The Ping Pong Paradigm

I've been playing Ping Pong a LOT (yes ladies and gentlemen, that is TWO words) lately, and only recently have i started to see some real improvement in my game. This probably explains why i was in the union for a collective four hours playing the noble game of table tennis nearly non-stop. Pushing my time limits, almost being late to volleyball practice, is definite reason to consider this an obsession at the moment. I was almost not willing to stop at around 8:00 PM because i was so addicted to the blistering speeds me and Simon were playing at. Executing a full arm swing and watching the sharp curve of the ball slam into the opponents side of the table is way too satisfying.

I am convinced this why i take on so many new interests during the course of even just a year. I have a healthy obsession with progression. The moment i pick up a potential hobby, i subconsciously assess whether or not that day's learning progressed at a self-standardized rate. Whether or not i continue with this new hobby depends on this progression session. "Have i gotten good quickly?" I ask, "How good?","Is the graph of progression a linear or an asymptotic curve, to which i eventually flat line to a certain level of skill?" Questions like these determine the amount of habitual practice of such a hobby. For most situations, the learning curve flatlines at a certain time, which is why i move on to different things so quickly. The graph of learning for me is something like x = y^2. Where i learn very fast to begin with, but as time continues, the rate of change of skill vs. time just decreases steadily, to the point where all my hard work doesn't seem to be getting me results. I draw the line (asymptotic line?) at this point and pick up something new.

Trying to avoid rambling on about this, because i want to keep my readers, here is a complementary graph to provide a visual explanation.




I'd like to note the two interesting curves of snowboarding and skateboarding. Both of which i continue to enjoy to this day. Snowboarding on one hand i picked up EXTREMELY fast, but only to see no significant change following that initial start-up. BUT notice the graph begins to increases in slope to "now", which is why it leads me to believe that with more practice, there may be another spiking period in the near future. Skateboarding on the other hand i have done for ages, and at a certain point, i peaked, and my skill has only decreased with lack of practice and motivation, so therefore it makes sense that i rarely skateboard anymore.

Yep. That is the phrase of the post today, "Obsession with progression" It's not something I'm gonna get over fast, but I'm alright with that.
This post felt weird, i wrote mostly about myself, rather than something everyone can relate to and create questions for themselves... Oh well. Go suck a D yo.

-Slater