(by Larry Hodges) A common problem for many players is starting slow. Often they have a bad loss or two before they get going, and from there on they play well – but it’s too late for that tournament. And this happens over and over. I struggled with it for many years as well – […]

(by Larry Hodges) Dang it! How’d I miss that?!!! I can’t play! These (or perhaps harsher words) are the words of a player who is trying too hard, i.e. pressing too much. This is also true if you feel like saying these things during a match but hold back. They are symptoms of a player […]

(by Larry Hodges) Rarely have I heard more (and often weird) opinions on what to do at the end of a close game. Some say, “Play safe!” Others, “Go for it!” And a zillion other types of advice. The reality is that the end of a game is only different in two ways. First, there […]

(by Larry Hodges) Before a drill, players often ask, “Who’s doing the drill?” The answer is, of course, both players. And that includes a player who is blocking. But it’s more than that – some would say one player is doing a footwork drill while the other is blocking, but that’s totally wrong. They are […]

(by Larry Hodges) Does one need to be a top player to be a top coach? The question often comes up, and there’s an easy answer. No. However . . . and this is a big HOWEVER . . . it’s difficult to become a top coach without being a top player first. It’s a […]

(by Larry Hodges) At the lower levels, most players serve long both because they haven’t learned to serve short effectively yet, and because opponents aren’t yet skilled enough to attack them consistently and effectively. As you reach higher levels, long serves become less effective if used too often. But if used at the right time, […]