Tom Lodziak, Author at Tom Lodziak Table Tennis Coaching

Can I beat Liam Pitchford?

27/06/2022 by Tom Lodziak

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

Tips on buying a table tennis table for your home

05/04/202426/06/2022 by Tom Lodziak

A few years ago, I purchased a table tennis table for my home. It was an agonising decision (really it was!). Do I have enough space? Where am I going to store it? How much should I spend? Who am I going to play with? Am I really going to use it? Will I improve my table tennis skills? So many questions. In this blog post, I’ll share some advice about buying a table tennis table for your home and give a few recommendations of decent (and affordable) tables you can buy. Keep reading

The most popular table tennis rubbers in 2022

05/04/202413/06/2022 by Tom Lodziak

What table tennis rubbers are most popular with amateur table tennis players? To answer this question, I conducted a survey, asking players what rubbers they currently use for their forehand and backhand. I sent the survey to subscribers of my YouTube channel, mailing list, Facebook page, Twitter account and users of Table Tennis Daily. In … Keep reading

How to blow a 5-0 lead – my latest tournament disaster

04/06/202201/06/2022 by Tom Lodziak

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

Benefits of an awkward training partner

26/05/202224/05/2022 by Tom Lodziak

There is a huge benefit with practising with the most awkward player in the training hall. That player with unorthodox technique, unpredictable shots and disruptive timing. The player who doesn’t look like he can play table tennis – his shots are often weird looking – but is actually really hard to beat. Let’s look at the benefits of training with these awkward players… Keep reading

Power is the least useful skill at lower levels

08/12/202309/05/2022 by Tom Lodziak

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

Tips for serving effectively in doubles

27/04/202225/04/2022 by Tom Lodziak

Serving in doubles is something we have all experienced, but probably not given as much thought to as our singles service game. I don’t confess to having all the answers, but in this article I give a few thoughts on effective serves to do when playing doubles, focusing on placement, spin variations and forehand vs backhand serves. Keep reading

Can’t smash, won’t smash

11/04/202208/04/2022 by Tom Lodziak

Some players just can’t smash high balls. Or I should say, some players have never learnt to smash high balls. It seems like it should be so easy. The ball is up high. There is a huge margin to hit the ball over the net. How can you possibly miss? Is this you? Can’t smash and won’t smash? Here’s what you should do… Keep reading

Review: FastPong Training System

23/05/202204/04/2022 by Tom Lodziak

Over the past month I have been testing a brand new product called FastPong. This is a training system to help players improve ball placement accuracy, shot speed and reactions. In this review I am going to explain in more detail exactly what the FastPong training system is, and whether it is a useful product to help you improve your table tennis skills. Keep reading

Singapore Smash … Hit or miss?

21/03/2022 by Tom Lodziak

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