Coaching tip of the week: Whenever You Miss, Shadow Stroke (By Larry Hodges) This is a bafflingly simple and short tip. I’m always amazed that when a player misses a shot, he expects it to fix itself. Instead, whenever you miss a shot, make a habit of shadow-practicing the shot as you should have done […]

Don’t Learn to Play Every Style – Learn to Adjust (By Larry Hodges) Many players believe that they need to learn to play every style. Well, according to my calculations, there are as many playing styles as there are players in the world. No, you don’t need to learn to play every style. It’s true […]

Coaching tip of the week: How to Develop a Nasty Forehand Flip (By Larry Hodges) A nice forehand flip is a valuable weapon, especially if you can also flip with the backhand (which is usually easer than a forehand flip). It means that you can attack any short serve, so opposing servers are in constant […]

Coaching Tip of the Week: Six Ways to Learn Tactics (By Larry Hodges) Constantly think about it. What works for you, and against what types players? What works for others against you, and how can you adjust to it? You should constantly experiment and learn from it. Study others. What do your opponents do against […]

Coaching Tip of the Week: What to Watch During a Point (By Larry Hodges) If you watched the movie Forrest Gump, you were told to “Never, ever take your eye off the ball.” And some really do this. But is this what you really want to do? Some find that watching the ball constantly helps […]

Tip of the Week: Serving from the Forehand Side (By Larry Hodges) If you watch the top players serve, one thing you’ll notice is that the vast majority of them serve various types of forehand pendulum serves mostly from the backhand side. There’s a reason for this – it puts them in a better position […]

Coaching Tip of the Week: “Proper Way” is What Works for You (By Larry Hodges) Kids are almost always taught the “proper way” to play by coaches. But older players sometimes already have bad habits or have developed an unconventional playing style. Should they also be taught the “proper way” to play? The answer is […]

Coaching Tip of the Week: Three Spots or Two? (By Larry Hodges) When a coach refers to “playing the three spots,” he’s referring to playing both wide angles, and the middle. (The middle is not the middle of the table; it’s the mid-point between the opponent’s forehand and backhand, usually around his playing elbow.) In […]

Coaching tip of the week: How to Push Extremely Heavy (By Larry Hodges) A heavy push can cause havoc when done at the right time, and sometimes is all that’s needed to take away an opponent’s effective attack. How do you do this shot? First, keep in mind that it’s not enough to just have […]

A Lightbulb in Your Head: Mindless Swinging or Tactical Shot-making? (By Larry Hodges) When you see a top player go for – and usually make – a big shot, is it mindless swinging or tactical shot-making? Actually, it’s both. There are two times when a top player normally goes for a big shot. First, of […]