Tom Lodziak 
Returning serves is the hardest part of table tennis for many players. For beginners it can feel like an impossible challenge. Even advanced players can lose a lot of points from missed returns of serve. But you only need four shots to return any serve. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at all the different types of service spin you will face and how you can return them… Keep reading
IMPACT have recently released a range of blades, which claim to have a premium feel but at prices significantly less than the top of the range blades. In this article, I give my thoughts on these blades – how they play, how they feel, and whether they are a realistic alternative to blades four or five times their price. Keep reading
It’s very tempting to use an excuse when you lose a table tennis match. “The table was too slow.” “I wasn’t warmed up properly.” “My opponent used funny rubbers.” Players make excuses to protect their ego. It’s more comforting to blame something or someone else. This way you can maintain a belief that you are better than the player you just lost to. But ultimately making excuses will only hinder your improvement. Let’s look at some common excuses players use… Keep reading
During a pre-match warm-up your opponent’s forehand looks solid. He keeps the rally going for a long time and he plays with confidence. But when playing backhand to backhand, he makes several mistakes. The timing of the shot is off. The swing is inconsistent. He seems tense. The backhand appears to be an obvious weakness. What should we do with this observation? Keep reading
I had my latest humbling experience yesterday during a county veterans match. I was outclassed and defeated by a pusher. Yes, that’s right. I lost 3-0 to a player who stands close to the table and likes to push, push, push. He is also able to play decent topspin lobs away from the table. But it wasn’t the lobs which I found difficult. It was the pushes. Keep reading
I have spent the past year competing in numerous veterans tournaments. It’s been a tough experience, but with a couple of modest successes. In this post I give an honest assessment of my progress. Have all of these tournaments been worthwhile? Have I improved? Should I keep trying? Or is it time to retire from tournament play? Keep reading
It’s time for my end-of-year table tennis quiz! How good is your table tennis knowledge? I have 20 questions about table tennis during 2022. Each question has four possible answers for you to choose from. At the end of the quiz you can see how your score compares to others on the quiz leaderboard. Good luck! Keep reading
Some coaches are very strict about the way you hold a table tennis bat. You MUST grip the handle like THIS. If you do not, then DISASTER will happen! I’m a lot more relaxed. Why? Probably, because I don’t have an optimal grip myself. However, there is one important thing you should do, regardless of how you hold your bat … Keep reading
Giving useful advice to a team-mate during a match is a difficult skill to master. I don’t profess to be an expert in this area, but I have been doing it long enough to have a decent idea about what definitely doesn’t work and what type of advice is more likely to lead to an improved outcome for the player. Keep reading
Is it true that you should only serve long occasionally? Most players and coaches would say that you should serve short, or half long, most of the time and only use a long serve now and then. But there are times when using lots of fast, long serves is absolutely fine, and strategically the best thing to do. Here’s some scenarios… Keep reading