About.com

2012 U.S. Olympic Trials - Results and Commentary

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:47:28 +0000

Australia's Paul Jones is a master of deceptive wrist usage when serving!
Photo © 2007 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.

The results of the U.S. Olympic Trials are now in, with 4 men and 4 women being selected to compete against Canada for a berth in the 2012 Olympics. Congratulations to:

Men: Michael Landers, Barney Reed, Adam Hugh, and Timothy Wang
Women: Gao Jun, Ariel Hsing, Lily Zhang, and Erica Wu.

For those interested in more detail, Donn Olsen has a new PATT Note with his thoughts on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, and Larry Hodges has written another interesting blog post talking about his experiences coaching two participants at the trials.

Be a Better Training Partner - Two Minute Table Tennis Tips

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:33:50 +0000

Would you believe that Australia's #1 player, William Henzell, struggles to find more than 2 or 3 training partners when at home?
Photo © 2007 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.

It's pretty difficult to make it to the top in table tennis by training alone, sooner or later you're going to need a training partner or two. And while good training partners are hard to come by, they won't stick around if you are a terrible training buddy! So here are some quick tips on how to be a better training partner for table tennis.

Advanced Wrist Usage - Two Minute Table Tennis Tips

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:39:27 +0000

Australia's Paul Jones is a master of deceptive wrist usage when serving!
Photo © 2007 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.

After discussing the basics of wrist management last week, now it's time to delve into some of the more advanced aspects of using your wrist when playing table tennis. Bear in mind that while some of these techniques aren't recommended for club level players who don't practice often, there is at least one technique that just about everybody should be looking to include in their game for the best results.

Deal with it! Managing Change in Table Tennis - Two Minute Table Tennis Tips

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:31:48 +0000

RAE Racket Testing Device - an example of recent ITTF changes
Photo By: ITTF Asia / Pacific Office, by courtesy of the ITTF

I've written previously about making changes in your table tennis game in order to improve, and the importance of resisting the urge to change your equipment excessively. But it is also important to look outward instead of inwards now and then. Being aware of outside changes that are occurring in the table tennis world is important, so that you can analyze the effect of such changes on your own table tennis game, and make the necessary changes to keep your game at its highest level.

Basic Wrist Management - Two Minute Table Tennis Tips

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:29:14 +0000

Timo Boll - one of the best users of wrist in the modern game of table tennis
Photo By: Ireneusz Kanabrodzki, by courtesy of the ITTF

The use of the wrist is a true double edged sword when it comes to table tennis - it is very difficult to play at an advanced level without using your wrist, but when performed incorrectly it can actually make things worse!

In this two minute table tennis tips article I'm discussing the basics of wrist management, how to bring the wrist into your game, and some simple troubleshooting steps for when things go wrong.

Transition Training - Two Minute Table Tennis Tips

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:57:58 +0000

Australia's Justin Han on the move...
Photo © 2010 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.

If you are an intermediate level player who can hit your rallying strokes like a champion in training, but you play like a chump in actual matches, you are probably making a mistake many intermediate level players make - forgetting to train your transitions.

Greg's Table Tennis Blog Update - January 2012

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:18:10 +0000

It's already been a month since my last personal table tennis blog update, and while my local competition season hasn't started yet, things have definitely been heating up! I'm happy to say that I've got plenty of good news to report about my ping-pong progress in January, and it looks like 2012 might just be a very good year.

IPONG Topspin Table Tennis Robot - Reader Comments

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:10:10 +0000

The recent series of reviews on IPONG robots has proved to be quite popular with readers, and one such reader has taken the time to provide some very useful comments on the IPONG Topspin robot, which I have added to the end of the article. In his comments, he explains why the IPONG Topspin produces more topspin than the other IPONG models, discusses the subject of battery life, and even mentions a flaw that I had overlooked! I've added his thoughts to the end of the article, so if you are interested in getting the whole story on the IPONG Topspin table tennis robot, check it out!

Basic Strokes - Forehand Smash vs Lob - Front View

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:36:37 +0000

Time to complete the explanation for another basic stroke of table tennis, this time the forehand smash vs lob - front view. It's been a few years since I posted my side view version of the smash, and it's interesting to note that my technique has changed over the years as I have attempted to improve my forehand in general.

Don't Change a Thing - Two Minute Table Tennis Tip

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:01:23 +0000

Having just posted a two minute table tennis tip encouraging players whose results have stagnated to make a change, I'm now going to risk looking senile and completely contradict myself, and tell you not to a change a thing.