Browsing: Play

What is the status of the US team?Six players have qualified automatically to represent the US in New York next…

With the 2026 World Cup final less than 11 months away, the starting pistol really has been sounded on Thomas…

Will Sanju Samson Play In Asia Cup 2025: Few cricketers in India over the past decade have polarized opinions, fans,…

At Paddle Palace, we celebrate not only the skills and victories of top players like Tom Jarvis, but also the sportsmanship that defines true champions. Tom recently received the prestigious Richard Bergmann Fair Play Award at the ITTF World Championships in Doha, recognized for his integrity during a challenging match against world No. 5 Liang Jingkun.

Fair Play on the World Stage

Despite fierce competition and tough conditions, Tom showed remarkable fairness by granting lets when his opponent requested, believing the ball was wet during serves. This act of sportsmanship embodies the spirit of table tennis and earned him this distinguished award from the Swaythling Club International — a community of former international players committed to friendship and respect in our sport.

Tom reflects on the moment:

“It was a tough match against Liang with some really hot conditions and I think the fairness in that match was recognised. Fair play is a big part of the sport and Iâ€m very happy to be recognised by the SCI.â€

Introducing the Tom Jarvis Pro Special — Built for Champions

Weâ€re proud to feature Tomâ€s very own Champion Pro Special Paddle, designed around the latest technology and equipment Tom trusts at the highest level.

The Blade — Stiga Cybershape Carbon CWT (Flared Handle)

This blade breaks new ground as the worldâ€s first carbon blade with Custom Weight Technology (CWT), allowing you to adjust the bladeâ€s balance and weight with small magnetic weights (3g, 6g, 9g) attached inside the handle.

Why does this matter? Because controlling blade mass changes kinetic energy and power generation during your stroke. Add weight for more power, or dial it back for speed and control — perfect for fine-tuning before a match or evolving your game without buying a new blade.

Key features include:

• 11% larger hitting area optimized for the shakehand grip — giving you a bigger sweet spot to control serves and returns better.
• Closer hitting area to the table — up to 6.5cm closer than traditional round blades, improving reaction time and accuracy.
• Balanced design that reduces bottom weight by 2% to avoid blade imbalance.

The Rubbers — Stiga DNA Platinum XH (Red & Black, Max Sponge)

Tomâ€s paddle comes equipped with premium German-engineered Stiga DNA Platinum rubbers that deliver outstanding grip and explosive speed thanks to a thin top sheet and short pimples.

The Power Sponge Cell (PSC) technology provides:

• Longer ball trajectories with aggressive looping arcs.
• A crisp, sharp sound on contact for that satisfying feedback.
• Extra-hard sponge designed for players craving maximum speed and power.

Ready to Play Like Tom Jarvis?

Whether youâ€re training, competing, or just pushing your limits, the Tom Jarvis GBR Champion Pro Special paddle is built to help you play with precision, power, and style. Itâ€s everything Tom relies on — now available for you.

Check it out here: Tom Jarvis GBR Champion Pro Special Paddle

At Paddle Palace, weâ€re inspired by players like Tom who embody both top-tier skill and true sportsmanship. Gear up with his pro paddle and honor the game with every point you play.

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Want to learn how to play table tennis?
Well I’ve got some great tactics, tips and techniques to help you…

by courtesy of the ITTF

Learning to play table tennis for fun is easy … but learning how to play to a high standard requires much more than just learning the basic skills and the rules of the game.

By the way, if you don’t know the difference between table tennis and ping pong you can find out here.

I’ve been playing since 1971 and therefore I’ve built up a wealth of knowledge about the game which I’d like to share with you.

So whatever your age or physical attributes, you can play too because table tennis is a sport for all.

But before we start, let’s take a quick look at some of the best players in the World playing some of the best table tennis you’ll ever see.

Your browser will not play this video.

Let’s start by taking a look at the basic skills you’ll need, and then we’ll move on to some of the more advanced techniques.

By the way, I’ve also written some downloadable E-Books which you may find useful if you’re a beginner or intermediate player. You can find them here…

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But just before we start, I’m often asked…

How I learnt to play

I started learning how to play table tennis at a young age.

I could barely see over the table!

But I always tried to play whenever and where ever I could.

I played at school, at the local youth club, at the YMCA and at home with my sister at every opportunity I had.

I was also very fortunate because one of my teachers at school was very keen on the sport and she organised an after-school club. She also encouraged me to attend junior coaching sessions in order to learn how to play correctly.

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And that is my best advice to you. Try to get some…

Table Tennis Coaching

by courtesy of the ITTF

I’d highly recommend that you try to get some good coaching as early as possible in your playing career as this’ll give you a solid foundation for your game – and it’s vital if you’re going to play at an intermediate or advanced level.

Even if you start playing the game when you’re a bit older, coaching is invaluable.

Having said that though, if you’re only going to be playing a friendly game with your buddies, just learning a few of the basic skills will probably be enough.

I managed to find a junior coaching program which was only a short journey away from our home.

The sessions were held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and I joined up as soon as I could … and pestered my mum and dad to take me to at least two of the sessions every week.

The coaches had a good reputation and they’d been coaching for a long time, producing many talented players along the way.

Many of the players who attended are still friends of mine and still playing today.

My table tennis coach and friends

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OK, let’s start with the…

Basic Skills

As with any sport, mastering the basics is essential – and table tennis is no exception. But first you’ll need to know which racket (paddle / bat) is right for you, particularly if you’re a beginner, and you’ll need to know the correct way to hold it (the grip).

The grip is probably the most fundamental technique to master when learning how to play because, just as in other sports, if you don’t use the correct grip when you first start playing, you’ll find it extremely difficult to change later – and you’ll be unlikely to improve beyond the level of a beginner.

We’ll then start by taking a look at the Ready Position before moving on to basic ball control and the 4 basic strokes.

When you know the correct stance required for each of the 4 basic strokes, you’ll be able to practice these strokes and techniques in order to provide a solid foundation for your game.

Next, we’ll take a look at the basic service rules and how to serve in accordance with those rules, and the basic principles of how to return the service.

Finally, we’ll take a look at the footwork patterns you’ll need to practice.

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After you’ve mastered the basics you’ll be able to move on to…

Advanced Skills

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When you’ve mastered how to play the strokes you can turn your attention to…

Strategies and Tactics

It’s important to remember that before you can implement any strategies or tactics, you’ll need to develop your own table tennis skills to a sufficient standard. For example, you must be able to keep the ball in play for an extended period of time and be able to direct the ball to different positions on the table tennis table.

If you’re unable to play certain strokes, or you don’t know how to counteract your opponent’s spin, then you won’t be able to fully implement a good match strategy. But you will still be able to use certain principles in order to outwit your opponent.

However, if you’re playing against a player who is at a much more advanced level than you, then it’s unlikely that any strategy you employ will be effective, because of the difference in playing standard.

But if you’re playing against a player of a similiar standard to yourself, even if they’re slightly better than you, you can use a good strategy to beat them.

So we’ll take a look at…

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You’ll also find information on…

How to Improve Further

I’ve also put together some practice drills for you, together with skill tests and warm-up exercises which you’ll need if you want to improve further.

I’ve also written some downloadable E-Books which you may find useful if you’re a beginner or intermediate player. You can find them here…

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But you should never forget the following…

Practice, Practice, Practice

As with any sport, practice, practice, practice is the key.

Having a good practice partner or using a robot (ball launcher) is essential if you’re going to “groove” your strokes.

When I started playing I had experienced coaches who knew how to “feed” the ball to a beginner. So all I needed to do was concentrate on practising my forehand and backhand strokes without having to worry about whether the ball would be in the right place for me to hit it.

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But, before you start, you must be aware of…

The Modern Game

If you’re a beginner and you’re just learning how to play, it’s important to understand that the modern game has evolved into one that’s dominated by attacking / offensive minded players, and that defensive play has diminished significantly.

Therefore I would recommend that you learn how to play using an aggressive, attacking style of play rather than any other style.

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So let’s get started. Just follow the links below…

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If youâ€ve been watching superstars like Truls Moregardh, Felix Lebrun, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, and Hina Hayata, itâ€s quite likely youâ€ve been inspired to play table tennis.

Maybe youâ€ve picked up a paddle with friends / colleagues before, or you used to play as a kid. Maybe youâ€ve never hit a shot in your life. Everyoneâ€s welcome to start playing TODAY.

Table tennis is one of the most accessible and welcoming sports in the world, with regular players of all skill levels. If youâ€re over the age of 10 (which is quite likely), youâ€re probably not going to make the Olympic squad, but that wonâ€t stop you having loads of fun.

Let me explain 6 ways you can get involved with table tennis.

Page Contents (Quick Links)

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Find Somewhere To Play With Friends

If youâ€re totally new to the sport, a good place to start is reading our beginner’s guide to table tennis. Thatâ€ll get you up to speed with the rules.

Then, you need to grab a friend (or friends) and find yourself a table. Most towns and cities around the world have access to a table either in a local park, sports center, or social club.

Most national table tennis organizations provide a list of places to play, such as the UKâ€s table finder or Australiaâ€s club finder. If youâ€re in the US, we have a guide to finding places to play table tennis across the USA.

Alternatively, just hit up Google for any places that will rent you a table by the hour.

Even better, check if there are any ping pong bars in your nearest city! Famous ones include Bounce in London, and SPIN in New York.

Bounce in London is a fantastic table tennis bar.

If youâ€re not sure about playing consistently, I highly recommend renting paddles and balls. Keep in mind that a vast majority of rented equipment is of terrible quality though, so this is temporary until you buy your own paddle.

Speaking of buying your own paddle, here are my favorite pre-made paddles for beginners. I mostly recommend the Killerspin JET400 as a great balance between price and performance. Iâ€d recommend investing in your own paddle as soon as youâ€re sure you want to play more than once.

Get Some Basic Coaching

Thereâ€s a huge gap between a total beginner and an amateur local club player. An equally big gap exists between those club players and the local premier division players. Oh, and another huge gap between them and professionals.

So the best thing you can do to kickstart your table tennis career is to invest in some group or individual coaching.

Whilst you can pick up some instructions from sites like ours, and from YouTube, itâ€s never going to be the same as real life coaching sessions. Even if you just have a few sessions to get your grip, serve, and 4 basic strokes right, youâ€ll see a massive skill improvement very quickly.

Here are some of our best resources that will be helpful for you:

Example diagram we’ve created to help learn the 4 basic shots

Join A Local Club

Now youâ€re 100% ready to join a local club.

Some clubs are very beginner-friendly, and will run introductory courses themselves. Others might be more elite training clubs with limited table capacity for beginners. Do a small amount of research and maybe reach out to the club before you head down for the first time.

As a general rule, most clubs are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Table tennis players love to see new people playing the sport. Clubs are often very social, with everyone chatting in between training / matches.

As is human nature though, not all clubs are run the same. Donâ€t get disheartened if you donâ€t find your sporting home at the first club you visit. Try a few different clubs and join the one you feel most comfortable at.

Need to find a club? Try google, or even sites like Meetup or EventBrite.

Volunteer Your Time

You donâ€t have to play the sport to get involved. Local groups and clubs are always on the lookout for volunteers who can help out.

Whether thatâ€s acting as a hitting partner for juniors, organizing club nights, fundraising, finances, managing the website/social pages, umpiring, or coaching, everyone is welcome to our sport.

The next generation of players like Ma Long, Timo Boll, or Truls Moregardh probably havenâ€t started playing yet. They need grassroots volunteers to help get them into the sport and support their development into superstars of the future.

Nobody can become a professional without a large support network of players and non-players who volunteered their time building the structures that developed them as a player.

Get Yourself A Table Tennis Table

You could easily spend $5,000+ on an amazing home table tennis setup if you have the space at home.

Not everyone has that kind of money though, so itâ€s great that there are plenty of high-quality budget options as well. Our home setup guide also covers a full setup for less than $1,000.

Budget tables start at around $200 but are terrible quality. Make sure the surface thickness is above 15mm and itâ€s not too difficult to move around, which is normally found in tables at $450 and above. If thatâ€s too steep, check out your local facebook marketplace or gumtree.

If you havenâ€t got anyone to play against at home, itâ€s not a bad idea to purchase a cheap(ish) robot for $250. This will give you plenty of time to practice your strokes and improve super quickly. Robots are great, but they arenâ€t a complete replacement for real people.

For example, you canâ€t buy a robot that will replicate Truls Moregardhâ€s outrageous Snake shot in the Olympic Final.

Watch More Table Tennis

There are a few places you can watch table tennis broadcasts, with online streaming the main format as matches arenâ€t often available on TV channels.

Instead, the main recommended place to watch events, streams and match highlights is at which is managed by the global table tennis governing body.

World Table Tennis is a great YouTube channel to keep up with table tennis news

Alternatively, there are some great table tennis YouTube channels that are worth subscribing to including Olympic commentator Adam Bobrow.

Weâ€d also love to welcome you to the online table tennis community at forums like r/tabletennis, Table Tennis Daily and OOAK.

David’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He’s played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.

Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder

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By: Ed Weaver  /  June 7, 2013

Senior Hannah Zuchowski will continue her volleyball career at Keystone College in the fall.

Zuchowski, who is the most recent winner of the Shelly Taynton Memorial Award, was selected the the Class AA PVCA All-State team for the 2012 season, where she led the team, and the area, with over 460 kills this season as she helped the Lady Hornets capture the first District IV Class AA Championship in over 20 years.

Zuchowski was also a First Team selection to the All-Region team by the Towanda Daily Review.

“When we played in states, Keystone’s coach Nicole Wentz said she has been watching me and was impressed with me,” Zuchowski said. “She’s been in constant contact with me and has helped me figure out what I want to do in the future. She’s just helped a lot so it was easy picking to go play for her and Keystone.”

Hannah’s mom, and head coach, Sharon Zuchowski is extremely proud of her’s opportunity to play at the college level.

“As head coach I’m extremely proud that someone would see the ability, dedication, and time that Hannah has put in on the court and that she can contribute and be an asset to any team,” Coach Zuchowski said.

“As a mother, I’m glad to see that all of her hard work and her dream of continuing to play volleyball come true.”

WellsboroAthletics.com would like to congratulate Hannah on joining Keystone College, and wishes her the best of luck in her career.

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By: Ed Weaver  /  May 16, 2013

Senior Mackenzie Marple will be attending Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY next year to play volleyball.

Marple led the state-qualifying team with 64 aces, and recorded 101 kills, 190 service points, and 267 digs during the 2012 season.

“It was a really long process and I debated back and forth for months and months, but I’m really excited to attend Le Moyne next fall,” Marple said. “I know it’s going to be very competitive and it’s going to challenge me to improve my game. I can’t wait to get started.”

Marple will be joining a familiar face when she steps on campus in the fall as her sister Alex Marple is a member of the girls basketball team.

“I’m so happy to be going to school with my sister. We’ve always been really close and rarely, if ever, argue so it’s going to be great to be so close to her again.

“I’ve missed her, and being around her again will be so much fun and i think it will make the transition a lot easier for me. It’s going to be awesome and I couldn’t be happier.”

Wellsboro head coach Sharon Zuchowski is also proud of Marple’s choice.

“I am very happy for Mackenzie. I knew she wanted to keep competing in volleyball and this just validates the hard work she has put in to reach that goal. Makenzie played a major role on the team this year helping to lead Wellsboro to a District IV championship. She led the team in assists and points scored. I wish her continued success in her volleyball career as she competes at Le Moyne.”

WellsboroAthletics.com would like to congratulate Mackenzie on her signing, and wish her the best of luck at the college level.

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