Table Tennis

Larry Hodges is the national coaching chairman for the United States Table Tennis Association (USTTA) and a past vice president. He is also director and a coach at the National Table Tennis Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As a certified National Coach, Larry has worked with the best players in the country. He managed and coached at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from 1985 to 1989, and he has been the U.S. Junior Coach at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships since 1990. Larry has taught table tennis classes in colleges, recreation centers, clinics, and clubs all over the United States. Larry is the editor of Table Tennis Today, the national magazine for table tennis. He is also the author of the book Instructors Guide to Table Tennis and more than 200 articles on table tennis. Larry has been playing serious table tennis since 1976. He has been ranked among the top 30 players in the United States and has won state championships in North Carolina, Maryland, and Colorado. He is also a former National Collegiate Doubles Champion. When he's not coaching, playing, or writing about table tennis, Larry enjoys reading and writing science fiction, playing tennis and basketball, and tutoring kids in math and English.

The 15 Steps to Table Tennis SuccessThe Steps to Success StaircaseTable Tennis TodayWarming Up for SuccessStep 1: Grip and Racket ControlStep 2: Spin and Racket Angles: It's a Game of SpinStep 3: Ready Stance and the Forehand and Backhand Drives Step 4: Beginning Serves: Getting the InitiativeStep 5: Positioning and Footwork: How to Move to the Ball Step 6: Pushing: Your Basic Backspin ShotStep 7: Blocking: Close to the Table DefenseStep 8: Looping: Topspin AttackingStep 9: Flipping: How to Attack Short BallsStep 10: Chopping: Backspin DefenseStep 11: Lobbing: How to Return SmashesStep 12: Advanced Serves: Really Getting the InitiativeStep 13: Playing Styles and Rallying TacticsStep 14: Advanced Service and Receive StrategyStep 15: The Physical and Mental GamePlaying in TournamentsRating Your Total Progress