(by Steve Hopkins) The PongNow interview series discusses table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. In this edition we have, former US National Team Member, Derek May. Derek May was a strong junior player in his home State of Georgia. He attended Anderson College and Augusta College […]
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OPEN DOORS: Hoboken Table Tennis
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) Hoboken Table Tennis, Hoboken’s first social ping pong club, has opened its doors in New Jersey. The club has posted their COVID-19 Guidelines which include masks, a health questionnaire, limited gear (keep your bag with you), and reminders to follow all distancing and hygiene guidelines. The facility is currently set up with […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: The Importance of Lobbing
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) One of the strange things top players and coaches often notice is that beginning/intermediate players who “goof off and lob” during practice often improve rapidly. There is a reason for this. When a beginning/intermediate player backs up and lobs, he develops mobility and footwork, and learns to react to hard-hit […]
OPEN DOORS: Rhode Island Table Tennis to Reopen League
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) Rhode Island Table Tennis (RITTA) announced this week that they will reopen League play beginning August 3rd. The club has been opened since June when the State allowed gyms and sports venues to reopen. Since then, RITTA has been open on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with tables available by appointment only. This […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Fast, Quick Motions Disguise a No-Spin Serve
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) Many players learn to put decent spin on their serves. However, they often find it difficult to disguise that spin. Why not develop a no-spin serve, with a fast, violent serve motion? Change directions as the racket contacts the ball (contacting the ball as the racket is changing directions at the split […]
ITTF Calendar: Japan Open Latest Covid Casualty
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins/Photo Courtesy of ITTF) The 2020 ITTF Calendar continues to shrink as they deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic. ITTF announced today that the Japan Open has been cancelled. This event was scheduled at the end of April, and it had been postponed with the hopes of playing the event this Fall. The announcement […]
BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Chuang Chih Yuan – Backhand Flick
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) The first video of Chinese Taipei player Chuang Chih Yuan is from 2017. It shows him developing his backhand flick in two common game situations – (1) for use against short serves to his forehand side, and (2) as an attacking shot following a short return of his serve. In 2016 and […]
2021 Shaping Up to be a Big Year (Covid Postponements)
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) The ITTF tournament calendar continues to look pretty bleak for 2020. There will be no events in July, and five of six August events have been postponed. Its that last word that is of note here, however – POSTPONED. Many events that could not occur have been postponed instead of cancelled. That […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Training Down the Line
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) One of the lessons I learned from legends like Dan Seemiller and Dave Sakai was the value of down-the-line training. When you hit crosscourt, you have about ten feet and 3.5 inches. Down the line, it’s only nine feet, so 15.5 inches shorter. If you can maintain an aggressive down-the-line attack in […]
PongNow: Interview with Richard McAfee
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) The PongNow interview series discusses table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. In this edition we have USATT Hall of Fame Member Richard McAfee. Richard had an impressive career as a player before becoming one of the best known coaches in the United States. __________________________ […]
Push with Purpose and Placement
April 20, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame So often players push just to keep… Read More
Simeon Martin – 1 Forehand Loop, 1 Backhand Loop
April 20, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Simeon Martin is executing a numbered based Forehand and Backhand… Read More
Great News: Texas Table Tennis Upcoming Head Coach Koji Itagaki
April 20, 2026
(By Texas Table Tennis Club) Koji Itagaki coached TSV Bad Königshofen of Table Tennis Bundesliga since 2016. Under… Read More
Portland Paddlers Win MLTT Season 3
April 19, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Why is there a Golden Game? For Moments Like These. With the entire season hanging… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Seattle Pacific Table Tennis Club
April 19, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Seattle Pacific Table Tennis Club (SPTTC) is located in Bellevue, Washington, off of highway SR-520… Read More
Angel Naranjo is Central American & Caribbean Champion
April 19, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) After anchoring Team Puerto Rico to a win earlier in the week, Angel… Read More
Anav Gupta Among Surprise Winners at US Junior National Ranking II
April 19, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) The 2026 US Junior National Ranking Tournament II wrapped up last week at HITTA in… Read More
World Team Championships: Preview
April 19, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) One hundred years after the inaugural World Championships were held in London (1926),… Read More
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