Table Tennis

Co-Creator of USATT-Net at www.usatt.org

Equipment: Butterfly Cresail Racket, Sriver red and black Max
USTTA Rating: Unoffical level ~ 2100

Greatest 2 out of 3 Match Wins in 1997:
  • Sean O'Neill - 5 time US National Champion, 2 time Olympian
  • John Onifade - No stranger to the USATT Top Ten Players list
  • Sean Lonergan - ACUI Champion

    Greatest One Game Loss:

  • 1-21 against Sean O'Neill (I was lucky he missed one)
    • "It's table tennis, not ping pong," I explain for the bazillionth time. What's the difference? The rules are the same, but until you've actually seen the sport of table tennis played, it's hard to have a clear idea.
    Table tennis is the number 2 sport in the world (behind soccer), commanding large tournament audiences, and yet remains relatively unknown in the US where the game of ping-pong is typically played in the basement.

    At the world class level of table tennis, balls can travel up to speeds of 60 mph and spins of 10,000 rpms are possible. All this at a separation distance usually averaging only 15 feet between the players.
    What distinguishes the sport from the game (as the Rephlex Sports guys say) is the combination requirements of:
    1. lightning fast reflexes
    2. physical stamina
    3. and the mental toughness
    It would not be unusual for a player to lose 5 pounds in water weight during an intense hard fought 3-out-of-5 game match.

    Further discussion on table tennis can be found on rec.sport.table-tennis