September 25, 2017

Tip of the Week
Assume You Have to Move.

Looping the Flip and Other Game Drills
One of the drills we did in my adult training class last night was a new one that none of them had done before. The drill itself was simple: one player served short to the other’s forehand; the receiver flipped the ball to the wide forehand (crosscourt – all the players were righties); and the server looped crosscourt, and the rally continued crosscourt, with the server looping against the receiver’s block. (If you are a hitter, you can do this hitting instead of looping.)

The drill is a subtle change on the more common version where you just serve topspin and start looping – now the server had to adjust his timing to looping against a flip, just as he’d have to do in a real match. The added bonus was the server got to work on his short serve to the forehand and his looping, while the receiver got to work on his flip and his blocking.

Once a player has the foundation of his strokes down, it’s important to do drills that bring in game-like conditions. For example, if you can forehand loop against backspin when your partner pushes to your forehand over and over, and backhand loop when your partner pushes to your backhand over and over, it’s time to make it more game-like, where your partner pushes anywhere randomly, and you have to loop, forehand or backhand.

Sundays are getting to be my favorite coaching time. I often have little private coaching, but have three consecutive 90-minute group sessions – the Beginning Junior Class at 4PM (16 players, I’m head coach); the Talent Junior program at 5:30PM (I think 24 players), and the Adult Training Session at 7PM (I’m head coach; numbers vary; last night we had eight).

Chen Bowen: Running Toward His Goals
Here’s the USATT version, and the Butterfly version. It’s an article I wrote on my fellow coach/player at MDTTC.

Lateral vs Deviation Sidespin Serves
Here’s the video (2:36) by Samson Dubina.

Is It Worth Buying Table Tennis Shoes?
Here’s the article from Tom Lodziak.

Ping Pong Training
Here’s the video (19:46) for learning about the sport, compiled by Jules Apatini. 

Table Tennis Footwork Patterns: Side to Side (Part 3)
Here’s the video (8:26) from EmRatThich.

Table Tennis Tidbits #9 - Fegerl: Odd Man “In” at the Polish Open ‘15
Here’s the article and video (13:32) by Robert Ho.

Motivation
Here’s the video (2:42) featuring Coach Gregg Robertshaw and student Zelin, from the Triangle TTC. “We did a video clip over the last 2 months on "Motivation," where we started off trying to convince Zelin that he can play Table Tennis. As a coach, I tried to change his attitude where if he works hard, he will succeed. As we worked together, we took little steps at a time and conquer them. After few months, you'll be ready to win a few tournaments (actually, he has done this already). I truly gives us all kind of inspirations in watching him being motivated.”

World Table Tennis Wrap – Continental Clashes!
Here’s the article by Shashin Shodhan.

Videos from EmRatThich

Duke Basketball Legend Christian Laettner Visits Virginia Beach for Ping-Pong Charity Event
Here’s the article and video (2:07). “Laettner's visit to Virginia Beach this weekend is not about hate - it's about love. It's not about basketball, either. It's about ping pong. ‘It's a great sport. I've been playing it my whole life and will play it until the day I die.’”

Lots of Table Tennis Pictures and Products
Here’s the page from Pinterest.

Top Ten Hand Switch Shots
Here’s the video (5:36).

Ice Pong!
Here’s the picture of a table and net made of solid ice. (Here’s the non-Facebook version.)

Pong Evolution, the Live Version
A few days ago I linked to this Pong Evolution cartoon. Here is the Live Version! (Here’s the non-Facebook version.) It stars, L-R: Adam Bobrow, Robert Gardos, Can Akkuzo, Omar Assar, and Berndt Öhler.

Sore Loser Pong
Here’s the animated gif!

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