October 7, 2013

Tip of the Week

Covering the Middle with the Forehand. (Note - here's a related Tip from a year ago, "Covering the Middle.")

Veep

My chances for winning an Emmy just went up a million times, from one in a quintillion to one in a trillion. Yep, a million times better.

On Friday I got a call and emails from one of the casting directors for the TV show Veep. This is the high-rated HBO comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (of Seinfeld fame) as the constantly befuddled and out of her depth vice president of the United States. A few weeks ago she won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy. I've watched most of the episodes - it's pretty funny.

It seems they are doing an episode that at least partially features table tennis. They need 6-8 high-level table tennis players, aged 18-30 but all appearing in their 20s, of varying diversities. They also hired me, even though I'm outside their age range at 53. The filming is this Wed and Thur, at University of Maryland. We have to be there all day both days. It is paid work.

From what I understand from a very brief description, the players will be dressed in regular business attired, and the scene takes place at some techie place like Google. At some point the workers get up and play table tennis, and they're all great. That's all I know, or think I know.

If you fit the profile for this, and are free all day Wed and Thur, and would like to join us, email me and I'll put you in contact with the casting person.

Table Tennis & Academic Afterschool Program

We're starting a new program at the Maryland Table Tennis Center where we combine table tennis with academics. It doesn't start until January, but we're already taking applicants - and there already a number of interested people. Basically the MDTTC coaches will pick kids up after school (either at school or at home), bring them to the club, and then they do both a study period and table tennis session. Guess who's in charge of the academic side? Yes, that would be me. (We have six other full-time coaches who will run the table tennis side, though I'll likely help out.) I've tutored kids for years. My qualifications: bachelor's in math, masters in journalism, and seven books and over 1400 published articles. (Wen Hsu is also helping with the tutoring.) I not only can tutor math and English, but I'm also pretty good at history and most other subjects - except for one subject, which has always been my nemesis, foreign language. Yep, I'm your typical one-language American. If you are local and interested, here's the MDTTC Table Tennis & Academic Afterschool Program.

2013 Annual USATT Giving Campaign

Here's the USATT page where you can donate money. They've raised $20,439.65 so far this year. (One thing I don't understand - why do they have the "Honor Roll Pledge Gift: $250" first, and then the "Platinum Gift," which appears to be over $1000, with pledges as high as $5000 (from Richard Lee of North American Table Tennis)? They have it listed the same way in the new issue of USATT Magazine.

Ma Long Doing Multiball

Here's the video (49 sec) of the world #1 ranked player looping from both wings against backspin. Watch how he moves his feet, and how he generates power with his whole body.

Interview with Fan Zhendong

Here's a video interview (1:59, with English captions) with the teenage sensation from China, already ranked #10 in the world at age 16. I like how he stressed how they kept it fun when he was younger so that his interest stayed. A lot of coaches and parents don't understand that part.

Great Point at Europeans

Here's the video (1:12, though it really ends after 52 sec). Lots of ground covered, switching hands, and yes, that chop did climb over the net for a winner. They also show a second spectacular point, but the first one is the one to watch.

The Beauty of Table Tennis Part 4

Here's the video (5:24). And in case you missed them, here is part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Gravity the Movie

Yes, there's a table tennis connection! I saw Gravity on Saturday night - it was great, and you should see it. (It's getting great reviews from both critics and regular viewers.) I'm not big on 3-D, but this is one movie you should see in 3-D. Now come some minor spoilers - read at your own risk. Early in the film, in a U.S. ship, you see a figurine of Marvin the Martian floating about. When they get to the Russian ship, it's a chess piece floating about. When they get to the Chinese ship, about ten minutes from the end, twice you see a ping-pong paddle floating about! The three floating items represent the country - Marvin the Martian is sort of an icon to the U.S. space industry; chess is the national pastime in Russia; and of course table tennis is a national sport in China. But here's the 800-pound gorilla in the room: why in heck would there be a ping-pong paddle in a spaceship? There's no room for a table.

Mrs. Met vs. Serena Williams

Here's a picture of the two playing table tennis. (Mrs. Met is a mascot of the New York Mets; Serena Williams has won a few tennis tournaments.) Apparently Mrs. Met won!

Amazing Ping-Pong Tricks with a Knife

Here's the video (37 sec) - don't try this yourself!!! So here's my question: is this real, or do you think it was done digitally?

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