August 30, 2016

Still Sick
I’m writing this at 4:45AM. Why? Because I’m in all sorts of joint pain from the flu, especially hip pain, and I can’t sleep. Most of the flu symptoms aren’t as bad as the last time I had the flu (though my stomach can best be described as “hyper-queasy”), but the joint pain is incredible. This happened yesterday as well – it seems to act up more at night. It’s very painful to lie down; sitting or standing is the only way to alleviate it. Anyway, the good news is that most of yesterday it wasn’t so bad, so I got a lot of work done on Dan Seemiller’s autobiography – in fact, other than the index and finalizing the covers, it’s basically ready to print out and proof. I’m hoping to do that today, flu gods permitting.

Big Breaking Sidespin Serve
Here’s the video (4:30), but the link should take you to 26 sec in, where the kid on the far side does the breaking serve. I do this serve all the time, and I’ll never understand why more players don’t learn such serves. It’s just a matter of serving deep with a lot of sidespin. Not only does it work here when you serve into an opponent’s forehand (lefty serving to righty or vice versa), but it also works if you serve it into the backhand (righty vs. righty or lefty vs. lefty), where it breaks away from the player, forcing them to reach for the ball.

USATT News Items
They have a bunch of new ones, so why not browse over them? (I linked to a few already.)

Zhang Jike Changing His Heart on Retirement
Here’s the ITTF article.

Ozone Park Resident Aims for Table Tennis Gold in Rio
Here’s the article from the Times-Ledger featuring Tahl Leibovitz.

The Ping Pong Club: Loser's Club
Here’s the DVD – you can get the 3-hour video for only 99 cents!

Great Rally!
Here’s the video (37 sec).

A Tale of Two Tables
Yesterday I linked to a table made of gold. Here’s the other end of the spectrum.

Golf and Ping-Pong Balls in Love
Here’s the table tennis cartoon!

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