(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog) Practice matches are just that; practice. If you can’t practice your shots in a practice match, then how can you possibly develop them so you can use them in a tournament? (Or any other “big” match.) Before you play a practice match, decide […]

(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog) Serve practice is my favorite practice. You want to know why? Because I know most of my opponents don’t practice their serves as much as I do (or used to, anyway), and so I will always have an edge on them! The most […]

(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog)   Before any practice session, you should ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. 1.      What weaknesses are you trying to overcome? 2.      What average shots are you trying to turn into strengths? 3.      What strengths are you trying to turn into […]

(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog)   Training doesn’t take place only at the table. There’s also shadow-practice, which you can do anywhere. (There’s also physical training, but that’s another issue.) It’s very difficult to change or develop a new stroke, and learn the timing at the same time […]

(By Larry Hodges) It’s a two-step process. Focus on both steps, and it’ll happen. First, think about the game a lot. There are really three realms here – technique, tactics, and sports psychology. The more you think about them the better your understanding will be. Think about every aspect. If you have questions, ask someone […]

(By Larry Hodges) Tactics can be complicated because there are so many possibilities and so many styles to take into account. They are simple because it usually comes down to finding one or two simple tactics that work. Remember my mantra, “Tactics isn’t about finding complex strategies to defeat an opponent. Tactics is about sifting […]

(By Larry Hodges) Stop what you are doing. Go to 7-11 or some other store that sells chewing gum. (Bubble gum is fine.) Buy some and enjoy its sweet flavor and perhaps even a burst of energy from the sugar. (Or get sugarless.) Now comes the part that every club owner is going to yell […]

(By Larry Hodges) Many coaches, including myself for many years, encouraged up-and-coming players to return serves aggressively, even against short serves. So, they learned to flip short serves aggressively, allowing them to control the point. This often worked. But then I noticed that these types of players, in the long run 1) rarely develop good […]

(By Larry Hodges) There was a time that the smash, especially on the forehand side, was considered the most important shot in the game. Japanese and then Chinese players dominated with forehand hitting in the 1950s and 1960s, and often into the ’70s and ’80s, often using short pips. But in modern times, looping has […]

(By Larry Hodges) When you see a ball you can put away, mentally (and possibly physically) your eyes go wide, you smile (perhaps inwardly), and you prepare to pulverize the ball with every bit of muscle-pounding power you can muster. NO!!! Never hit a ball with “full power.” That’s in quotes because I’m referring to […]