What’s your excuse when you lose a table tennis match?

What’s your excuse when you lose a table tennis match?

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It’s very tempting to use an excuse when you lose a table tennis match. “The table was too slow.” “I wasn’t warmed up properly.” “My opponent used funny rubbers.” Players make excuses to protect their ego. It’s more comforting to blame something or someone else. This way you can maintain a belief that you are better than the player you just lost to. But ultimately making excuses will only hinder your improvement. Let’s look at some common excuses players use… Keep reading

Hammer the obvious weakness

Hammer the obvious weakness

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During a pre-match warm-up your opponent’s forehand looks solid. He keeps the rally going for a long time and he plays with confidence. But when playing backhand to backhand, he makes several mistakes. The timing of the shot is off. The swing is inconsistent. He seems tense. The backhand appears to be an obvious weakness. What should we do with this observation? Keep reading

Defeated by KenSpin

Defeated by KenSpin

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I had my latest humbling experience yesterday during a county veterans match. I was outclassed and defeated by a pusher. Yes, that’s right. I lost 3-0 to a player who stands close to the table and likes to push, push, push. He is also able to play decent topspin lobs away from the table. But it wasn’t the lobs which I found difficult. It was the pushes. Keep reading

Best table tennis bats for intermediate players

Best table tennis bats for intermediate players

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When players I coach progress from beginner to intermediate standard, I encourage them to buy a better bat. But what the heck should they buy? There are just so many bats available – all with different levels of speed, spin and control. For a player who is buying their first ‘proper’ bat, it can be quite an overwhelming experience. But do not worry, help is at hand. In this blog post, I share the advice I give to the intermediate players I coach (including specific recommendations). I hope my advice helps you too… Keep reading

Tom’s table tennis quiz 2022

Tom’s table tennis quiz 2022

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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

Best table tennis bats for beginners

Best table tennis bats for beginners

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As a coach, I often give advice to beginner players about what table tennis bat to buy. There is a lot of choice available and if you have never played before it’s quite difficult working out a good bat from a rubbish bat. Rather than giving my wisdom only to players I coach, I thought it would be good to share my thoughts on the best beginner bats to a wider audience. So here’s what I tell my beginners… Keep reading