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I think this is fine if you are playing at a lower level. You can win loads of points through strong serves. But at higher standards, every serve you do is returnable (and mostly will be returned). No player can come up with a consistently unreturnable serve. So therefore, the emphasis of the...

I'm not sure if your reward system is quite right. It doesn't really matter on which number shot the point is won. A 5th ball attack winner has no less value than a 3rd ball attack winner. What we're really trying to do is initiate a strong attack in the first five balls (excluding serve) so we...

Sound like you have a great venue. Out of interest, how are you promoting the tournaments?

Oops, I did it wrong! Link is working now.

Hi all I just published my new table tennis blog post How to deal with nerves in table tennis matches. In the blog post I talk about my own problems dealing with nerves and how I have tried to overcome them. I'd be interested to know how other people deal with their nerves too. What methods...

Yep, there's some useful off-the table exercises at the beginning of the video which can be used. Although I don't think it all has to be "off the table" to begin with. I think it's good to get them on the table hitting some balls as early as possible.

I'll have a go first... They key point for me in your scenario is "They have never played table tennis." This makes it a little tricky to get started, as the kids won't be able to play together. If you ever try to get two complete beginners to play table tennis together, even FH to FH, it...

The crucial thing on your list is number 2 - reading service spin. If you can't read the service spin, you have no chance of returning well. This will make you nervous for your matches, as you probably feel you have a lack of control. Receiving is difficult and it does take a lot of practice...

And related... here's one of my blog posts with tips on preparing for a new league season: www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/are-you-ready-for-new-table-tennis-league-season/

Hi all In the UK, our local league winter season will be starting soon. Last year, I played in the Cambridge League (Div 1) and finished just under 50% win percentage. This year, I obviously want to get a higher win percentage (50%-60% and I’ll be happy), but I’d also like to play a more...

Hi Pawel I have this robot at home and I have used it quite a lot over the past 3-4 years, so can give you some good advice. Firstly, have realistic expectations about what you can do with a robot. Training with a robot isn't going to make you a world beater, but it can help you improve if you...

Other websites I enjoy reading are: http://www.experttabletennis.com/ http://www.mhtabletennis.com/ http://www.tabletenniscoaching.com/blog http://t3atl.com/blog/ http://www.samsondubina.com/news http://epictabletennisjourney.blogspot.co.uk/...

I have a heap of stuff on my website: http://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/blog/ Lots of table tennis tips and articles on tactics, training drills, equipment. I also have opinion pieces and some light-hearted stuff too.

You could also try some rallying drills where you switch between backhand and forehand. These sort of drills are good for developing your rallying foundations, good for footwork, good for recovery position, good for switching between strokes. For examples, take a look at this page on my...

Even with a 40 year lay off, you can still get back playing to a decent standard. Yes, some things will have changed, but there are some universals which will always apply - tactics, placement, consistency etc. We have players in my local league (Cambridge) who are still going strong in their...

I get what you’re saying. You’re not going to learn a huge amount by playing endless defence against a low level defensive player. It’s not a great tactic, as you’ll end up playing down to their level. It will be dull and not very satisfying. Against these low level defenders, you should be...

I'm going to go slightly off-topic, but I found this part of your post quite interesting... If I was coaching you, I wouldn't be looking to solve the problem you have by changing rubbers. There are some more fundamental questions you should ask yourself first. Why can your opponent return your...

At this stage, I wouldn't stress too much about it. I have coached beginner/improver players who use the Palio Master bat. It's a decent bat for their standard of play. But here's the thing. If you keep playing table tennis, you will end up changing rubbers and blades several times in the first...

Ha! This is how I used to play my backhand when I was 8 years old! I always knew it was a great shot.

A good tactic to try (to begin with) is to push, topspin, push, topspin. The logic is this... You push. The long pimples player pushes back. The ball comes back as float. You topspin. The long pimples player chops back. The ball comes back with heavy backspin. At this point, you could topspin...