Talkin' Smash Podcast by JOOLA Ep4: The Seriously Underrated Art of Service Practice with Craig Bryant

Already bouncing around some different topics and I have been doing my best to get the best possible guests to match with specialist topics. That being said, this Episode 4 Podcast was also a perfect match. Talkin' Service! with Craig Bryant. No better man for the job than @thettserviceguy (on Instagram).

My guest for Episode 4 is Craig Bryant, a service master instructor!

Craig is a former England international and a reputable coach. His 4 Killer Serves to Destroy Your Opponents YouTube video with Tom Lodziak was a hit for the online table tennis crowd. The video garnered an impressive 8.7 million views.

Now Craig is focused on building his platform and new Coaching Website as well as his social media platforms where he shares plenty of tips, tricks and fun content about the incredible art of table tennis serve. 

In this episode we talk about the importance of the serve and how much simple improvements can impact a match overall. We also talk about things that frustrate us both when we see people practicing their serves, and also people teaching serves and guiding people in serve practice. 

Overall a great podcast, we got down and nerdy on a bunch of different things and it was really fun!

- Listen and Follow on Spotify
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Talkin' Smash Podcast by JOOLA Ep3: Setting the Record Straight on Physical Training in Table Tennis with Kevin Finn

We are getting some air under our wings with the new Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA. In Episode 3, my guest is Kevin Finn - the founder and trainer behind Peak Performance Table Tennis. Kevin is a certified Strength and Conditioning coach and a published Author. We chat about physical training in table tennis, some of the misconceptions and what good habits to build and consider. 

Kevin Finn is my guest on Episode 3 of Talkin' Smash!

Kevin's book Peak Performance Table Tennis - Unlock Your Potential and Play Like the Pros was released in November 2021, and his popularity in the field has continued to grow. Through his online platforms and social media he works with table tennis players to test his physical training programs and exercises through focus groups. This allows him to continuously fine-tune his training plans. 

From conversations on the falsely taboo muscle building in table tennis, to making the most of your physical training time by choosing the right workouts - Kevin offers a very specific knowledge in this field, especially with his own table tennis background to add into the mix. 

- Listen and Follow on Spotify
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Talkin' Smash Podcast by JOOLA Ep2: The Overseas Experience vs. Coming Home to the USA with Lily Zhang

 In episode 2 of the Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA, I was joined by three-time US Olympian and six-time US National Table Tennis Champion Lily Zhang. We had a great discussion about different periods of Lily's playing career, living in different places and the pros and cons of living abroad vs. living at home in America. 

Lily Zhang joins Matt Hetherington on Episode 2 of the
Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA

Zhang's career, post-university graduation, saw her experience an array of different training experiences. For the first year away from home she bounced around different countries in Europe, training and competing without a base. In year two she settled and trained full time in Dusseldorf at the German National Training Center. Her next experience saw her live in China for almost a year, during the height of the pandemic - training among the world's best with the Chinese National Team and playing in the Chinese Super League. 

After these long winded and varying pathways, her journey has now brought her home to the United States - where she is based and travels regularly for overseas leagues and international tournaments. 

It was great to get Lily's insights into these totally different worlds, but more so to delve into the mental challenges of each. My goal was to speak more about the challenges which players don't think about when they endeavour to move overseas and away from home full time. Lily's knowledge and learnings in these areas, especially with her graduate background in psychology - make for a unique and interesting podcast discussion. 

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Talkin' Smash Podcast by JOOLA Ep1: A Newcomer's Introduction to Pro Table Tennis Ryan Willard

In the first ever episode of the Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA, I'm joined by one of my friends and a recognizable face in US Table Tennis - Ryan Willard.

Commonly seen as an MC/Host and one of my favourite co-commentators, Ryan's journey in the sport spans from being first exposed to the sport at SPiN New York, all the way to hosting the World Table Tennis Championships. Honestly being a part of this journey with Ryan has been pretty amazing. He was literally hosting a social/pro competitive table tennis night at SPiN in New York City, and gradually over the years brought something special to the game. It has been my pleasure to work with him over many years now, and to see him go from the shadows of SPiN to the lights of the biggest table tennis events in the US and the World! Ryan was without a doubt the perfect person to start off my new podcast with, as a seasoned podcaster himself, and also as someone who brings an entire spectrum of experience in our sport - all the way from being fresh to the game, to having seen it at its very best.

You can also check out the audio podcast on Spotify!

New Table Tennis Coaching Videos and the JOOLA Infinity App!

 Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I have posted here on my blog, hopefully most of you have been able to keep up with me on my Instagram @mhtabletennis where I have been posting everyday! 

Recently, since beginning to work with JOOLA Global, I have been producing coaching videos for the new JOOLA Infinity App. I'm really excited to be part of this project and be able to spend some time finally delving into sharing some more special tips on techniques, experiences and tactics as well as training drills and more!

The app already has dozens of videos, with a good balance of free and premium content. Currently there are a handful of coaches, one being my own Physical Trainer Kevin Finn from PeakPerformance Table Tennis, and another being 3-time Olympian Lily Zhang. 

There are a handful of new videos released to the platform each week, and the number of coaches and content types will only continue to expand as the app grows!

You can DOWNLOAD the JOOLA Infinity App HERE!

To kick things off, I am uploading weekly videos from my 11-part Basics for Beginners series of videos from the app, you can check out the first one below on the basic racket grip. Many of you will be too advanced in your game for these, but perhaps you can share them with friends who are looking to get into the game!

This is the perfect chance for anyone from a basement ping pong player, to an aspiring table tennis player, to learn something to enhance their game.

I hope you will all join the app and join me as I continue to work hard putting out more videos!