September 7, 2016

Michael Jordon and Ma Long – the Same?
Here’s the classic picture of both. There’s actually a coaching lesson in this. Players have their best performances when they just let go and let their subconscious take over, i.e. learned reactions. So when top players are performing at their best, they are basically just observers, other than basic tactics. So when they pull off great plays, whether in basketball, table tennis, or any other skill sport, they often have that reaction of essentially shrugging their shoulders and throwing up their hands, as they are just as amazed as we are at what they are doing – because, deep down, they don’t even feel like they are doing it, they are just spectators.

I’ve had this exact same feeling when I’ve played my best. I remember playing Rey Domingo – a 2500 player – in perhaps the best tournament match of my life, and I just watched as his best shots came at me in slow motion, and so easily returned, and anything I touched with my forehand was a winner. I spent the whole match focusing on not paying attention to what I was doing because if I’d thought about it, everything would speed up and my shots would stop hitting. I won the match easily.

I’m guessing most of you have had this experience as well. If not, you need to learn to let go when you play. There’s a reason why you train – so that you reactive instinctively, as the top players do.

A Proofing We Will Go, A Proofing We Will Go…
Today I’m spending most of the day at Ledo’s Pizza doing the final proofing of Dan Seemiller’s autobiography, “Revelations of a Table Tennis Champion.” The pages are done in the hopes that many readers will force a humungous print run. (Yeah, that rhymes, but in reality it’s print on demand.) Dan’s also proofed it, and found all sorts of things – his proofing skills are better than his forehand defense. (Did I just let the cat out of the bag on how to play him? Sorry Dan!)

MDTTC September Open
Here’s info! It’s this Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Maryland Table Tennis Center. I’m running it, alas. See you there! (Note that you can enter online – and you should. See link at the tournament page.)

ITTF Cadet Camp at MDTTC
My blog on this from yesterday is now a USATT news item.

Backhanded Compliments: The Case for the Table Tennis Backhand
Here’s the new article from Coach Jon.

Krish Avvari Interview
Here’s the USATT interview with the USA Junior Team Member, by Rahul Acharya.

11 Questions with Sharon Alguetti
Here’s the USATT video (3:17).

History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 17 (1989-1990)
Here's chapter 25! Or order your own print copies at TimBogganTableTennis.com.

Iwata City celebrates Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito’s Olympic Success
Here’s the ITTF article.

Tapper and Partyka Sets Off for Early Clash in Rio
Here’s the ITTF press release on these two Paralympic players.

Table Tennis Star David Wetherill Goes for Glory at the Rio Paralympic Games
Here’s the video (1:52).

Samsonov vs. Zhang Jike, Quarterfinals of 2015 German Open
Here’s the video (17:31, with time between points removed, some slo-mo) – Samsonov was up 3-0 in games and 10-9 match point in the sixth, but Zhang would not be denied. Zhang would lose 3-4 in the final against Ma Long at the 2015 German Open. A year later they’d repeat nearly all of this at the Olympics.

Photos of Olympic Athletes Staring at Table Tennis Balls Are Gorgeous and Strangely Hypnotic
Here’s the articles and photos from Business Insider.

Now THAT’S a Table Tennis Trophy!
Here’s the muscley image, held by Richard McAfee. (Here’s the non-Facebook version.) He’s currently in Thailand teaching an ITTF Level 2 Coaching Course. (Here’s the non-Facebook version.)

Is This Your Forehand?
Here’s the repeating gif image (4 sec)!

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