May 26, 2016

MDTTC Open House, Balticon, and a Four-Day Weekend!
I'll be mostly away the next four days, mostly at the Balticon Science Fiction Convention, which is Friday through Monday (Memorial Day). However, I'll be back at MDTTC on Sunday (12-3PM) for our Open House, where I'll be doing a demonstration and exhibition; running a Parade of Champions (single elimination, one game to 3 points – you heard that right! – with everyone welcome to participate); doing a trick shot demo (where I teach the 50-foot serve, blowing the ball in the air and over net, backspin serves that bounce back over the net, speed bouncing, playing alone with two paddles, etc.), and a service seminar. I'll be doing some private coaching afterwards.

At Balticon I'm a panelist, and will be doing a reading Saturday night at 8PM (either from my new novel, or one of my short stories). I'll also get to hobnob with fellow SF and fantasy writers, including Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin – who I've met before! Yes, I Know Him!!! (Okay, maybe he'd vaguely recognize me from conventions as that stalker fellow writer he once met.) For you ignorant people scratching your heads and wondering what Martin's rating is and what sponge he uses on his forehand, he's the author of Game of Thrones, now the hit HBO series. He does more kills in a typical chapter than most of you do in your table tennis careers. (I've read all five of the Game of Thrones novels – but they average over 1000 pages, so it's like reading 15 books.) Hopefully they'll sell a bunch of my novel in the dealer's room. 

Of course, the big question in everyone's mind is whether there's a Game of Thrones – Table Tennis connection. And yes there is – here are two! First, there's this "Table Tennis is Coming" meme that someone (not me) created. But far more interesting is this Sesame Street video (5:47) that satires Game of Thrones – except they have three thrones, a wiffleball chair, a golf chair – and a ping-pong chair that's made up of dozens of copper-colored paddles and balls! Here's a picture of the three chairs, which show up at 1:13.  I want the ping-pong chair! (Here's a picture of King Joffrey – RIP – on the actual Iron Throne they are mocking.)

I'm pretty much limping into the weekend – it's been a very physical week, with my students conspiring to move me around the court like sadists. I'm limping from a slightly pulled leg muscle; my arm is sore; and I pulled something in my neck yesterday. Just another Thursday in Larryland. (I've only got two hours of coaching today, plus a one-hour class, so we'll see where things stand tonight.)

But I'll get to mostly rest (other than Sunday…), so hopefully when I start coaching again next Tuesday I'll be fine. But no blog Fri-Mon; see you on Tuesday!

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. And here's a panoramic video (18 sec) of the playing site – this you want to see! Tables as far as the eye can see - 150 tables, 4600 players. Now I rather wish I were there . . . but it'll be here in Las Vegas, USA, in 2018. 

Coaching Articles from Samson Dubina

Training Video
Here's the new coaching video (32:24) – alas, I think it's in German.

USATT Insider
Here's the issue that came out yesterday.

Allen Wang Awesome Backhand Receive
Here's the video (9 sec). Kanak Jha didn't know what hit him!

Computerized Table for Table Tennis Training
Here are two videos (2:16 and 60 sec).  

International Table Tennis
Here's my periodic note (usually every Friday) that you can great international coverage at TableTennista (which especially covers the elite players well) and at the ITTF home page (which does great regional coverage). Butterfly also has a great news page.

7 Ways to Use HP Touchpads After They Stop Working
Here's #2!

Fiery Pong!
Here's the picture.

The Greatest Rally of All Time
Here's the hilarious video (60 sec)!

Non-Table Tennis (mostly) - Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions Review
My recent science fiction novel, Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions, just got its first review in a major site - and it's a great one! Here's the review from the SF Crow's Nest. Some quotes: “There are so many good things in this novel that I’m bursting to share them but that would spoil it for the first time reader.” "Anyway, it’s a marvellous book. Easy reading, fast-paced, lots of surprise plot twists, likeable heroes, a loveable alien and a gripping climax that takes the election right to the wire. Highly recommended.” Side note - the ebook version of the novel is on sale for $1.99 - but the sale ends tomorrow (Friday, May 27). Here's my March 8, 2016 blog about the table tennis in the novel, and here's the link to the book preview video (80 sec). 
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