Tom Lodziak

I’m a table tennis coach based in Cambridge in the UK. As well as coaching I also write table tennis articles and make table tennis videos. Read more about me.

The danger of meddling with your equipment too often

The danger of meddling with your equipment too often

One of the challenges every table tennis player faces is choosing which rubbers and blade to use. One researcher worked out there are over 262 million possible combinations! With this much choice it is understandable why many table tennis players continually meddle with their equipment. But actually, too much time spent worrying and meddling with your equipment can really mess up your game. In this blog post I argue it is better to stick with what you have, than changing equipment too often. Keep reading

(Video) How to return a topspin serve

(Video) How to return a topspin serve

Some players struggle to return topspin serves. They either pop the ball up too high or overhit the return so it misses the end of the table. What is the best way to return a topspin serve? How can you return these serves and put your opponent under pressure? In this video I show you three different options you can try. Keep reading

Changing your pushing mindset

Many players I coach come to me with the same issue. They have a pushing problem. In matches they will push, push, push, push, push – waiting and hoping the other player will make a mistake. Does this sound familiar? Is this something you also struggle with? In this blog post, I will explain how you can change your pushing mindset and become more attacking. Keep reading

How to destroy opponents with long serves

If you play table tennis at an amateur level, especially at lower levels, you can dominate your opponents with long serves. These are serves which land very deep on your opponent’s side of the table, ideally with a lot of speed and spin. In this blog post, I explain why long serves are effective (especially at lower amateur levels) and how to do devilish long serves which can give your opponents nightmares. Keep reading

(Video) How to smash high balls

(Video) How to smash high balls

Attacking high balls should be easy. The ball is way up in the air. You have a big margin to get the ball over the net. How can you possibly miss? Easy peasy. But then you smash the ball into the net or off the end of the table. Doh! We have all been there. We have all missed that easy high ball. In this video I show you a basic smashing technique, which will help you to smash high balls consistently. Keep reading

Tactics for beating weird players

If you play in local league or amateur tournaments, you will come across all kinds of weird and awkward styles. These are players with strange looking strokes and movements. They may not look great, but somehow they have developed an unorthodox playing style which works for them and can be infuriatingly effective. In this blog post I give four tactics to try when playing against weird players. Keep reading

I’m now a full-time table tennis coach!

I’m now a full-time table tennis coach!

I have great pleasure to announce that I am now a full-time table tennis coach. Over the past few years I’ve been doing both my day job and table tennis coaching on the side. But my coaching has been going so well, it has become viable to do it full-time. I am hugely excited by this. In this blog post, I share some of my plans for the future and also explain how my new career has got off to a disastrous start! Keep reading

Short pause from blogging

Short pause from blogging

I’m taking a short pause from my table tennis blog because of illness. I was admitted to hospital last week and diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Fortunately I was diagnosed and treated quickly, so I was able to avoid some of the really bad complications you can get with the infection. I am now recovering at … Keep reading