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Finding Simple Tactics That Work

March 27, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Finding Simple Tactics That Work I was going to write about this topic when I realized I didn’t have to – I already had. Chapter One of my book, “Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers,” starts with this: “Tactics isn’t about finding complex strategies to defeat an opponent. Tactics is about sifting through […]

Your Goal Should Normally Be to Win Playing the Style You Are Developing

March 19, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Your Goal Should Be to Win Playing the Style You Are Developing What does this mean? It doesn’t mean you should blow big matches because you stubbornly refuse to play a smart tactic that’s not how you normally play. What it means is that if you are trying to improve your game, […]

Tip of the week: “Hot Anger” versus “Cold Anger”

March 12, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Tip of the week: “Hot Anger” versus “Cold Anger” It’s best not to get angry when you play, period. And if you want to be a professional table tennis player, you better learn to control your emotions. (Even John McEnroe had his best tennis matches when he wasn’t throwing fits.) However, if […]

Tip of the week: Sound and Feet

February 26, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Tip of the week: Sound and Feet The Chinese know something about table tennis, and there’s a stereotype about Chinese coaches that we can learn from. The stereotype is that in a group training session, they often walk around with their heads down as they do two things – listen to the […]

Focus on Performance and Fun to Maximize Your Chances of Winning

February 13, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Focus on Performance – Fun; Maximizing Your Winning Chances Do you think you have a better chance of winning if you focus on winning, thereby putting pressure on yourself for results, or by focusing on playing well, which maximizes your chances of actually winning? The question answers itself. You’ll always play better and […]

Speed and Power are Easy with Good Technique, but Good Technique is Difficult

February 5, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Speed-Power: Easy with Good Technique,Good Technique is Difficult The above should be on a banner at every playing hall in the world. Players almost always try to drill at speeds or with power they can’t control, thinking that by drilling that way, they’ll learn to play at that pace. Superficially, it makes […]

Tip of the week: Playing the Crafty Veteran

January 29, 2018

(By Larry Hodges) Tip of the week: Playing the Crafty Veteran Suppose you have your opponent outgunned – you simply are the better player, shot for shot. And yet, somehow he’s rated about the same as you. How is this possible and how do you beat him? Most likely he’s a lot more experienced than […]

Doubles Signals and Why You Should Use Them

January 22, 2018

(by Larry Hodges) Doubles Signals and Why You Should Use Them When you serve in singles, you know what serve you are about to do, and so can be ready for the possible returns off that serve. Imagine playing where you had no idea what serve you did, and so couldn’t prepare for the follow-up. […]

Tip of the week: Best Way to Learn – Watch, Mimic, Practice

January 16, 2018

(by Larry Hodges) Tip of the week: Best Way to Learn – Watch, Mimic, Practice Often the best way to learn table tennis is to watch a top player and mimic what you see. Pick out someone whose game or strokes you like (or ask a coach to suggest someone to watch), and just watch […]

Systematically Practice Against What You Have Trouble With

January 12, 2018

(by Larry Hodges) Systematically Practice Against What You Have Trouble With Often a player has trouble with something very specific, and yet only practices against it in actual games, where he only sees it now and then. This allows little chance of any type of systematic practice to develop the proper technique. The same player […]