May 10, 2016

Drills When the Kids are In Charge
I let two kids choose their last multiball drill during a session yesterday. Here's what they chose.

The first, age 9, alternated hitting backhands from the forehand side of the table, and forehands from the adjacent table. So I had to feed every other ball to the adjacent table to my left! He ran back and forth like a giggling maniac. 

The second one, age 7, chose the following four-shot sequence: Forehand from forehand corner; forehand from middle; backhand from middle; and then I was supposed to give him a backspin serve to his wide backhand for him to push; and then repeat. I have no idea why he wanted this, but he was very insistent on that backspin serve as part of the multiball drill. He also has his own name for backspin - he calls it "stopspin," since he's seen my backspin serves stop and go back into the net. This kid has a history of begging for weird drills - usually intricate combinations that often have him doing backhands from the forehand side, me suddenly serving in mid-drill, or (one time), I fed multiball with a cardboard box instead of a racket. 

In my group sessions, especially toward the end, I sometimes do give players either a pair of options for their next drill, let them choose the drill, or ask them what they want to work on and then design a drill around it. For example, I may give them the choice of doing forehand-forehand footwork, or forehand-backhand footwork. Or serve and forehand attack, serve and backhand attack, or serve and attack from both wings. 

Training Blog at MH Table Tennis
Matt Hetherington is now blogging about his daily training at MH Table Tennis, with links to video. So far he's blogged about days 1-4.

Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers Reviews
In yesterday's blog (Monday), I asked readers if they could give Amazon reviews to the book, in an attempt to get to 50 reviews. Well, it's been a big success – nearly! We've gone from 39 to 47 reviews. Now we just need three more! C'mon, readers, you can do it!!! If you've read the book, and like it, simply go to the review section for Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers. The reviews can be a single sentence, and then you click on the star level – hopefully 5-star!

Top 3 Table Tennis Injuries (and How to Prevent Them)!
Here's the article from Table Tennis 11.

Table Tennis Tips for Beginners
Here's the article from TableTennisSpot.com. The three segments are Getting the Right Equipment; Practicing Your Technique; and Scoring During a Table Tennis Match.

Interview with Adam Bobrow: "I Never Stopped Loving the Sport"
Here's the interview from TableTennista.

History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 17 (1989-1990)
Here's chapter 8! Or order your own print copies at TimBogganTableTennis.com.

Ma Long vs Joao Geraldo Amazing Point
Here's the video (42 sec, including slo-mo replay). Note Ma Long's backhand banana flip receive from the forehand side! Against short serves, this is a very good tactic.

Table Tennis-obsessed Retiree Travels the Globe to Become a Top-tier Player
Here's the article from CBC News in Canada.

Epic Table Tennis
Here's the video (17 sec), which appears to be a video taken off another screen. Watch the incredible diving footwork of the kid on the far side – how in the world did he get to those balls!

SPiN. We Finally Got One
Here's the article about San Francisco getting their own SpiNTT – "Susan Sarandon’s Rollicking Ping-Pongery Arrives in SoMa."

Table Tennis Physical Training - Jimmy and Emily
Here's the video (33 sec, set to Rocky music) – we do the same side-to-side training at my club, where one player leads, the others follow. But it's funnier in this video!

Jamaican's Champ Simon Tomlinson and His Samsung Smartphone
Here's the video (15 sec) as he shows a few tricks with his phone.

Stormtrooper Pong Shirt
Here's the picture: "Breaks: Even the Dark Side Needs Them"! (Here's the non-Facebook version.)

***
Send us your own coaching news!