Tip of the Week
Jerky Strokes and Jerkyitis: World's Most Rampant Table Tennis Disease.

Weekend Coaching, Training, and a Governor’s Citation
Sidespin Surprise – I think I accomplished more in the ten minutes before one session than in the 90 minutes during the session. I was there early, as were some of the beginning-intermediate junior players. So, I started hitting with them. Then I gave them a sidespin serve, which they took turns missing – at first. But with a little help, they figured it out – but they were eyes-wide amazed. Now they all want to learn to serve with spin. I also served from twenty feet from the side, with a high, arcing sidespin serve that they at first struggled with, but then started smashing. It’s always good to introduce new and interesting things to keep them hooked on the sport.

Tip of the Week
Importance of Serve Variety.

Weekend Coaching, Backhand Looping, and the Stupid Flu
I coached in four group junior sessions over the weekend. Some of the emphasis was going from opening loops against backspin to follow-up rallying and put-away loops. And, of course, footwork! I also worked with some relatively new kids on basic strokes and looping. For the basic strokes, when feeding multiball, I often do a “duh-duh, duh-duh” where the duhs coincide with the ball hitting the table and the player’s racket – it’s a great way to help them develop timing. (I’ve been doing this for generations of kids at MDTTC, many of whom became big stars.) I worked with a more advanced player who was struggling to loop against heavy backspin. For kids first learning how to loop against backspin, or more advanced ones learning to loop against heavy backspin, they often struggle with getting the ball over the net – until you tell them to stop aiming for the table and to just spin the ball way, Way, WAY off the table – and those shots invariably hit the table as “perfect” loops! (I always tell them to either loop off the table or on the table, but never in the net.)

Tip of the Week
The Mental State of a Looper Against a Push.

A Few Miscellaneous Observations...

October 13, 2026

Tip of the Week
Where to Place Your Putaways.

Huntsman World Senior Championships
I had a great time at the World Senior Championships in St. George, UT. I won three golds and a silver in table tennis, all in Over 65 events: Golds in Men’s Hardbat Singles and Doubles (with Mark Kraut); Gold in Men’s Doubles (sponge) with Rudy Miranda; and Silver in Men’s Singles (sponge, lost final to Arun Kumar). I won’t bore you with the blow-by-blow. Here’s me with my medals on Facebook! (Here’s a non-Facebook version.)

Tip of the Week
Coaching Against Yourself.

Next Blog Oct. 12
I’ll be out of town Oct. 4-9 at the Huntsman World Senior Games. But the Tip of the Week will still go up on Monday, Oct. 5.

Tip of the Week
Complex Versus Simple Tactics.

People’s Daily Table Tennis Video
Here’s the video (2:54) about table tennis, US-China relations, and Ping-Pong Diplomacy. They came to MDTTC and interviewed us. I speak on the video several times – but my voice is hoarse as I’m battling a cold. They did an excellent job! (Video works on my phone, and was working on my computer, but now I’m having trouble getting it to run on my computer – I’m getting some sort of QR Code that has to be scanned.)

Tip of the Week
Are You a Tree or a Squirrel?

Alas, I've been sick in bed the last few days, and it's getting worse. No blog this week. 

Tip of the Week
Playing the Fisher.

Weekend Coaching – Working with Younger Players
There’s a natural progression when training junior players. But it’s easier for a coach to treat them all mostly the same, or just stick them in a multiball group where they all do repetitive stroking and footwork drills. You likely make adjustments for beginning players who can’t yet do anything beyond basic strokes, but then you just have them drill and Drill and DRILL. That’s a quick way to shut off the flow of enthusiastic players who love the sport and who will practice hard and become strong players. As I’ve written here before, telling kids ages 5-10 and often older that if they train hard, they can become top players, is usually counterproductive unless you also give them a reason to want to become top players. And that means having them do age-appropriate drills. You can’t expect a five-year-old to do 90 minutes of drills several times a week and end up an enthusiastic player who wants to be great. You just end up with a bored kid who wants to switch sports or watch video games.

Tips of the Week
Here are all the Tips of the Week I put up during my seven weeks away. (A nine-day writing workshop, followed by my European Tour - see below.) As noted before, I’m taking a break from creating new Tips, and am going through previous ones.

Tip of the Week
Play Into the Weird Stuff.