Site Products
Larry Hodges

Coaching Tip of The Week: Think Tactics, Then Let Go

Posted on

(By Larry Hodges)

Between points, think about what you want to do, especially at the start of the rally – what serve to use, what type of receives. Think about what shots you want to do during a rally against any given shot as well – looping, hitting, quick blocks, etc. Keep it simple. Your subconscious mind will get the message about what to do, and it will learn to reflexively go for the shots you are thinking about. However, before the rally starts, blank out your mind, and let the shots just happen – “Let go.” If you try to control your shots during a rally, you will not play well. The conscious mind isn’t nearly as fast or coordinated as the subconscious mind.

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.

Latest News

Austin Table Tennis Club Elevates 2026 Competitive Season with Butterfly Partnership

February 17, 2026
(By Austin Table Tennis Club) AUSTIN, TX – The Austin Table Tennis Club (ATTC) is proud to announce a… Read More

Center of Gravity in Your Stomach

February 16, 2026
Robot serves short backspin to Forehand/middle, Logan Backhand swipe to Forehand, robot plays topspin to long Forehand and… Read More

Positioning Part 3 of 4: In the Rally

February 16, 2026
(By Larry Hodges, Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog)   Many players do not really… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Princeton Pong

February 15, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins) Princeton Pong's 10,000 square foot table tennis facility is in Princeton Junction, New Jersey.  They… Read More

Jancarik – Winning in Chennai at Age 39

February 15, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) WTT's Star Contender series events are a bridge between lower level Contender level… Read More

Dusseldorf and Saarbrucken Battle in TTBL

February 15, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo TTBL) When the two teams met in December, Saarbrucken beat Borussia Dusseldorf 3-2 on… Read More

Fan Loses Twice As Saarbrucken Advances

February 14, 2026
(by Steve Hopkins, photo ETTU) If you were drafting an all-star squad from the best players in the… Read More

How to Loop Stronger!

February 11, 2026
Robot serves short backspin to Forehand/middle, Logan Backhand swipe to Backhand, robot plays topspin to long Backhand, Logan… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

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.