Ask the Coach: The Table Tennis Podcast

Your serve is the one shot you control completely, so why is it giving your opponent the advantage? Alois explains where spin really comes from (your wrist and a fine, brushing contact), how to tell whether your serve has any, why missing the ball is part of practising it, when a new serve is ready for a match, how to vary the spin once you have it, and why he still recommends the high toss serve.

Your opponent's forehand looks like it came out of a coaching manual. Yours you taught yourself 30 years ago. Who wins? Alois and Jeff explain why better technique doesn't decide a match on its own, how to take away a polished player's favourite ball with spin, speed and placement, how to play when you can't move like you used to, and the DARC strategy to try in your next match.

Why do some table tennis clubs make you want to come back while others make you feel like an outsider within five minutes? Inspired by The Culture Code, Alois and Jeff talk about what makes a club welcoming, how to find a good one, and how to be the kind of practice partner that lifts everyone around you.

Most table tennis rallies are over within three or four shots, so the serve and return decide more points than anything else. Alois and Jeff explain how to shift your training towards the first few balls, how to serve with more purpose, and how to choose between a push, a flick and a topspin on the return.

Watching the world's best table tennis players can teach you a lot, but copying their biggest strokes is not always the answer. Alois and Jeff explain what club players should take from the pros, from serving and returning with purpose to reading the ball, moving smoothly, and building skills step by step.

If everything you knew about table tennis disappeared tomorrow, what would you do differently? Alois and Jeff rethink how beginners should actually learn the game, why linking strokes together beats drilling them in isolation, and why getting to a club early matters more than getting your technique "right" first. They also cover how to choose your first racket and rubber without overspending or underspending.

Plateaued in your table tennis progress? Alois and Jeff explain how to analyse your matches, identify what is really winning and losing points, and design training that transfers to competition. They also discuss how to practise more effectively, challenge yourself with realistic variation, and become more comfortable under match pressure.

Welcome to another episode of the Ask the Coach Show! This week, we start with a lighthearted joke before diving into an intriguing discussion about the Australian Open Tennis. Can table tennis ever reach such a grand spectacle? We explore how tennis captivates a stadium audience with a single match, while table tennis tournaments often have multiple tables in a single hall, making it harder to focus on just one game. Listener Questions: We answer some fantastic questions from the PingSkills community: Drills to Improve Shot Timing "I often struggle with my shot timing, either hitting too early or too late. What drills can I use to improve my timing and consistency?" Exploring Alternative Grips "Are there any advantages to using alternative grips in table tennis? Should players experiment with different grips, or is it better to stick with traditional ones?" Understanding Obstruction "What exactly counts as an obstruction in table tennis? Can you explain when a player is considered to have obstructed the ball?" Fun Fact of the Week: We wrap up the show with a fascinating fun fact that will surprise you! Happy playing!

Welcome to the Ask the Coach Show, where PingSkills answers your table tennis questions! This week the show consists of: Things to Do During a Forced Break A New Doubles Idea: Stay in Your Lane Doubles 3 Questions: Confused About Words for Strokes In table tennis, there are lots of terms to describe strokes and techniques. What do they all mean, and how do they apply to your game? Driving the Ball: Correct Angle of the Bat How should you adjust your bat angle when transitioning from playing topspin against backspin to topspin against a block? Serve: How Far Does the Ball Need to Fall? Do you need to hit the ball while it’s coming back down? Learn the rules about serving and when to strike the ball.

Welcome to the ask the coach show where PingSkills answers your table tennis questions! This week the show consists of:  * The Joke of the Week  * A discussion on Playing to Learn vs Learning to Play  * The Tip of the Week - How Quickly Should You Progress Your Skills  * 3 Questions  * And a fun fact Training Plan When Using a Table Tennis Robot I have just purchased the premium subscription and I am looking forward to developing my tt skills. I used to train mostly at home, apart from playing once a week in a tt club as well as playing with friends, and I am using a PowerPong Omega tt robot and the drills it offers. Is the training plan taking into consideration the possibility of using a tt robot? Will it make it more efficient, how to adjust it and what kinds of drills would be most useful? Playing Doubles Any tips on positional play when serving and playing doubles? Don´t Recognize the Spin on my Opponent's Serve I often can't recognise what spin is on my opponents serve. This happens especially with the pendulum serve then I can only guess and of course I'm often wrong. Anything I can do to reduce my error rate and keep the ball in play? Featured Links The PingSkills 52 Week Training Plan Training 101 Tutorials