What can table tennis players learn from Roger Federer?
5 DAYS AGO - One of my many sporting obsessions is watching Roger Federer play tennis. This has been going on Expand
5 DAYS AGO - One of my many sporting obsessions is watching Roger Federer play tennis. This has been going on over a decade. Whenever Federer plays, I’ll be following the score, willing him to win. As I watched Federer’s masterclass at this year's Wimbledon, I started thinking about what we table tennis players can learn from the great man. Is there anything he does on the tennis court, which we can transfer to the table tennis table? Actually I think there is plenty. In this blog post, I examine a few things Federer does particularly well which we can all learn from.
The post What can table tennis players learn from Roger Federer? appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
July 18, 2017
7 DAYS AGO - A Typical Private Coaching Session
What happens in a typical private coaching session? It depends Expand
7 DAYS AGO - A Typical Private Coaching Session
What happens in a typical private coaching session? It depends on the coach and the player. Some coaches are more practice partners, others do more coaching. (This also depends on the player - those with good technique need less coaching, more training.) Some coaches do only “live” hitting, while others mix in multiball training. Some coaches do the same drills with everyone, others vary the drills and personalize them for each player.
The player’s level, playing style, and goals greatly affect a session. Beginners work mostly on basics, while high-level players are mostly honing skills they already do at a high level. Players with different playing styles do different drills, obviously. But the player’s goals also make a huge difference. When working with a kid, the sky’s the limit, and coaches often train them as if they someday might be fighting to be world champion. Others might not have the coordination necessary, Collapse
(Video) How to read service spin
13/07/2017 - Returning serves can be tough. It’s something all table tennis players can struggle with at some Expand
13/07/2017 - Returning serves can be tough. It’s something all table tennis players can struggle with at some point or another. Even professional players will have certain opponents whose serves they find difficult to deal with. In this video lesson, I look at how to read service spin. I explain the two big clues to look out for when trying to read an opponent's serve. At the end of the video I do some of my serves. See if you can read the spin. Good luck...
The post (Video) How to read service spin appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
July 11, 2017
11/07/2017 - Sick as a Dog
I was supposed to start blogging again today, but when I woke up this morning my Expand
11/07/2017 - Sick as a Dog
I was supposed to start blogging again today, but when I woke up this morning my throat was on fire, my nose was completely stuffed up, and I felt as sick as a dog - and you know that I'm pretty sick when I use a cliché like that rather than come up with something more creative. I feel horrible about this, but I feel even more horrible on the inside. I'm going to need at least another day before I can start blogging again. However, here is the Tip of the Week, Learn Control First on Receive. Collapse
June 30, 2017
30/06/2017 - Today’s blog will be up by 11AM or I have to wear a Trump mask all week at the USA Expand
30/06/2017 - Today’s blog will be up by 11AM or I have to wear a Trump mask all week at the USA Nationals. Collapse
June 28, 2017
28/06/2017 - Equipment Reviews and Why I Don’t Do Them
Recently USATT has started doing “USATT Expand
28/06/2017 - Equipment Reviews and Why I Don’t Do Them
Recently USATT has started doing “USATT Equipment Reviews,” by Matt Hetherington. Here are the first two:
USATT Equipment Review - Butterfly SK7 Korbel
USATT Equipment Review - JOOLA Maxxx 450
Here are some other good places for equipment reviews. I’m sure there are others – feel free to comment below.
Table Tennis Database
Table Tennis Daily
Expert Table Tennis
Equipment Junkie
MyTableTennis.net
OOAK Forum
Some may have noticed that in 6.5 years and about 1500 blogs, I’ve almost studiously avoided doing equipment reviews. I’ve talked about equipment in general a number of times, but very rarely discuss the specific brands. I think there are only two times where I’ve actually done anything resembling equipment reviews. On Oct. 14, 2015, I had an entire segment on Emulating the Equipment of the Top Players, where I wrote about whether we should use the equipment used by the top players, and Collapse
Guide to buying a table tennis robot
23/06/2017 - I like table tennis robots. Not everyone does, but I think they can be very useful if you use them Expand
23/06/2017 - I like table tennis robots. Not everyone does, but I think they can be very useful if you use them in the right way. In this blog post, I look at the different types of table tennis robots you can buy. I’ve split robots into three different categories: entry level robots, mid-range single-spin robots and top-of-the-range multi-spin robots. I also make recommendations on which table tennis robots I think are the best and give links to where you can buy.
The post Guide to buying a table tennis robot appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
June 20, 2017
20/06/2017 - "What I was trained to do long ago..."
During a coaching session last night I blocked a Expand
20/06/2017 - "What I was trained to do long ago..."
During a coaching session last night I blocked a ball rather wide to my student’s forehand. The student moved wide and made a very nice forehand loop that went extremely wide to my forehand, well outside the corner and moving away from me very rapidly. Several things happened very quickly, all the result of training from long ago, training which coaches now try to give to their students.
First, I did exactly what I was trained to do long ago, and after my block went to the student’s wide forehand, I reflexively moved to cover the potential wide angle return to my forehand. I’m pretty sure most club players would have at most moved marginally over, leaving the wide angle open.
Second, I did exactly what I was trained to do long ago, and stepped to the ball, instead of leaning or reaching. The ball caught me off guard with the great angle, and I’m pretty sure the great majority of club players, when they Collapse
June 16, 2017
16/06/2017 - Living a Life of Pong
Sometimes I get so busy from all my table tennis work that I barely can find Expand
16/06/2017 - Living a Life of Pong
Sometimes I get so busy from all my table tennis work that I barely can find time to do anything else. I somehow make time for my other interests – science fiction reading & writing, movies, and a few other things, but those are like smoke in a hurricane of table tennis activities. When things get so busy that there’s barely time to breathe, us table tennis people have to remind ourselves that this is the business we have chosen. After all, if we weren’t doing table tennis, what would we be doing? Not table tennis!!! (Horrors!!!)
<Start non-Table Tennis Paragraph.> In my case, I’d likely be a math professor in that other lifetime that never happened. Instead, recently, in my SF writing sideline, I’ve begun writing stories that feature Mad Molly, an 80-year-old autistic black retired math professor who regularly saves the day with math, though she usually does in humorous fashion as she has her own separate motives – Collapse
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July 20, 2017
5 DAYS AGO - Gone Until Monday, July 31
I’m on vacation and out of town starting this afternoon until Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Gone Until Monday, July 31
I’m on vacation and out of town starting this afternoon until Sunday, July 30. Normal people vacation at places like Disneyworld, beaches, or some other vacationy place. Me? Every year about this time I go to a science fiction writing workshop in Manchester, NH, for nine days of intense writing, critiquing, and classes. Fun!!! See you in eleven days.
How You Can Improve at Table Tennis
This morning I was going to write about the segment title – “How You Can Improve at Table Tennis.” But that literally would take a book. I considered shorter ways of doing it, but those would just touch the surface. Then I realized that probably my best and favorite Tip of the Week, “How to Move Up a Level,” pretty much covered it – and yet, these Tips, once published, tend to be lost and forgotten. So below I am reprinting this Tip of the Week from August 4, 2014. (My books Table Tennis Tips and More Table Tennis Tips both have Collapse
July 17, 2017
17/07/2017 - Tip of the Week
Sports Psychology.
Post Nationals Saturation Training
Now that the Nationals is Expand
17/07/2017 - Tip of the Week
Sports Psychology.
Post Nationals Saturation Training
Now that the Nationals is over, it’s time to address various technical issues with some students. You don’t want to mess around with their technique too much just before a major tournament, so there have been some cases where I averted my eyes to certain things, waiting until after the Nationals.
Now it’s time for a few of them to do a bit of Saturation Training. I’ve kept notes on players I’ve been coaching, and now we’re addressing these problems. I’ve noticed a similar bad habit among three of them, who seem to have adopted backhand ready stances as their neutral stance in matches, even though they don’t seem to do so when drilling. One player has been struggling with his forehand in fast rallies – he seems to go into a backhand stance sometimes, and tries to play forehands from that position. Many top players do this, but it takes a LOT of physical and table Collapse
July 13, 2017
13/07/2017 - My first Few Hours in Las Vegas
I think I had the worst first few hours in Las Vegas in the Expand
13/07/2017 - My first Few Hours in Las Vegas
I think I had the worst first few hours in Las Vegas in the history of table tennis in Las Vegas – and I didn’t even gamble. Most people gripe about this type of thing on Facebook or to friends; I get to blog about it! So here is how my first few hours went, starting from minutes after I landed for the USA Nationals on Sunday, July 2. Skip to the other segments if you don’t want to hear my gripes!!!
Right after landing I checked my email, and discovered a “poison pen” email from someone. I won’t go into details, let’s just say it was pretty ridiculous.
As I went out to catch the shuttle, I got to see the shuttle leave, and had to wait for the next one.
I got to the hotel at about 10AM, but the room wasn’t ready and check-in didn’t start until 11AM. So I found a comfortable spot, opened my laptop to check email and web pages . . . and it didn’t work. It was a brand new laptop, bought a week Collapse
9 reasons why table tennis is the best sport in the world
06/07/2017 - To celebrate this year’s National Table Tennis Day, I thought I’d share a bit of table tennis Expand
06/07/2017 - To celebrate this year’s National Table Tennis Day, I thought I’d share a bit of table tennis love. We table tennis players, coaches and fans all know that table tennis is the best sport in the world. But there are some unbelievers out there who need converting. So, in no particular order, here’s my 9 reasons why I think table tennis is the greatest of all sports.
The post 9 reasons why table tennis is the best sport in the world appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
Improve your serves with some solo service practice
29/06/2017 - One of the best ways to improve your table tennis serves is solo practice. You get a box of balls Expand
29/06/2017 - One of the best ways to improve your table tennis serves is solo practice. You get a box of balls and serve, serve, serve. I admit, this can be pretty boring. You need plenty of motivation to do this regularly. But if you can find the time and mental energy for some solo service practice, you can improve your serves a lot. In this blog post, I give some advice on what you should (and shouldn’t do) during solo service practice and share some training drills to help you keep focused.
The post Improve your serves with some solo service practice appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
June 27, 2017
27/06/2017 - Hours Spent in Table Tennis
How many hours have you spent on table tennis? Some say it takes Expand
27/06/2017 - Hours Spent in Table Tennis
How many hours have you spent on table tennis? Some say it takes 10,000 hours to really develop a skill. Have you done your 10,000? I got to thinking how many hours I’ve spent on this sport. It turns out an insane number – apparently enough to perfect my table tennis skills, oh, about ten times over. So . . . how many hours? Let’s find out. There’s going to be a lot of rounding and estimates, but I think the figures at the end are pretty accurate. (Feel free to skip ahead to other segments if you find this boring.)
I started in 1976, so I’m in my 42nd year. I practiced a huge number of hours my first few years. Here are estimates:
1976-1981: About four hours per day, six days/week, so 24 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, for 6 years.
1981-1992: About two hours/day, six days/week, so 12 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, for 12 years.
1992-2007: About 1.5 hour/day, six days week, so nine hours/week, 50 weeks/year, for 16 Collapse
June 23, 2017
23/06/2017 - Upcoming USATT Coaching Courses and Seminars
[I sent the following in as a USATT news item, which Expand
23/06/2017 - Upcoming USATT Coaching Courses and Seminars
[I sent the following in as a USATT news item, which should go up soon. I spent much of yesterday putting together a 19-page presentation I’ll be playing on a projector for my “How to Set Up a Successful Junior Program” seminar, which will be held in a classroom. I also have a one-page outline for my “Intermediate and Advanced Serving” seminar, which will be at the playing hall, but I can pretty much do that one in my sleep. I’ll put both documents online after the Nationals.]
USATT is taking a two-pronged approach to educating our coaches – and players too! Take your pick of an ITTF Coaching Course or a USATT University Seminar at the USA Nationals.
ITTF COACHING COURSES
These are for current and prospective coaches who wish to improve their coaching skills as well as get certified as a USATT and ITTF coach. (Note that when you are certified at ITTF Levels 1, 2, or 3, you are automatically Collapse
June 19, 2017
19/06/2017 - Tip of the Week
Importance of Routine.
Capital Area League - and How to Create Your Own Expand
19/06/2017 - Tip of the Week
Importance of Routine.
Capital Area League - and How to Create Your Own League!
They had their final meetup this past Saturday (at MDTTC) – and results and photos are up, care of Mossa Barandao and Thomas Olausson of PongMobile! There were 116 players on 24 teams this year, all in the Washington DC area (most of Maryland and Northern Virginia). It’s a great activity that brings everyone together for many hours of great fun and competition – without those pesky ratings, by the way! (Of course, you can run a league with or without ratings.) The league will continue again with a new season this Fall.
Interested in creating a league in your area? Here’s the USATT League page, where you can learn how to set up either a Team League or a Singles League (with the USATT League Rating System). If you don’t have one, you do not know what you are missing!!! Here's a video (81 sec) explaining the league software and who to contact to get Collapse
How long does it take to get really good at table tennis?
16/06/2017 - Table tennis is a very complex sport, with lots of different shots, spins and playing styles, Expand
16/06/2017 - Table tennis is a very complex sport, with lots of different shots, spins and playing styles, played at a frighteningly fast pace. There is a lot to learn and master. It does takes time to get really good at table tennis. But how long? Can you become a really good table tennis player very quickly or will it take years and years? And what’s the best way to improve quickly? Let’s explore these questions...
The post How long does it take to get really good at table tennis? appeared first on Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching. Collapse
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July 19, 2017
6 DAYS AGO - Goals
Why do you play table tennis? Everyone has a reason, and whether you’ve thought it Expand
6 DAYS AGO - Goals
Why do you play table tennis? Everyone has a reason, and whether you’ve thought it through or not, it always comes down to goals. Is your goal to have fun? Fitness? To quench your competitive spirit? Improvement? To reach a specific level or win a specific title? To make money?
Fun. This should be at least part of everyone’s reason. If it isn’t fun, why not find another sport or activity that is fun for you? The fun could be either from the play itself or from being around your table tennis friends.
Fitness. It’s a great way to get in shape, especially if you are training (i.e. doing drills, including lots of footwork drills).
Competitive Spirit. This is not to be confused with “fun.” Some people are just very competitive, and need to compete. Playing table tennis for them is like drinking coffee for someone else. They may take coaching to become better, or just to develop a specific technique that they want to use to compete, such as a Collapse
July 14, 2017
14/07/2017 - Today's Blog will be up by 10:30 AM or I'll have to cancel my meeting with the Russian Expand
14/07/2017 - Today's Blog will be up by 10:30 AM or I'll have to cancel my meeting with the Russian lawyer who has tips on how to beat the Chinese. Collapse
July 12, 2017
12/07/2017 - USA Nationals
I’m still rather sick, and almost took today off as well. My stomach feels Expand
12/07/2017 - USA Nationals
I’m still rather sick, and almost took today off as well. My stomach feels like there’s a hurricane and a tornado chucking 100mm ping-pong balls at each other. But I’ll try to go over briefly some of the highlights. I also have two hours of coaching tonight!!!
Here are the Nationals Results.
For the first time since they adopted the new ITTF coaching rule last year, I coached a match where the opposing coach signaled every serve! They followed the rules; there were no serious delays. The girl he was coaching would look back as she walked to the table each time, or would very briefly look back as she was about to serve, and he’d signal. Late in the match they got “lazy” and the coach started calling them out in Chinese (as verified by some Chinese players nearby), since neither I nor my student know Chinese (although he didn’t really know that, did he?). I considered watching the coach and deciphering his signals, or having a Collapse
Table Tennis Coaching – Tips for Parents
03/07/2017 - This is the fourth in a series of blog posts I’m calling “A Parent’s Guide to Table Tennis”. I Expand
03/07/2017 - This is the fourth in a series of blog posts I’m calling “A Parent’s Guide to Table Tennis”. I believe this is a really important topic as parents have a big, and often undervalued, role to play in the development of their children’s sporting abilities. The idea is to share some of the wisdom I’ve […]
The post Table Tennis Coaching – Tips for Parents appeared first on Expert Table Tennis. Collapse
June 29, 2017
29/06/2017 - Temporary Note to Coaches and Writers
If you have an article or video, put it up by 9AM tomorrow Expand
29/06/2017 - Temporary Note to Coaches and Writers
If you have an article or video, put it up by 9AM tomorrow if you want it in my blog tomorrow, which will be my last one until Tuesday, July 11, due to the U.S. Nationals. (It'll be seen by far more people than my normal ones.)
Table Tennis Game Variations
At the end of our camp yesterday the top juniors all got together and played a variation of Brazilian Teams I’ve never seen before. The normal rules for Brazilian Teams are simple – see below. But as I watched, a player lost a point – but stayed at the table. I asked why, and it turned out they had invented “Deuce Brazilian Teams,” where you play from deuce, i.e. have to win by two. So everyone gets to play at least two points on their turn, and it’s easier to stay up longer. It got me thinking about other game variations. Here are a few.
Brazilian Teams. Three or more to a team (though you can play with two). One player from each side goes Collapse
June 26, 2017
26/06/2017 - Tip of the Week
One Point at a Time.
Table Tennis Protests and Walkouts
Below, in the segment on Expand
26/06/2017 - Tip of the Week
One Point at a Time.
Table Tennis Protests and Walkouts
Below, in the segment on the China Open, you’ll read about the Chinese players refusing to play their matches in protest of the removal of Liu Guoliang as head coach. The top three men in the world, all from China, refused to play in their country’s “premier” event – Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Xu Xin, with support from many other players and coaches. World #4 Zhang Jike, also withdrew, due to an apparent injury, but at least early on also joined the protest. How this will unfold is anyone’s guess, but from what I’ve read (and there are many links to articles and discussions below), I have a feeling Liu Guoliang will be hit hard, while the players will likely get something like a three-month suspension. We’ll see.
Here are three other major table tennis protests that led to players refusing to play, all in the U.S. Here’s a summary.
1976 U.S. Open. This was my Collapse
June 21, 2017
21/06/2017 - Thursday Off
I need a day off to catch up on things – see you on Friday!
Sports Skills and Expand
21/06/2017 - Thursday Off
I need a day off to catch up on things – see you on Friday!
Sports Skills and the Myth of the Natural
The following has a table tennis point to it, but starts out in a fantasy world. I’m currently reading Book Two in the Weird West Tales series by Mike Resnick, four fantasy books which feature the adventures of Doc Holliday in a re-imagined west where Americans, led by Thomas Edison, try to use science to battle the magic of Indians such as Geronimo. In Book One, “The Buntline Special,” we learn what really happened at the shootout at the O.K. Corral, and Holliday takes on the undead Johnny Ringo. In Book Two, “The Doctor and the Kid,” Holliday, now broke due to a horrible loss in a poker game, needs to hunt down and kill Billy the Kid for the reward money. Alas, he can’t, as Geronimo has used his magic so bullets bounce off The Kid. Okay, as table tennis players, perhaps none of this interests you. But there’s a table Collapse
Tibhar Aurus Prime & Aurus Select review
19/06/2017 - Tibhar is about to release two new rubbers in July 2017, the Aurus Prime and the Aurus Select. As Expand
19/06/2017 - Tibhar is about to release two new rubbers in July 2017, the Aurus Prime and the Aurus Select. As Tibhar Australia distributor I received some sample before the release date, which I felt justified a detailed review. Tibhar did not ask this off me, so I’m giving my honest review, […] Collapse
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