Lessons learnt from ASV Grünwettersbach

Lessons learnt from ASV Grünwettersbach

Last week I visited German Bundesliga club, ASV Grünwettersbach. A professional table tennis club. Whoah! In this blog, I’m going to share some insights from my visit – the facilities, training methods, coaching style and equipment. What lessons did I learn? And did I manage to win any matches? Let’s find out… Keep reading

9 ways older players can compete with (and beat!) younger players

9 ways older players can compete with (and beat!) younger players

As we age, we do decline physically. We are not as fast, strong and nimble as we once were. But the great thing about table tennis (at the amateur level at least), is that power and athleticism are not essential to win matches. If you’re a senior player (60 years+), what is the best way to compete with, and beat, younger players? In this blog post, I give nine areas you can focus on to help you get the better of your younger, fitter and stronger opponents. Keep reading

Create confusion by using disruptive shots

Create confusion by using disruptive shots

One way to add an extra dimension to your game is to develop shots which disrupt the pace of the game. These are shots which unexpectedly change the speed, spin, length or direction of the ball. Examples include a chop block, fade, wiggly, push with sidespin, a smash with backspin – all sorts of weird and wonderful shots. In this blog post I explain why these types of shots are useful and when you should use them. Keep reading

How to get good against long pimples

How to get good against long pimples

A lot of players struggle against long pimples. It’s a common issue, especially at lower levels. When I started playing, I was completely confused in my first matches against long pimples players. I didn’t know what the heck was going on! But in quite a small period of time, I was able to make rapid improvements and start beating the players I was losing to. So in this blog post, I’m going to share three simple steps you should follow to get good against long pimples players. Keep reading

When returning serves, DON’T PROD THE BALL

When returning serves, DON’T PROD THE BALL

Returning serves is hard. It’s the thing most players at the beginner and intermediate levels struggle with the most. But there are ways you can get better at returning serves, even if you have only just started playing table tennis. In this blog post, I give some simple advice about how you can return more serves, plus I share a BIG NO-NO, something you should never do… Keep reading

Gain an advantage over your clubmates this summer

It’s summer time! My favourite time of the year. It’s also the time of the year when a lot of people have a break from playing table tennis. This is completely understandable. The weather is good. People want to be outdoors and do other activities. Often people are away for holidays. So if you really want to get an advantage over your clubmates and your opponents, now is the time to keep practising! Keep reading

How to change a table tennis habit (even if you’re 80)

I coach a player in his 80s (he wants to remain anonymous, so I’ll call him Harold). When he was younger Harold was a defensive player. But it’s not easy for Harold to play this way any more. So I have worked with him to change his playing style. This has not been easy. In fact it’s been very difficult. But Harold has made huge progress. And he has succeeded in changing many of of his defensive habits. In this blog post, I’ll explain how Harold has managed to change his habits and how you can change your table tennis habits too. Keep reading

7 common beginner mistakes in table tennis (and how to fix them)

Last weekend I coached at a beginner training day in London. The purpose of the day was to teach some basic table tennis skills – drives, pushes, serve and receive. Throughout the day, I picked up on several mistakes the beginner players were making. They were making the same mistakes as the beginner players I coach in Cambridge. I’m sure they are the same mistakes any beginner player makes in any part of the world. So I thought it would be useful to share some of these mistakes, why they need fixing and what you should do instead. So if you are a beginner player, this blog post is for you… Keep reading