Over the past few weeks I have been trying out three different JOOLA table tennis balls – JOOLA Flash, JOOLA Prime and JOOLA Magic. In this blog post I compare all three balls, examining hardness, bounce, speed, spin, durability and cost. I’ll let you know which ball is my favourite and where you can buy. Keep reading
There is one skill which I work on with every player I coach. It doesn’t matter what standard or whether the player is an attacker or defender. I give every player the same advice. Focus on ball placement. This is the simplest and quickest way for every player to instantly improve. You don’t need to learn any new shots. You just need to improve where you put the ball. Keep reading
One aspect of table tennis gets people more animated than any other. Serves. Or more precisely, illegal serves. I play local league table tennis and illegal serves are very common. I’ve seen full-grown men (it’s always men!) argue, swear, throw chairs and threaten physical violence because of the questionable legality of a player’s serve. So in this blog post, I will state very clearly what the service rules are and encourage you to play by these rules. Keep reading
I have recently been trying out the Bribar Pro Offensive Light table tennis bat. This is a fast (and light!) bat aimed at players who are progressing from intermediate to advanced levels of play. I have been testing the bat in my coaching sessions – trying out loops, blocks, chops, smashes and serves. In this review, I share my experience of playing with the Bribar Pro Offensive Light table tennis bat, compare it with other bats and suggest who the bat is most suitable for. Keep reading
Last week I visited German Bundesliga club, ASV Grünwettersbach. A professional table tennis club. Whoah! In this blog, I’m going to share some insights from my visit – the facilities, training methods, coaching style and equipment. What lessons did I learn? And did I manage to win any matches? Let’s find out… Keep reading
We won the league! Having finished second for the past two seasons, this year we finished top of Division 1 in the Cambridge league. Hooray! I am chuffed. This is my first ever Division 1 title in local league. I finished with a 63% win percentage, which is my highest total in Division 1 so far. In this blog post, I look at what went well during the season and what areas of my game let me down and need improving. Keep reading
I’ve completed my first year of being a full time table tennis coach. Whoosh! The past 12 months have flown by. But what has it been like? Am I bored of table tennis yet? Did I earn enough money to pay the bills? Has my body survived the hours and hours of coaching? And what are my plans for the future? In this blog post I give an honest review of life as a table tennis coach. Keep reading
This league season I have been playing with the JOOLA Fever blade. This is an offensive carbon blade and one of JOOLA’s best sellers over the past few years. It has a 5+2 ply build with the 2 ply build formed by lightweight carbon meliorate. But is it any good? How does it perform when topspinning, hitting, pushing, blocking and serving? And what type to player should consider using this blade? Here’s my review… Keep reading
Some players attack. Some players defend. Others like to mix up defence and attack. Some use lots of spin. Others prefer flat hits. Some players like to stay close to the table. Others will go three metres back. Most players use inverted rubbers, but others use pimples or anti-spin. So many options. So many playing styles. But which is best? Which playing style will give you the most success? Let’s explore these questions… Keep reading
As we age, we do decline physically. We are not as fast, strong and nimble as we once were. But the great thing about table tennis (at the amateur level at least), is that power and athleticism are not essential to win matches. If you’re a senior player (60 years+), what is the best way to compete with, and beat, younger players? In this blog post, I give nine areas you can focus on to help you get the better of your younger, fitter and stronger opponents. Keep reading