(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 […]

(by Larry Hodges) Long ago, I used to coach developing players to return serves aggressively. But then I noticed something – players who did that often never learned to handle the opponent’s attack as well, while those who were more willing to push serves back long as they developed became comfortable when the opponent attacked, […]

(by Larry Hodges) When serving, many players contact the ball on their racket in the same location each time. Many aren’t actually aware of what part of the racket the contact is on. They are dramatically limiting their serves by not understanding how varying the location of contact can vary the spin. Here are some […]

(By Larry Hodges) If you don’t know where you are going, it’s tough to get there. This is true of any journey, whether it’s Lewis and Clark exploring the American West or Ma Long on his way to becoming the best player in the world and possibly in history. So, what is your playing style […]

(By Larry Hodges) In practice, it often seems easy. There’s no pressure, no worries, just you hitting the ball over and over. It’s easy to get into a consistent rhythm. Then you play in a tournament, and while you are perhaps a little nervous, you don’t think it’ll affect you too much. Maybe you’ll hesitate […]

(By Larry Hodges) This is my favorite quote from Rafael Nadal, who (as of this writing) has won more Grand Slams in tennis than anyone in history. But I think you’ll find that the other two players close to him on this – Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – would say the same, as would […]

(By Larry Hodges) Amazingly, many players don’t really know how they win or lose most of their points. They have a general idea about it, but often the reality is a bit different than their gut feeling. And so, rather than focusing on how they win or lose most points, and how to maximize the […]

Coaching Tips of the Week: Playing the Middle Doubles the Opponent’s Difficulties