Sponsored by Mecano Sports, presented by Caliente.mx, sanctioned by ICTTF (by Larry Hodges, photo by Larry Hodges: “Jungang Huang of China right after his win over Andrew Baggaley in the Sandpaper Open Quarterfinals) Play began at 8:15AM on Thursday, Jan. 4. There were 75 players competing in 15 groups of five, with two tables for […]
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ICTTF and the Internationalization of Ping Pong
Sponsored by Mecano Sports, presented by Caliente.mx, sanctioned by ICTTF (by Larry Hodges, photo: “The historic first meeting of the ICTTF”) The first Ping Pong World Cup starts tomorrow (Jan. 4-6, 2024), in Mexico City, with events for all three major classic surfaces – hardbat, sandpaper, and plain wood. Events include Open Singles for all three, and Women, Over 55, and Under 18 for […]
Micky “Miky” Huidobro – Rocking with Pong
Sponsored by Mecano Sports, presented by Caliente.mx, sanctioned by ICTTF (by Larry Hodges, PHOTO ABOVE Miky Huidobro on right – with beard – discussing TT issues with Director Steve Claflin in front of the Big Board, as Mike Babuin puts up results on left. Photos by Larry Hodges.) How did Micky “Miky” Huidobro – a […]
Mike Babuin and the US Classic Association
Sponsored by Mecano Sports, presented by Caliente.mx, sanctioned by ICTTF (by Larry Hodges) Mike loves playing sandpaper table tennis. In fact, he’s off to the Philippines in two weeks to play in a “Liha” sandpaper tournament, just for fun. But it’s as an administrator that he would have a world-class rating. He was on the […]
$36,000 Mecano Sports Ping Pong World Cup – PREVIEW
(by Larry Hodges) Hardbat and Sandpaper and Wood, Oh My! That’s what’s coming up in Mexico City, Jan. 4-6, 2024 – the $36,000 Ping Pong World Cup. That’s no typo – $36,000 in American dollars, over 600,000 pesos. (That’s a lot of money for the game of ping pong!) Here is the entry form, with […]
Are You Too Backhand Oriented?
(by Larry Hodges) A common problem for players at all levels is being too backhand oriented. Backhand orientation (BO for short) means that you favor your backhand too much over your forehand, and try to cover too much of the table with the backhand. Some players are better on the backhand, and so should cover […]
Why Aren’t You Pushing Heavy?
(by Larry Hodges) It never ceases to amaze me at how many players push serves back safely, essentially patting it back, perhaps with good backspin, and then mentally pat themselves on the back for making this excellent return. And this works . . . at lower levels. But why put good backspin on the ball when […]
Fake-outs
(by Larry Hodges) I’ve always thought this is one of the most underused techniques in table tennis. Most players simply do whatever it seems they are going to do. And opponents see what they are doing and have little trouble reacting to it. How boringly simple that is! Instead, why not fake one thing, then […]
Forcing or Adjusting Your Game
(by Larry Hodges) I once read an article that compared the tactical approach of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, two of the greatest tennis players of all time. Federer tended to adjust his game against different opponents, while Sampras tended to forced opponents to adjust to his. Both approaches work, in both tennis and table […]
Are You Maximizing Your Angles?
(by Larry Hodges) Most players who play the crosscourt corners do exactly that – they play the crosscourt corners. And that’s where many or most of your attacks should go, as they give the most table when hitting crosscourt. However, when looping (where the topspin pulls the ball down so you need less table), against […]
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(by Steve Hopkins) Despite some surprises at the United States Smash, the World Rankings saw very little changes… Read More
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Top Americans Among Those Competing at FISU World University Games
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(by Steve Hopkins, photo FISU) Germany is the host of the 2025 FISU World University Games this Summer… Read More
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