By Larry Hodges

One of the most common problems coaches face when coaching beginning and intermediate players is getting them to relax their arm when stroking. This writer has not only faced this problem hundreds of times as a coach but has also faced it as a lifetime weakness in his own playing game.

If the muscles in the playing arm (or any other muscle) are tight, then they will not stroke properly. The tight muscles will fight you as you stroke, costing both power and control. Instead, try to keep your arm loose--like a rubber band.

By Larry Hodges

A common problem for players who smash a lot is to have trouble lifting the ball against heavy backspin when looping. A common problem for players who loop a lot is to follow their opening loop against backspin by smashing a blocked return off the end. The two problems are related, and have to do with the back shoulder – the right shoulder for a right-hander.

By Larry Hodges

The following gems have been accumulated over a long period of times, from various top players and coaches. I think you'll find a lot of them really hit the mark.

• If your opponent hits the ball aggressively at your crossover point between your forehand and backhand (where your playing elbow is), return it mostly with your backhand if you are close to the table, with your forehand if you are away from the table.

By Larry Hodges

Many players at tournaments often find themselves either giving or receiving coaching from another player or coach at some point. But just what does a coach (or player) say to a player between games? What magic words are spoken that transforms a losing game into an inspired victory?

If I had those words, I'd sell them for a lot of money.

By Larry Hodges

Are you tired of reading about players looping winners from all over the court? Are you sick of reading about serve & follow techniques, knowing that you can't possibly do it yourself unless your opponent cooperates? In other words, are you a member of the Slow of Foot Majority?

By Larry Hodges

There are only three directions you can hit the ball: to your opponent’s forehand, backhand or somewhere in between. But most players play shot after shot to the forehand or backhand, simulating exactly what your opponent has probably spent much of his practice time doing--hitting forehands or backhands. (When you do go to the forehand and backhand, you should go wide!)

By Larry Hodges

The two-color racket rule has partially neutralized the effectiveness of combination rackets. Although, you can now easily ell which side your opponent used, you still must be able to play against each individual rubber.

By Larry Hodges

Have you ever had one of those matches where your opponent clobbered every ball past you? Where you spent more time chasing balls than actually hitting? Where you got a bad back just from bending over to pick them up? If you won the match, you probably didn't mind; there's nothing you can do about an opponent who clobbers (and misses) every shot.

Unfortunately, every now and then you meet a player who clobbers ball after ball, and they keep hitting! This type of player also goes by the name 'National Champion' or 'U.S. Team Member' or even 'World Champion'. There's not much you can do when you play them.

By Larry Hodges

There is nothing more infuriating than losing to a patient chopper who lets you beat yourself with your own errors. Losing to a chopper is like four-putting in golf; you may have made some good drives to get to the green, but all you remember are the misses at the end. Rather than four-putting forever, let’s learn how to beat the chopper.

A chopper is weakest in the middle, and that is where you should focus most of your attack. However, you have more table (and so more margin for error) by going diagonally to a corner. Going for a winner down the line often catches the chopper by surprise. A chopper who is not particularly fast is vulnerable at the corners, especially if you aim one way and then go the other; a chopper with inverted on both sides is more vulnerable in the middle. Keep these “basics” in mind when playing any of the following styles.

There are four general ways of playing a chopper. Informally they are called European style, Asian style, Pick-hitting, and Chiseling. While you should favor one of these styles, feel free to combine them in developing your own style against choppers.

In all four cases, focus on attacking the middle, the weakest spot for nearly all choppers. This is imperative when playing choppers. 

By Larry Hodges

Since the forehand is almost always stronger than the backhand, it is very important to be able to use the forehand out of the backhand corner. An inability to do so, will limit the overall strength of your game.

Stepping around the backhand involves four parts: (1) Setting up the shot, (2) assessing whether to step around or not, (3) the footwork itself, and (4) the shot itself.