May 24, 2016
Backspin Mania Continues!
Yesterday was quite a site – ten minutes before the scheduled 4-5PM session with two kids there were FIVE of them all on a single table, all practicing and competing to see who could do the most backspin serves that came back into or over the net. This past week it's been a battle to get some of them to do regular practice – they are absolutely backspin crazy. That's all we did from 4-4:30.
When we went to regular practice, guess what they insisted on working on? More backspin. So we did a lot of pushing. (Maybe we're developing a bunch of choppers? Should I explain long pips to them?) I stopped trying to explain that keeping the ball LOW is important – they were more interested in pushing so the ball bounced backwards. Since they ranged from beginner to advanced beginner, and were 7-8 years old, I allowed it – they got great practice learning to graze the ball. (Have trouble creating great spin on your serves? Then learn from the kids, and try to make the ball bounce back into the net! Here's my article Visualize Your Serves and Make Them Do Tricks.)
The youngest, age seven, goes absolutely bonkers whenever he makes a serve where the ball bounces back over the net onto his side – and he can do it about 10% of the time now, which I wouldn't have believed possible a week ago. At that time, he'd not only never done it, he didn't know what a backspin serve was – and now, one week after learning how to do one, nearly all his serves bounce back into the net! He's rather single-minded about this, as you can guess.
One problem – they have discovered that my racket, with Tenergy on both sides, creates more backspin, and so they constantly want to borrow it, as well as my backup. I've tried to explain that they don't want a racket that fast, and that their parents won't buy them a Timo Boll ALC ($150) with Tenergy on both sides ($75/sheet), but they are only interested in backspin, Backspin, and more BACKSPIN!!!
And speaking of Tenergy…
Tenergy Family – Zhang Jike
Here's the new highlights video (2:08) from Butterfly. (Disclosure: I'm sponsored by Butterfly; my dad's an entomologist who specialized in moths and butterflies; when I was a kid, I had an extensive butterfly collection; and even now, before a big match, I get butterflies in my stomach – but only before, not during!)
China Table Tennis Techniques, Lesson 6
Here's the video (1:23:29). Alas, it's in Chinese, but good stuff to watch.
2016 World Veterans Championships
Here's the home page. They are going on right now in Alicante/Elche, Spain, May 23-29. Here's where you can find results.
Pete May to Represent the US in the World Veteran Table Tennis Championships in Spain
Here's the article from the Augusta Chronicle.
Kong Linghui Explains Ding Ning in the Olympic Singles
Here's the article, with links to video.
Grand Finals Winners, Chuang Chih-Yuan and Jun Mizutani Head Zagreb Seeding
Here's the article on the upcoming Croatian Open.
11 Questions with Bernardo Iturriaga
Here's the USATT Interview.
History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 17 (1989-1990)
Here's chapter 10! Or order your own print copies at TimBogganTableTennis.com.
Two Months, Seven Courses, the Journey Ends on High Note in Ajmer
Here's the ITTF article on Christian Lillieroos teaching ITTF coaching courses in India.
Jan-Ove Waldner Documentary
Here's the new video (58:57). Alas, it's in Swedish, but lots of video footage.
Liam Pitchford Ripping Backhands in Multiball Session
Here's the video (36 sec) – see how easy it is?
Great Points!
Olympic Coach Magazine
Here's the new issue.
Titanic Table Tennis
Here's the video (1:28) – huge table, check; huge net, check; and I think that's a 44mm ball, check. Is this the future of table tennis?
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