Women’s Singles at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Xin Li Dominates with the Backhand By Larry Hodges (photo by Larry Hodges) Many players struggle in making the transition from sponge to hardbat. Less so for Xin Li, who just won Women’s Singles here at the Classic Hardbat World Championships. While she’s a standard shakehand player […]
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Calderano Wins in Tunis
(by Steve Hopkins) Calderano entered the event as the second seed and he played a nearly flawless tournament – winning 3-0, 3-0, 4-0, 4-1. The tournament’s top seed, Tomokazu Harimoto fell early – losing to 18 year old French phenom Alexis Lebrun 3-0. Lebrun’s run may have been the biggest story of the tournament, as […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Alexander Flemming – Who Will Clash with “The Flash”?
By Larry Hodges Alexander “The Flash” Flemming was a top sponge player in Germany before he got into sandpaper. He once finished third at the German Nationals in Men’s Singles and won Men’s Doubles twice. But in 2012 he tried out one of those “oldfangled” sandpaper rackets . . . and now he’s the World […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Interview with Steve Claflin
Interview with Steve Claflin Founder and Director of the Classic Hardbat World Championships By Larry Hodges How did you get started in table tennis? Weren’t you a top junior player once? I am from Port Huron, Michigan. Port Huron had a weekly club and my parents made sure the entire family played every Monday. I […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Serving – the Trick Part of Table Tennis
(By Larry Hodges) Serving is considered the “trick” part of table tennis, and this is where you can be most artistic. While you don’t want to rely too much on trick serves to win, having a few tricky ones really helps – both in scoring a few “free” points and making your other serves more […]
WAB CLUB FEATURE: South Jersey Indoor Sports Club
(by Steve Hopkins) South Jersey Indoor Sports Club (“SJISC”) is a multi-sport facility in Voorhees Township in Camden Country New Jersey about 15 miles to the east of Philadelphia. The club offers table tennis as well as badminton and pickle ball. There are 15 table tennis courts (8 badminton courts, and 10 pickle ball courts) […]
Latest Rankings: Fan on Top, Harimoto Jumps to No. 4
(by Steve Hopkins) In the latest rankings, Tomokazu Harimoto jumped up to No. 4. China still holds the top three slots with Fan Zhendong in first, Ma Long in second, and Liang Jingkun in third. To make room for Harimoto, Moregard drops to No. 5 with the rest of the top 10 in order Hugo […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Develop an All-Around Game
(by Larry Hodges) Long ago, I used to coach developing players to return serves aggressively. But then I noticed something – players who did that often never learned to handle the opponent’s attack as well, while those who were more willing to push serves back long as they developed became comfortable when the opponent attacked, […]
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Han-In Table Tennis Club
(by Steve Hopkins) With their location in Palisades Park, New Jersey, Han-In table Tennis is centrally located in the largest population center in North America. They are just off of I-95, near the New Jersey Turnpike and the George Washington Bridge – and just across the Hudson River from Upper Manhattan. Han-In offers a table […]
Euro Summer Series (II): Harimoto Takes Title in Budapest
(by Steve Hopkins) The second event in the Euro Summer Series, The WTT Champions European Summer Series 2022, has come to a close in Hungary. Before this Final, Tomokazu Harimoto and Lin Gaoyuan were 2-2 in head to head match-ups. Had you looked at the scoreboard any time during the first half of the Final, […]
Latest Rankings: Chuqin to 1, Calderano to 3
September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) China’s top two paddlers swapped spots in the latest World Rankings, with Wang… Read More
A Chopper’s Delight
September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) When the Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight”, few could have imagined either the immediate or… Read More
MLTT Is Back in Charlotte!
September 15, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) See the Carolina Gold Rush Next Weekend Get ready for an action-packed three… Read More
Chopping and Playing Choppers – It’s All About the Mindset
September 15, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame I’ve coached many choppers during a match,… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: Folsom Table Tennis Club
September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins) The Folsom Table Tennis Club has two locations nestled in the greater Sacramento region of… Read More
WTT Champions Macao: A New Number One ?
September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The surprises ended on the final day, as the higher seed won each of… Read More
ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships: Recap
September 14, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) The ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships concluded last week in Antigua… Read More
WTT Champions Macao: Anders Lind Makes Semis
September 13, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Anders Lind headlined the penultimate day with a 4-3 upset win over World No.… Read More
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