I was thinking we could draw up some mini-profiles for players, in a kind of Top Trumps format. (In fact, there's an idea... we could eventually publish the KAI Table Tennis Top Trumps...!). For example:
Gump/Samson
Power: 8
Spin: 9
Attack: 9
Defense: 8
Fun Factor: 1
The Eagle
Power: 6
Spin: 5
Attack: 5
Defense: 4
Fun Factor: 9
Ideally these would be accompanied by a photo or cartoon but in the meantime let's have your suggestions!
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Friday, 19 October 2007
Team Singles Event
The discussion under Killing the Ladder Monotony has run dry now.
I think where we got to is the possible plan of a team singles event with the following teams:
Gump/Knuckles/Paul Miller/Spread Eagle vs. Topspin/No Thumbs/Flip Flop/The Bat
Does this look like a fairly even line-up? If yes, it would be worth seeing if all 8 players are up for it and drafting in new recruits if not.
Regarding points, there was the suggestion of just scoring goal difference, although I wonder if there should be a win bonus as well, because otherwise e.g. it's possible to win 3-1 or 3-2 with a negative points difference (if the wins are in tight games but the 1 or 2 losses are severe) and if we just score goal difference then the overall result may well just depend on the strength of thrashings handed out by the top players.
So how about goal difference plus a 10-point bonus to add to the goal difference for each match won?
Any thoughts?
I think where we got to is the possible plan of a team singles event with the following teams:
Gump/Knuckles/Paul Miller/Spread Eagle vs. Topspin/No Thumbs/Flip Flop/The Bat
Does this look like a fairly even line-up? If yes, it would be worth seeing if all 8 players are up for it and drafting in new recruits if not.
Regarding points, there was the suggestion of just scoring goal difference, although I wonder if there should be a win bonus as well, because otherwise e.g. it's possible to win 3-1 or 3-2 with a negative points difference (if the wins are in tight games but the 1 or 2 losses are severe) and if we just score goal difference then the overall result may well just depend on the strength of thrashings handed out by the top players.
So how about goal difference plus a 10-point bonus to add to the goal difference for each match won?
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
It's not Table Tennis but...
...a radical suggestion from Flip-Flop (a.k.a. Blunkett) is that we should consider a KAI kabbadi ladder.
Any interest?
Any interest?
Monday, 15 October 2007
RSCL TT comp
Damn, how did we miss this:
"RCSL Table Tennis Singles and Doubles competition, York – 15 and 15 November 2007
The closing date for entries to this event is Friday 12 October 2007. Please contact the Table Tennis Secretary, Andrew MacAlister for more information."
"RCSL Table Tennis Singles and Doubles competition, York – 15 and 15 November 2007
The closing date for entries to this event is Friday 12 October 2007. Please contact the Table Tennis Secretary, Andrew MacAlister for more information."
Killing the Ladder Monotony
There was some talk of having a league but not a huge amount of enthusiasm, probably because we’ve established a pretty firm order of ability so the league would be a lot of effort for something highly predictable that would probably end up with league rankings identical to the current ladder rankings. We’ve got to a point where those that have been on the ladder for a while have reached equilibrium positions and equilibrium ability controlling for amount played (i.e. ceteris paribus the more you play the higher your equilibrium, like s in the Solow model).
So to get around the current high predictability, lack of close games and lack of excitement, a couple of suggestions for a side competition would be:
(a) some form of handicap matches where in any match the lesser players start with a head start. This would be a lot of fun with the handicaps set at the right levels but it’s very hard to achieve this having not kept any data on average match scores. As a crude starting point you could get 1 point head start per game (in normal best-of-5s to 11) for every 1 difference in ladder position between the players and cap it at some arbitrary level, e.g. about 5, or;
(b) some kind of singles “team” event where we form into 2 balanced teams then record singles results by team instead of individually. This might be especially good if we record the points scored in individual games so e.g. even if you’re losing 10-0 in a game to 11 it’s still potentially worth playing for goal difference.
Any thoughts/interest?
So to get around the current high predictability, lack of close games and lack of excitement, a couple of suggestions for a side competition would be:
(a) some form of handicap matches where in any match the lesser players start with a head start. This would be a lot of fun with the handicaps set at the right levels but it’s very hard to achieve this having not kept any data on average match scores. As a crude starting point you could get 1 point head start per game (in normal best-of-5s to 11) for every 1 difference in ladder position between the players and cap it at some arbitrary level, e.g. about 5, or;
(b) some kind of singles “team” event where we form into 2 balanced teams then record singles results by team instead of individually. This might be especially good if we record the points scored in individual games so e.g. even if you’re losing 10-0 in a game to 11 it’s still potentially worth playing for goal difference.
Any thoughts/interest?
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Invites
I've invited sachin onto the blog. I know he doesn't play anymore since he lost to a girl (and a girl who doesn't really play much anyway) but he will provide the posts with some vitriol. Also, we should try and rehabilitate him. Any volunteers to do the rest of the inviting?
Actually, I just wanted to post something because i've never done it before. Very exciting.
On a sidenote, does anyone else find the word 'blog' really aesthetically dis-pleasing? Can someone please come up with a better term.
Actually, I just wanted to post something because i've never done it before. Very exciting.
On a sidenote, does anyone else find the word 'blog' really aesthetically dis-pleasing? Can someone please come up with a better term.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Housekeeping
A few things:
1. As I just included the first few names that sprung to mind in the original invitation, we now need to invite the rest of the TT squad to join us as authors - as well as some honorary members such as Matt Humphrey.
2. You've all got admin privileges, which means you can change the layout, elements etc. More to the point, you can edit the widgets I've put on the sidebar by clicking on the little tools picture at the bottom right-hand corner of each widget - that is the ladder (we need to get the other names there), upcoming games and recent results.
3. I've kept the blog private (i.e. only accessible to invited members), but we can change that if we want. It will severely limit the amount of abuse we can direct at each other, but getting non-TT members to see it and post comments etc might be nice. What do you think?
4. We can upload pictures and videos, so this may be the time to start working in earnest on our TT documentary.
UPDATE: I found out that you can't actually edit the widgets from work (you actually can edit them, but you can't save them) which I guess limits their functionality. We can post changes in the main blog and then someone updates the widgets at home to reflect latest results (I don't mind doing this)
1. As I just included the first few names that sprung to mind in the original invitation, we now need to invite the rest of the TT squad to join us as authors - as well as some honorary members such as Matt Humphrey.
2. You've all got admin privileges, which means you can change the layout, elements etc. More to the point, you can edit the widgets I've put on the sidebar by clicking on the little tools picture at the bottom right-hand corner of each widget - that is the ladder (we need to get the other names there), upcoming games and recent results.
3. I've kept the blog private (i.e. only accessible to invited members), but we can change that if we want. It will severely limit the amount of abuse we can direct at each other, but getting non-TT members to see it and post comments etc might be nice. What do you think?
4. We can upload pictures and videos, so this may be the time to start working in earnest on our TT documentary.
UPDATE: I found out that you can't actually edit the widgets from work (you actually can edit them, but you can't save them) which I guess limits their functionality. We can post changes in the main blog and then someone updates the widgets at home to reflect latest results (I don't mind doing this)
Naming Crisis (plea for comments)
As many of you know, I was previously known as "The Serve", a name chosen for me by Matt Humphrey. Anyway, my serve went massively downhill under the pressure of being "The Serve" and I found that renaming myself "No Thumbs" took the pressure off.
The name "No Thumbs" came from this nickname generator, sent to me by Dave "The Blossom" Knight, aka David "Frankenberry" Knight. However, given that I have some thumbs I'm keen to change again, so please add any suggestions to the comments section.
The name "No Thumbs" came from this nickname generator, sent to me by Dave "The Blossom" Knight, aka David "Frankenberry" Knight. However, given that I have some thumbs I'm keen to change again, so please add any suggestions to the comments section.
“The Table Tennis Beagle, by The Table Tennis Eagle”
Wasn't this blog supposed to be called “The Table Tennis Beagle, by The Table Tennis Eagle”?
Equipment
I found this site: http://www.bizrate.co.uk/gametables/products__keyword--table+tennis__prerd--1.html
I'm sure there is a discount offer with either CSSC or RCSL but I can't find it at present.
I'm sure there is a discount offer with either CSSC or RCSL but I can't find it at present.
New blog & The Beagle
Thanks to The Bat, aka The Slapper, for setting up this blog.
Lets all remember to record al the great moments that take place in Centre Court as well as more general table tennis trivia.
You will be pleased to hear that the proposed KAI table tennis newsletter - The Beagle - is currently in production and will make use of the best entries on this site. Watch this space...
Meanwhile, see you downstairs...
Lets all remember to record al the great moments that take place in Centre Court as well as more general table tennis trivia.
You will be pleased to hear that the proposed KAI table tennis newsletter - The Beagle - is currently in production and will make use of the best entries on this site. Watch this space...
Meanwhile, see you downstairs...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)