January 13, 2015

Capital Area Super League

Interest in the Capital Area Super League seems pretty high, with lots of players discussing it at MDTTC and (I'm told) other clubs. Of course the main obstacle for something like this is that it's "new," i.e. something that hasn't been done much in the U.S., though it's the backbone of European table tennis, where they often count memberships in the hundreds of thousands. I envision team leagues like this all over the country. The people who don't see this are the same ones who eight years ago didn't think there were enough players in the U.S. to support full-time training centers. Just as full-time centers created their own base of players, team leagues will do the same, once organized and given the chance. It'll take time - but it has to start somewhere. As I've blogged repeatedly, we need a prototype regional team league that can be copied all over the country, and that's one of the things I hope to do here - in addition to just having a highly successful league. If you live in the Washington DC area, I hope you will sign up!

A few items regarding the league:

  • The old web address was long and cumbersome. Yesterday I bought www.CapitalTT.com, and it's now the official web address for the league. Later it'll likely become the web address for a Capital Area Table Tennis Association.
  • The league now has a "Looking for a Team" link (go to the bottom).
  • The league organizing committee is Mike Levene, Stefano Ratti (these two are the prime movers), John Olsen, and Larry Hodges (me).

Adult Beginning/Intermediate Class

I'm teaching a new Adult Beginning/Intermediate Class (beginner to roughly 1500 USATT rating), Sundays from 6:30-8:00PM, starting Feb. 15. Here's the flyer. I've taught this course about thirty times before. It's a great way to introduce new players to the sport, plus the students in the class become their own peer group, and often start coming to the club on the same nights. This is one of the best ways for clubs to pick up new members. The main alternative with new players is to tell them to call winners one some table where they'll get eaten alive by a more experienced player, and you never see them again. Maybe that's not such a good idea!

If you want to teach such a class, the first step is to put together a flyer. Then post the flyer everywhere. Also send info to local newspapers - most will publish the info in their community calendars. You probably want an assistant, both for demos, but also to help with the coaching, either walking around, hitting with someone if there's an odd number, or feeding multiball.

Segun Toriola Incredible Lobbing Point

Here's video (66 sec) of "The best point in the history of table tennis." It's not far from the truth! But you can learn from video. If you watch Segun Toriola (world #159, formerly #56, from Nigeria), you'll notice that he never really needs to move fast - he's returning rip after rip, and yet there's no lunging, no diving, just smooth stepping into position to return each shot. How does he do this? Here are things to watch for:

  1. His wide stance gives him great balance and a quick start in either direction.
  2. He watches his opponent closely, and begins to react almost the instant the ball is being struck, or even before.
  3. He keeps his lobs deep, which cuts down on the angles and gives him more time to react.
  4. His lobs have good topspin, making the ball jump, which keeps the opponent from taking the ball too quickly.

I think his opponent is Singapore's Gao Ning, but I'm not sure - couldn't get a good look from the video since his back is to us, and I can't make out the name on the back. Can anyone tell?
(NOTE: someone anonymously emailed to verify it was Gao Ning, and said he was also able to freeze the video and see the name on the back.)

Agility Training with a Robot

Here video (60 sec) of Samson Dubina doing footwork training with a robot.

2015 USATT Direct Athlete Support Program

Here's info on this new USATT program for elite athletes.

ITTF Course in Singapore

Here's video (3:48) from a course taught in Singapore in 2012 by USA Coach Richard McAfee.

2014 - The Year in Review

Here's the new video (5:52) from the ITTF.

Butterfly News

Here's the Butterfly USA news page - some interesting stuff there.

Zhang Jike Signing Autographs

Just an interesting picture.

Where's the Ball?

Guess right in this contest, and you'll have a chance to win a 190 Stiga blade signed by Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong, Yan An, and Zhu Yuling!

Mornington Table Tennis Player Jim Healy Marks 90th Birthday

Here's the article from the Melbourne Herald Sun.

Secretin-Purkart Show

Here's video (3:40) of the greatest table tennis exhibition team ever. This video was posted in 2007 (and is probably from years before that), but many of us remember this great exhibition team from France. Secretin was a top ten player in the world for many years (and 17-time French Men's Singles Champion), but it was for his exhibitions with Purkart that he is best known. Secretin, the lefty, was the "straight man," who brought sheer genius play to the team, while Purkart, a top chopper (two-time French Men's Singles Champion and seven-time finalist, probably many more if not for Secretin), would clown around.

Table Tennis Warnings

Every club needs these warnings (from Mike Mezyan) about falling tables and no walking on them!

Table Tennis Cartoon

I have no idea what's going on here, but there's some great table tennis action apparently going on in this picture! (Some explanation is given here - page toward the end.)

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