A strong service game is vital. Not only do you need good serves, you need a good service strategy. During this training camp, you will learn how to use your serves more effectively. You will learn service combinations that have a high success rate. You will learn when to serve short or long and when to serve topspin or backspin. You will learn how to select a winning service strategy for different opponents and the importance of having a service routine. This is an essential training camp for any player wanting to win more points on their service game.
- Date: Tuesday 24 March to Friday 27 March 2026
- Venue: Cambridge University Sports Centre, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS
- Start / finish time: 10am-4pm each day
- Coaches: Tom Lodziak, Ferenc Horvath + Tony West
- Participants: Maximum of 16 players per day
- Cost: £75 per day
- Flexible booking: Join for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
Programme
Here’s what to expect from the training camp…
Tuesday 24 March
- 10am-10.15am – Warm-up
- 10.15am-12.30pm – Improve your serves … Learn how to make your existing serves even stronger with more spin, better placement and clever variations.
- 12.30pm-1.15pm – Lunch
- 1.15pm-3.45pm – Service actions … Learn some high quality serves to bamboozle your opponents, get weak returns or win cheap points.
- 3.45pm-4pm – Debrief / stretches
Wednesday 25 March
- 10am-10.15am – Warm-up
- 10.15am-12.30pm – Short serves … Learn how to keep your serve short, low over the net and set up opportunities for you to attack.
- 12.30pm-1.15pm – Lunch
- 1.15pm-3.45pm – Long serves … Learn how to win cheap points, force weak returns and set up attacking opportunities with long, fast serves.
- 3.45pm-4pm – Debrief / stretches
Thursday 26 March
- 10am-10.15am – Warm-up
- 10.15am-12.30pm – Service combinations … Learn which service pairs you should use together to force your opponent to make weak returns and errors.
- 12.30pm-1.15pm – Lunch
- 1.15pm-3.45pm – More serve tactics … Test out a variety of different service tactics to use against your opponents
- 3.45pm-4pm – Debrief / stretches
Friday 27 March
- 10am-10.15am – Warm-up
- 10.15am-12.30pm – Selecting a service strategy … Learn how to use your serves effectively in matches – when to serve short, when to serve long, when to serve backspin and when to serve topspin.
- 12.30pm-1.15pm – Lunch
- 1.15pm-3.45pm – Serving routine … Learn how to control your nerves, keep focused and develop a winning service game, by using your own bespoke service routine.
- 3.45pm-4pm – Debrief / stretches
The coaching team
The coaching team for this training camp will be:
Lead coach – Tom Lodziak
Tom is a full-time table tennis coach, based in Cambridge. As well as face to face coaching Tom has a popular coaching YouTube channel and is the author of Spin: Tips and Tactics to Win at Table Tennis. Tom competes in the top division of the Cambridge league and veteran tournaments around the country.
Support coach – Ferenc Horvath
Ferenc is head coach of Paragon Table Tennis and has featured in many of my YouTube videos. He has coached in many countries in Europe, plays to a very high standard and in 2024 won the 40+ English national championships. Ferenc will be joining the training camp for all four days.
Support coach – Tony West
Tony is a full-time coach based in Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. He is the current Oxford University team head coach, as well as head coach at Kidlington TTC and Oxfordshire county coach and has been nominated as coach of the year. He is a former winner of the veteran Premier British league, plus a Sky Sports and BT Sport commentator. Tony will be joining the training camp for all four days.
Who is this training camp suitable for?
This training camp is suitable for players who are already competing at a local league level or in amateur tournaments. At a minimum you should be able to serve confidently and be competent playing a forehand push, backhand push, forehand drive and backhand drive.
This training camp is not suitable for complete beginners. Instead, I recommend 1-to-1 coaching. If you are unsure whether this training camp is suitable for you, please email me with more information about your playing standard and I will advise.
You can also read testimonials of players who have previously attended my training camps.
Training camp format
There will be a maximum of 16 players per day on this training camp. The big benefit of attending a smaller sized training camp is that you get lots of feedback from the coaching team.
There will be a mixture of demonstrations, drills and match-play exercises. There will also be opportunities for you to set your own exercises and work on the skills which are really important to you. The coaching team will observe you play and give technical and tactical feedback.
You will get the opportunity to play with different people throughout the training camp – usually a mixture of players from around the UK and also players from other countries. You will experience a positive coaching environment, joined by like-minded table tennis enthusiasts.
In the evenings, there might be opportunities to play table tennis at nearby clubs. There may also be opportunities for 1-to-1 sessions. More details will be given nearer the time. Alternatively other players may wish to meet up together for food and drink.
Venue + accommodation
This training camp will take place at Cambridge University Sports Centre, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS.
There will be eight good quality tables and high quality training balls.
The sports centre has a small car park (free of charge) and modern changing facilities. The sports centre sells basic refreshments and also has free water dispensers to fill up water bottles.
If you require accommodation, please take a look at this accommodation guide, which gives lots of affordable options.
Visit Cambridge
If you live in another part of the UK (or another country), you could combine this training camp with some sightseeing of Cambridge in the evenings. There is always plenty to do in the picturesque university city. Find out what’s on in Cambridge on the Visit Cambridge website.
How to book
Please note: This training camp is now fully booked.
You are welcome to join the waiting list and I will let you know if any spaces become available.
Alternatively, you may be interested in attending one of my other training camps.
If you would like to be notified of future training camps, then please complete this very short expression of interest form.
If you have signed up for this training camp and need to cancel, my cancellation and refund policy will apply.