In this blog post, I share some advice about buying an outdoor table tennis table, including information on brands, cost and some practical advice for how much space you need in your garden and how to look after your table. I also give a few recommendations on which outdoor table tennis table to buy. Keep reading
It has been a rocky few months for Chinese table tennis. I’ve been following the professional game for the past twenty years and I don’t recall a time when Chinese players have been beaten so regularly. By China’s phenomenally high standard – near complete domination for 25 years – these recent losses are a little concerning. So what’s going on? Keep reading
Some players seem to have absurdly quick reactions. You probably know the sort of player. He is always in position. He seems to know what shot you are going to play before you do. But we shouldn’t accept that this is a fixed skill. All players can improve their reaction speed. Here are three tips which will help… Keep reading
Every now and then, I get the itch to try new equipment. It’s the same for many of us. We get settled on our rubbers and blade, and then a thought starts to flicker inside our brain – what if there is something better? This summer, I got the itch big time. It started with a speculative email from a custom blade maker. Keep reading
Buying a decent table tennis bat for your child can make a big difference to how he/she plays and improves. A lot of kids start out playing at school or at home with very cheap bats. These bats are fine if playing for a little bit of fun, but are not so good for developing good technique. In this blog post, I give some advice about which table tennis bats are best for junior players (beginners, intermediates and advanced).
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I don’t mind admitting that I am completely fascinated with Truls Moregardh. He has had a sensational Olympics in Paris, reaching the singles final and helping Sweden to the team final. Is there anything we mere mortals can do to play more like Truls, other than buy a STIGA Cybershape blade? Keep reading
If you want to develop into a decent table tennis player, you need to have good foundations. You need consistent strokes. You need to understand topspin. You need to understand backspin. You have to be confident when serving. You need to have confidence returning serves. You need a range of shots which can help you … Keep reading
In previous articles I have explained why it’s not necessary for local league players to have ‘perfect’ technique. To build on this discussion, I want to talk about a concept I use in my coaching sessions called ‘useable technique’. The idea is to develop technique – which might not be world class – but is highly consistent and useable in match situations. Keep reading
Sometimes you hear people call an attacking shot a ‘topspin’. Other times you hear people call an attacking shot a ‘loop’. Are they different? If so, how? Essentially we are talking about this same thing. Almost all attacking shots will have an element of topspin. Some will have lots of topspin, others will have just … Keep reading
Here’s a simple tactic you can use when returning serves in doubles matches. Try to aim your receive very wide on the side the server has just served from… The width is important. You want the ball to come off the side of the table. This makes it very difficult for player B to get … Keep reading