FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2020 55
It's a little known fact that table tennis is the hardest game in the
world!
Consider the following: The game takes place on the smallest
court, using the smallest ball and the smallest paddle. It demands
the quickest reaction time, and the ball has tremendous spin action.
Remarkably, table tennis is the only sport where the participant
stands on one surface while playing on another.
There are many different styles of play and various types of rubber
on the "bats" or paddles. These include hard bats, spongy bats, and
ones with short pips or long pips. There are even anti-spin rubbers
capable of producing or canceling your opponent's spin or even
reversing the direction of the spin.
Many of us here at Four Seasons love the game and played it
daily. (Ahh, the good old days!) With the facilities being closed, I
downloaded an excellent table tennis audiobook entitled Expert in a
Year by Sam Priestly and Ben Larcombe. The book's setting is the U.K.
Sam was a novice player under Ben's coaching, and together they set a
goal for Sam to rise above the 25,000 U.K. players within one year and
attain a ranking in the top 250 in the country. The training took place
in one-hour sessions every day for that year. Training also included
some overnight table tennis camps. The book was quite enjoyable.
They have also chronicled Sam's journey on YouTube, where one will
find over 80 of his matches for your viewing pleasure.
The Four Seasons club has beginner, intermediate, and advanced
levels that play both singles and doubles format. Please check the
Daily Report or the Four Seasons Website for updates on when
regular play will resume and for modified hours and rules during the
pandemic.
Join us for some great exercise and lots of fun. For more information,
contact Bob Rubenstein at brube88@gmail.com. ~ Mike Zehner
Ping Pong
Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time.
Lian Lee focusing on the ball as she hit a great put-away shot to end the point while her partner Jeanine Baker gives her the
space to make the shot
A couple of
our paddles
