(By Larry Hodges) Suppose an 8-year-old, a 30-year-old, and a 60-year-old walk into your club, all beginners, and sign up for lessons. Suppose you were their coach. You’d likely start them off similarly, teaching the fundamentals. But something happens after a time – how you teach them begins to change quite a bit. You, the reader, […]
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Coaching Tips of the Week: Don’t Be a Predictable Receiver
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) When you receive a serve, you really have three options. You can return the serve passively, so that you rarely miss the serve, but give the opponent the attack. This often means either pushing long or a soft topspin return. You can return the serve in a neutral fashion, where you take away […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships… and AMIBO
Posted onBy Larry Hodges and Steve Claflin Something extremely odd happened this past weekend at the 2022 Classic Hardbat World Championships. In fact, three out-of-the-ordinary, very odd situations occurred: There was continuous Live Streaming of players on two center courts. The very best and the very new… There was Convenience and FREE Entertainment for the players, […]
Coaching Tips of the Week: Are You Really Serving Low?
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) Next time you are at the table tennis club or at a tournament, watch some matches from the side, so you are looking directly along the net. Watch how low the serves cross the net. Do this at multiple tables for players of various levels. You may be surprised at what you see! […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Open Singles
Posted onOpen Singles at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Can the Butler Do It Against The Flash? By Larry Hodges (photo by Larry Hodges) Before we get to the final and biggest event of the tournament, a great thanks goes to the many people who helped run it. Many, including sponsors, are thanked in the Interview with […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Over 60
Posted onOver 60 at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Randy Hou and Other Pips-Out Penholders Dominate By Larry Hodges At the US Nationals a month ago, Randy Hou won two golds (Over 70 Singles, Over 60 Doubles), a silver (Over 50 Doubles) and two bronzes (Over 50 Singles, Sandpaper Singles). Other than the sandpaper singles, it […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Women’s Singles
Posted onWomen’s Singles at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Xin Li Dominates with the Backhand By Larry Hodges (photo by Larry Hodges) Many players struggle in making the transition from sponge to hardbat. Less so for Xin Li, who just won Women’s Singles here at the Classic Hardbat World Championships. While she’s a standard shakehand player […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Alexander Flemming – Who Will Clash with “The Flash”?
Posted onBy Larry Hodges Alexander “The Flash” Flemming was a top sponge player in Germany before he got into sandpaper. He once finished third at the German Nationals in Men’s Singles and won Men’s Doubles twice. But in 2012 he tried out one of those “oldfangled” sandpaper rackets . . . and now he’s the World […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Interview with Steve Claflin
Posted onInterview with Steve Claflin Founder and Director of the Classic Hardbat World Championships By Larry Hodges How did you get started in table tennis? Weren’t you a top junior player once? I am from Port Huron, Michigan. Port Huron had a weekly club and my parents made sure the entire family played every Monday. I […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Serving – the Trick Part of Table Tennis
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) Serving is considered the “trick” part of table tennis, and this is where you can be most artistic. While you don’t want to rely too much on trick serves to win, having a few tricky ones really helps – both in scoring a few “free” points and making your other serves more […]
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
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