I am now 69-5 for recorded wins on my sheet. However, I also recorded 28 wins (no losses during that time period) before I began filling out my record sheet. I do not know the scores for those 28 games--only that I won them. This puts my record up to 97-5 since March. Here's a Q&A session for those interested:
What's it like approaching 100 recorded wins? It feels like there's something missing. I had myself convinced I had a 10% loss ratio and a few games even proved that. However, it seems I have a 5% proven loss ratio. It feels odd; I almost want to exclude those 28 wins so I can prove what I thought correct.
What one thing has changed most in your game? Strategy--definitely strategy. I used to just hit the puck without much thought. Even after that, I only had a rudimentary strategy of either banking it or hitting it straight. Over the past half year, I have begun watching opponents' mallets more carefully and begun predicting how they will guard and even discovering some weaknesses. Everything else comes from that.
Do you have any fun moments to relate? I had a few different ones, actually. The time that more than ten people stopped, watched, and applauded the game is my number one. Another was when I played someone who scored mostly by straight, fast shots: "I'll try that," I said, placing the puck on the table and imitating his shot (which scored). That was where I learned my trademark shot--since then I improved it to be a cross-straight to confuse opponents.
What do you plan to do after 100 wins? I plan to continue improving. I want my loss record to go down and opponents to score less. I would really like to work on drifting the puck--something at which I am horrible.
Is there anything else to say? There is one thing we didn't touch on. I played a very good person the last two times I was at Celebration Station. He used all sorts of shots and was fairly quick--a good challenge. Since machine messed the score up from a previous game I was playing against someone else, he and I used the remaining time and points to practice a bit. I tried experimenting with the "triangle defense", something big in professional air hockey play. That cut down on a good amount of points scored against me in the next game, too. That's something I want to try using more than I have--that defense.
Mastering a new, better defense may take me to the next level of play. I want that to be the theme of the next 100 games.