Loss of motivation
Table Tennis Discussion
Last updated 3 years ago
D K Asked 3 years ago
Greetings Alois
I was training with a few friends and I played a match with one of them.
He won the first set 11:8, then I was able to gain upper hand in the seconds and third set winning 11:7 and 11:8 respectively.
In the fourth set though he visibly changed his game and started to make easy mistakes too easy for his level.
He lost 11:1 while shooting off visibly the last two or three balls.
When I asked him why he did not play seriously the last set he replied that he has no motivation when playing against me because I do not play seriously as well.
I was surprised by this,as he is my rival and I have no reason not to be serious with him.
Also,I was surprised that I demotivate him as while using peak power vs peak power I have always been more powerful than him having about 80% of victories against him. Later his teammate Michael told me that when I play with my peak power I am able to play on par with players two classes above his level which matches the player's own level.
However I am not aware of any conscious changes in my seriousness while playing equal or better players. Yes I ease out when I play a player who is noticeably weaker but within this team there is no such player (they are not my team I train with them too though).
What is your view on this Alois?
Dan
Alois Rosario Answered 3 years ago
Hi Dan,
Sometimes players just get annoyed during a match and what he says may not be exactly what he really feels.
I think you can take a look at yourself and see if you feel you were trying your best or not.
Thoughts on this question
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D K Posted 3 years ago
I have talked with the players and more of them told me that I cannot force them to even try (which is not reflected by the on-par scores with officially equal-level players).
And they described it as a long-time problem that they do not like to play with me too much.
I feel like I am playing my hardest,but they say that my game visually looks much weaker nowadays.
They told me that I look like playing at my about 60%.
One of them told me that I lost all variation I had before,and that he stopped the need to move when playing against me.
D K Posted 3 years ago
Update:
today I played with them again.
I lost to Thomas 1:3 and he again told me that against me,he does not have to think and he does not have to move,which causes him to get bored.
But then,I was able to take on Michael,and after dominating the counterloop rally at 11:11, 1:1 with three consecutive full power BACKHAND loops I reached victory over Michael,a player ranked thousands of ranks above me,3:1 (11:9,5:11,13:11,12:10).
I have no explanation.