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Surely this has nothing to do with specifically table tennis, nor that it's amateur. A better example would be mixed boys/girls sports classes in school, where
by Mawr 22d ago
Surely this has nothing to do with specifically table tennis, nor that it's amateur.
A better example would be mixed boys/girls sports classes in school, where the boys deliberately hold back as to not injure/scare the girls.
It's a pretty obvious and human thing not to go out and completely destroy a much weaker opponent. We're social animals after all.
There also may be an element of energy conservation, there's objectively no need to put in any more effort than necessary. Inefficient.
- sodic 22d agoI think the difference is that, in the table tennis example, it happens unconsciously and you can't help it. But you're right, it likely happens in most sports. The mixed boys/girls classes example is, as you said, deliberate. And I too remember holding back on purpose in such situations when I was a kid. With the arcade, no one was deliberately holding back. I'm sure of it.
- PsylentKnight 22d agoIs it that you’re holding back against weaker opponents, or that you’re more excited and engaged when you’re playing against someone that forces you closer to the edge of your ability?
- aswegs8 20d agoI am pretty sure if you play at pro level you train this out of yourself. But then, the marathon / running examples where certain milestones get broken by one person and then suddenly by a host of others, is a counterargument.