News & views

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

At the beginning of June, I had the pleasure of playing with England no. 1 Liam Pitchford. Why the heck was Liam playing with an average local league player like me? Had he seen footage of me on the internet and decided I was an exceptionally good training partner?
Erm, no. Did he need a new coach and after weeks of research and deliberation select me as his number one choice? Nope, don’t think so. Was he harassed and cajoled into making some videos with me for my YouTube channel? Yes, that’s a bit nearer the truth! Keep reading

After my disappointing debut veterans tournament in February, I’ve been working a little harder than usual at improving my game. I’ve been pushing and blocking less and trying to attack more. I’ve made some good progress, but was I ready for my next official veterans tournament? It was time to put my skills to the test again. Keep reading

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

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