(By Larry Hodges) Next time you are at the table tennis club or at a tournament, watch some matches from the side, so you are looking directly along the net. Watch how low the serves cross the net. Do this at multiple tables for players of various levels. You may be surprised at what you see! […]
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Classic Hardbat World Championships: Open Singles
Open Singles at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Can the Butler Do It Against The Flash? By Larry Hodges (photo by Larry Hodges) Before we get to the final and biggest event of the tournament, a great thanks goes to the many people who helped run it. Many, including sponsors, are thanked in the Interview with […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Over 60
Over 60 at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Randy Hou and Other Pips-Out Penholders Dominate By Larry Hodges At the US Nationals a month ago, Randy Hou won two golds (Over 70 Singles, Over 60 Doubles), a silver (Over 50 Doubles) and two bronzes (Over 50 Singles, Sandpaper Singles). Other than the sandpaper singles, it […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Women’s Singles
Women’s Singles at the Classic Hardbat World Championships: Xin Li Dominates with the Backhand By Larry Hodges (photo by Larry Hodges) Many players struggle in making the transition from sponge to hardbat. Less so for Xin Li, who just won Women’s Singles here at the Classic Hardbat World Championships. While she’s a standard shakehand player […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Alexander Flemming – Who Will Clash with “The Flash”?
By Larry Hodges Alexander “The Flash” Flemming was a top sponge player in Germany before he got into sandpaper. He once finished third at the German Nationals in Men’s Singles and won Men’s Doubles twice. But in 2012 he tried out one of those “oldfangled” sandpaper rackets . . . and now he’s the World […]
Classic Hardbat World Championships: Interview with Steve Claflin
Interview with Steve Claflin Founder and Director of the Classic Hardbat World Championships By Larry Hodges How did you get started in table tennis? Weren’t you a top junior player once? I am from Port Huron, Michigan. Port Huron had a weekly club and my parents made sure the entire family played every Monday. I […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Serving – the Trick Part of Table Tennis
(By Larry Hodges) Serving is considered the “trick” part of table tennis, and this is where you can be most artistic. While you don’t want to rely too much on trick serves to win, having a few tricky ones really helps – both in scoring a few “free” points and making your other serves more […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Develop an All-Around Game
(by Larry Hodges) Long ago, I used to coach developing players to return serves aggressively. But then I noticed something – players who did that often never learned to handle the opponent’s attack as well, while those who were more willing to push serves back long as they developed became comfortable when the opponent attacked, […]
Coaching Tip of the Week: Contact Point on Racket When Serving
(by Larry Hodges) When serving, many players contact the ball on their racket in the same location each time. Many aren’t actually aware of what part of the racket the contact is on. They are dramatically limiting their serves by not understanding how varying the location of contact can vary the spin. Here are some […]
Coaching Tips of the Week: What Is the Playing Style You Are Trying to Develop?
(By Larry Hodges) If you don’t know where you are going, it’s tough to get there. This is true of any journey, whether it’s Lewis and Clark exploring the American West or Ma Long on his way to becoming the best player in the world and possibly in history. So, what is your playing style […]
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