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Table Tennis Gems

(by Larry Hodges) I think you’ll find these 20 general tips useful. Many are covered in other Tips, but now they are compiled in one listing! If your opponent hits the ball aggressively at your crossover point between your forehand and backhand (where your playing elbow is), return it mostly with your backhand if you […]

Are You Trying Too Hard?

(by Larry Hodges) Dang it! How’d I miss that?!!! I can’t play! These (or perhaps harsher words) are the words of a player who is trying too hard, i.e. pressing too much. This is also true if you feel like saying these things during a match but hold back. They are symptoms of a player […]

Tactics at the End of a Close Game

(by Larry Hodges) Rarely have I heard more (and often weird) opinions on what to do at the end of a close game. Some say, “Play safe!” Others, “Go for it!” And a zillion other types of advice. The reality is that the end of a game is only different in two ways. First, there […]

Dumb Ways to Lose

(by Larry Hodges) There’s a famous song, “Dumb Ways to Die,” that one of our top juniors use to play endlessly as a fun way to relax, often before a big match. (Years later and I still can’t get it out of my head.) Maybe someone should do a song, “Dumb Ways to Lose”? Over […]

Blocking Footwork

(by Larry Hodges) Before a drill, players often ask, “Who’s doing the drill?” The answer is, of course, both players. And that includes a player who is blocking. But it’s more than that – some would say one player is doing a footwork drill while the other is blocking, but that’s totally wrong. They are […]

Top Ten Things For the Day Before the Tournament

(by Larry Hodges) How can you best prepare for a tournament on the day before? Here are some ten tips. Practice. Younger and athletic players recover faster and so should train more the day before. Older or less athletic players should practice if possible, both to get used to the tournament conditions and to fine-tune […]

Do You Need to Be a Top Player to Be a Top Coach?

(by Larry Hodges) Does one need to be a top player to be a top coach? The question often comes up, and there’s an easy answer. No. However . . . and this is a big HOWEVER . . . it’s difficult to become a top coach without being a top player first. It’s a […]

How to Win the Choice at the Start of a Match

(by Larry Hodges) Technically, a match begins with the umpire tossing a coin to see who serves first. In reality, most matches aren’t umpired, and so they “hide the ball” under the table, and the other player chooses. Whoever wins gets the choice of either serving first, receiving first, or choice of side. (Once you […]

When to Serve Long

(by Larry Hodges) At the lower levels, most players serve long both because they haven’t learned to serve short effectively yet, and because opponents aren’t yet skilled enough to attack them consistently and effectively. As you reach higher levels, long serves become less effective if used too often. But if used at the right time, […]

Study the Player, Not the Ball

(by Larry Hodges) I’ve always wanted to implant a camera in the eyes of up-and-coming players to record what they see when they watch top players play. They should see all sorts of great technique and tactics, right? But I’m afraid what I’d actually see is this. Yes, all they’re really watching is the ball […]

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