How should I play against an opponent with long pimples on the backhand and antispin rubber on the forehand? He chops the ball from two paces away from the table. I use Tibhar Grass D-Tecs (OX) long pimples on my backhand and normal rubber on my forehand. Keep reading
Many right-handed players do not enjoy playing left-handed players. It shouldn’t really feel that different. A left-handed player has a backhand and a forehand, just like a right-handed player. But somehow it does feel different. I actually enjoy playing left-handed players and have a decent record against them. My best tournament win to date was against a left-hander. There’s a few simple tactics I have developed over the years which tend to work well. Keep reading
Many of us have contemplated switching to a radically different style, but are often deterred by the question “what if?” What if I change style and start doing worse? Maybe this fear is misplaced. We can find a really good recent example of this in the professional game. Sabine Winter is a two times German national singles champion, who has recently changed playing styles and is having lots of success. Keep reading
When serving in table tennis, we have many options available. We have all the different service actions – pendulum, backhand, hook, tomahawk, windscreen wiper. We have all the spin variations – backspin, sidespin, topspin, no spin. We have all the placement variations – short, wide, half-long, long. So many options! But have you ever thought about how to pair your two serves? Keep reading
I started playing local league table tennis in 2007. I have worked my way up from the bottom of the bottom division to the top of the top division (nearly). During this time I have developed a number of easy ways of winning points. There are hundreds of tactics which can potentially be used. Any tactic could work, in any given scenario, but I have found there are a few which consistently work far more often than not. Keep reading
I don’t mind admitting that I am completely fascinated with Truls Moregardh. He has had a sensational Olympics in Paris, reaching the singles final and helping Sweden to the team final. Is there anything we mere mortals can do to play more like Truls, other than buy a STIGA Cybershape blade? Keep reading
Here’s a simple tactic you can use when returning serves in doubles matches. Try to aim your receive very wide on the side the server has just served from… The width is important. You want the ball to come off the side of the table. This makes it very difficult for player B to get … Keep reading
In a recent video, I asked viewers to give me some suggestions of tactics I should try against Jarek – a player who goes back from the table and returns all my hard attacks. I had a fantastic response with over 100 suggestions of tactics to try. Now, I am left with another problem. I have a long list of tactics, but which ones should I choose? Keep reading
A player I coach, Paul, had a frustrating experience in his league matches last week. Paul is in his early 60s and is very competitive – maybe a little too competitive – and this can often result in him rushing his shots, playing too aggressively and making too many errors. He is so eager to win, he often defeats himself. And this is what happened last week. Keep reading
Modern table tennis is all about attack. Topspin, flick, smash. Attack this. Attack that. Don’t push! Attack, attack attack. When players train, they almost always focus on their attacking shots. A pushing drill? Nah, that’s for wimps. A blocking drill? Pfft, waste of time. Is defence important any more? Is there any benefit in practising our pushes, blocks, chops and lobs? Well, yes, I believe there is a huge benefit. Let me explain why… Keep reading