How to Play Table Tennis More Happily? Part 1
How to play table tennis more happily? Generally, anyone who would think about this is either a pro who practices too much, so being unhappy is normal; or you got dumped and cannot play happily; or you are getting old. So what to do to play more happily? I have really been thinking about this lately.
1
Sleep enough. I say sleep enough because I myself do not sleep enough, so I feel it deeply. When sleep-deprived, not only is your thinking unclear in rallies, but you have a feeling of not being your own master, as if the body is not yours, playing like a walking corpse. Playing well or poorly is one thing. The problem is, when short on sleep, you can hardly feel the joy of playing. Doctors all know that when short on sleep, you easily get anxious and irritable, and it is harder to be happy. Only when you have slept enough can you feel that comfortable sense of firing freely. Considering sleep, afternoon play seems to bring more pleasure than evening play. And you do not have to rush. But because of daytime work, some players choose to play after work, in the evening — actually that is quite good too.
2
Evenly matched. By my own experience, the happiest environment is when companions are close to your level, but not quite up to you. If they are far below you, it really is boring. The philosophy here seems similar to life’s logic: when you are a bit richer than those around you, you most easily feel happy. But I write that “evenly matched” is better because you must allow players above your level to join, so that over the long run, you can progress. Happiness should be pure joy plus the meaning of progress. Otherwise, you always win, and once you step out of your usual comfort zone and cannot beat those outside it, you start to be unhappy. Progress is always needed. On this basis, occasionally arranging some contests both helps progress and gives the group a fresh feel.
3
Carry a spare bat. Its strategic meaning is: your main blade can avoid unnecessary harm from being lent out. But that is not what we want to say today. Carrying a spare bat makes it easier to see playing as play. The bat is a toy; you are just sampling. Carrying a spare gives a different experience — quite nice. Life always needs a bit of new input. Best to carry one or two besides your main blade. Too many and you fall into indecision. And conversely, it is hard to feel more joy. Even sampling should be savored slowly.