(By Larry Hodges) When you face a new and unknown opponent, you aren’t sure yet how the rallies are going to go. But you can control how the rallies start. Learn to use serve & receive force rallies to go the way you want them to go, and so make your opponent adjust to you. It doesn’t […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: The Importance of Lobbing
(By Larry Hodges) One of the strange things top players and coaches often notice is that beginning/intermediate players who “goof off and lob” during practice often improve rapidly. There is a reason for this. When a beginning/intermediate player backs up and lobs, he develops mobility and footwork, and learns to react to hard-hit […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Fast, Quick Motions Disguise a No-Spin Serve
(By Larry Hodges) Many players learn to put decent spin on their serves. However, they often find it difficult to disguise that spin. Why not develop a no-spin serve, with a fast, violent serve motion? Change directions as the racket contacts the ball (contacting the ball as the racket is changing directions at the split […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Training Down the Line
(By Larry Hodges) One of the lessons I learned from legends like Dan Seemiller and Dave Sakai was the value of down-the-line training. When you hit crosscourt, you have about ten feet and 3.5 inches. Down the line, it’s only nine feet, so 15.5 inches shorter. If you can maintain an aggressive down-the-line attack in […]
Coaching Tip Off The Week: Do You Really Have Control of Your Shots?
(By Larry Hodges) Most players below the higher levels do not really control their shots, both in terms of direction and depth. One reason for this is they don’t really get much feedback on it, and so don’t realize just how little they are really controlling the ball. Another is that they aren’t really aiming […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Practice Partner Collaboration – the PPC of TT
(By Larry Hodges) All sports involve collaboration, and table tennis is no exception. In fact, due to its one-on-one nature, table tennis in particular fits into this mode. One obvious collaboration is between coach and student, but there’s an equally important one – between playing partners. If you want to improve, players need to work […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: How to Never Miss an Easy Smash
(By Larry Hodges) Few things are more frustrating than missing an easy smash that costs you a game or match. Especially under pressure, it’s easy to miss them. But if you follow three rules, you will never miss another one. Really! The three rules for never missing a smash are simple. Until the point is […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Do You Have a Quadruple Threat Receive?
(By Larry Hodges) Many players get used to receiving any given serve the same way, because it’s safer that way. This is especially true against short serves, where many players predictably push everything back long. Others reach in and predictably flip over and over. But this makes things easier for the server, since he knows […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Three Types of Anticipation
(By Larry Hodges) There are three main types of anticipation in table tennis. You develop all three by practice and observation. Often the key to all of these is to learn when your opponent has committed to what he’s doing, especially his direction, so you can anticipate and react to his shot earlier than if […]
Coaching Tip of The Week: Mind Games: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
(By Larry Hodges) There are mind games in all sports. Some are okay; others are not. The key difference is whether the mind game involves some sort of table tennis skill or tactic, as opposed to just finding ways to bother or even cheat the opponent. If an opponent plays mind games and it’s bad […]
Thankful for Wins: Chicago Has Flawless Week 7
November 27, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) Emmanuel Lebesson and Lily Zhang make history in Hollywood, FL 🐊 Chicago Wind (8-4)… Read More
Relax Your Shoulder
November 26, 2025
Basic exercises: Pushing and powerful first ball attack – Robot plays heavy backspin to long Forehand, Jhon plays… Read More
Yu Di – Backhand Loop from underspin
November 26, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Yu Di is focusing on the Backhand Loop from underspin… Read More
More Weight on the Right Leg
November 24, 2025
Basic exercises: Pushing and powerful first ball attack – Robot plays heavy backspin to long BH, Jhon plays… Read More
Do You Want to Be a Smart Table Tennis Player?
November 24, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) It’s a two-step process. Focus on both steps, and it’ll happen. First, think about the… Read More
Kou Lei – Forehand Looping the Flip
November 24, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Kou Lei is working with his student on Forehand Looping… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Ly Table Tennis Academy
November 23, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The Ly Table Tennis Academy in Montreal has been home to many members of the… Read More
ITTF World Youth Championships: Early Action
November 23, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) Today was the first day of action at the ITTF World Youth Championships in… Read More
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