't know anything about his blade; unfortunately for me i've never had a chance to play him myself, i only get to hear people talk about it. Watching him against a long pip penholder probably isn't the best example of his play, but it does show that he can play against styles other than loopers.

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Equipment: Matsushita PowerDefence, Spin Art 1.9 black, Xiying 979 ox red
Style: American | US Rating: barely 2000

I agree that Tay's main rubber looks like a LP. The ball flight, his strokes etc do not point to a SP. He has the style of an Asian cpen LP player from his era, except an attacking backhand LP shot

I had the unfortunate taste of long pip defeat back 20+ years ago playing Hicks at a tourney. I was a all forhand looper and lost 3 straight. First time I played against long pip until I found some Asian players sneaking it on there pen backside. Anti took care of that with dead ball loops and dead ball drop shots.

gig

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*IT IS NOT LOGICAL TO PLAY WITH LONG PIPS*
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.


New blade set-up... Nittaku Monophonic with Dawie 388d-1 ox and Big slam max ( really like this one) down to FH rubber selections--I like it better than talon
flaired handle and 90 grams

No problem downloading or watching about five minutes to download them all.
tOD