Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA

In our first ever podcast with Team JOOLA's newest addition, we talked table tennis with 4-time Team GB Olympian Liam Pitchford. We had the chance to speak about the different stages of his table tennis career, and how his priorities, needs and training habits changed as he passed through different levels of development and professional competition. This was very insightful to see, not only how the types of training changes, but also how he became significantly more focused on the mental aspects of sport as he got to the higher levels and was chasing the 1% which would ultimately make the difference between better and best. You can also catch the video podcast on our youtube channel: www.youtube.com/JOOLAGlobal

In this episode of Talkin' Smash we sat down with JOOLA's Vitor Ishiy to talk more about the process of developing your own playing style and identifying what your potential strengths are. One interesting area of conversation was about the impacts of trying too much to mimic a favourite player or style and how this can have an impact on player development. As always a pleasure to sit and chat with Vitor and to get some of his experience, particularly with regard to how he developed his own playing style more.Be sure to check out the video podcast version at: http://youtube.com/joolaglobal

This was another great podcast with someone that has a lifetime worth of experience in the game as a player, but also a lot of knowledge as a coach. We enjoyed sitting down and chatting with Thiago Monteiro about whether table tennis players fixate on the wrong things when they are trying to improve their table tennis game. Key areas we spoke about were things like how much players focus on the latest equipment, how obsessed players get over rating systems, and other areas of the game. It was great to speak about these topics and hopefully it will give listeners more insights into where they should really be focusing in order to better their game!You can check out the video podcast at: www.youtube.com/joolaglobal

Major League Table Tennis has taken the US by storm, and it was a great opportunity as the second season kicks off to sit down and catch up with the MLTT Founder and Commissioner, Flint Lane. Flint is aiming to bring the dream of having a full time professional table tennis league in the USA alive. Season 1 saw an exciting new format for the sport, a number of high level foreign players, and numerous team matches across the country. Flint speaks about the conception to delivery of MLTT, and what his vision is - not just for MLTT, but for the growth of table tennis in America in general, as part of his efforts. New changes are afoot in Season 2 and the journey for Flint and his dedicated team continues! Learn more about Major League Table Tennis at: www.mltt.comSee the video podcast at www.youtube.com/joolaglobal

Matilda Ekholm is a player well known for her passion, her scrappy left handed battles in rallies, and her exceptional feeling for the ball. While many know her as a multiple-time European Championships medalist, and now the Director of Coaching at PingPod in the USA, not everyone knows the hurdles she overcame in her impressive career.In this podcast we take a trip down memory lane to talk about one of the most controversial topics in table tennis - rejection to perform at the highest pinnacle of all sports. Twice in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Ekholm qualified to represent her country, but on both occasions her LOC denied her the right to participate due to their secondary criteria. This podcast certainly hosts some common ground between Ekholm and host Matt Hetherington, who hails from New Zealand where the same standards are enforced and nobody has represented the nation since 2004 in Athens.Be sure to check out the video podcast at: http://youtube.com/joolaglobal

A great and lengthy discussions with Dan Ives from the renowned table tennis brand TableTennisDaily, about the state of athlete image in table tennis. This was a good chance to dive into the topics of athlete interactions with fans, how media presents table tennis stars, and how table tennis players could break into bigger audiences and become more mainstream stars across the sporting world.People are drawn to sports through their teams or through their favourite athletes, in table tennis what could help push the sport to new heights and propel athletes into the limelight? From the world of tennis, to the World Championships of Ping Pong, get ready for this hour long adventure of a podcast! 

We had a great chance to sit down and chat with Vitor Ishiy, one of the mainstays of the Brazilian National Team and a 12-time Pan American Championships gold medalist. We spoke with Vitor about the difficult task of handling pressure in high stakes table tennis matches. As part of this discussion we spoke initially about how pressure can affect a player during matches, both physically and mentally.Vitor also touched on different stages of pressure and where you can deal with them. A player can utilize different methods to combat the negative impacts of pressure before and between tournaments, before matches, during matches and between matches. Each player is different, but listening to Vitor's own personal experience is something that a lot of players can surely relate to. As always we threw in a fun break segment to keep things light. Note: There were a couple of small blips with the mic set when recording so on a few occasions the mic cuts out very momentarily.Be sure to also check out the video podcast on our YouTube Channel and the JOOLA Infinity App. 

We reached the tenth episode of the Talkin' Smash Podcast, and it was our pleasure to be joined by PingPod CEO Max Kogler to talk about one of the biggest topics in the table tennis world. It's no secret that table tennis is a huge sport recreationally around the globe, but the numbers translate poorly into competitive representation. One of the key problems in table tennis which hasn't been solved is how to bridge that gap. PingPod is the latest tech innovation in table tennis, which is taking ping pong to the front lines - bringing in a whole new audience, and taking the sport to their neighbourhoods. It was interesting to learn more about the inspiration and formation of the PingPod concept, bringing it to reality, and the development of the tech stack behind it. We also spoke about the strategies, both digital, and even through their coaching system, which has helped PingPod reach out to the recreational and pro table tennis communities, and help draw them a step closer together!You can watch the video full episode on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/joolaglobalOr by downloading the JOOLA Infinity App in the Apple or Android store!

Thiago Monteiro has had a lengthy career representing Brazil, winning multiple Pan American Games medals and competing in three Olympic Games. Monteiro has spent the majority of his career living in France, the rewards of making the bold decision to leave Brazil to pursue a full time table tennis career.At that time no player had moved away permanently from Brazil for the sport of table tennis. This podcast covers the journey of Thiago's career and the legacy he has helped create for the generations of players that followed him - both from Brazil and Latin America as a whole. You can also check out the full video episode on JOOLA Global YouTube channel and the JOOLA Infinity App!

To kick off Talkin' Smash in 2024, there's no better guest than Dan Ives. A great friend of podcast host Matt Hetherington, spanning back over a decade - these two have banter. Ives created TableTennisDaily over 12 years ago, starting out as a YouTube channel and a small forum for the most die hard table tennis fans. Over the past decade TableTennisDaily has grown into a powerhouse in the sport. From those early days the brand now boasts it's own team series in the British League, an organized 8-team Super League competition, a refurbished HQ building which is now Europe's first PingPod - as well as multiple masterclasses in it's academy with top professional players. It was fun to catch up and hear about how the TableTennisDaily brand has evolved over that time, the inspirations, the challenges, and a look into the mind of the man behind it all - Dan Ives. You can also view the video podcast on our YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/joolaglobalOr by downloading the JOOLA Infinity app:JOOLA Infinity App 

In Episode 7 of the Talkin' Smash Podcast I spoke with one of Germany's top female players, Sophia Klee. After a promising start in the sport, as the 2017 European Top 10 Cadet Girls Champion, and European Cadet Girls Doubles Champion the same year, Klee faced a challenging situation at the beginning of 2022 when she was struck with a brutal injury. We spoke about the recovery process both physical and mental, the challenges and how they were overcome - and how the injury changed her approach to competing in sport.Please be sure to follow the podcast, and check out the video version on the JOOLA Infinity app or at JOOLA Global on YouTube.

In Episode 6 of Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA, I sat down with my good friend Ryan Willard (again) at the JOOLA North American Team Championships on center court. I have some new guests lined up coming into next year and will take a little pause to organize and record new ones as we head through December. Ryan is a great creative mind and a good person to talk to about the atmosphere and attention given to creating a live experience in table tennis venues. Honestly, in the majority of cases it is not done well.Table Tennis has typically failed to gain traction in most of its events, from local all the way to the highest international tournaments. Why is that? Is it just the nature of our sport? Are we focusing too much on digital audience? Or do we just not care?Ryan and I discussed what is there, what is missing and what can be done to get more people in seats at live table tennis events!The podcast is also available with video at: www.youtube.com/joolaglobal

I was fortunate enough to take the opportunity to film a couple of podcasts with Lily when she visited, in the second one - Episode 5 of Talkin' Smash, we talked Serve Receive. Lily prepared some good blogs this year about her experiences playing on the tour and deep diving into some specific matches. One which stood out for me was her account of the match with Mima Ito, where she spoke about her difficulties receiving serve and how it impacted the match flow overall. Lily gave some interesting insights into serve receive and practicing for it. We spoke about how it ranks in difficulty and importance vs serve, and whether it is being practiced enough or properly. It's always a pleasure to do podcasts and catch up with Lily, and I'm sure you'll be seeing more of her again!Check out the full video podcast at:https://youtube.com/joolaglobal

Former British International Craig Bryant joins host Matt Hetherington for this episode of Talkin' Smash on his specialist topic of the serve. Craig, recently taking the internet by storm as a reputable professional table tennis coach with a particular focus in the area of improving service, has a wealth of knowledge in the sport. The topics of conversation float from the terrible habits seen in service practice by players, lack of guidance by coaches, and the significant differences that effective service practice can have for your game. Taking on the handle of @thettserviceguy on Instagram, Craig recently passed the milestone of 25,000 followers less than a year after the inception of his page. An excellent discussion from two table tennis coaches who are very passionate about teaching and promoting the importance of the service game! Craig's Coaching Website: https://coachcraigtt.wixsite.com/thettserviceguyCheck out the full video podcast at:https://youtube.com/joolaglobal

Peak Performance Table Tennis expert trainer Kevin Finn joins host Matt Hetherington to talk about common misconceptions for physical training in table tennis, as well as his ideas about building athleticism in the sport. Kevin Finn is a certified strength and conditioning coach and table tennis player, who is using his skills to try and bring both worlds together. He builds physical training programs for table tennis players and other athletes and recently became an author with his book "Peak Performance Table Tennis: Unlock Your Potential and Play Like the Pros".You can find out more about Kevin and his programs on his website at:https://peakperformancetabletennis.com/Check out the full video podcast at:https://youtube.com/joolaglobal

Talkin' Smash host Matt Hetherington is joined by JOOLA's 3-time US Olympian Lily Zhang to discuss more about the contrast of experiences during her career so far. From the tough decision to pack up and relocate overseas as a full-time player for the first time, to making the -arguably even more difficult - decision, to come home to live back in the USA. Lily Zhang's insights into being a professional player based in the USA are fairly unique and this podcast gives a great look into her decision making and the importance of athlete mental health in performance. Find the full video podcast at:www.youtube.com/joolaglobalJoin the Team JOOLA Community on the JOOLA Infinity App:www.onelink.to/joola

In the first ever episode of the Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA, host Matt Hetherington is joined by one of the recognizable faces in US Table Tennis - Ryan Willard. Commonly seen as an MC/Host and Commentator, 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. Matt delves into table tennis through the eyes of a newcomer, and what the sport has to offer that it should capitalize on through promotion more. Find the full video podcast at:www.youtube.com/joolaglobalJoin the Team JOOLA Community on the JOOLA Infinity App:www.onelink.to/joola