Site Products

Smother the Table When Blocking

Posted on

(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

Posted on

(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

Posted on

(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

Posted on

(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?

Posted on

(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 […]

How to Play Doubles with a Much Stronger or Weaker Player

Posted on

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) What are the best tactics for a lopsided team, where one player is much stronger than the other? (This often happens in rating or mixed doubles.) Many believe that a more balanced team has an advantage over a more […]

Top Ten Things to Remember in Doubles

Posted on

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Signal serves. Let your partner know what’s coming! Sometimes the server’s partner signals the serves since he’s the one who has to follow them up. Typically, signal under the table by pointing a finger down for backspin, thumb up […]

What Makes a Great Doubles Partnership?

Posted on

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Here are ten components, not necessarily in order of importance. On a scale of 1 to 10, where do you and your partner(s) come in on these ten? Willingness to play as a team. Some players are simply unwilling […]

Let’s Talk About Shoes

Posted on

(by Larry Hodges) There are two main characteristics to consider in table tennis shoes. They are how well you can move in them, and how much support they give. (Durability is another issue, but I won’t go into that here.) Table tennis shoes are designed to maximize mobility for table tennis movements – and that […]

The Four Types of Defense

Posted on

(by Larry Hodges) If you want to be good at table tennis, then you must have an excellent defense. And there are really only four types. You should be able to do all four when needed, if for no other reason than by learning to do it, it not only is there when you occasionally […]

Latest News

Shashin Shodhan Amicus Training Series – Loop Transition

November 11, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Amicus Training Series, Shashin Shodhan is executing a Loop Sequence and Footwork Drill… Read More

Angel Naranjo – Reverse Pendulum Serve

November 10, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Angel Naranjo is demonstrating the Reverse Pendulum Serve to the… Read More

Harimoto and Hayata Win in Frankfurt

November 9, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Germany's Patrick Franziska gave hope to Germany fans with his heroics, but ultimately… Read More

Playing Lefties

November 9, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame) The problem with playing lefties is two-fold:… Read More

Butterfly Players Hold Both World No. 1 Spots

November 7, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Butterfly has signed Wang Manyu of China, and the timing couldn't be better. Butterfly players… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Central Florida Table Tennis Club

November 6, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Located on South Orange Blossom Trail, just south of downtown Orlando, Central Florida Table Tennis… Read More

3 Germans and 3 Japanese reach Quarters in Frankfurt

November 6, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The top two seeds avoided early upsets as both Matsushima and Harimoto reach… Read More

Yu Di – Forehand Loop Timing

November 5, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Yu Di is demonstrating exact dynamics of the timing of… 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.