Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers

by Larry Hodges

Learn table tennis tactics from USATT Certified National Coach and Hall of Famer Larry Hodges. Includes tactics against different styles, grips, and surfaces as well as tactical and strategic thinking. The book opens with "Tactics isn't about finding complex strategies to defeat an opponent. Tactics is about sifting through all the zillions of possible tactics and finding a few simple ones that work." The book then explores the tactical and strategic development needed to have the specific tactical tools needed in any given match - your "tactical toolbox."

"Larry has done an excellent job in breaking down the skills needed by all players to improve in these areas. This book should be on every table tennis player’s mandatory reading list."- Richard McAfee, USATT National Coach, ITTF Trainer, and USATT Coaching Chair, 2009-2013

"Table Tennis Tactics for Thinkers is a must read for any player serious about winning. This tactical Bible is right on the mark, and is exactly how I was taught to put together game-winning tactics and strategies."- Sean O'Neill, 5-time U.S. Men's Singles Champion, 2-time Olympian

"Larry Hodges' book on table tennis tactics is the best I have ever seen on this subject. This is the first book that explains how to play against the many styles of the game."- Dan Seemiller, 5-time U.S. Men's Singles Champion and long-time U.S. Men's Team Coach
Includes 21 Introduction
Chapter 1: Tactical Thinking
Chapter 2: Strategic Thinking
Chapter 3: Your Tactical Game
Chapter 4: All About Spin
Chapter 5: Beginning Tactics
Chapter 6: Conventional Tactics
Chapter 7: Tactical Examples
Chapter 8: Service Tactics
Chapter 9: Receive Tactics
Chapter 10: Rallying Tactics
Chapter 11: Different Grips
Chapter 12: Pushing
Chapter 13: Loopers
Chapter 14: Blockers, Counter-Drivers, and Hitters
Chapter 15: Choppers
Chapter 16: Fishers and Lobbers
Chapter 17: Non-Inverted Surfaces
Chapter 18: Hardbat Tactics
Chapter 19: Doubles Tactics
Chapter 20: Tournament Tactics
Chapter 21: Coaching Tournament Matches
Tactical & Strategic Thinking Revisited
Glossary Table Tennis Terminology
Recommended Reading
About the Author
Index

Genres: Sports

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2013

About the author

Larry Hodges, from Germantown, MD, was going to be a math professor (bachelor's in math), but science fiction writing and table tennis (yes, ping-pong) sidetracked him, and now he writes (and coaches the latter) for a living. He is an active member of Science Fiction Writers of America with over 80 short story sales. "Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions" is his third novel, and combines three of his favorite things: science fiction, politics, and table tennis. He's a graduate of the six-week 2006 Odyssey Writers Workshop and the 2008 Taos Toolbox Writers Workshop, and is a member of Codexwriters.com. His story "The Awakening" was the unanimous grand prize winner at the 2010 Garden State Horror Writers Short Story Competition. He's a full-time writer with eleven books and over 1700 published articles in over 150 different publications. He also writes about and coaches the Olympic Sport of Table Tennis, is a member of the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame (Google it!), and once beat someone using an ice cube as a racket. Visit him at www.larryhodges.org.

Reviews

[Hung Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to read again in 6months

[Srini Venkataramani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful read for players at all levels

Lots of useful tips for players and coaches at every level..learned a few new tactics to use in matches that are already winning me points. And even if I knew some of these things it's a good validation that I've been doing it right.

[Paddy Kinsella · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so much useful information in this book which I can’t wait to introduce to my game. However, as someone who mainly read novels and interesting non-fiction, I can’t say the same excitement was there to crack open this every day to read about pushes, pips, grips, topspins and loops

[John Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book give us the right way to use our techniques (even you only have few techniques, that still workable and still win)