On 5-6 February, I took part in my first veteran’s tournament – the VETTS Southern Masters in Crawley. This was an event for players aged 40 and over. I entered the 40+ singles, the 40+ male doubles and the 40+ mixed doubles. How did I get on? Did I take the tournament by storm or did I get a good thrashing? Keep reading
If your opponent does a short backspin serve, how do you return it? Do you push the ball or try to flick it? From my experience of local league table tennis, especially in the lower divisions, most players return a short backspin serve with a push. But is this the best option? Could you gain a bigger advantage by attempting a backhand or forehand flick? Keep reading
I have decided to enter my first veteran’s tournament – the Southern Masters in Crawley on 5-6 February. This is a tournament for players aged 40+. Do I have any chance of success? Not really. There are some very good players who have entered, much better than me, so to make it past the group stages will be a big achievement. But I am hugely excited. Keep reading
On 1st October 2021 a new rule about rubber colours came into effect. One rubber has to be black, but the other rubber can be red, pink, purple, blue or green. Keen to be an early adopter, for the past two weeks I have been playing with a purple JOOLA Dynaryz ACC rubber. Read on to find out what reaction I had from other players… Keep reading
Dave Harvey has won 7 national veteran titles, in different age categories – 40s, 50s and 60s. As I have now reached the veteran age (yes, I know, I don’t look old enough), I thought I’d ask Dave a few questions about how I might try and replicate some of his achievements. Keep reading
Speed is important. Playing fast is going to help you win more points. But sometimes we may obsess about the speed of our shots too much and forget about the benefits of slowing down. In this article, I look at some examples when slow play can be useful. Keep reading
This month I have been testing the new JOOLA Dynaryz ZGR rubber. This is an interesting rubber, as it is being marketed as hybrid style rubber – a tacky topsheet, but with a springy sponge. I have been using the rubber in practice sessions and when I’m coaching. Here’s how I got on… Keep reading
I have been experimenting with my serves for the past few months. During the summer I only used my pendulum serve in matches. Then I switched to using multiple service actions when playing matches. Which approach is best? One service action or multiple service actions? Here’s my latest thinking… Keep reading
Some players I coach like to drift back from the table. They may start closer but after one or two shots, they will start moving further and further away from the table. Whilst this approach does give you more time to play your shots, it also has significant drawbacks. In this article I challenge you to hold your ground and dominate playing closer to the table Keep reading
Over the past few weeks I have been trying to win some competitive league matches with my weaker left hand. In my first league match, I won 2 and lost 1. Not a bad start. Was this just a fluke? Or could I win more matches in my second league match? Here’s my match report… Keep reading