Site Products
seemiller jump

Seemiller – The American: 1978 US Open Final

Seemiller: The American

(by Steve Hopkins)

One of the most storied players in American table tennis history, Dan Seemiller.  He first qualified for the US Team in 1972, was the top ranked player in the country by 1974, won five US National Championships, and logged an amazing international record that at one point included completing two consecutive World Team Championships without losing a match.  Later in his career, he became a highly decorated and successful coach, a tournament promoter and director, an author, and he also served as President of USTTA.

The signature grip and style that bears his name is still referred to by many internationally as “the American grip”.  Seemiller is the quintessential “American” player – with emotion and grit and heart.

In February, as Dan was training for the Olympic Trials, he began posting memories to his Facebook page.  Over the next few weeks, we are going to share some of those photos and quotes in this series “Seemiller – The American”:

________________________________________________________

This photo shows a forehand jump smash from the 1978 U.S. Open Men’s final in Oklahoma City.  My opponent, Norio Takashima from Japan was the world’s best defensive player and ranked No.3 in the world.
My big worry was my shoulder-more specifically my tricep muscle.  It was so sore I could not sleep the night before and could not lift my arm over my head.  Why?  So many defensive players I had to play in the teams, doubles, and singles events.  PBS and national TV were filming the final and I was so worried I would have to default. Takashima could embarrass me if I couldn’t loop.  I was down 2-1 in games but leading 19-18 in game 4.  We were both baiting each other to attack when I missed an easy push with my antispin.  I became a bit nervous and hurried the next point and ended up losing 21-19.
I was glad that I was able to play once the adrenaline kicked in but certainly disappointed.

Latest News

Product Validation – Outerforce ALC

November 3, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) Choosing the right equipment can be challenging — but confidence in what you play with… Read More

Ball Contact in Front of the Body

November 3, 2025
In and Out Footwork against random topspin with different amounts of spin: Robot plays random topspin balls to… Read More

Learn to Defend on Receive

November 3, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) Many coaches, including myself for many years, encouraged up-and-coming players to return serves aggressively, even… Read More

Jonathan Pino – Falkenburg Variation

November 3, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jonathan Pino is doing a variation of the Falkenburg drill… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: K Ping Pong Club

November 2, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) K Ping Pong Club is centrally located in the largest population center in North America. … Read More

Moregard and Yidi Win in Montpellier

November 2, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) After a week marked largely by upsets, the top remaining seeds took both… Read More

Moregard Lone Top Seed to Reach Semis in Montpellier

November 2, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The top seeds fell one by one at the WTT Champions Montpellier this week.  USA’s… Read More

Kou Lei – Combo Play BH Push to Counter Attack

November 2, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Kou Lei is working with one of his students, feeding… Read More
View All News

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.