April 12, 2018

Michael Maze Short Push
Denmark star Michael Maze retired in 2016 after a series of injuries, but recently has been training for a comeback at age 36. He's a former top ten player, who won the bronze medal in Men's Doubles at the 2004 Olympics, made the semifinals of Men's Singles at the 2005 Worlds, won the Europeans Men's Singles Championships in 2009, and made the quarterfinals of Men's Singles at the 2012 Olympics. At the 2005 Worlds he beat two Chinese players, Wang Hao (Men's Singles Silver Medalist at the 2004 Olympics and world #1 or #2 at the time) and Hao Shuai, often lobbing them down. Against Hao in the quarterfinals he was down 0-3 and saved three match points before winning in one of the great comebacks in history. He's a lefty looper, and probably the best lobber in the world. But he's also known for his soft touch, such as in receive. 

Here's a video (1:35, some of it in slow motion) of him practicing his short push against a side-backspin serve. Most players, when pushing, whether short or long, just aim in the opposite direction of the sidespin to compensate. But at the advanced levels they do more than that. Notice how he not only angles his paddle sideways to offset the incoming sidespin, but sidespin-grazes the ball back, meeting the sidespin straight on and putting his own sidespin on the ball? (Watch how the ball curves away after he hits it.)

By finely grazing the ball, most of his energy goes into spin, and so there's little forward energy, making it easy for him to push short. That's probably the most common reason players do not push short well - they try to just tap the ball back softly rather than graze it back.

Potomac Pizza and Table Tennis
Come join me for Pizza! Today, from 4-9PM, Potomac Pizza at the Traville Gateway Center in Rockville (9709 Traville Gateway Drive, Rockville, MD 20850) will donate 20% of all proceeds. Here's the promotional flyer! You may either bring this flyer with you or tell your server that you’re here to support HW GLOBAL FOUNDATION and they will add you to the totals. I teach a class from 6:30-7:30PM, and plan to drive over afterwards, probably arriving around 8PM. Hope to see some of you there!

Butterfly MDTTC April Open
I'm be running the MDTTC April Open this weekend, April 14-15, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Deadline to enter is 7PM on Friday. It includes a link that allows you to enter online through Omnipong, as well as a link to the PDF entry form you can print out. Events are Open, U2400, U2200, U2000, U1900, U1600, U1300, U1000, Over 50, Under 15, and Under 12. Don't miss the great Promotional video (2:32) put together by Mossa Barandao of Pongmobile! Also, the HW Global Foundation Talent Program Kids will hold a bake sale at the tournament - come support them!

Croatia Open
Here's the ITTF home page for the event, which started yesterday, which started yesterday in Zagreb, CRO, April 10-14.

Importance of Spin!
Here's the article by Samson Dubina.

New Videos from EmRatThich

Semi Brilliant Thoughts From a Table Tennis Think Tank
Here's the article from Coach Jon. "As far as I know, there are no table tennis think tanks. There are no brain trusts that we can put our faith in to solve our table tennis issues.  I get to share my thoughts on a daily basis through coaching. Once a week I gather up the best insights and blog about them."

Grand Opening of the Glen Head Table Tennis Center and Chess Academy
Here's the video (3 min), with talks from Tahl Leibovitz and others.

What a Way to Save Match Point from Singapore
Here's the video (31 sec) of this incredible doubles point from the BBC as England wins the point.

Creative "Big Backhand"
Here's the video (1:22, but the actual shot is in the first 8 sec, the rest is various slow-mo replays).

2018 TATA Trickshot Competition
Here's the video (38 sec) as Liu Guoliang challenges you to rally with as many balls as he can!

Super-High Ball Mishit, Set to Music
Here's the video (27 sec)!

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