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Hi all, here's a new coaching video I have made, where I explain how to improve your 3rd ball attack. The video is mainly aimed at intermediate players, but there may be some useful tips for more advanced players too. In the video I talk about: - Expecting your serve to be returned -...

Both options can work and should be used. There is no 'rule' to say you should only do one or the other. I use both serves and at the level I play at, both can be very effective at setting up FH attacks. For pendulum serves - you are right the spin will make the ball kick back to the backhand...

I agree with this. There are so many people who serve illegal - and not always umpires available to enforce the rule - you need to adapt to the situation rather than get thrown off your own game. From my experience there are two types of illegal serve which happen the most: (1) players who do...

Absolutely. And it's important to get these both right. You can do all the footwork exercises in the world, but if you are too upright and stuck on your heels, it's always going to feel a bit of a struggle to move quickly.

How to improve your footwork? 1. Get your stance right - feet at least shoulder width apart, flex in knees, lean forwards at waist 2. Get you weight on the front of your feet, rather than your heels 3. Commit to playing with your feet, e.g. move to the ball, rather than reaching 4. Do regular...

As others have commented - there is a real variance between different types of 40+ plastic ball. So even if you do multi-ball with one type of ball, it may not help you a great deal if you have to play a league match / tournament with a different type of plastic ball. It's a bit frustrating that...

I'm fascinated by this nature/nurture stuff. I have two small children - boy who is 6 and girl who is 2, so going through this right now. Before children I was completely on the side of 'nurture', e.g. boys are conditioned by society to like blue, wheels, physical activities etc and girls are...

So far, 101 people have completed the table tennis quiz and one person managed to get all 20 questions right. What are you waiting for? Take on the quiz master and see how many questions you can get right... http://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/toms-table-tennis-quiz-2017/

SFF_lib - you are not alone! I reckon most of us on this forum have a table tennis addiction! It's a good addiction to have and the only thing you can do is find more ways to play table tennis (although not that easy when you have two young kids!). I do a lot of table tennis coaching. If I...

It’s time for my new end-of-year table tennis quiz! How good is your table tennis knowledge? I have 20 questions about table tennis during 2017. Each question has four possible answers for you to choose from. If you don’t know the answer, just have a guess. You have 1 in 4 chance of getting...

I think this is so true. And something I completely relate to. My technique is nowhere near as smooth as other players, but my consistency is high, my ball placement is good and my tactics strong. I'm a better player than I look for sure. It also reminds me of something my coach tells me. My...

It's a nice problem to have. You have good shots, good ball placement, good serves, good reading of spin. Improving your fitness and committing to playing your 'A' game more often should be straight forward to achieve. And if you play your 'A' game more often, you'll probably find that you'll...

Hey! Well done. Congrats on the win. It was a tough match, but you got there. So I see plenty of good things about your game. You have some strong serves, good ball placement and some nice whip on your forehand. Actually you have some really nice shots - backhand and forehand - but you don't...

Hi UpSideDownCarl I really appreciate your input, not just in this thread, but the entire forum. You do a great job. Actually this entire TTD forum has been a revelation to me. I put off posting for a long time, as I was a bit apprehensive of what other's would think of may articles and...

Yes! If a stroke is a little unorthodox, but still consistent, it can be very effective. Especially against new opponents who are not used to reading the cues of the stroke action.

I often wonder about this. Do Chinese players dominate because their technique is superior or because of volume of participants, intense levels of competition, huge amounts of resources? And it always makes me smile when people criticise Timo Boll's technique because it is different to CNT. I...

Completely agree. My FH topspin in the video is nothing more than a very basic technique. I coach a lot of beginners and from much experience I have learnt that you need to keep things really simple to begin with. This is what I was trying to get across in the video. I actually quite like the...

This cheered me up no end! Thanks! It is really appreciated. I completely agree. I actually find many of the comments really useful! I like to think I have something to teach the big bulk of players learning to play, e.g. social players, beginner club players, intermediate players, lower...

Hi all I just posted a new article on my website and I'd like to know what you think. http://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/do-you-need-perfect-technique/ The article was inspired by the comments I get on my youtube channel, where my technique sometimes gets completely trashed (it can be a brutal...

I agree with the 'unexpectedly high spin levels' comment. I have been using Rakza 7 on my backhand for the past year. I love it! It does everything well - low pushes, easy blocking, spinny topspins - and it has this surprising extra gear (if using correct technique), where you can really...