March 28, 2022

Tip of the Week
Pavlovian Response and Table Tennis.

Weekend Coaching
Another busy weekend, with lots of multiball and blocking. I coached in four junior group sessions. In one of them I was a practice partner where I mostly blocked, but did one (exhausting) footwork drill where I served backspin, partner pushes to my backhand, I step around and forehand loop, partner blocks to my wide forehand, I move over and forehand loop, and then we continue, with partner blocking side to side as I alternate forehand and backhand. The problem is, once I get into a rhythm, I'm pretty consistent, and so we had a lot of LONG rallies. I also did a lot of serve coaching, especially on how to serve low and short, with serve still driving out so there's a low, quick bounce on the far side, with second bounce near the endline. I also had a one-hour session with Navin Kumar, who I'm preparing for the Parkinson's events at the US Nationals in July and the World Parkinson's in Pula, Croatia, Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Focus was on loop & smash, serving, and the usual stroking drills.

US Team Trials and Nationals
Entry forms for both are out. They will be at Forth Worth, Texas, June 25-July 1 and July 2-7, respectively. Below are info pages. I'll be coaching at both, as well as at the World Hopes Camp and Tournament in Linz, Austria (Apr. 25-May 5), so that'll be a pair of two-week working "vacations"!

Family Guy Table Tennis
Table tennis was featured on Family Guy yesterday (Sunday, March 27, S20.E16, "Prescription Heroine"). Here's the description from IMDB: "Lois becomes addicted to painkillers prescribed for Brian after he gets hurt. Peter's ping pong table becomes the hot spot in the neighborhood." I watched the episode. Peter and Cleveland are very good, smacking the ball back and forth, lots of smashes and chasing down smashes. There's a takeoff from the movie "The Shining" where Lois sees that Peter has typed, over and over, "All ping pong and no silence makes Peter hungry for cheetos." SPOILER ALERT - there's a logical problem at the end. Cleveland leads 10-9 game point, but decides to throw the game. He serves a high ball to let Peter smash. Peter jumps in the air but misses, and falls on the table, breaking it. So Cleveland should win, 11-9. But umpire Joe says it's a draw. (Also in the episode, Lois gets addicted to painkillers and Brian the dog does an intervention.) First mention of TT is at around 3:50, with the real TT action starting around 4:55, with the climactic Peter vs. Cleveland near the end.

$30,000 Classic Hardbat 2022 World Invitational Championships
Here's the entry form for the event to be held Aug. 5-7 in Houston. Events include Open Singles, Reisman Cup Teams, Women's Singles, Senior Singles (over 60) and Junior Singles (under 18). You can enter through Omnipong. Here is the current list of players - 46 have already entered, including Jimmy Butler (2021 World Hardbat Champion), Alexander "The Flash" Flemming (GER, 2021 World Sandpaper Champion), Yinka Olasoji, A.J. Carney (2021 US National Hardbat Champion), Richard "The Chopper" Gonzales (from the Philippines), Oriol Monzo, Ojo Onaolapo, and Jones Balonado (2021 US Open Hardbat Champion). I'll be there, doing coverage and playing one event, Over 60 Hardbat, which I won at the Nationals last year (along with Over 40!).

Top Player from India Looks to Coach in US
Here's what he wrote me, with an email link at the end:

Hello, I am Jayanta Chandra from India, I was professional table tennis player. Three times State Champion in under 12, under 14 and under 17 categories, also National Champion in Under 12 and Under 14 categories, also got bronze medal in National Games in Senior category. Since last 3 years I am professional coach in India. Actually I am looking for a job in USA as a Table Tennis Coach. So I am requesting you to if you kindly look into the matter then I will be very thankful to you. Thanking you. Yours Sincerely, JAYANTA CHANDRA email.

WTT Contender Doha 2022
Here's the ITTF page for the event, taking place March 25-31 in Doha, Qatar. Meanwhile, here are links for both the WTT Contender and WTT Star Contender, running consecutively in Doha.

Unstoppable Forehand Loop HOW TO!
Here's the video (28:36) from Seth Pech. "Learn Chinese Smash Touch Loop, How to Drive the ball, Misdirection Shots and more!"

Butterfly Training Tips

  • The Deep Push (81 sec) with Rachid El Bou Bou, commentary by Brian Pace.
  • Falkenburg (69 sec) with Zelin Ye, commentary by Brian Pace.

New from Samson Dubina

New from Table Tennis Philosophy/Coach Jon

New from the Performance Biomechanics Academy Table Tennis

How to Make a Short Serve Unpredictable, Part 2
Here's the video (12:09) from Ti Long. I linked to Part 1 last week, How to Serve Short with Purpose in Competition (7:18).

Basic Rules for an ITTF Legal Table Tennis Serve
Here's the video (1:52) from Matt Hetherington.

The 15 Powerful Lessons Teens Learn From Sports
Here's the article.

Ask the Coach
Here are the latest questions from PingSkills.

How to Maintain Chinese Table Tennis Rubber Stickiness
Here's the video (3:57) from PingSunday/EmRatThich.

Table Tennis United
Here's the page, a "Fundraising campaign for supporting the table tennis communities affected by crisis." They currently fund those "Severely affected by Covid-19" and those "Affected by the Russo - Ukrainian conflict."

New from USA Table Tennis

New from Steve Hopkins

US Tournament Results

New from National Collegiate Table Tennis Association

New from the ITTF

Top 10 Points from Singapore Smash
Here's the video (5:13).

57th Robo-Pong St. Joseph Valley Highlights with Nandan Naresh
Here's the video (2:44).

New from the Malong Fanmade Channel
Lots of new videos here.

Why Playing Ping Pong is Great for the Brain and Could Help Prevent Dementia
Here's the article.

Table Tennis Turnout on the Rise in the Metro
Here's the video (3:20) from FOX9, featuring the Twin Cities.

Centenary Stories: A Pioneer of Para Table Tennis
Here's the article from Table Tennis England. "Philip Lewis MBE, a true pioneer of para table tennis and a tireless campaigner for the sport, is the subject of the latest in our series of Centenary Stories."

Atari's 'Home Pong' Prototype Sells at Auction for More Than $270K
Here's the article. This is "The original 1975, hand-carved wood mock-up of the Pong system."

Table Tennis / Song on Games
Here's the video (2:22) which is a child's video showing the rules of the sport.

Never Underestimate an Old Man Who Plays Ping Pong
Here's where you can buy the shirt from Amazon!

Dropping 2,000 Ping Pong Balls
Here's the video (30 sec).

Top 10 Ping Pong Commercials
Here's the video (6:16. (This is from a couple of years ago.)

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