Tom Lodziak 
The inaugural Singapore Smash took place last week. This is table tennis’s equivalent of a tennis Grand Slam. A high profile tournament with big prize money, lots of ranking points and all the best players in attendance. It’s the latest attempt to give professional table tennis a make-over to make it more appealing to fans and spectators. Was it any good? Or did it fail to live up to the hype? Keep reading
There is a feeling among some in the table tennis community that switching to a pimples rubber is somehow cheating. I don’t believe this is the case at all. Playing effectively with a pimples rubber takes a lot of skill, adds variety to the sport and gives opponents a different type of challenge to overcome. In this article I explore when you should join the ‘dark side’ and use short or long pimples. Keep reading
I have recently upgraded my table tennis robot. For many years I used the Newgy Robo-Pong 2050 – a very decent mid-range robot which served me well. But my head has been turned by a new model – one with extra features and a more modern user interface – the Power Pong Omega robot. Here’s my honest review… Keep reading
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