Table Tennis smashes to one and all of the Auburn Table Tennis Club –

Round Robin in full force Wed. June 24 – Come one, come all.  This is the last round robin of the half-year ending June 30.  Don’t want to miss this.

Here is a special report from our correspondent-in-training John Hanna on the Wed. June 17 RR (apologies to Mark Twain and Charles Dickens):

“With Bill and Tom in ping-pong rehab this week for overdosing on air seeping from cheapo Butterfly balls (have the Nittaku’s been ordered?) It was “ruban rond” as usual at the ATTC.

Yes, has anyone ever wondered about the origins of “round robin”?  No?  Oh…er… well I have and I have learned from my extensive readings of French literature that the modern use of the term dates from the 17^th Century French “ruban rond.”  This described the practice of signatories to petitions against authority (usually Government officials petitioning the Crown) appending their names on a document in a non hierarchical circle or ribbon pattern (and so disguising the order in which they have signed) in order that none may be identified as a “ringleader.”

Meanwhile - back at the ATTC on Wednesday.  I arrive at the club and notice that my space has been taken just outside the entrance and former President, Tim A. is not even present! 

As I arrive at 7pm, Mark Copeland looks relieved that we now have enough players for 3 groups!  One group of 3 (A) JH, Grant and Anson,  GRP B  Bob H (on his own) and GRP C, Mark and Fred.  The ratings helped determine the groups

So, Bob had a tough game against himself. Mmm, I have never seen a 40 plus year old run around a table so fast with two paddles returning his own serves…BADLY. Needless to say it was a game of serves and at 56-56 in the first, I call let and commence the expedite system.  As I have been in the expedite zone against my own TT coach in England, I asked the Community Center cleaner to count the strokes for each point.  (For those who do not understand what expedite means…LOOK IT UP under RULES OF TABLE TENNIS.  At 9:30pm with the score at 330-331 with Bob serving to himself, he catches his shirt on the net post which moves the table 2 inches while running around to receive his own serve and I call FAULT!  Bob looks perplexed and questions the call. “Fault? Why?”  I explained that he moved the table so the point is lost.  So Bob losers the first game to himself 330 -332.  As it’s time to go he was unable to start the 2^nd set.

Well if you believe all that then the following may just bring you back down to planet Earth or even back to the club NEXT WEEK for RUBAN ROND!

With six players and six tables it was decided to abandon RR play and use the opportunity to play some open play TT.

I (JH) spent some time with Fred and introduced 3 months worth of new ideas into a 30 minute session.  We worked on blade holding techniques for play and serves, forehand and backhand drives, new spin serves, and forehand kills. Be warned that Fred is now using a Rapid Carbon blade and rubbers from the speed glue era (my old bat) which will allow him to hit a few more clean winners without allowing his opponent enough time to read the Sac Bee between shots.  The $12 paddle days are over Fred and on July 4 we should attach a rocket to your paddle and send it off to Paddle (Bat) Heaven!

Meanwhile, Grant and Anson are having a battle on one of the blue tables.  A best of 5, with Anson gritting his perfect teeth and still showing signs of laughing gas intake after an enameled filled day in the surgery.  Anson PULLS (excuse the pun) through and Grant wishes he could join Bill and Tom in rehab.

However, all is not lost.  In the next friendly battle against yours truly (I had already scraped through against Anson in 4 a little earlier) Grant pulled back from 0-1 and took the next three games to the applause of the watching crowd, Mark and Fred!  Perhaps Fred should be taking top spin lessons from Grant as surely he has the best top spin game at the ATTC!  Mind you, if I had more room, I could lob his deep high penetrating shots high up into outer space and then kill his kill on the next return!  I know Fred could do it now.  Right…Said Fred.

Going back to Fred.  We finished off our little coaching session with a fun exercise.  Forehand KILLS!  I lobbed the ball up and Fred killed it one after the other.  He managed 6 in a row and I will be back at the weekend to fill up the holes he made in the wall from the impact of his shots!  Awesome Fred!  Remember. Top of the bounce or on the way up (advanced) and GO FOR IT!  It’s fun and gives one a feel good factor!  Next week we will be handling lobs which bounce higher than 6 feet.  Start practicing your jump skills!  Not recommended for Bill unless we remove the ceiling tiles.

I wish to say Kudos to Mark for coming out of retirement and keeping the play moving.    He played a nice open game against me (no pushing) and took a game off Anson and Grant. I sense Mark is eager to play more TT.  Give me a few hours with him and I’ll get him to shout out “Good Boy” in no time at all.

Finally – Anson was leading our second match 1-0 when I discovered it was 9:45pm!  It was time to leave. Sorry Anson, better luck next time!  If I have missed reporting on anyone….I really doubt that I have!

PS.  I confess to looking under the table when BH did the “ball toss” to decide who should serve.  I know it was wrong to cheat (but Bob was not looking my way) and if anyone catches Fred doing the same thing, tell him it’s wrong. No, the best way is to attach a small mirror angled at 20 degrees on one of your sneakers. Fred, let me know if that is the correct angle (Fred is good at Math).

PPS I’m assuming Larry was a no show because of his illegal shorts with the orange stripe.  Hey Larry, we could just rip them off.  The stripes I mean!

PPS TYLER! We miss you, come back soon! We need the numbers!

John Hanna.”

John – many thanks for this report and anyone questioning John’s enthusiasm for the sport surely needs their head examined.  The Nittakus have indeed been order.  Will 120 keep us going for a few days?

See you one and all for Ruban Rond Wednesday and for Open Play Monday!

For Wednesdays -  If you think you will be late for the round robin (i.e. after 7 p.m), please call Bill (916) 275-0899, or Tom  (530) 613-0101.  If you reach us, we will put you on a table.   

Quotable quote:  “He who nets last nets best” (Tom S.).

Bill Kochenderfer

Greetings One and All at the Auburn Table Tennis Club -

Las Vegas – Hardbat - $100,000 Need more be said? At least 2 among us have squirreled away the entry fee and will be in Lost Wages for the big event. Let’s give Tim and Donna Aquino plenty of hitting practice in the next 10 days. Perhaps they will fund an endowment for the ATTC with the winnings.

Lessons, lessons, lessons - OK , just like any multinational behemoth top heavy administration, with excess executive compensation, things take time. Stay tuned (as we like to say). We do plan to offer free lessons Monday and Wednesday evenings (Wed. will be in advance of the Round Robin).

Notes for new players – and for veterans too – keep an eye out for anyone who looks like they need to (but might be a little reluctant to) hit with more and different players. Loads of fun hitting doubles and singles, and good for putting shots and skills together! If somebody needs a nudge, be the “the nudger.”

Round Robin Results – 6/10/2009 – Lots of play this past Wednesday, and we hit for a good hour after the Round Robin - If you are inclined to come over on a Wednesday but not for Round Robin – please do so. Tables permitting (and we do have tables, for the time being), Open play is A-OK.

Congratulations Bob Hemming, Anson Kwong and Bill K. Dave Mead, nice to see you hitting the round robin and also the post-RR play. Doug Vaughn and Larry Scott, thank you as well for making the drive down from GV. We have a few folks suspected of needing a little “RR” encouragement - - have not seen Ahmed Aboudkhil, Hong Moon, Chris Pratt or Colin Douglas in some time for a Wednesday. Stop in and blast a few our direction …

For Wednesdays - If you think you will be late for the round robin (i.e. after 7 p.m), please call Bill (916) 275-0899, or Tom (530) 613-0101. If you reach us, we will put you on a table.
This Wednesday only – 6/17/2009 – don’t be late! Both Tom and I are gone. Round Robin will proceed, of course!

Notable quotable: “No problem is so great that 45 minutes of table tennis can’t cure it.” (Dr. C. Everett Koop).

Bill Kochenderfer

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Results for 06/10/2009:

Greetings Auburn Club Members,

Where’s the Summer we were being promised? If your softball, fishing and other fair and hot weather sidelines feel a bit out of kilter, we know the reason: Table tennis is still going strong.

Spies in Grass Valley tell us there is talk of adding a 2nd night of play up there. We continue to have good turnout Mondays for Open Play – a fair amount of doubles getting played, so keep that in mind if you are keen to hit doubles.

Lessons, lessons, lessons - We have looked at a couple items from Larry Scott, including a Log to track drills, and hope to hammer out the Lesson Program in short order. You may recall from the last “News” – we plan to offer free lessons Monday and Wednesday evenings (Wed. will be in advance of the Round Robin). Larry, thank you (for the initial items and in advance for the balance of things we need) on this.

Monday playing “etiquette” - Well, “etiquette” may overstate things … we’re a well mannered group to begin with. We do want to keep play moving, though. If you wish to “challenge” a table, place your paddle on the floor next to the table in play (or let the players know you are the “challenging” player, and you are next up to hit there. Stay on the table for 2 matches, then be sure to let a new player on to hit. This is just a rotation mechanism – there are generally still tables to use.

Notes for new players – and for veterans too – keep an eye on new kids on the block (not the music group) – we want to have new players hit with “old” (no offense Ricky; you’re not the oldest player anyway). Good for the skills being developed, good to offer suggestions, good karma overall.

Round Robin Results – 6/3/2009 – Congratulations Tom Spesick, Grant Connell, and Tim Aquino, group winners. Well played one and all, and I note we had a fair bit of “open” play Wednesday as well. If you are inclined to come over on a Wednesday but not for Round Robin – please do so. Tables permitting (and there have been tables in the last 3 or 4 weeks, as we get into Summer), Open play is A-OK.

Closing in on Half-Yearly Performance results – “Most Improved” – Fred Myers and John Hanna and Ricky Pisanu, all showing 100+ points improvement. Might be tough to catch Fred, at this point. “Best Record” – Things may have looked awfully rosey at the top of that list until Tom and John saw fit to step up a notch and administer beatings that were supposed to be outlawed after Abu Ghraid. Jon Saunders is quietly keeping to himself, on a great run with 71% victorious outings.

For Wednesdays - If you think you will be late for the round robin (i.e. after 7 p.m.), please call Bill (916) 275-0899, or Tom (530) 613-0101. If you reach us, we will put you on a table.

“Hit for the end line, especially if Rick Close is your opponent”
Anonymous

Bill Kochenderfer