Best table tennis bats for beginners

Best table tennis bats for beginners

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

Review: Bribar Rally Bat – The best table tennis bat for under £25?

Review: Bribar Rally Bat – The best table tennis bat for under £25?

Shhhh…I have a little secret. Bribar Table Tennis have just released a new table tennis bat. It’s called the Bribar Rally table tennis bat. And the cost? A ridiculously low price of £24.99. This bat is aimed at beginners and social players looking for a decent quality but affordable bat. I have been testing it out over the past month and spoiler alert…it is quite possibly the best table tennis bat I have ever played with for under £25! Keep reading

Four simple ways to make a two point improvement

A key focus of the training camp I organised in the summer was for players to make a two point improvement. Think about all the games you have lost 11-9. With a two point improvement, you win these games 11-9. Think about all the games you have lost 11-7. With a two point improvement, the score is 9-9 and you have a good chance of winning. A two point improvement may seem small, but it can make a big difference to how many matches you win or lose. Here are a few obvious ways you can make a two point improvement… Keep reading

Review: Bribar Winning Loop table tennis bat

Review: Bribar Winning Loop table tennis bat

Over the past month I have been trying out the Bribar Winning Loop table tennis bat (cost £29.99 – £36.99). This is one of Bribar’s best ever selling bats, aimed at beginners / developing players. In this blog post, I share my experience of playing with the bat, suggest who it is suitable for and whether you should buy or not…

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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

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

Review: Eastfield Allround table tennis bat

There’s a new table tennis brand on the market. The new brand, Eastfield, is the creation of Ben Larcombe, who runs the popular Expert Table Tennis website. The first bat to be released under the Eastfield brand is the Eastfield Allround table tennis bat. This bat is aimed at players who are learning the game and want more control and feeling, rather than blistering speed. Ben very kindly sent me an Eastfield Allround bat to try out. I’ve been using the bat on and off for the past month in my coaching sessions. Here’s my review… Keep reading

Review: Palio Expert 2 Table Tennis Bat

Review: Palio Expert 2 Table Tennis Bat

One of the most popular table tennis bats for beginners is the Palio Expert 2. As there is a lot of interest in this bat, I thought I would write a review. I also have a Palio Expert 2 table tennis bat, which I sometimes use in coaching sessions with beginners. As I’ve had many hours of playing time with the bat, I feel well placed to give my expert view. Here’s my review… Keep reading

The dreaded first league season

The winter league season has started. There are regulars playing for the umpteenth season, rekindling old rivalries and trying to achieve their highest ever win percentage. But there are also lots of people playing their first ever league season, who are struggling to win a single set, let alone an entire match. If you’re a new player, make sure you read this blog post. I have some great tips on how to survive your first season. Keep reading