WAB FEATURED CLUB: Canadian Elite Table Tennis Centre

May 24, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) The Canadian Elite Table Tennis Training Centre (“the Centre” or “Elite”) is a table tennis club and training center in Mississauga, Ontario. Mississauga is just to the West of Toronto, about 30 kilometers from the city center. The facility is just off the Ontario 401 Express, easily accessible to the greater Toronto area. […]

PongNow: Two-Time US Open Champion Thomas Keinath

May 23, 2020

by (Steve Hopkins) The PongNow interview series discusses table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. In this edition, professional player and coach Thomas Keinath shares stories about playing for the German National Team, about pursuing the Olympics, about playing at the US Open (where he won two singles titles), […]

ITTF Releases COVID-19 Recommendations

May 22, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) On Friday, the ITTF released a document titled COVID-19 Guidelines. The Detailed Guide (PDF) and the One-page instructions (PDF) are available through the ITTF website. The recommendations are very similar to recommendations provided by other sports and other businesses. Personal hygiene is stressed. Masks should be worn, cover one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing. […]

Open Doors: San Antonio Table Tennis Club

May 22, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) The San Antonio Table Tennis Club (SATTC) opened last week in San Antonio, Texas. Beginning Monday, May 18, the State of Texas allowed gyms to reopen and SATTC followed the guidelines and opened their doors. The rules initially allowed for gyms to open at 25% occupant capacity. As the club only has […]

Butterfly R40+ Ball: A Non-Pro Review

May 21, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) I recently had opportunity to play with the Butterfly R40+ Ball. The R40+ is a new product, and was not widely released before the current health crisis shut down the sport in most locations. I generally start my reviews by noting that I’m not a pro. I am a 2000-level club player and a […]

Kanak’s Voice

May 20, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) On Tuesday night’s finale of NBC’s musical competition series “The Voice”, there was a segment promoting the Olympics. The show hosts were paired with Olympic athletes and given a quick preview of those athlete’s sports. The hosts then tried to participate. Blake Shelton tried Olympic Curling, John Legend tried Artistic Swimming, and […]

BUTTERFLY FAVORITES – The Beauty of the Butterfly Blade

May 19, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) We pulled this video out of the archives from late 2017 (the video is titled “How Butterfly Table Tennis Blades are Made”). It was designed to demonstrate the detailed craftsmanship, consistency, and quality. But for this time of crisis in some areas of the US, this is a nice memory of the […]

Dignics 09c: A Non-Pro Review

May 18, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) I recently had opportunity to try Dignics 09C. I’ve now used the rubber for about 8 hours of playing time and I’m pleased with the result. I’ve been playing with Butterfly Tenergy and Dignics rubbers for some time. Most recently I had Dignics 80 on my forehand and Dignics 64 on my […]

Open Doors: Central Florida Table Tennis Club

May 18, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) The Central Florida Table Tennis Club (CFTTC) opened last week in Orlando. The State of Florida does have some restrictions in place, but most business there are now allowed to be open with specific occupancy limitations and with certain sanitation requirements. In compliance with these State restrictions and with health and safety […]

PongNow: Boo’s Brothers Jim McQueen, Pete May, Derek May

May 17, 2020

(by Steve Hopkins) The PongNow interview series discusses table tennis with some of the best players and personalities in the sport. In this edition, Jim McQueen, Pete May, and Derek May share stories about their time competing as the Boo’s Brothers. YouTube users can Subscribe to receive notices when future PongNow videos post. __________________________ […]