BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: The Creativity of Kenta Matsudaira

Posted on July 14, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) This is a March 2020 video with clips of Japanese player Kenta Matsudaira.  The title is “8 Ridiculous Skills No One Expected” and it focuses on some of the shots that Matsudaira plays that are out of the norm.  The first shot is the Tomohawk serve – and the Reverse Tomohawk serve.  […]

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Coaching Tip Of The Week: Fast, Quick Motions Disguise a No-Spin Serve

Posted on July 13, 2020

(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 […]

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Dusseldorf Masters VI: Duda Does Dusseldorf

Posted on July 12, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins, photo by ITTFWorld) The latest installment of the Dusseldorf Masters event was held this week in Germany.  This week’s winner, Germany’s Benedikt Duda. The Dusseldorf Masters events have been held through June and July – with the men sitting out in last week’s women’s event where Han Ying defeated Sophia Klee in […]

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WAB Club Feature: Vancouver Table Tennis Club

Posted on July 11, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) With 5500 square feet and ten tables, the Vancouver Table Tennis Club (VTTC) is one of the largest clubs in one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America.  The facility is located near Chinatown just off of Highway 1A.  VTTC is open Monday to Friday from 11am -11pm and Saturdays from […]

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PongNow: Adam Bobrow

Posted on July 10, 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 Voice of Table Tennis, Adam Bobrow. Adam was a fun player and promoter in the Southern California table tennis scene, working to expand the sport in Universities and […]

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BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Cheng I-Ching Long Serves

Posted on July 10, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) This is a recent video posted by Chinese Taipei player Cheng I-Ching.  It shows her explaining a skill that players of all levels can use – the long serve.  *I am sure there is a lot of great commentary that I am missing (with my language barrier), but the instruction is pretty […]

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Open Doors: Jonathan Qin Table Tennis Academy

Posted on July 9, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) Jonathan Qin Table Tennis Academy has reopened at their location in Agoura Hills, California.  Agoura Hills is in the Northwest of Los Angeles county, North of Malibu. The club did not let rest during their Covid-19 break.  They pulled together with fund raising drives.  Their first effort raised $1,790  to purchase PPE […]

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China Working Hard Under Lockdown

Posted on July 8, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins/Photo Courtesy of ITTF) As much of the table tennis world is beginning to emerge from their various lockdown circumstances, many are discussing how they have had to stay fit with robots, limited training partners, and other hardships.  This is not the case with the Chinese Team.  China’s National Team was abroad as […]

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ITTF Calendar: Japan Open Latest Covid Casualty

Posted on July 8, 2020

(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 […]

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Coaching Tip of the Week: Side-to-Side Training for Improvement and Health

Posted on July 6, 2020

(By Larry Hodges) Table tennis is a game of movement, and most of that movement is side-to-side. To master the sport, you must be a master at patrolling the five-foot width of the table. Which is why players who wish to improve do lots and lots of side-to-side footwork drills. (There are also in-out drills, […]

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