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Court Tricks

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(by Larry Hodges) These five tips won’t generally help you win, at least not directly. They won’t score points for you. But they will make certain non-playing aspects more efficient and more fun – and indirectly, may subconsciously intimidate an opponent when faced with these displays of “professionalism”! Picking up ball with feet. If the […]

Move the Extra Inch

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(by Larry Hodges) It’s not enough to move to the general vicinity of the ball. Table tennis is a game of precision, and almost moving into position is the same as almost making the shot. Instead, focus on that last couple of inches. Don’t lean and make a slightly off-balanced or awkward shot. Those last […]

Are You Too Backhand Oriented?

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(by Larry Hodges) A common problem for players at all levels is being too backhand oriented. Backhand orientation (BO for short) means that you favor your backhand too much over your forehand, and try to cover too much of the table with the backhand. Some players are better on the backhand, and so should cover […]

Why Aren’t You Pushing Heavy?

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(by Larry Hodges) It never ceases to amaze me at how many players push serves back safely, essentially patting it back, perhaps with good backspin, and then mentally pat themselves on the back for making this excellent return. And this works . . . at lower levels. But why put good backspin on the ball when […]

Fake-outs

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(by Larry Hodges) I’ve always thought this is one of the most underused techniques in table tennis. Most players simply do whatever it seems they are going to do. And opponents see what they are doing and have little trouble reacting to it. How boringly simple that is! Instead, why not fake one thing, then […]

Forcing or Adjusting Your Game

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(by Larry Hodges) I once read an article that compared the tactical approach of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, two of the greatest tennis players of all time. Federer tended to adjust his game against different opponents, while Sampras tended to forced opponents to adjust to his. Both approaches work, in both tennis and table […]

Are You Maximizing Your Angles?

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(by Larry Hodges) Most players who play the crosscourt corners do exactly that – they play the crosscourt corners. And that’s where many or most of your attacks should go, as they give the most table when hitting crosscourt. However, when looping (where the topspin pulls the ball down so you need less table), against […]

Coaching Between Games for Non-Coaches

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(by Larry Hodges) Professional coaches always seem to know what to say to a player between games or in a timeout. That’s why they are professional coaches. A good coach has essentially seen it all and can see the patterns that lead to tactics that will work in that match. They also understand the psychology […]

Three Keys to Fast Reacting

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(by Larry Hodges) So, you want to react to an opponent’s shot like the pro’s? That’s simple – as long as you follow the three principles to fast reactions. They are: 1.      Ready position. If you have a good ready position to start from, it’s much easier to react quickly. Many players have poor ready […]

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