The Grinding Mentality – How to Play It and Against It

January 19, 2019

The Grinding Mentality – How to Play It and Against It (By Larry Hodges) The Grinder is a style of play, or really a mentality, where your single-minded focus is on not making any mistakes, and not giving the opponent any easy shots. This often means trying to stretch out rallies as long as possible, […]

Top Ten Things to Remember in Doubles

January 7, 2019

Top Ten Things to Remember in Doubles (By Larry Hodges, tabletenniscoaching.com/blog) Most players play doubles as if it were just a version of singles, but that’s a mistake. Doubles is actually far more complicated since there are two players on each side, so there are four different playing styles interacting, plus all the movement as […]

If You Can’t Do It Without a Ball, How Can You Do It With the Ball?

December 29, 2018

If You Can’t Do It Without a Ball, How Can You Do It With the Ball? (By Larry Hodges) Shadow-practice is when you practice a stroke without the ball. It’s the best way to develop proper technique and streamline your strokes, especially with help from a coach or experienced player. You do need to combine […]

Every Point is the Biggest Point of Your Life

December 10, 2018

Every Point is the Biggest Point of Your Life (By Larry Hodges) What’s the most important point in table tennis? The next one. It’s that simple. And yet players constantly fret over the previous point, the one that’s over and never to be replayed. As far as you are concerned the next point is for […]

Coaching tip of the week: Style Disadvantage or Tactical Problem?

December 3, 2018

Coaching tip of the week: Style Disadvantage or Tactical Problem? (By Larry Hodges) Many players do not know the difference between a style disadvantage and a tactical problem. My experience is that style disadvantages are relatively rare, as any sufficiently advanced player has developed enough shots to reach his level so that he can compete […]

Coaching tip of the week: Punish Passivity

November 26, 2018

Coaching tip of the week: Punish Passivity (By Larry Hodges) If you play an opponent who plays passively, he’s basically daring you to take your best shot. Take the dare! But first – what is your best shot? The problem passive players face is that a good tactical thinker knows what his best shot is […]

Use Your Weaknesses or They Will Always Be Weaknesses

November 13, 2018

Use Your Weaknesses or They Will Always Be Weaknesses (By Larry Hodges) Suppose, for example, you have a strong forehand loop against backspin, but your backhand loop against backspin isn’t so good. Then you probably use the forehand every chance you can, and avoid using the backhand loop. Result? You continue to have a strong […]

Don’t Try So Hard When Ending the Point

November 5, 2018

Don’t Try So Hard When Ending the Point (By Larry Hodges) When you put everything into a shot, you lose control and consistency. You often lose power as well as you can’t really time all your muscles together at 100%, and instead end up with a spastic shot that’s difficult to control. Watch the top […]

Coaching tip of the week: Heavy and No-Spin Pushes

October 29, 2018

Coaching tip of the week: Heavy and No-Spin Pushes (By Larry Hodges) A good, quick, well-placed, heavy, low, deep push is valuable at all levels, even the world-class level. So develop all aspects of that shot, especially against backspin or no-spin serves. But there’s another weapon that many forget, and that’s the no-spin push. Against […]

Top Ten Ways to Be a Professional at All Levels

October 22, 2018

Top Ten Ways to Be a Professional at All Levels (By Larry Hodges) This tip won’t help you win more matches. In fact, it might cost you a match where, by playing unsportsmanlike, you might have psyched an opponent out of a match. But if you do that, did youreally win the match? Here are the Top […]