1

Hardbat Open at the Classic Nationals

August 12, 2023

(by Larry Hodges) Twenty-five players took the plunge and played in the Hardbat Open event. With top-seeded Jimmy Butler seeded out, there were four groups of six, with the top two advancing. In the round robins, matches were best of five to 11. In the single elimination stage, it switched to best of three to […]

Sara Gulabani: the Batgirl and Batwoman of Hardbat

August 12, 2023

(by Larry Hodges) In an earlier article, I called AJ Carney and student Bryce Milford the Batman and Robin of table tennis. But AJ has another student, and she’s doubled-up on both – she’s Batgirl AND Batwoman! Sara Gulabani, 17, easily won Hardbat Women here at the Classic Nationals at the host Austin Table Tennis […]

WTT Contender Rio: 16-year-old Matsushima Reaches Final 4

August 12, 2023

(by Steve Hopkins) Seven players in the World Top 25 signed in to play in the WTT Contender series event in Rio de Janeiro. That included Brazilian Hugo Calderano as the top seed and favorite, as well as Jang Woojin of Korea, Germany’s top three players (Ovtcharov, Franziska, and Qiu), Sweden’s Mattias Falck (who is […]

Jian Zhuang – From Penhold to Shakehand to Champion

August 12, 2023

(by Larry Hodges, Photo Credit: Steve Claflin) Jian Zhuang, 65, started playing table tennis in Shanghai, China. He played in school and through college, but said he never really trained seriously at that time. In 1988 he came to the US as a graduate exchange student in electrical engineering. He spent about 25 years as […]

Bryce Milford – Going After Batman

August 12, 2023

(by Larry Hodges) With a name like Bryce – you know, that superfast sponge from Butterfly – you’d think he’d be an all-out looper, like the overwhelming majority of top players. But no – he never loops, he just hits. And he’s the US Nationals and World Junior Champion. With hardbat that is. Yes, Bryce […]

Hardbat Clinic at the Classic Nationals

August 12, 2023

(by Larry Hodges, Photo Credit: Steve Claflin) On Friday night, Aug. 11, I ran a free hardbat clinic for players here at the Classic Table Tennis Nationals at the Austin TTC, Aug. 11-12. Twelve players participated. Cesar Serna assisted as my practice partner – he’s seeded #6 here in Open Hardbat with a 2201 hardbat […]

Butterfly Training Tips with Jinxin Wang – Forehand Loop Full Table Footwork

August 12, 2023

(by: Stephanie Sun) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jinxin Wang is focusing on covering the entire court with the Forehand Loop using Footwork. 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

Butterfly Training Tips with Rogelio Castro – Middle Corner with Forehand & Backhand Loops

August 11, 2023

(by: Stephanie Sun) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rogelio Castro is focusing on a Forehand Loop from the middle, then either forehand loop at the forehand corner, or backhand loop at the backhand corner. Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, […]

Bowmar Sports Highlights Jinxin Wang US Nationals Doubles Highlights

August 10, 2023

(by: Stephanie Sun) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jinxin Wang is in action at the US Nationals. 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

Emily Tan Talks about Rubber Differences

August 9, 2023

(by: Emily Tan) This article will be about the difference between each rubber I played so far, and recommendations I have for individuals who want to change to a different rubber. I’ve played a lot of different butterfly rubbers and each rubber is different in speed and spin. Some butterfly rubbers I have played are […]