July 31, 2017

Tip of the Week
Killer Practice Sessions. I actually wrote this article back in 2010, before I started this blog, and never linked to it or used it as a Tip before.

I’m Back
What, you didn’t notice I was away? Here’s my write-up of my nine days at The Never-Ending Odyssey (TNEO) Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing Workshop. (Make sure to click through the 12 “Vacation” pictures! Sorry, no table tennis there. Also, if you know anything about GPS, see the next-to-last paragraph – it’s a mystery how my phone was reprogrammed to try to bring me to some local address when I was trying to drive home.)

There were two table tennis related items from the workshop. First, I brought my weighted ping-pong paddle and shadow practiced nearly every day. (I don’t think you can get this in the U.S. – I bought it in Taiwan when I coached the U.S. Junior Team there at the World Youth Cup in 1994.) Second, and more importantly, I hurt my right knee on the first day and was hobbling about the whole time. I’d hurt it initially at the recent Nationals, but was mostly over that until I tried carrying heavy boxes up some stairs. Fortunately, I had my car with me (eight hour drive up, ten hours back due to incidents – see write-up), and so was able to drive from the dorms to our classes each morning, rather than walk the half mile, back and forth twice each day.

But now it’s back to the normal table tennis routine. I’ve got two hours of coaching tonight (it was three, but one had to cancel), so hopefully my knee, with brace, will be able to handle it. Today I also have to put together the MDTTC Newsletter. There’s also a bunch of USATT Coaching Committee stuff to get done, MDTTC tournaments for 2018 to sanction, and a host of other things on my todo list, but these might have to wait for a bit for Timmy is coming to town.

Yes, USATT Historian Tim Boggan moves in with me (again) this Wednesday for another 10-12 day stay as we work on History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume (drum roll please) 20! As usual I do the page layouts and photo work. Mal Anderson scans most of the photos in advance and sends them to me on a CD, which I’ve already received. I have to do a lot of work on the photos, cleaning them up, adding acknowledgements, etc., and doing all sorts of “fixes” at Tim’s direction – I never should have let him know what can be done in Photoshop! (“Take him out!” Tim will say of someone in the background that he thinks takes attention away from the photo. “Clean her shirt!” if a shirt doesn’t look right. “Fix the background!” if there’s anything Tim thinks needs fixing. He’s very picky about backgrounds!) It’s going to be a busy time – we work from 7AM to 5PM on weekdays, and on weekends around my coaching schedule.

Why Some Students Fail and Other Students Succeed
Here’s the article. Angela Lee Duckworth, a teacher turned psychologist, has an answer to that question. A MUST read for coaches and players. 

New York ITTF Level 2 Course Offered from August 17-22, 2017
Here’s the USATT article. “Calling all ITTF Level 1 Coaches!  Now is the time to upgrade your skills and both ITTF and USATT Coaches Certification Level.” Here are four upcoming ITTF coaching courses in the U.S.:

Articles by Samson Dubina
While I was away, Samson’s been writing away. (Yes, away rhymes with away.) Here are his articles.

Table Tennis Tidbits #4 by Robert Ho
His latest is up – see below, including his previous ones.

USATT News and Pan Am Cup
Here’s the USATT News Page – lots of articles while I was away! Included are articles on Lily Zhang winning the just-completed Pan-Am Cup.

Sports Flu Table Tennis
They are doing lots of table tennis articles. They have some good ones, and some silly ones (“What Your Zodiac Sign Tell About Your Table Tennis Game?”).

About That High Toss Serve
Here’s the new article from Coach Jon.

Ask the Coach
Questions answered at PingSkills.

What Can Table Tennis Players Learn from Roger Federer?
Here’s the article from Tom Lodziak.

Tom Lodziak Newsletter
Here’s the latest issue, with a number of coaching links.

Melton Table Tennis
Here’s the latest newsletter from this Australian club.

Ping Pong Fury
Here’s an article on the Chinese defaults at the China Open from Chublic Opinion.

#1 Basketballer vs. #1 Ping-Ponger
Here’s the video (1:36) of Stephan Curry vs. Women World Champion and #1 ranked Ding Ning.

Mini Table Chop vs Loop
Here’s the video (27 sec). That’s Dan Seemiller Jr. chopping on the left, Abdullah Almkeemy on the right.

The Washington Redskins Ping-Pong Table
Here’s the picture from their locker room  - but look at that cheap net!

Beetle Bailey Table Tennis
Here’s a new cartoon just found by Marv Anderson. It’s dates Dec. 16, but like a number of others, I don’t have the year. Here’s the updated blog where I link to all 22 Beetle Bailey table tennis cartoons. Mort Walker must love table tennis!

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