(by Larry Hodges) Let’s get right to the point – you must lose to improve. Why? Because developing your game means adding new techniques. When you add these techniques, they won’t be developed yet, so they won’t be consistent nor will you be comfortable yet in using them. Most players have their “comfort zones.” If […]
CAD 1.44
Your Account
The Surprise Test
(by Larry Hodges) When you miss a shot, how do you react? If your first reaction is anger or disgust, you are going about it all wrong. Yes, some top players do show anger or disgust when they miss a shot, but that’s usually a secondary reaction, one that hits them only after their first and […]
Hitting to the Same Spot Twice
(by Larry Hodges) It’s important to play to all three spots – wide forehand, wide backhand, and the middle (the mid-point between the opponent’s forehand and backhand, roughly their playing elbow). But often players inadvertently only play to two of them, and opponents, either consciously or (more often) subconsciously pick up on this and so […]
Down the Line Training
(by Larry Hodges) There are two reasons for practicing down-the-line shots. First, because in games you want to use the whole table so the opponent has to cover the whole table, and to do that you need to be able to play wide in both directions, crosscourt and down the line. Second, to quote USTT […]
What to Do in the First Game
(by Larry Hodges) The simple answer to this question, for most people, is obvious: WIN!. But there are really four things you should be doing in that first game. First, you want to force your game on your opponent. This means both finding ways to set up your shots and getting those shots going. If […]
Smother the Table When Blocking
(by Larry Hodges) The best advice I ever received about blocking was to think of it as “Smothering the table.” I don’t remember who told me this, but the advice really works. The point is that blocking should be a quick shot, and to do that, you have to stay close to the table, i.e. […]
Focus on Placement to Win and Increase Consistency
(by Larry Hodges) Placement is key to winning, in two ways. First, if you place the ball where your opponent is weakest, you put him in the weakest position possible. That’s obvious. Second, it’s not just picking the right placement, but placing it in the most extreme way. This is especially true when playing to […]
Shadow Practice for Fitness and Improvement
(by Larry Hodges) Many players use running to get in shape for table tennis and other activities, or simply for health reasons. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you get the same thing if you shadow practice your footwork for the same amount of time, plus you develop the footwork technique and the specific muscles […]
Forehand or Backhand Receive in Doubles
(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Historically, most players received with their forehands. This made it easier to forehand loop any serve that went even slightly long. (Some players, even back then, were better with backhand loops and so received backhand, but they were a […]
Serve or Receive First in Doubles?
(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) In both singles and doubles, I usually advise players to choose to receive first, if they win the choice at the start of the match. This is the time when a player is most likely to miss easy shots—he […]
Limited Time: Save 10% on MLTT Championship Tickets!
April 2, 2025
It All Comes Down to This After an intense season, only four MLTT teams remain. The stakes couldn’t… Read More
Searching For The Perfect Balance Between Speed And Control In A Professional Table Tennis Blade?
April 2, 2025
(By Bowmar Sports/Nathan Britt) The Butterfly Fan Zhendong CNF might just be the best-kept secret in the high-performance… Read More
Butterfly Unveils Official Game Shirt for Japanese Men’s and Women’s National Teams
April 2, 2025
(by Butterfly Global) Japanese Men’s and Women’s National Teams to wear the new shirt starting April 1, 2025… Read More
WTT Champions Incheon: Sang-Su Surprise in Korea
April 1, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The WTT Champions Series event is in Incheon Korea this week, and a huge upset… Read More
FETHOMANIA 21: Drill 1
April 1, 2025
FETHOMANIA 21: Drill 1 – Robot plays long topspin to Backhand, Logan Backhand chop to Backhand, robot plays… Read More
Study Opponents’ Serves
March 31, 2025
(by Larry Hodges) The single most important thing you have to adjust to with any given opponent is… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Vancouver Table Tennis Club
March 30, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The Vancouver Table Tennis Club (VTTC) stands as one of the largest table tennis facilities… Read More
A Look Back – Nathan Britt’s Journey with Butterfly!
March 30, 2025
(by Nathan Britt/Butterfly Americas) Nathan Britt, one of Butterfly’s prominent influencers and the creator of NBTT (Nathan Britt… Read More
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.
