Jealous of younger players
Table Tennis Discussion
Last updated 10 years ago
Aaqib Ahmed Asked 10 years ago
hi coaches!
I know this is a silly question but it's true. I feel jealous when I see kids smaller than me come to the club and play awesome and everyone claps. And when I lose from them I feel really disappointed. Even sometimes I think that ping pong is not for me. What should I do?
Alois Rosario Answered 10 years ago
Hi Aaqib,
You need to realise that Table Tennis is not about age or height but about how much you have played. Those small kids may have hit twice as many balls as you.
You need to focus on what you can do and improve yourself. You will always find players somewhere in the world that is better. That is one of the good things about the game.
Thoughts on this question
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Aaqib Ahmed Posted 10 years ago
main thing i would not feel this if i would be a beginner in ping pong. Rather i am expert now but someone who is expert(er) than me gives me that feeling.
Oliver Posted 10 years ago
Wow, I remember feeling completely the opposite. I used to find playing adults very annoying as they are much more clever and can often do some unexpected tricks which force you to think outside the box, even though they do not take training. Younger players are just the opposite: they lack the cunning that adults have but they often have perfect technique. So the next time you play a younger player, keep that in mind and put yourself in their shoes. You are much more annoying to them than they ever can be for you. ;)
Aaqib Ahmed Posted 10 years ago
thanks for the tip oliver bro! :)
andrew streng Posted 10 years ago
I actually have a lot of respect for the younger players. I could not imaging when I was 10 or 12 playing against an adult in any sport, much less actually beating them. The younger players are very well coached and have very good technique.
One key is reading the book mentioned on this site already "the inner game". The key is as long as you are totally focused and playing the best you can for each and every point, that all you can do and that is the true meaning of competitive sports, not trying to win but simply trying to overcome the obstacles your opponent is giving you. I am sure there is more discussion of this topic on pingskills.