Blockers don’t get much respect. Their game isn’t real flashy. A lot of blockers are one dimensional, and their style seems to be ill-suited to the modern game. Players don’t normally appreciate blockers, until they play a really good one. Scattered across the world of table tennis are players who have made blocking a major …
Part 1 – Greetings from beautiful downtown Narashino. From where I sit, I’m only a quick bus ride and a short train trip from Tokyo. This is my third trip to Japan. On my previous trips I’ve been able to work in a few table tennis sessions. It doesn’t look like I’ll be playing on …
What would it mean to reach a USATT rating of 2000? A 2000 rating is a nice round number that proves you are playing table tennis at a recognizably high level. Is 2000 simply too high for the average club player? 2000 is a worthy goal because many will attempt to reach 2000, but not …
I could have taken up a different sport. At different times in my life I’ve played baseball, basketball, ran track, and dabbled in several other athletic endeavors. I fully experienced the loneliness of the long distance runner, and the comradery of team sports. Table tennis wasn’t necessarily my first choice. It’s not such a bad …
There have been plenty of articles written about the value of table tennis for adults, and particularly seniors. I’ve got a page devoted completely to coaching seniors. Seniors Table Tennis Program. There is a little less information about the value of table tennis for children. Actually, I’m not advocating for worldwide ping pong participation for …
Tired of playing the same old people? I know I am. Nothing against the metro Atlanta table tennis crowd, but I’m ready to get out of town. Fortunately I’ll be taking two trips in the near future. I’ll be going almost 7000 miles to Japan, and I may get to squeeze in some table tennis. …
How long do you think it will take me to be a ______ rated player? You can fill in the number with a 1000, 1500, 2000, or any other number that seems like a worthy goal. I get this question on a fairly regular basis. I usually make an educated guess, and I’m almost always …
I regret to inform my loyal readers, good friends, and web surfers, that thousands, perhaps millions of table tennis players are missing. This is generally going unreported by the mainstream media. As the president of one of the world’s smallest table tennis clubs, I was not fully aware of the extent of this unexplained phenomenon. …
Continue reading “MIA Table Tennis (The Two Ingredients To Grow Table Tennis)”
I come from a long line of ancestors who have “moderate to severe” hearing loss. I learned early, that to communicate with one branch of the family I would have to crank up the volume, especially with older aunts and uncles. This occasionally carried over to other family groups, who may have wondered why I …
Continue reading “The Significant Special Sounds of Table Tennis”
There was no way to know when I arrived that I would be part of a rare event in table tennis. I would put it on the same level as a triple play, a shot from half court, or a Hail Mary touchdown. I was one of five players playing in the same group at …
