The JOOLA USA Spin
 2008 US Olympic Trials | Issue #1 • January 24, 2008 • Editor Larry Hodges JOOLA was the equipment supplier of the 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials for Table Tennis, and has been the official table for the last three Olympic Games. It is the official table for the JOOLA North American Tour and JOOLA North American Teams Championships |
Welcome to the first issue of the JOOLA Spin. Each issue will bring you player interviews, coaching tips, news, equipment reviews and specials. If this issue enhances your enjoyment of our favorite sport, then you have made our day! And so, without further ado, we bring you issue #1. . . .
CONTENT
EQUIPMENT
Equipment Reviews by Tom Nguyen, Equipment Junkie• Energy Extra sponge
• Linus blade
Feature Product of the Month: the New JOOLA Shirts!
COACHING
Tactical versus Strategic Thinking by Coach Larry HodgesTip of the Month by Coach Carl Danner
Ask the Pro - USA Team Member Sean Lonergan answers your questions
Moving Up a Level by Coach Larry Hodges
PROFILES
Player of the Month: Interview with USA Team Member Han XiaoJunior of the Month: Interview with Prachi Jha
JOOLA Players at the USA Nationals
NEWS
USA Olympic and World Team Trials
JOOLA Players at the USA Nationals
Upcoming JOOLA North American Tour Schedule
EQUIPMENT SECTION
Equipment Reviews
| | By Tom Nguyen, JOOLA Equipment Junkie |
Energy Extra
Energy Extra is the latest generation of tensor sponges, with a built-in speed glue effect.
It is perfect for those who like a soft sponge with the speed glue effect. It is especially good for players who like to loop from off the table, with very spinny, arcing loops.
Because of the soft sponge, you have a lot more dwell time with the ball, which allows you to really spin it. It’s one of the easiest sponges to loop with.
The built-in speed glue effect saves you time, money and hassle. You will no longer start every session by slopping glue on your sponge, nor will you associate table tennis with the fresh scent of glue and all its various health hazards. The built-in glue effect last months.
Plus, of course, speed gluing becomes illegal as of Sept. 1 this year!
If you love spinny, arcing loops, with a soft sponge and the reglued effect, or like to loop from off the table, then Energy Extra is for you.
One recent convert to Energy Extra is JOOLA Coach and USATT Hall of Famer Larry Hodges, who had this to say about it:
“I’ve always been able to hit with the forehand, but I’ve never been a natural looper. For many years I’ve used a soft sponge and reglued, and this really helped my looping – you might even say it propped my loop up, letting me spin anything I could touch. With regluing becoming illegal this year, I assumed I’d have to go back to my old hitting game. Then in October last year I tried a sheet of Energy Extra, and WOW! I thought they were kidding me when they said it hadn’t been reglued. It had to be reglued, because it played like a hyper corked-up reglued sponge, exactly the way I like it. And here we are, three months later, I’m still using the same sheet, and it still has the same effect. If I can touch it, I can spin it – and without glue! As a coach, I strongly recommend this as it makes looping much easier.”
Energy Extra comes in 1.8mm, 2.0mm and max, in red and black.
Linus Blade
This is a new seven-ply wood blade made in Sweden. It weighs about 90 grams, which is slightly heavy, giving added power and stability. It is a fast blade with medium-high control.
What I like about this blade is that it maximizes the feel when looping, but without too much vibration. It is medium in stiffness, and so has enough “umph” for hard-hitting shots while giving you great feel for controlling your attack, and for control shots such as pushing and blocking.
If you want a blade with great feeling, control, and fast enough to attack, but not so fast you lose control, then this is the blade for you.
The Linus blade is used by U.S. Junior and Cadet Team Member Peter Li. It comes in flared, straight or anatomic handles, and in Chinese penhold. It has a walnut surface.
Product of the Month:
New JOOLA Shirts!
Now Available
Fun Shirts
Wear these fun JOOLA Table Tennis T-Shirt designs on and off the court! 50% cotton, 50% polyester.
 | Line ShirtTT polo shirt made from Ho-Cooling material with modern two-colored print. 50% polyester, 50% Ho-Cooling. Available in black and yellow. |
Special Order by Monday, Jan. 27
 | Shirt CrazeTT polo shirt made from 100D Cooling functional material, with color inserts on the side and at the sleeves. 100% polyester 100D Cooling. Available in navy, blue, black and yellow |
 | Shirt BalanceTT shirt made from Cooling functional material, with color inserts at the side and the sleeves. 100% polyester Quick Dry. Available in grey, red and blu |
 | Shirt Topas 07TT polo shirt made from Ho-Cooling material. Each shirt is three-colored. 50% polyester, 50% Ho-Cooling. Available in navy or red. |
 | Shirt OutlineTT shirt with V-neck made from Ho-Cooling material, with peppy print. 50% polyester, 50% Ho-Cooling. Available in red, blue or silver. |
 | Shirt WingTT polo shirt made from Ho-Cooling material with two-colored modern print. 50% polyester, 50% Ho-Cooling. Available in blue, yellow or turquoise. |
 | Shirt AraTT polo shirt made from Ho-Cooling material with color inserts at the side and the sleeves. 50% polyester, 50% Ho-Cooling. Available in blue, red or black. |
COACHING SECTION
Tactical Versus Strategic Thinking
 | By Larry Hodges, Head Coach at Club JOOLA in RockvilleUSATT Certified National Coach and USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame Member |
Tactical thinking and strategic thinking . . . what’s the difference?
- Tactical Thinking is developing tactics for a specific match. For example, if you have a strong backhand, and your opponent has a strong forehand, you might serve short topspin to the opponent’s backhand to force a backhand-backhand exchange, which is tactically to your advantage.
- Strategic Thinking is developing your game for the future. For example, in the above example, you increase your chances of winning by using your current strengths. However, if you instead served short backspin and got your opponent to push it back long, you’d be able to loop. This might not be a current strength, and might not be the best tactical thing to do – but it would enable you to develop your loop, and make you a better player in the long run.
You should develop your game with strategic thinking, and then apply your game with tactical thinking. Many get this backwards and develop their game based on their current tactical situation, and so never develop a strategically sound game that will win at higher levels. It’s better to play most practice matches with strategic thinking, and important matches (tournaments and important league matches) with tactical thinking.
Tip of the Month:
 | The Bane of PushingBy Carl Danner |
The deep push (a low, underspin slice hit deep on the table) is probably the most played shot by beginning and intermediate players. It is also the worst shot for high-level play, since advanced players can loop or hit it hard every time. An over-reliance on the push is an absolute barrier to advancement that many intermediate players never overcome. How does this come about?
Beginners often find a safe haven in a push. It is easy to execute, and difficult for other beginners to attack. Additionally, when another beginner pushes to you, the easiest way to return it safely is to push it back. In this way push begets push, and another pair of perpetually weak players is created. Other subtle problems (as with footwork patterns) also get built into newcomers’ games when they push too much.
By contrast, the right play is always to attack a deep push, and to play your own pushes short on the table so they would bounce twice. Therefore, as soon as possible (and ideally right away), new players should learn a topspin attack against a push from both forehand and backhand sides. It doesn’t have to be a strong shot, at first, and consistency is the key. But that attacking approach will pay huge dividends later for players who aspire to play at an advanced level.
Ask the Pro
 | Send your questions for Sean to The Editor |
Question: The top players use very fast rackets and sponge, and rally very fast. If I want to improve, should I also use a very fast racket and sponge, and try to rally very fast in practice?
USA Team Member Sean Lonergan: A lot of players try to upgrade their game by going to faster equipment. While upgrades are needed as you develop your game, improving your timing and technique should be your priority. When you practice, work on taking the ball more at the top of the bounce or even on the rise, and you will see your speed and ability to handle speed improve. If your timing is already sufficient and opponents handle your shots easily, then you may want to go to a faster blade, thicker sponge or spinnier rubber.
One way I evaluate a blade is how well I can push short and return serve. If I can’t control these shots, then the blade is probably too fast. It may feel great hitting or looping but every point starts with serve and return of serve. If you can control these, then the blade could be right one for you, or you could try a level faster and see how the control changes.
Fast rallying and power come much more from technique and timing than from glued up sponge or an extra fast blade. If you can control the faster blade, then you can make your stroke more compact and get the same effect, which will make you quicker. Upgrade to faster equipment if you have the control needed; otherwise, focus on improving your technique, and then try incrementally going to faster equipment. Top players that use very fast equipment can do so from years of training to develop their technique, and they learn what blade and rubber will best complement their strengths and weaknesses.
One last thought – if you practice regularly, you’ll be able to handle a fast blade far better than if you play once or twice a week, where a slower blade makes more sense.
How to Move Up a Level
By Larry Hodges, USATT Certified National Coach
Author’s Note: I’ve always thought that this was one of my most useful coaching articles. Even if you saw it in USATT Magazine, you might find it worth reading again – but only if you want to improve a level! It fits in with my other article in this issue about tactical versus strategic thinking.
What does it mean to move up a level in table tennis? I’d define two players to be on different levels if it would be a major upset if one defeated the other. Another way of looking at it would be to say that if the stronger player plays his normal level, he would win nearly every time.
Based on this, I’d say that a level in table tennis (using the USATT rating system) ranges from about 300 points at the lower levels (under 1000) to about 100 points at the higher levels (over 2500). For most USATT players, a level would be about 200 points.
How can you move up a level? By improving all parts of your game, because one weak link in your game is like a weak link in a chain.
You could work hard, dramatically improve one aspect of your game, and hope to move up a level. But it’s not that simple. Suppose you develop a really nice forehand loop. With this weapon, you would think that your level would go up dramatically. And sure enough, you will do better against players around your own level.
But when you play players a level higher, their level is far enough ahead of yours that they’ll simply do something to disarm your new weapon. They may serve or push short, push very heavy, throw spinny or fast serves at you, use ball placement, block well, force backhand exchanges, play quick shots, or simply attack first to take your weapon (in this case your forehand loop) away.
Often, stronger players will seem to win on one of their strengths, when in fact they are winning by exploiting a weakness of yours that allows them to use their strength. A strength in your game can compensate for a weakness, but only to a certain extent. A stronger player will simply set up his strengths by going to your weaknesses.
The lesson is that to move up a level, you need to improve your game overall, not just one aspect. A player who is a level stronger than you rarely defeats you with one aspect of his game; he does so by using the overall level of his game.
There are, of course, players who have improved all but one aspect of their game, and, by improving that one final aspect, suddenly go up the coveted level!
So how do you go about moving your game up a level? You have to be able to match the higher-level players on five key things:
- Returning your opponents’ serves as well as they return yours.
- Either rally as fast as your opponents do, or force your opponents to rally at your pace (by slowing the pace down with pushes, slow loops, controlled drives, etc.). Rallying at their pace can also mean reacting to their pace (i.e. blocking or chopping), because “pace” means both speed and quickness.
- Reacting to your opponents’ rallying spins (loops, pushes, chops, lobs, spins returned by long pips, etc.) as well as they react to yours.
- Ending the point (i.e. smashing or loop killing) as well as your opponents do. This can also mean stopping them from ending the point effectively or consistently by not giving them easy shots, or it can mean a series of strong shots that win the point.
- And finally, possessing at least one strength that threatens your opponents as much as their strengths threaten you. This includes having a way to get your strength(s) into play.
You may have noted that tactics is not one of the five “keys.” This is because tactics is part of all five keys. Stronger/weaker tactics simply make you stronger/weaker in each key.
If you can do some (but not all) of the above five keys, your performance in a tournament will go up some, perhaps half a level, but not a full level. Developing a single “overpowering” strength won’t raise your level as much as you’d think, as opponents a level higher will beat you on the less developed parts of your game. Even players at your “previous” level will still often beat you by exploiting these weaknesses. But . . . if you work to improve all five of these keys, you may find yourself going up dramatically.
What’s stronger, a chain with four powerful links and one weak one, or a chain with five pretty strong ones?
PROFILE SECTION
Player of the Month: Interview with Han Xiao
 | Age/DOB: Age 21, DOB 12/19/1986
|
At the recent USA Olympic and World Team Trials, Han started off poorly, losing his first two matches to David Zhuang and Eric Owens – the latter a heart-breaker as he won the first two games 11-2 before losing 9-11 in the seventh. Did he give up? Nope . . . he reeled off nine straight matches to finish 9-2 and come in second. This not only put him on the USA Team, but qualified him for the North American Olympic Trials in April, where the top four USA men and women play off against the top four Canadian men and women for the final Olympic spots. (There are three men’s spots.) A graduating senior with a double major in computer science and business at University of Maryland, Han has found a successful balance between studying and practice.
When and how did you start playing?
At age 6, my family saw an ad for a class Larry Hodges was teaching at MDTTC (at that time called the National Table Tennis Center), and I began taking lessons casually.
Describe your playing style.
Two winged close to the table attacker, with a controlling over the table backhand.
Who are your coaches (past or present)? Who do you practice with?
Cheng Yinghua, Larry Hodges, Gao Jun. I have been practicing most recently with Richard Lee and Sean Lonergan.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working mainly on my footwork and my defensive ability, along with continuing to fine-tune my serve and receive. I’m also working on my attack off of fishing/lobbing.
What are your table tennis goals – short-, intermediate- and long-term?
Short-term: Improve my footwork and match toughness before the second stage of the Olympic trials in April.
Intermediate- and long-term: Maintain my current level and continue to fine tune parts of my game, specifically my short game and serve return.
What are your interests outside table tennis?
My career, music, computer/video games, other sports, stand-up comedy, history, puzzles.
Tell us something really interesting about yourself.
I’m somewhat of a history buff, especially war history. The American Civil War is one of my favorites.
(Editor’s note: I spent years trying to stump Han on Civil War questions, but never once got him.)
Junior of the Month: Interview with Prachi Jha
 | Age/DOB: Age 10, March 31, 1997 Home Club: Palo Alto Table Tennis Club, CA Equipment
|
When and how did you start playing?
I started playing with my mom and dad recreationally and then enrolled in a TT camp at ICC in April 2005. I really loved the game and soon started playing competitively.
Describe your playing style.
I am an offensive player with short pips on the backhand. I attack from both sides; I take advantage of the short pips that tend to throw people off.
Who are your coaches (past or present)? Who do you practice with?
Pre 2007, my primary coach was Rajul Sheth (ICC). Since 2007, I gone to camps and taken private coaching at Palo Alto Table Tennis Club. Now my coaches are Dennis Davis, Stefan Feth and Nan Li.
I also practice sometimes with my dad and sometimes with my brother Kanak Jha. At times I find players at the ICC club, Palo Alto Table Tennis Club to practice with.
What are you currently working on?
I am working on improving my forehand loop, learning new serves and practicing serve and return.
What are your table tennis goals – short-, intermediate- and long-term?
Short-term: Keep improving my skills and learn new technical skills.
Intermediate-term: Incorporate my new skills in matches and make them part of my game.
Long-term (one year): Make Top Twelve in the Girls’ Cadet Team at USA Nationals in December 2008.
What are your interests outside table tennis?
I love to play Basketball, Wall Ball and watch my brother’s soccer games. I am an avid reader. My favorite authors now are J.K. Rowling and Christopher Paolini.
The burning question: How do you pronounce your last name?
The “J” in my last name is pronounced as a “J” and not as an “H.” Try JAH and you are pretty close to saying it the right way.
Tell us something really interesting about yourself.
I used to write a lot of poems but now don’t get the time. I love writing stories and have been winning the Young Author’s prize in school the last few years. I love hiking and camping. I want to be a Scientist when I grow up.
NEWS SECTION
USA Olympic & World Team Trials
Congratulations to the JOOLA Team members who took part in the 2008 USA Olympic and World Team Trials! And special congratulations to JOOLA players Han Xiao and Sean Lonergan, who both made the USA World Team! Here are links to the complete results:
Here’s a rundown of Team JOOLA results:
- Han Xiao: Finished second at 9-2 (same record as David Zhuang, who came in first in first by winning head-to-head). Han made the World Team, and will move on to the North American Olympic Trials in Vancouver in April, where the top four USA men and top four Canadian men will compete for the final three spots. (See interview with Han elsewhere in this issue.)
- Sean Lonergan: Finished seventh in the Olympic Trials, but among those trying out for the World Team, he finished fifth – meaning he made the World Team! He became the third Marylander to make the five-person men’s squad to the Worlds, along with Han Xiao and Cheng Yinghua.
- Khoa Nguyen: Khoa started off well, and after day one was among the leaders. However, on day two he did poorly, and dropped out of contention. On day three, he had an unspecified family emergency, and had to default his last two matches. He finished 5-6, and finished ninth. (In working out the order of finish in a round robin, you get two points for a win, one for a loss where you played, and zero for a default loss. The two defaults dropped him from seventh to ninth.)
- John Leach: John had to play through the qualifier to reach the Final Twelve. With only two spots available, he faced Samson Dubina, the top seed in the qualifier (and eleventh overall) in the quarterfinals. He pulled off the upset, 8,9,-6,6,-7,8. In the semifinals, however, he lost to Tahl Leibovitz, and thought he was out. However, when the top seed in the Trials, Ilija Lupulesku, dropped out due to a back injury, a spot opened up. It was decided by a coin toss between the two losing semifinalists in the Qualifier – John and De Tran. John won, and advanced to the Final Twelve! He ended up finishing tenth, with a 4-0 win over his nemesis from the day before – Leibovitz.
- Charlie Sun: Charlie, 14, had to play long-time 2400 player Shashin Shodhan in the first round of the qualifier. It was an epic battle, and Charlie was up 2-0 and 3-2 (and made it to 9-10 in the sixth) before losing, -6,-8,7,10,-8,9,5.
- Trevor Runyan: Trevor, 17, made it to the third round of the Qualifier, losing the close games in an 8,9,2,10 loss in the quarterfinals to former USA Team Member De Tran. He was just one win away from making it to the coin toss against John Leach. . . .
- Amaresh Sahu: Amaresh, 15, also faced De Tran, but in the round before the quarters . . . and had great difficulty with De’s two-winged lefty looping in losing 0-4.
JOOLA Players at the USA Nationals
Congratulations to all the JOOLA Team members who attended the 2007 USA Nationals! We know everyone worked hard, and can’t wait to see your progress in future tournaments. Here are some results from Team JOOLA:
Steven Chan: USA Nationals Junior Boys’ Team
Gerry Chua: Under 3200 Doubles Champion
Ethan Chua: Boys’ 10 & Under Semifinalist
Prachi Jha: Under 1500 Semifinalist
, Girls Elementary School Semifinalist, Nate Wasserman Memorial Scholarship Award Winner
John Leach: Men’s Under 21 Quarterfinalist
, Under 2400 Quarterfinalist
Richard Lee: Men’s Doubles Semifinalist
Tina Lin: Girls’ 10 & Under Champion
Sean Lonergan: Men’s Doubles Semifinalist, Over 30 Men’s Semifinalist
Khoa Nguyen: Mixed Doubles Finalist, Senior Men’s Singles Semifinalist
, Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist
Jonathan Ou: Under 1400 RR Champion
, Under 1500 Semifinalist
, Boys’ 10 & Under Quarterfinalist
Trevor Runyan: Hardbat Champion
Natalie Sun: Under 1900 Quarterfinalist
Allen Wang: Boys’ 10 & Under Semifinalist
Han Xiao: Under 21 Men’s Champion
, Mixed Doubles Champion, Men’s Doubles Finalist , Men’s Singles Semifinalist
Lily Zhang: USA Nationals Junior Girls’ Team Member
Upcoming JOOLA North American Tour Schedule
March 22-23 Western Open Berkeley, CA
April 26-27 San Diego Open San Diego, CA
May 24-25 Eastern Open Piscataway, NJ
August 16-17 Matthew J. Murad Memorial Open Boyds, MD
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