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
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
What table tennis rubbers are most popular with amateur table tennis players? To answer this question, I conducted a survey, asking players what rubbers they currently use for their forehand and backhand. I sent the survey to subscribers of my mailing list and YouTube channel, various table tennis Facebook groups and users of the Table … Keep reading
I am delighted to announce that my new online academy – Tom’s TT Academy – is now live! In Tom’s TT Academy you will get access to exclusive coaching content, including the following… Training drill library – There is a mixture of drills focusing on different aspects of table tennis. Each drill includes and video … Keep reading
I have set myself a new challenge. It’s a tough one. Maybe it’s beyond my ability level. But I am motivated to give it a shot. My new challenge is to break into the top 10 of the English veterans ranking list. Some would say I am deluded. They may be right. But, it’s a great goal to aim for in the next chapter of my table tennis life. Keep reading
I’m 35,000ft in the air. It’s a clear day, so I get some great views of the Norwegian landscape from my window seat on the plane. As we get closer to our destination, a slight panic starts to form. What the heck am I doing? This tournament sounded great fun when I signed up a year ago. Now I’m really not so sure. Maybe it would have been better to stay at home. Stick to local league matches. Stay in my comfort zone.
I’m about to take part in the 2023 European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord, Norway. Nearly 2000 players from across Europe will take part. There is a big German contingent. And Swedish. And French. These nations are super good at table tennis. Then there’s me. Tom Lodziak. A player with uncoordinated footwork, awkward technique and a mind full of self-doubt. I’ll be competing at a level higher than I have experienced before. What am I letting myself in for? Keep reading
Another league season is finished. It feels like I have played a lot of matches over the past few months. Not only league matches, but also county matches and tournaments. I don’t mind admitting that I’m going to enjoy a brief break from competitive play! But how did I do in my latest league season? Am I making any progress or going backwards? Here’s a review of the past few months… 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
In the past few weeks I’ve been feeling pretty good about my game. So how would I get on in my latest VETTS Masters tournament? The standard at these tournaments is very high. Many of the best 40+ players in the country attend. The first time I attended one of these, in February this year, I was comprehensively trounced. This time I was determined to do better. Keep reading