Ping Pong Equipment & Reviews

Reviews

I am a member of a small table tennis club (15 or less members), and everyone who has read this (we have shared it) has learned something from the book. It is a well organized, practical, and as much as is possible to write about a visual sport, helpful. The guy obviously knows how to coach; if I could live in Denver, I would definitely try to get some coaching time in from him. But I digress, back to the book, he has numerous useful photos showing various skills and how to practice certain drills to make you more proficient. All of our group loves his picture on serves (it shows a wheel and the angle of the paddle coming up from the wheel to give the proper angle for the paddle to come up to make contact with the ball. You have to see it to understand it. Anyway, it's a good book, well worth the money if you are in the lower or middle range of table tennis skills.

Haven't finished book yet but based upon what I have read, the book gives great technique on playing table tennis. Illustrations are well done and concepts are easy to grasp. Drills are effective and specific to skill sets trained for.

An excellent book for beginning and novice players wanting to learn the modern attacking style of play. Also has some information that can be of value to more experienced players. Explains footwork, strokes, understanding and imparting spin, and returning serves. Gives training drills for developing basic table tennis skills. Gives history of the sport not included in many other table tennis books.

Richard McAfee's new instructional guide, Table Tennis Steps to Success provides straightforward advice for beginning and intermediate players and their coaches. Coach McAfee covers basic technique and strategy, and provides detailed drills. Each stroke is illustrated with photos and diagrams that highlight correct technique. Common technique mistakes and corrections for each are highlighted. Each new stroke introduction is followed by a drill that helps the player use it in a game situation. A key feature of the book is that each drill includes scoring criteria that help the player track their progress and find their own relative strengths and weaknesses. The chapter titled Using the Five-Ball Training System presents a well-rounded set of drills designed to mirror common game situations. Each drill includes a diagram, and points out key elements for success at the drill. Any player below the 2000 level who is armed with a table, a practice partner, willingness to work and a desire to improve can use this section of the book to become a better player. Along with the instructional material, McAfee includes some information that other books have left out: a concise history of the sport, a section on unwritten rules and etiquette, basic stretching instruction and injury treatment. Coach McAfee also describes common styles of play, including the traditional strengths and weaknesses of each. A section on serve tactics includes suggestions on which serves to use against each style. The book concludes with an excellent section on how to get the most out of tournament play.

This book is great for me. I don't know much about table tennis except that my boyfriend loves to play and really wants me to get some game. I can't afford coaching and he's too much of an impatient jerk to teach me. Now I've finally found a resource that will let me develop into a passable player and earn his respect. What a great book, the drills have already made me able to hit the ball over the net consistently and I can't wait to get to the more advanced strokes. I'm still a rookie but with this book on my side I envision beating my arrogant boyfriend soon. Thanks coach!!

Reviews

good beginners book covering basic forward hand, backhand, ect. but, does not cover some needed pointers. however, i haven't seen any book that covers all the aspects of each of the strokes adequately. therefore, highly recommended.

This book will tell you everything that you ever wanted to know about how to improve your table tennis game. Easy to read, and has many helpful drawings to illustrate the point being made. Covers the basics as well as advanced concepts. Each chapter contains many drills to help the reader master the different types of strokes and strategies.

I could see that this could be a good book if you were brand new to table tennis and had a coach. Good drills for practicing with similarly leveled players. However, I feel book does not accurately describe how to truely improve your stroke. Descriptions tend to be vague and leave it to the player to experiment to get the result they are looking for. The danger for the player without a coach is that common early bad habits that are effective for begginers will become engrained. Also, the strategy section is not as good as in other TT books.

I found the book to be very helpful and informative. I have just begun playing competitively for the past year and found that the graphics/steps really have helped my game. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is just developing their game. I have bought other table tennis books, but they lacked the graphics this book has, so I am very happy with this purchase.

This book is one of the best book on table tennis that I have ever read. The clear and concise text makes this book very readable. While you may not turn into a table tennis champion overnight, following the instructions by Mr. Hodges by disciplined practice, a newcomer to the sport can learn the game, but it can also be used as a reference for intermediate players to correct their stroke or to improve it. This book is useful not only because it explains the different strokes but it also contains sections on physical training and tactics against different style of play.Table Tennis: Steps to Success is a must-have in any table tennis player's library.