Good Receive is What Works by Larry Hodges What is a good receive? It’s whatever maximizes your chances of winning the point. End of story. But let’s elaborate. Many players fall into one of two bad habits when receiving: too passive or too aggressive. The ideal receiver can do both, depending on the situation. Plus, […]
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Winning Without Speed and Power
Posted onWinning Without Speed and Power by Han Xiao Many of us watch the best players in the world and are extremely envious. It’s easy to get caught up in the amazing points that they play and try to emulate the shots that we see. As a result we go back to our clubs and try […]
Having a First Game Game Plan
Posted onby Han Xiao Whenever I’m coaching intermediate or junior players, they’ll often ask me before the match, “what do I do against [insert opponent’s name]?” My response is usually to turn the question back on them, which is to ask them what their initial game plan is. No matter if it’s someone they’ve played twenty […]
Serve Return Tips
Posted onServe Return Tips by Han Xiao Serve return is one of the most challenging aspects of table tennis. Many players have a very difficult time returning high quality serves, and as a result lack confidence in their decision making and execution. Today, we’re going to go over some tips that will hopefully help you improve […]
Serving Tips
Posted onServing Tips by Han Xiao Most players understand that a good serve is one of the best ways to give themselves an advantage in points. However, many players don’t have a clear idea of how to improve their serves, and mostly go by trial and error. If a serve doesn’t work in a match, they […]
Blocking
Posted onBlocking by Han Xiao Blocking is a very underrated and undervalued skill in table tennis. One of my biggest regrets is not having more practice partners as a young player and not practicing blocking more. As a result, I had a poor understanding of blocking technique that took a long time to correct. It’s important […]
Watching the Ball
Posted onWatching the Ball by Han Xiao Today we’re going to discuss something extremely basic: watching the ball. It’s so basic, in fact, that it sounds like it should be obvious that everyone who plays table tennis already knows how to do it. Yet, almost every player I’ve coached from beginners all the way up to […]
Playing Against Penholders
Posted onPlaying Against Penholders by Han Xiao Last week, we examined some basic strengths and weaknesses of players who play with unorthodox rubber and went over some of the common tactics used against these players. This week, we’re going to take a look at penhold players. Most people have some idea of the strengths and weaknesses […]
Playing Against Pips/Anti
Posted onPlaying Against Pips/Anti by Han Xiao Many players have a lot of trouble playing against “junk rubber,” which usually includes short pips, long pips, and anti. At lower levels of play, using pips or anti is often seen as an advantage that can give a lot of free wins. As players improve, using these types […]
Don’t Make Changes For Sake of Change
Posted onDon’t Make Changes For Sake of Change by Han Xiao A lot of players have a lot of variety in their game. They can hit a lot of different shots, have different speeds and spins, and are consistent players. However, some of these players still lose to players with objectively worse technique and less variety […]
What is the Goal of the Receiver?
July 6, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame Returning serve is the most difficult part… Read More
Rogelio Castro – Fast Pendulum Serve
July 6, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rogelio Castro is executing the Fast Pendulum Serve everywhere https://youtu.be/ALn6I_nhgE0… Read More
Getting to Know Stuti Kashyap
July 6, 2026
(from Bowmar Sports and Stuti Kashyap) Recently, we had opportunity to connect with Stuti Kashyap, a 17 year… Read More
Matsushima Wins United States Smash
July 6, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Red, white, and blue continued to dominate at the United States Smash over Independence Day… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Trolley Car Table Tennis Club
July 5, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) With its location in the East Falls area on the North side of Philadelphia, the… Read More
US Nationals: Early Action
July 5, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) We are underway in San Jose at the 2026 US National Table Tennis… Read More
Fortune Favors Bold Players Entering Final Weekend at United States Smash
July 4, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) The saying "Fortune Favors the Bold" has been proven true in the Quarterfinals of the United… Read More
United States Smash: A Pair of Upsets as China is Out
July 4, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The last two matches on Thursday both ended in upsets at the United… Read More
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