(By Larry Hodges) Many players tend to strongly favor either offense or defense. Even at higher levels, many players are very comfortable attacking, but get very uncomfortable and inconsistent when the opponent attacks first. At lower levels, it’s often the reverse, where they are most comfortable pushing and blocking, and hoping the opponent misses. One […]

(By Larry Hodges) This is a simple one. When a player has a good lead or is playing a seemingly weaker player, they often play to “not lose.” This means lowering their own level of play, since they are no longer doing what they normally do. They are literally abandoning whatever gave them that lead […]

(By Larry Hodges) I’ve written tips on attacking the middle, but it can’t be overemphasized how important this is. It’s likely the most under-used rallying tactic at the intermediate and even advanced intermediate level. Advanced players don’t have this problem – it’s usually their go-to spot. What are the advantages of attacking the middle? If […]

(By Larry Hodges) You’ve practiced, you’ve worked with a coach, you’ve done physical training, you’ve done mental training… you’re ready for the tournament. What could go wrong? Let’s see . . . the floor’s slippery, so you can’t move… it’s humid, so the ball is sliding off the racket . . . and the only […]

(By Larry Hodges) Few things are more frustrating than losing a match because the other guy got a bunch of “lucky” nets and edges. And yes, each of those nets and edges were lucky – individually. But in the long run, certain styles or tactics lead to such “luck.” So, how can you get lucky? […]

(By Larry Hodges) If your opponent is quicker than you, than the last thing you want to do is let him rush you. If you put the ball short over the table, then your quick opponent will be able to hit very quickly at wide angles. So keep most shots deep against quick opponents to […]

(By Larry Hodges) “Tactics isn’t about finding complex strategies to defeat an opponent. Tactics is about sifting through all the zillions of possible tactics and finding a few simple ones that work.” “Strategic thinking is how you develop your game. Tactical thinking is how you use what you have to win.” “Tactical thinking is a […]

(By Larry Hodges) On the forehand side, when someone pushes long, it’s almost always a good idea to loop. Because of this, many players are not comfortable forehand pushing except against a short ball. Against a deep ball, they almost always loop, and that’s usually a good thing. The problem is when they play a […]

(By Larry Hodges) A warm-up is different than practice. Practice is to improve, maintain, or fine-tune a technique. Few players improve unless they do lots of this. However, the focus of this tip is on warming up. Warm-up is to groove your shots before playing matches. (You also warm up before a practice session, but […]