Munich has a number of public table tennis tables – which boast their very own fan base and a group of ambitious amateurs who practise daily. Our author considers himself a passable player, so we sent him to some of the city’s tables to find out exactly what plays out on them.
It’s 7-1 to me and I’m starting to feel confident. Just four more points to win the set; and at the other end of the concrete table tennis table, set amid the riverside Isar meadows close to the Reichenbachbrücke (bridge), Janosch is reassuringly frustrated. Not to mention a little on the stout side and not all that fleet of foot. Until a moment ago he’d been in a delightful mood, sitting on the camping chair he’d brought along, cracking a joke every now and then. When the time came, he heaved his grey-fleeced body up so slowly that one thing was clear: I wouldn’t be the only thing he was battling during our little match. But of course, I’d already made the crucial mistake – which by the way, wasn’t the fact that I had underestimated him. But more on that later.
One of the wonderful things about recent times is that many people have developed an interest in outdoor leisure activities. Munich has a small scene of passionate amateur table tennis players to discover. The tables in the green Flaucher area along the banks of the Isar river, in Luitpoldpark and by the Isar meadows on Eduard-Schmid-Strasse are frequented by a select set; you might call them street table tennis players, were it not for the fact that they actually play – for hours almost every day – in parks.
Most of us here have no idea what we’re doing, but we really love table tennis.
Among them are a number of astonishingly good beginners – this Thursday lunchtime Berzan and Simona, for example, who discovered the sport when looking for a casual hobby to balance out work and pandemic-related stress – but also people like club player Carlo, who plays to take time out from the pressures of his gruelling law studies. And then of course there are originals like Janosch. Janosch tells me: “Most of us here have no idea what we’re doing, but we really love table tennis.” The mood is wonderfully cordial, though it quickly becomes apparent that nobody comes to the table just to get a bit of exercise. Love is not so simple as that.
Janosch, a pensioner in his late sixties, is plagued by stomach problems. It’s not that long since his only son died, he explains, and table tennis is essentially the only joy he has left. You notice it as soon as you see how heartily he banters from the comfort of his camping throne – and when you play against him. Implying that he was clueless about table tennis was, of course, his first ruse. I should have taken him more seriously when I asked him how important winning was here on the tables. After all, he didn’t hesitate to answer: “For me, it is incredibly important to win.”
During our little match, he weighed me up with a confident eye, assessing my strengths and weaknesses – and once he knew I was blinded by self-assurance, he struck. I scored exactly two more points after getting to 7-1 in that first set, and ended up losing 9-11. Then he really taught me a lesson in the second set – I no longer had a hint of a chance and promptly lost 3-11. It might have been different if I’d spoken beforehand with club player Carlo – a quiet guy in his mid-twenties who Janosch introduced as the “only one here who can really play”. When I asked about the major difference between this and club table tennis, he simply replied: “Less spin.”
Janosch does not divide street players into good and bad, but into “wimps” and “ballsy players”. The wimps only come out when the weather is good, while the others play in all weathers.
No surprise there. Amateurs rarely take good care of their equipment, though really they should be even more thorough than their competitive counterparts. Playing outside means a lot more dust to consider – not least because the ball is constantly falling on the ground. That dust makes the paddles significantly less grippy. And without grip, you can’t really get a proper spin on the ball. The more important aspect though is in something Carlo didn’t explain.
Because of the less grippy pads, the style of play at these concrete outdoor tables is more defensive; you don’t attack over-zealously, but rather wait for your rival to make a mistake. This style of play means that ball control, fast reflexes and nerves of steel are more important than athleticism, fast legs and the odd spectacular point-winning offensive. Those flourishes will merely lull you into a false sense of security about your own abilities. So at the heart of the lesson that Janosch taught me was: overestimating yourself is much worse than underestimating your opponent. To do the latter is not smart – but to do the former is truly stupid.
The perfectly economical Janosch, with his very, very good ball control, does not divide street players into good and bad, but into “wimps” and “ballsy players”. The wimps only come out when the weather is good, while the others play in all weathers: “We’ve scraped ice off the table here before.” More than anything, winning here means achieving a victory over yourself – even if that victory is just having dragged yourself out of your apartment on a horrible day.
In recent years, YouTube has gifted the world countless videos of street competitions in various sports, from basketball and soccer to chess. Clips showing traditionally trained players facing off against street champions are especially popular.
Isn’t it wonderful to find a pastime for which you don’t have to switch on your computer or TV, but simply head to your nearest Munich park?
But those who are only interested in watching the pros flounder are missing the main spectacle: the true beauty of the sport, the heart-warming dedication and humility of passionate amateurs like Janosch, who are not playing for fame and fortune but instead simply for the sake of playing – and for the fortitude earned in facing up to your own shortcomings. After all, it’s not the points victories that matter in life, but the personal victories – as Janosch knows. Isn’t it wonderful to find a pastime for which you don’t have to switch on your computer or TV, but simply head to your nearest Munich park?
Location: Reichenbachbrücke
Bonus: The Isar-Quelle and the Reichenbachkiosk will supply all you could need for your next table tennis battle.
Who plays here: Everyone from amateurs to pros. Sometimes people come at lunchtime from the surrounding offices to watch.
Location: Königsplatz
Bonus: There are a total of three tables here on Königsplatz, and balls and bats can be rented from nearby Minna Thiel (a decommissioned tram that has been converted into a bar).
Who plays here: students and locals
Location: Grünwaldpark beside the Nymphenburger Kanal, which boasts three tables – two with steel nets.
Bonus: This is a particularly pleasant spot on hot days, thanks to the shade of the trees.
Who plays here: mainly locals
Location: Luitpoldpark, near Brunnerstrasse
Bonus: In 2018, the people of West Schwabing voted at a town hall meeting to make a few improvements to the tables.
Who plays here: Rainer Langhans
A map with all public table tennis tables in Munich is available at pingpongmap.net
