(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 […]
MLTT Week 4 Recap: Chicago Wind Steady at Home, New York Slice Make Their Mark
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins, photo MLTT) The Fourth Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) event was played in Bensenville, Illinois this weekend. Four teams battled over three days: Chicago Wind, Portland Paddlers, Princeton Revolution, and the expansion New York Slice. Friday: Slice vs. Revolution The New York Slice entered the Golden Game with a 9-6 advantage that […]
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Joyous Table Tennis Club
Posted on(By Steve Hopkins) Joyous Table Tennis Club provides 8 professional tables in one of the largest professional table tennis clubs in Northern New Jersey. The club welcomes walk-ins, offers private lessons, has afterschool programs, and provides winter/summer camps. Their mission is to provide a fun and competitive environment for players of all levels. The main […]
France takes Gold in Euro Team Championships
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins, photo ETTU) The French team with the Lebrun brothers, Simon Gauzy, Thibault Poret, and Flavien Coton were one of the favorites when action began at the 2025 European Team Table Tennis Championships in Croatia, and they didn’t disappoint as they lost just one match in their four team matches. France defeated Slovakia […]
Jha to Face Calderano as Draws for Montpellier are Posted
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) USA’s Kanak Jha will see action on Wednesday, on the second day of the WTT Champions series event in Montpellier, France. The draws were revealed today, and Jha will face top seed Hugo Calderano – a tough opening match, but in their five previous matches Jha has won once, and lost by […]
Dang Qiu Wins WTT London
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) Dang Qiu benefitted from some upsets in his half of the draw at this week’s WTT Star Contender series event in London. Qiu’s first match was a 3-1 win over Chan Baldwin of Hong Kong (after Chan upset Eduard Ionescu in the opening round). Qiu then easily topped Manav Thakkar (3-0) to […]
Never Use “Full Power”
Posted on(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 […]
Pan Am Teams: Argentina and Puerto Rico Score Gold, TeamUSA Settles for Two Silvers
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) The Americans were the second seed in the Men’s Team event, and they performed exactly as seeded. The defeated Brazil 3-1 in the Semifinal, and then narrowly fell 2-3 to top seeded Argentina. In that final set of matches, Kanak Jha logged both wins, and Argentina outlasted the rest of TeamUSA to […]
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Greater Vancouver Table Tennis Club
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) Founded in 2019 by Wilson Peng Zhang, the Greater Vancouver Table Tennis Club (GVTTC) is a non-profit organization established to promote the sport of table tennis in British Columbia. Located in Burnaby, a suburb East of Vancouver, the 3200 square foot facility is easily accessible to the greater Vancouver metropolitan area. The […]
China Wins Asian Championships
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTF) Team China won the ITTF-ATTU 28th Asian Table Tennis Team Championships. That headline is not a surprise, but their path was not an easy one. China’s opening match was against the Islamic Republic of Iran and there were fireworks from Iran’s young star, Benyamin Faraji. Faraji, at just 15 years […]
How to Perform a ‘Hack’ or ‘Swipe’
January 14, 2026
Robot plays one topspin ball to long Backhand, Logan Backhand chop block (HACK) close to the table off… Read More
When Champions Fall: Mental Strategies for Preventing and Managing Injuries
January 14, 2026
by Dr. Alan Chu, PhD, CMPC The table tennis world watched in dismay last when both World #1… Read More
Smell the Ball?!?
January 12, 2026
Robot plays one long backspin ball to Backhand, Logan Backhand push to Backhand, robot plays one long backspin… Read More
Every Shot Sets Up the Next Shot By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame,
January 12, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog) Unless it’s a put-away shot,… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: North Texas Table Tennis
January 11, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) North Texas Table Tennis is a premier table tennis club operating three locations in Plano,… Read More
Amy Wang Chooses Butterfly
January 11, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Butterfly America would like to announce the signing of elite American table tennis star, Amy… Read More
A Final Day of Surprises in Doha
January 11, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) The first WTT Champions series event of the year ended in a flurry Sunday in… Read More
Final Four in Doha
January 10, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) The first WTT Champions series event of 2026 is down to its final day in… Read More
Get the latest from Butterfly
Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.