Coaching Tip of the Week: How to Vary Your Receive Against Short Backspin Serves

Posted on August 3, 2020

(By Larry Hodges) Most players return short backhand serves with a simple push, without much thought to it. This makes the player predictable and vulnerable to third-ball attacks. The key is to vary the return. Let’s take a look at just how many effective returns you can actually do against a short backspin serve – […]

Read More

USATT Launches Challenge Series

Posted on August 3, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) USA Table Tennis conducted its first Challenge Series event last Thursday (July 30).  The series has been dubbed “America’s First Virtual Table Tennis Challenge”, though the virtual aspects of the matches refer to the fan’s experience from home.  The challenges will feature Thursday matches between US National Team members.  The first match […]

Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Massachusetts Table Tennis and Badminton Club

Posted on August 2, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) Massachusetts Table Tennis and Badminton Club (MATTBC) is located in Waltham, about 12 miles to the West of downtown Boston.  The club is just off of I-95 and with easy access via public transportation is centrally located for the greater Boston area. The club is one of the biggest professional table tennis-badminton club […]

Read More

PongNow: Scott Preiss

Posted on July 31, 2020

(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, the Ping Pong Man, Scott Preiss.   Scott Preiss is a table tennis player, coach, promoter, and entertainer.  His Ping Pong Man events have provided exhibitions to thousands. and […]

Read More

BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Hitoshi Ueda Forehand Touch Serve Returns

Posted on July 31, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) This is a recent video posted by Japanese player Hitoshi Ueda.  It shows  two techniques for forehand short serve returns.  *I am sure there is a lot of great commentary that I am missing (with my language barrier), but the instruction is pretty straight forward (visually) in the video.  Arrows and repetition […]

Read More

Dusseldorf Masters VIII Video Highlights: Kallberg, Duda, Meissner

Posted on July 30, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins, photo from ETTU) After the 7th men’s Masters event concluded last weekend, the sixth different winner was crowned.  That winner, Anton Kallberg, was dominant throughout.  The other key storyline of the event was the play of 20 year old Cedric Meissner (pictured above).  Meissner opened the event off with a win over […]

Read More

BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Anton Kallberg’s 10 Best Bundesliga Points

Posted on July 28, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) This is a 2019 video posted by Tischtennis Bundesliga.  It is a Top 10 list of Anton Kallberg’s best points in the German Bundesliga.  Kallberg is World No. 57 and he plays for perennial power Borussia Dusseldorf along with Timo Boll, Sharath Kamal Achanta and Krystian Karlsson. Kallberg has great technique and […]

Read More

Coaching Tip of the Week: When Playing an Unfamiliar Player, Focus on Serve & Receive

Posted on July 27, 2020

(By Larry Hodges) When you face a new and unknown opponent, you aren’t sure yet how the rallies are going to go. But you can control how the rallies start. Learn to use serve & receive force rallies to go the way you want them to go, and so make your opponent adjust to you. It doesn’t […]

Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: South Jersey Indoor Sports Club

Posted on July 26, 2020

(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 and badminton, and also have indoor turf available for indoor cricket and baseball practices.  It is a 15,000 square foot facility […]

Read More

Dusseldorf Masters VIII: Kallberg Answers the Call

Posted on July 26, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins, *full event coverage by tischtennis.de in German/photo by Fuhrmann) After the 7th men’s Masters event concluded today, the sixth different winner was crowned.  The winner today – Anton Kallberg of Sweden. The Dusseldorf Masters series have been held in June and July.  This is the eighth event overall (y were men’s events […]

Read More