Equipment Reviews
Long ago I decided not to do equipment reviews here at TableTennisCoaching.com, because 1) it involves too many conflicts of interest, since I'm a sponsored coach; and 2) I'm more interested in technique and tactics than equipment. But I'm aware that I'm somewhat in the minority on this, as most table tennis players are divided into two camps: those obsessed with equipment, and those REALLY obsessed with equipment. For those EJ's ("Equipment Junkies"), visit Table Tennis DB, which specializes in equipment reviews - about 8000 of them!
When I meet a player who's obsessed with equipment and rated under 2000, I have a simple cure. I play them with a clipboard. I rarely lose. Technique and tactics beat equipment every time. (I've been playing with a clipboard during breaks in our junior sessions and camps for over 20 years, and am about 2100 now, mostly chopping and pick-hitting.)
It is important to get good sponge, especially for loopers. As I've blogged before, some of the modern looping sponges practically loop by themselves, and are well worth whatever you pay to get them, at least for serious players of the looping species. I often wish I could take a stack of these sponges and bring them back to the 1980s and early 1990s for myself.
And it is important for players to experiment with equipment to know what's out there. If you go to a club, there's a whole club full of players with rackets and sponge you can ask to try out. Once you find something that works for you, stick with it unless and until they come out with something truly better for you.
Professional Table Tennis Coaches Handbook
I just finished updating and formatting this for Amazon. A proof copy is in the mail. If all goes well, it'll be on sale in a week, and I'll announce it here. The manual, which I wrote several years ago, is 44 pages long, and will sell for $10. (I'll probably do a Kindle version later.) It is intended for top players and coaches, and is about the professional side of coaching. Here's the Amazon description: "Long-time professional table tennis coach and USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer Larry Hodges shows how you can become a professional table tennis coach. This is not a manual on how to coach; it's a manual on how to make a living as a coach - how to maximize income, getting a facility and equipment, recruiting and retaining students, teaching classes, how to set up and run a junior program, private coaching, a drills library, sample flyers to promote your coaching, and more."
New World Rankings
Here are the new April rankings. There are few major changes at the top. On the Men's side, the top nine rankings were unchanged, with Ma Long at #1 for the second month in a row. On the women's side there were no changes in the top ten, and Ding Ning remains #1 for the 18th month in a row, since November 2011.
Crystal Wang
When the Cary Cup Championships was processed last week, there were a few mistakes, which primarily affected Crystal Wang, who is from my club. (I coach her in some of her tournament matches, including the key match at Cary Cup where she upset the top seed in her group to move into the "A" Division.) In the corrected ratings, Crystal, who just turned 11, is rated 2292. This makes her #1 in Under 12 (boys and girls), #1 in Under 14 Girls, #2 in Under 16 girls (6 points behind Tina Lin), #7 in Under 18 Girls, and #12 in Under 22 Girls. She's not quite back to the 2355 she achieved at age 10 (before that "blip" at the Nationals - she wasn't there mentally), but she's close. She's been causing havoc among 2300 players in our Elite League on Sundays for quite some time.
Table Tennis Master
Here are three new coaching articles at Table Tennis Master.
Using Your Legs When Playing Forehand
Here's a video (2:14) from PingSkills on this. The key point - balance.
Chinese Table Tennis Team - Military Training
Here's a video from Dec., 2011, showing the Chinese National Team undergoing military training. It's in Chinese, but the video is rather interesting. Most of the "soldiers" shown training are Chinese team members, including the ones interviewed. How many can you recognize?
Artistic Picture of Ding Ning
Here's an artistic picture of World #1 woman Ding Ning, with an urban skyline background. I think that's New York City, but can anyone verify? Or perhaps it's Beijing or Shanghai? (EDIT - the artist, Mike Mezyan, has informed me it's the Chicago skyline! Shows how well I recognize our major cities.)
Prince William and Kate Play Table Tennis
Here's a video (3:29) of Prince William and Kate of England playing table tennis. Someone needs to explain to Kate that high heels and table tennis don't mix well.
Improvised Table Tennis
Here's a video (1:30) with one of the more improvised nets I've seen - two boys grabbing hands across a table for the net.
Pigeons Playing Ping-Pong
You have to see this video (39 sec) - yes, actual pigeons playing "ping-pong," taught by behavior psychologist BF Skinner. As the narration explains, the pigeons were taught that they could eat whenever they won a point!
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Re: April 12, 2013
Larry,
In that Airport TT video, why is it that the kids look so smooth and fluid like dancers while your strokes look a little like one of those wind up monkeys with the cymbals?
Note: In fairness, you might look a little mechanical, but my videos look like they were done with stop-action animation. And even then there is more "stop" than "action".
Mark - Hoping this weekends tournament drops my rating enough (and get processed soon enough) to give me a chance in a US Open rating event.
Re: April 12, 2013
In reply to Re: April 12, 2013 by mjamja
I'm definitely way too stiff - always have been. When I coach I warn players not to copy that. I also loop with my arm too bent, care of both stiffness and past arm problems. But the key thing to note - most of my shots are hitting the airport table! (And I still beat the 2200 juniors most of the time.) As to the kids, if their shots look smooth and fluid, then the MDTTC coaches have done well!
Re: April 12, 2013
In reply to Re: April 12, 2013 by Larry Hodges
Yes indeed, your shots were landing. Maybe even with my old stiff body there may be some hope of getting better. I just signed up for a 3 day camp with Stellan and Angie in Oklahoma. If you hear that Stellan retired from coaching due to severe frustration then you will know that I was the cause.
Mark
Re: wet ball
i sweat a ton (usually go through at least 2 shirts on league nights at MDTTC, and that was over winter!), but i try dilligently to keep my hands, and my side of the table clean and dry... however, this past tuesday i had something happen that i wasn't sure how to handle, and the way i instinctively handled it i am not sure was legal: right as i was tossing the ball for service, a giant drop of sweat fell from my face onto the ball. i just stopped my service action immediately, grabbed the ball, and called a let to clean-off the ball. my opponent was cool with it, but i know that as soon as the ball leaves your hand the point has officially started, and so you cannot just interupt the action to start over, and anything other than a successful serve, or let, is considered losing the point. i guess that considering the discussion above, what i did was legal, and within the rules, and would be a let...is this correct?
i think i am going to start bringing towels. :-|
as always, love the blog!
Re: wet ball
In reply to Re: wet ball by douglas.harley
Actually, your catching the ball and calling a let was completely correct. The rule states that play may be interrupted "because the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which could affect the outcome of the rally." The giant drop of sweat falling on the ball did exactly that.
Re: wet ball
In reply to Re: wet ball by Larry Hodges
awesome!...thanks for the clarification. glad to know my instincts were correct in this case.
i took 2 towels in last night, and it definitely was helpful. it is getting hot inside MDTTC these days!