Tom Lodziak

Power is the least useful skill at lower levels

Power is the least useful skill at lower levels

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Some players at the beginner and intermediate levels try to emulate more advanced players (and even professionals) by always trying to hit the ball with lots of power. But playing lots of powerful shots is only effective if you can do it consistently. If you often try to hit balls really hard – but miss way more than you get on – then it’s not much use. And worse still, a focus on power will probably prevent you from developing many other areas of your game. Keep reading

Tips for serving effectively in doubles

Tips for serving effectively in doubles

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Serving in doubles is something we have all experienced, but probably not given as much thought to as our singles service game. I don’t confess to having all the answers, but in this article I give a few thoughts on effective serves to do when playing doubles, focusing on placement, spin variations and forehand vs backhand serves. Keep reading

Can’t smash, won’t smash

Can’t smash, won’t smash

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Some players just can’t smash high balls. Or I should say, some players have never learnt to smash high balls. It seems like it should be so easy. The ball is up high. There is a huge margin to hit the ball over the net. How can you possibly miss? Is this you? Can’t smash and won’t smash? Here’s what you should do… Keep reading

Review: FastPong Training System

Review: FastPong Training System

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Over the past month I have been testing a brand new product called FastPong. This is a training system to help players improve ball placement accuracy, shot speed and reactions. In this review I am going to explain in more detail exactly what the FastPong training system is, and whether it is a useful product to help you improve your table tennis skills. Keep reading

Singapore Smash … Hit or miss?

Singapore Smash … Hit or miss?

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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

Joining the dark side – when is the right time to switch to pimples?

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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

Review: Power Pong Omega Robot

Review: Power Pong Omega Robot

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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

Push or flick?

Push or flick?

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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

My first veteran’s tournament

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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