Site Products

PongNow: Dell Sweeris, Connie Sweeris, David Sakai, Donna Sakai (and Steve Hopkins)

(by Steve Hopkins) The PongNow interview series discusses table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. In this edition we have, Dell Sweeris, Connie Sweeris, David Sakai, and Donna Sakai discussing their overlapping histories in the sport.  They were each strong junior players, each had a successful and notable career, […]

OPEN DOORS: Rhode Island Table Tennis Reopens

(by Steve Hopkins) The State of Rhode Island started a new COVID-19 recovery phase on June 1 allowing gyms and sports venues to open with new regulations in place for reporting, operation, cleaning, and social distancing. The Rhode Island Club will be opening beginning on June 8. Initially the club will be open for three […]

Have You Missed the Interviews? Catch Up Here.

Steve Hopkins’ PongNow Interview Series started on May 2nd.  There are now six posted interviews in the series and more coming soon.  As the intro notes, the purpose of the interview series is to discuss table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport.  So far, those interviewed include Sean O’Neill, […]

BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Timo Boll v. Ma Long 2017 World Cup

(by Steve Hopkins) This is a Butterfly Favorite.  To set the stage, World No. 1 Ma Long entered the tournament as the top seed.  Timo Boll was not the top European qualifier – that honor went to Dimitrij Ovtcharov.  In fact, at the European Top 16 qualifying event, Shibaev had finished second and Gauzy had […]

Unveiled Smashfest: NHL’s Brad Marchand and Mitchell Marner Design Pong Tables

(by Steve Hopkins) “Unveiled: Smashfest” debuts on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30p (EDT) on NBCSN.  This week, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand and Toronto Maple Leaves forward Mitchell Marner work with Canadian graffiti artist Alex Bacon to design customized ping pong tables.  The host of the show is former NY Rangers player Dominic Moore.  Smashfest […]

Open Doors: USATT to Allow Sanctioned Tournaments in July

(by Steve Hopkins) A USA Table Tennis announcement released today allows for the sanctioning of tournaments beginning July 1.   This will end the March 13th order that suspended all events – a part of a broader series of suspensions and cancellations across all sports including  ITTF and USOPC events.  This is welcome news after so […]

Ask The Experts: Di Yu, No. 345

Butterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer Question: what’s the difference between Timo Boll ALC and Timo Boll ZLC blades? Answer:  Your Ask the Experts question was answered by Di Yu. He is a Senior/Elite Coach in Morrisville, NC. Hi Bikash,  Timo Boll ALC:  It will be better for defensive players because you can feel the ball stay […]

Butterfly Training Tips – Backhand Looping with Coach Ojo (Video)

Ojo Onaolapo is a coach at San Antonio Table Tennis Club. One of Ojo Onaolapo’s standout moment from the early stages of his table tennis career came at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore where he achieved a quarter-finals finish in the Men’s Singles competition before missing out to the eventual champion Koki Niwa. Ojo Onaolapo also […]

Butterfly Buzz: A Tour of the PingPod Facility

(by Steve Hopkins) During a recent interview with Ernesto Jon Ebuen, we were provided a walk-through of the new PingPod facility in New York City.  We thought this might make a nice feature on its own, so we have provided a longer version of the tour here. The new facility features custom tables, two walls […]

Coaching Tip Of The Week: Do You Have a Quadruple Threat Receive?

(By Larry Hodges) Many players get used to receiving any given serve the same way, because it’s safer that way. This is especially true against short serves, where many players predictably push everything back long. Others reach in and predictably flip over and over. But this makes things easier for the server, since he knows […]

Latest News

Latest Rankings: Chuqin to 1, Calderano to 3

September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) China’s top two paddlers swapped spots in the latest World Rankings, with Wang… Read More

A Chopper’s Delight

September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) When the Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight”, few could have imagined either the immediate or… Read More

MLTT Is Back in Charlotte!

September 15, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) See the Carolina Gold Rush Next Weekend Get ready for an action-packed three… Read More

Chopping and Playing Choppers – It’s All About the Mindset

September 15, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame I’ve coached many choppers during a match,… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Folsom Table Tennis Club

September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins) The Folsom Table Tennis Club has two locations nestled in the greater Sacramento region of… Read More

WTT Champions Macao: A New Number One ?

September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The surprises ended on the final day, as the higher seed won each of… Read More

ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships: Recap

September 14, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) The ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships concluded last week in Antigua… Read More

WTT Champions Macao: Anders Lind Makes Semis

September 13, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Anders Lind headlined the penultimate day with a 4-3 upset win over World No.… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.