(by Larry Hodges) When I started out in 1976, the consensus among coaches that I worked with was that you didn’t have time to grip change between forehand and backhand. And so I learned to use one grip for both. I ended up with a more forehand grip and developed a strong forehand. The victim […]

(by Larry Hodges) You know the ball has heavy backspin. You know you have to either open your racket, hit upward, or both. And yet, players still often attack heavy backspin balls into the net far more often than off the end. In theory, since you are compensating for the heavy backspin, you should go […]

(by Larry Hodges) If you make a habit of closely watching opponents to pick up on little cues that let you know where their next shot will go, your subconscious will get the message and start reacting to it. The subconscious learns by repetition – but only if you actually observe the opponent so that […]

(by Larry Hodges) There are many aspects of a good serve, but one of them – which I’ve written about before – is the importance of serving low. This puts tremendous pressure on the opponent, especially if he wants to attack your serve. Even on passive returns he’s forced to lift the ball a bit, […]

(by Larry Hodges) Some players try to work on the strokes by trying to learn the stroke, contact, timing, footwork, positioning, and reading of spin . . . all at the same time. That’s like trying to teach the alphabet to a kindergartner by asking him to write essays. One thing at a time! You’d […]

(by Larry Hodges) Of course lobbing is good for your game. It wins points that would otherwise be lost. It allows you to practice off-table footwork, which can improve your footwork for counterlooping, fishing, or chopping. It helps you develop topspin touch and control, which can help your counterlooping and fishing. It gives you practice […]

(by Larry Hodges) In dodgeball, the goal is to avoid getting hit. When the ball is thrown at you, you use your footwork to get out of the way. Otherwise the ball will probably hit you in the torso, which is where a good dodgeball thrower aims as it’s the largest target. In table tennis, when […]

(by Larry Hodges) Once you have reached a certain level, it’s easy to rest on your laurels. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard to improve your game. It means that you work hard only to improve the parts of your game that you have already developed. Instead, be a learning player. You should experiment […]

(by Larry Hodges) When you practice your spin serves – and you do, right? – after a few minutes, your arm and wrist are tired and you’re sweating right? No? Then you aren’t putting in full effort and therefore not getting full spin. When I say “tired” and “sweating,” there’s some literary license, but the […]

(by Larry Hodges) As a player, I’m old-school – my backhand flip against a short ball is light topspin, basically a standard backhand drive against most spins. Against short, heavy underspin, I just open the racket and drive up and forward, and focus on medium speed and spin, depth, and placement. But these days top […]