When should I start going to tournaments

thanks, I just signed up for one!

You'll love it. I started to go to tournaments around the same time as you (in terms of serious table tennis commitment) and so far I've enjoyed them all. You'll get the opportunity to meet a lot of people and learn from a lot of great players.

Good luck Bennett. Let us know how you go.

Thanks Jeff

I just played in tournament and i went 2-4

we had a group stage were all throughout the morning we played matches with 4 other people.  1 unrated, 1 1100, 1 1200, 1 1300, 1 1400.  and i was the unrated player

i managed to beat the 1100 and 1200 very easily and lost to the 1300, and the 1400 player

the 1300 beat me very easily and i had a close match even though it was 3-0 against the 1400 player

i then went on to go into a group based on how we performed and i played two 1400 players and was eliminated

It was very fun though

Congratulations Bennett. That sounds like a great start to your tournament playing days! Did you learn much from the experience and do you think you'll play another one soon?

i learned a lot.  there was this one guy who helped me during warm up and he told me he had not played in many tournaments and was only rated 1200.  sure enough after placement matches he beat 1800 and 1900 players.  there was also another guy who said he had just came back after umpiring at the para olympics in las vegas i believe.  he told me when i first got there and started warming up that i had my left hand up in a postion like im calling a let and it could be a distraction to players.  i play right handed and i like getting my left hand involved in the stroke.  do you think i should try to play with it down.  i played with it up during the tournament and no one minded.  but i would defintally play with it down if the player had a problem with it.  also it was really funny in the semi finals watching a 12 year old beat a 2000 rated 28 year old.

That sounds like a great experience Bennett. It is amazing how different ages can do well in table tennis. With the issue with your left hand it's hard to know without seeing it but if no one had a problem with it then I wouldn't worry about it at all.