Thursday, January 20, 2011

Even after I’ve reconstructed my paddle, fashioned it to my exact specifications, there will be more work to do. Indeed, it may be the most difficult leg of this journey yet. I’m currently at a juncture in ping-pong where, unlike golf, the antiquated equipment is actually inconveniencing my game. But once I’ve caught up with all the advancements of 21st century table tennis rubbersmithing, I’ll be back in a position where, much like golf, my game will inconvenience my paddle.

I know precisely where I’m deficient. My game is largely reactive. Cripplingly defensive, in other words. I have pretty good table sense–I’d call it court sense, if doing so didn’t feel completely ridiculous–but it’s usually squandered on one deflection after the next. I need to seize the initiative, press the flow, and dictate each match on my terms. Getting to that point is going to take a lot of elbow grease, though.

Here’s how I’m going to do it. Five months into the office scene, I’ve noticed how every contender boasts a trademark move, be it a cunning serve or a brutal smash or some unique spin. I’d like to pick these up by asking the relevant authors, plain and simple, and assuming instruction is forthcoming, I’ll be able to collect one move at a time. This is really just my favorite skill acquisition framework, made public and shameless and–with an actual ping-pong league on the horizon–entirely necessary.