June 8, 2026

Tip of the Week
Do You Hit to the Three Spots?

Anti, Long Pips, and Inverted – the Return of the Prodigal Player
After six weeks of experimenting, I’ve decided to go back to inverted on my backhand. It’s not that the long pips and anti on the backhand didn’t work, it’s more a combination that they didn’t magically transport me into being the best player in the world; they didn’t solve my inability to move as I used to (while the backhand block was fine, I often watched balls whiz by on the wide corners); and most important, I just didn’t enjoy playing with them as much as I did with inverted, where I could emulate the best players in the world and pretend I could play like them.

Another factor is it takes time to adjust to such a different surface. I was getting there, but then one of my molars cracked, and it turned out to be a rather serious issue – and I ended up with what they called dental extraction surgery last Tuesday, and under orders not to do anything seriously physical for a week. So, right as I’m preparing to win everything at the upcoming Nationals (July 3-9 in San Jose), I lost a week. Perhaps worse, after a week of couch-potatoness, I’m well out of shape again.

I was given the okay to take long walks after the first five days. Yesterday (Sunday) I spent six hours walking around Washington DC. I spent two hours at the National Zoo, then took the subway downtown and walked about, visiting the Trump Kennedy Center (they still haven’t taken Trump’s name off, but they are required to do so by June 12 (this Friday); Lincoln Memorial; Washington Monument; White House (watched all the construction as they prepare the “circus” part of Bread and Circuses – Google it); American History Museum; and the Natural History Museum. Since I’m about 20 miles north and practically grew up in the Natural History Museum (my parents both worked there as an entomologist and scientific illustrator) and I go there a few times a year, I know it very well. I often do editing at the Lincoln Memorial.

One really irritating thing – there’s all sorts of construction on the National Mall as they prepare for the 250th Anniversary celebrations. But the bozos in charge forgot to leave walkways through it. So, when you get out of the Smithsonian Metro Station, instead of a two-minute walk to the Natural History Museum, you have to take a 25-minute detour way off to the side to the nearest street. There were lots of irritated people and lots of security people who seemed to spend most of their time explaining this to irritated tourists. The only good news from this is I got more exercise. But my legs are extremely sore and stiff. I have my first practice session in a week tomorrow, and I’ll probably be paying for my National Mall excursion.

Ping-Pong Paddles Can’t Talk!
Yesterday I sent messages to a number of table tennis writers/bloggers/vloggers, inviting them to review the upcoming children’s table tennis book. Next Monday I’ll blog about its grand opening! If you are a table tennis writer/blogger/vlogger, email me if you’d like a copy to review. The book is finalized and looks great! It’s 80 pages and fully illustrated in color. (No AI was used.) It’ll be sold at Amazon and Butterfly. I have two author copies coming to me this Friday, and 50 more soon afterwards. I’ll be selling it along with all 27 of my table tennis books at the June 27-28 MDTTC Open, and it’ll be on sale at the Butterfly booth at the US Nationals in July.

This isn’t just for kids – adults will love it too, unless you’re an old fuddy-duddy. Well, are you?

On interesting thing – in the original cover, the girl on the far side, Li, was playing right-handed. (That’s how she appears in the cover illustrations I’ve shared here a few times.) But early on we established in the book that she’s left-handed. So, we had to change the cover and some of the illustrations. There’s no mention of her being lefty in the text, she’s just drawn that way – and I almost missed the fact that in the initial sketches, she sometimes was lefty, sometimes righty! I just wasn’t looking for it. (The other main star, Kevin, was also sketched as a lefty a few times, and I almost didn’t catch that at first. He’s holding the paddle in his left hand on the cover, but that’s just because it made the illustration better, and he’s not actually playing lefty.)

Table Tennis Exhibition I Did Eleven Years Ago
Here’s the video (25 min), with Stefano Ratti my partner/opponent. The first six minutes are a demonstration, then we get to the exhibition. Lots of trick shots. Gee, I could play really well back then! (I should have used a microphone so I can be heard better. Turn your volume up. But exhibition tricks are more visual.)

Help Shape Major League Table Tennis
Here’s the news item from Major League Table Tennis. As I’ve blogged about, MLTT and the spread of full-time training centers are by far the two biggest and best things to happen to table tennis in the US in many decades, perhaps ever.

Butterfly Training Tips

Does Watching High-Level Players Help Amateur Players Improve? By Coach Bob Chen
Here’s the article by Coach Bob Chen.

20 New Skills in 14 Days | Marcus’s Table Tennis Transformation
Here’s the video (10:31) from Ti Long.

The Layered Table Tennis System
Here’s the video (7:52) from Biomechanics Applied to Table Tennis.

Want to Feel Real Body Power in Your Loops?
Here’s the video (6:01) from the Table Tennis Teaching Channel, where they teach the “Triangle Theory.”

How to Chop Block
Here’s the video (2:41) from Acceleraq, with Dutch Table Tennis National Team Member Milo de Boer.

New from Ping Sunday/EmRatThich
Here’s his video page, lots of new ones.

New from Global TT Studio

New from PingSkills
Ask the Coach.

Inside the Fan Zone at the World Team Championships
Here’s the video (6:18) from Pingispagarna.

The Spirit That Faded: Xu Xin's Final Era
Here’s the video (3:52) from Beyond the Podium.

NCTTA Scholarship Program Deadline Approaching--ACT NOW!
Here’s the news item.

New from Steve Hopkins

New from USATT

New from ITTF

Two Humorous Table Tennis Sites
Since these two sites have regular humorous items each week, rather than link to each I just link to the sites for those who wish to partake.

It’s a Table Tennis Thing. You Wouldn’t Understand.
Here’s where you can buy the shirt at Amazon!

Never Try to Run Under a Table
Here’s the video (9 sec)!

Ping-Pong Egg Switch
Here’s the video (24 sec) – it’s hilarious! Have to try this at my club (but bring cleaning supplies).

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