Steve Hopkins’ PongNow Interview Series started on May 2nd. There are now six posted interviews in the series and more coming soon. As the intro notes, the purpose of the interview series is to discuss table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. So far, those interviewed include Sean O’Neill, […]
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BUTTERFLY FAVORITES: Timo Boll v. Ma Long 2017 World Cup
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) This is a Butterfly Favorite. To set the stage, World No. 1 Ma Long entered the tournament as the top seed. Timo Boll was not the top European qualifier – that honor went to Dimitrij Ovtcharov. In fact, at the European Top 16 qualifying event, Shibaev had finished second and Gauzy had […]
Unveiled Smashfest: NHL’s Brad Marchand and Mitchell Marner Design Pong Tables
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) “Unveiled: Smashfest” debuts on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30p (EDT) on NBCSN. This week, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand and Toronto Maple Leaves forward Mitchell Marner work with Canadian graffiti artist Alex Bacon to design customized ping pong tables. The host of the show is former NY Rangers player Dominic Moore. Smashfest […]
Open Doors: USATT to Allow Sanctioned Tournaments in July
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) A USA Table Tennis announcement released today allows for the sanctioning of tournaments beginning July 1. This will end the March 13th order that suspended all events – a part of a broader series of suspensions and cancellations across all sports including ITTF and USOPC events. This is welcome news after so […]
Ask The Experts: Di Yu, No. 345
Posted onButterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer Question: what’s the difference between Timo Boll ALC and Timo Boll ZLC blades? Answer: Your Ask the Experts question was answered by Di Yu. He is a Senior/Elite Coach in Morrisville, NC. Hi Bikash, Timo Boll ALC: It will be better for defensive players because you can feel the ball stay […]
Butterfly Training Tips – Backhand Looping with Coach Ojo (Video)
Posted onOjo Onaolapo is a coach at San Antonio Table Tennis Club. One of Ojo Onaolapo’s standout moment from the early stages of his table tennis career came at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore where he achieved a quarter-finals finish in the Men’s Singles competition before missing out to the eventual champion Koki Niwa. Ojo Onaolapo also […]
Butterfly Buzz: A Tour of the PingPod Facility
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) During a recent interview with Ernesto Jon Ebuen, we were provided a walk-through of the new PingPod facility in New York City. We thought this might make a nice feature on its own, so we have provided a longer version of the tour here. The new facility features custom tables, two walls […]
Coaching Tip Of The Week: Do You Have a Quadruple Threat Receive?
Posted on(By Larry Hodges) Many players get used to receiving any given serve the same way, because it’s safer that way. This is especially true against short serves, where many players predictably push everything back long. Others reach in and predictably flip over and over. But this makes things easier for the server, since he knows […]
It’s Time to Restock: We’ll See You at the Tables in June
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) Some of the country has opened and most of the rest is on schedule to open in the next few weeks. Table tennis clubs will need time to comply with local rules and regulations, but very soon we are all going to have opportunities to return to the game that we love. […]
WAB FEATURED CLUB: World Champions Table Tennis Academy
Posted on(by Steve Hopkins) The World Champions Table Tennis Academy (WCTTA ) was the USA’s first full-time, professional table tennis Academy. Located in Santa Clara, California – in the heart of the Silicon Valley – the WCTTA offers private lessons, group training sessions, training camps, league competitions, and other special events. Created to serve the community, WCTTA […]
ITTF Americas Update: American Women Win, Men Finish Third in Teams Event
October 20, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) The ITTF-Americas Championships are underway in Lima, Peru, and if the first three… Read More
Kou Lei – Middle Corners
October 20, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Kou Lei is working with Butterfly Sponsored Player Kef Noorani,… Read More
The Mental State of a Looper Against a Push
October 19, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame) If you are a looper - and… Read More
Xiangjing Zhang – Opening Play Variations
October 19, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Sean Zhang is executing three types of Opening Play Variations.… Read More
WAB CLUB FEATURE: California Table Tennis
October 18, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Nestled in Rosemead, California, at the heart of the San Gabriel Valley near Los Angeles,… Read More
Felix Lebrun Captures a Pair of Titles in Ljubljana
October 18, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) In 2024, Alexis Lebrun won the last European Championship - this year it was younger… Read More
Kou Lei – Random Play
October 18, 2026
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Kou Lei is blocking the ball randomly to Kef Noorani… Read More
Surprises at European Championships: Felix, Kallberg, Qiu, and…. Leo?
October 17, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) France is becoming a power in table tennis with the Lebrun brothers leading the way… Read More
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