Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: Playing Large
Tall players sometimes have trouble getting down to hit their shots, especially since the table is rather low for their height. However, it can be hard (and painful) to bend your knees that far. Instead, spread your legs and stance wider — especially for a forehand — to get better oriented to the ball, and […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: How It Feels to Compete
Players who play well in the clutch and fight for every point have a definite advantage. For those who don’t compete as well, and would like to, it can be helpful to understand what that attitude feels like for the person doing it. Perhaps the best analogy is to a cartoon character who keeps getting […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: The Safest Serve
There is one serve that will keep you in the point against almost anyone. It is a very short, low serve that you vary between a little underspin, and no spin. If you can conceal the spin at all well, even world-ranked players will treat it with respect and usually just drop the return back […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: The Simple Attacking Rule
Against taller players, attack to their middle where long arms and legs can get awkward. Against shorter players, attack wide to the forehand and backhand to force them to move more. Against players of any height, avoid the forehand and backhand alleys where they don’t have to move at all to respond.
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: The Soft Block
Punching blocks hard can be effective, but shouldn’t be your only technique. You can also win points with a soft, low block. Practice this stroke by absorbing the force of the shot, and aiming it low over the net. Done well, it produces a ball with little momentum or spin, giving an attacking opponent neither […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: Easy Match Pitfalls
While everyone likes an easy match to advance in a tournament, it can throw off your game because the pace of points may be too slow, and because winning points too easily encourages sloppy play. To avoid these problems, make a point of moving well and executing your shots quickly even against a weak early […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: A Looping Secret
Many peopleare unaware of a critical move that top players make to loop with zip and heavy spin. Unless you know exactly what to look for, you can watch video for hours and never see it, either. The critical move is a slight forward push (or shift) off the back foot while the racket arm […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: Your Rusty Game
How can you play well (say, in a tournament) even when you are out of practice? Try these ideas. Spend at least part of your remaining practice time focusing on tight serves and good service returns, and a controlled, consistent opening game using good footwork. In your tournament matches, key off the same things — […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: A “Good Enough” Loss
Sometimes it can be an achievement to get close to a top player, or someone rated much higher than you. A close loss can also demonstrate that you can compete at a higher level to which you aspire. At the same time, players sometimes make the mistake of mentally celebrating such a “victory” while a […]
Tips & Tricks with Carl Danner: Movement, Touch, Consistency, Power
Movement (footwork), touch (short game, serve and return), consistency and power are the keys to any high-level game, and roughly in that order. Unfortunately, many players’ practice priorities are exactly backwards — they work most on big, powerful strokes, only somewhat on consistency, little on touch shots, and footwork drills are an afterthought at best. […]
