Revspin.net – Table Tennis Blog
Serves are the only part of the game where you have full control. You can dictate how the rally will develop by having a serve strategy and executing on it, so focus on this part of your game. Committing considerable time to this craft can be the fastest way to progress. In this article, I will be outlining nine tips that I personally use to perfect my serve. Continue reading “Perfecting Your Serve”
Most players label topspin shots into several categories such as: loop, block, or smash. However, modern attacking players have developed an offensive block called an active block. Active blocking is a combination of a block, loop, and counterloop. It is best used off-the-bounce against a slow to medium speed loop. Continue reading “Active Blocking”
Throughout the last fifteen years of tournament participation, I have noticed that handicap events have been some of the most exciting for all participants. So what is a handicap event? Continue reading “Handicap Events”
It’s easy to get enamoured by the latest Tensor technology and the bright packaging of the Butterfly Tenergy series, but this equipment is usually not suitable for most people, especially players at the amateur/intermediate level.
My own personal rule is that nobody with a USATT rating under 1900 (or isn’t being coached) should be using very high-speed equipment like the Butterfly Tenergy 05 or an OFF+ rated blade. If you’re a developing player, or are in the market for your first competition-grade racket, pay attention.
My full-time job is coaching students aged 5-75. Regardless of age, I expect each of my students to listen to my coaching as I give them advice point-by-point and apply what I am teaching them during each coaching session. During a coaching session, I am in charge; my student’s job is to listen to my advice. Continue reading “Who’s the Coach?”
From Asia to Africa to Europe, there are thousands of professional table tennis athletes who are aspiring to be the next World Champion. One of the key elements to reaching the top is consistent training six hours per day. Most top players wake up, eat breakfast, train three hours, eat lunch, rest, then train three more hours in the late afternoon. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day to fuel an intense early morning session. Continue reading “Breakfast of Champions”
Seventy-five percent of the time, whoever attacks first wins the point (this statistic applies to two offensive players in competition). One of the questions players most frequently ask me is, “Samson, how can I attack first?” Here are four tips for the beginning player on how to initiate the attack. Continue reading “The “First Strike” Principle”
I played a match this weekend with one of our up-and-coming junior girls. For two games, we battled it out, my steadiness versus her vicious hitting. On her serve, I’d either topspin the serve back and start countering, or push it, she’d loop, I’d block, and we’d be countering. On my serve, I’d mix in side-stop serves which she attacked, or backspin serves, which she’d push, I’d loop, and she’d jab-block or hit so aggressively I stopped using them. In most rallies, within two-three shots I’d be back fishing, then lobbing, and she wasn’t missing.
A discussion I had with Dan Seemiller (5-time U.S. Men’s Champion) has always stuck out with me. It was back in 1990-1991, when I spent two summers staying at his house all summer as his assistant coach for all his summer camps. He said that the thing that confused him the most about players was why so many didn’t understand this simple concept: The purpose of the serve is to set up your attack. If you aren’t attacking off your serve, then something’s wrong.
There is always a lot of talk about how the USATT should grow the sport of table tennis in America. Here’s a peek at what Ping! London is doing across the ocean.
Check out their website: http://pinglondon.com.
Do you think this would work in North America?