What to Do in the First Game

May 27, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) The simple answer to this question, for most people, is obvious: WIN!. But there are really four things you should be doing in that first game. First, you want to force your game on your opponent. This means both finding ways to set up your shots and getting those shots going. If […]

Smother the Table When Blocking

May 20, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) The best advice I ever received about blocking was to think of it as “Smothering the table.” I don’t remember who told me this, but the advice really works. The point is that blocking should be a quick shot, and to do that, you have to stay close to the table, i.e. […]

Focus on Placement to Win and Increase Consistency

May 13, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) Placement is key to winning, in two ways. First, if you place the ball where your opponent is weakest, you put him in the weakest position possible. That’s obvious. Second, it’s not just picking the right placement, but placing it in the most extreme way. This is especially true when playing to […]

Shadow Practice for Fitness and Improvement

May 6, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) Many players use running to get in shape for table tennis and other activities, or simply for health reasons. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you get the same thing if you shadow practice your footwork for the same amount of time, plus you develop the footwork technique and the specific muscles […]

Forehand or Backhand Receive in Doubles

April 29, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Historically, most players received with their forehands. This made it easier to forehand loop any serve that went even slightly long. (Some players, even back then, were better with backhand loops and so received backhand, but they were a […]

Serve or Receive First in Doubles?

April 22, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) In both singles and doubles, I usually advise players to choose to receive first, if they win the choice at the start of the match. This is the time when a player is most likely to miss easy shots—he […]

How to Play Doubles with a Much Stronger or Weaker Player

April 15, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) What are the best tactics for a lopsided team, where one player is much stronger than the other? (This often happens in rating or mixed doubles.) Many believe that a more balanced team has an advantage over a more […]

Top Ten Things to Remember in Doubles

April 8, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Signal serves. Let your partner know what’s coming! Sometimes the server’s partner signals the serves since he’s the one who has to follow them up. Typically, signal under the table by pointing a finger down for backspin, thumb up […]

What Makes a Great Doubles Partnership?

April 1, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) (Excerpt from Table Tennis Doubles for Champions by Larry Hodges. April is Doubles Month!) Here are ten components, not necessarily in order of importance. On a scale of 1 to 10, where do you and your partner(s) come in on these ten? Willingness to play as a team. Some players are simply unwilling […]

Let’s Talk About Shoes

March 25, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) There are two main characteristics to consider in table tennis shoes. They are how well you can move in them, and how much support they give. (Durability is another issue, but I won’t go into that here.) Table tennis shoes are designed to maximize mobility for table tennis movements – and that […]