By Dallas Hudgens
Washington Post, Friday, January 9, 1998; Page N59
THE ORANGE ball is a blur. It's enough to scramble a spectator's eyes. And this is just practice -- for a 10-year-old boy, no less.
Han Xiao is trading 70 mph forehands with his coach at the Maryland Table Tennis Center (MTTC) in Gaithersburg. By the time he has finished throwing his schoolboy frame into one shot, the ball is already coming back at him. Yet, again and again, he manages to turn his shoulders and unleash a swing that is more reminiscent of Andre Agassi's roundhouse tennis forehand than it is of anything you've ever seen at your basement ping-pong table.
"Much of the game is just strategy, but you also have to understand spin and power," says Han's coach, Cheng Yinghua, who is the top-ranked men's player in the United States, and instructor at MTTC.
Han absorbs Cheng's wisdom, all the while cranking out his perfect forehands. As a budding talent who has already collected a number of junior titles, Han is fortunate to live near the mecca of American table tennis. Tucked deep inside an industrial park, MTTC is a warehouse of champions and champions-in-training. Members of the club swept all five men's, women's and doubles events at last year's national championships. The results were not a big surprise. MTTC players often travel across the country for tournaments, only to play against each other in the finals.
Step inside the center on a busy night, and the clatter of ping-pong balls fills your head. They lie on the floor and in open boxes like miniature oranges, contrasting against the bright blue tables laid out across the warehouse. Each table produces a unique rhythm, whether its women's national champion, Gao Jun, sparring with former men's collegiate champion, Sean Lonergan, or a pair of serious rec players pelting backhands during a practice session. Collegiate champions, Olympic veterans and serious rec players polish their games side by side.
It's rare in any sport to find so much talent under one roof. That's not to say sports agents and groupies are beating down the center's doors.
"People never see table tennis on TV in America, so it's like they don't even know it exists," says Han, voicing a familiar lament of the sport's stateside enthusiasts. In Asian and European countries, a young player of Han's ability would command at least as much attention as a high school basketball star in America.
Other than the club's abundance of talent, its most unique feature is that it lays out the welcome mat for players of all abilities. It's not uncommon for recreational players to reserve tables right beside the champions. In fact, one table over from Han and Cheng, Lorin Benedict is playing a friendly game with another club member.
"I've only been playing for four years, and being able to watch these great players and play beside them has really helped me improve," he says.
Benedict now competes in the club's intermediate league and also schedules a weekly private lesson with Cheng. While he is modest about his abilities, his strokes are much more fluid and consistent than those of a typical basement player. He gives much of the credit for his development to Cheng.
"It's like being able to take a tennis lesson from a world-class pro," he says. "And Cheng not only does drills, but he also plays points with me. It's quite a kick to compete against someone of his caliber, not to mention very tough."
Beginners who would like to get involved in league play or tournaments would do well to invest in lessons. A one-hour session with Cheng or one of the center's two other pros (Jack Huang, another former top-ranked U.S. player, and Larry Hodges, author of numerous instruction books) is $25, cheaper than your average private tennis lesson. Group lessons are also offered, including a 10-week clinic for beginners. You don't have to pay a club membership fee ($250 per person) to take lessons, although a membership will entitle you to discounts on league and tournament play.
Spin is an important element of any accomplished player's repertoire, especially on the serve. Carving a ball just the right way will launch it on a loopy flight that leaves your opponent lunging one way as the ball swoops another.
"It's like trying to hit a curve ball, only the movement is more exaggerated because the ball is lighter," says Hodges.
Power also has its place, according to Hodges. "A lot of people think that it's all in the wrist," he says. "But if you want to generate power, you have to throw your whole body into the shot. And you've got to have strong legs to reflexively do that."
Recreational leagues and tournaments, which are held throughout the year at the club, offer flighted levels of play. Players' ratings move up or down based on their latest tournament results. Depending on where you live, MTTC isn't always convenient for those spur-of-the-moment urges to whack the ball. Joining one of the handful of other clubs in the area is a good way to meet players who live near you. These clubs tend to meet on a regular basis in rec centers and gymnasiums. Many enthusiasts also have their own tables. MTTC will refer you to the club that is most convenient to your own neighborhood.
A basement maestro, tired of skunking his little brother, is sure to find a competitive game at MTTC. He might even find himself in for a humbling experience.
"You can be a good basement player for 30 years and lose to someone who has only been taking lessons for a year," says Bob Slapnik, who is an MTTC regular. "When I was a kid, I could beat everybody in the neighborhood. Then, I went into a rec center and was beaten by a club player. They could do so much with the ball that it made me want to learn how to do it as well. That's how I got the bug."
Since the sport requires a balance of skill and athleticism, you don't have to be a gifted athlete to excel.
"The emphasis is often on skill rather than size, strength or youth," says Derek Hendricks, who picked up the game during a military stint in Germany 10 years ago. "If you're a basement player, you've still got a lot to learn. At its highest level, this game is so subtle and intricate that it's like magicians competing."
Hocus-pocus aside, you won't be able to disappear after your first humiliating loss. As Hodges says, you have to think a lot about table tennis and play against a number of superior players to develop a complete game. Until then, you can always go home and take out your frustrations on your little brother.
MARYLAND TABLE TENNIS CENTER -- 18761 Frederick Rd., Bay Q, Gaithersburg, 20879; 301/519-8580. www.erols.com/ttworld/mdttc.html. The center is open weekdays 7 to 11 p.m., Saturdays 6 to 9 p.m. and Sundays 3 to 5 p.m. Memberships are $250 per year ($150 if you're under 18). Discounted family memberships are also available. Private lessons are $25 per hour, $22 for children under 16. The next Beginning/ Intermediate Table Tennis Class begins Feb. 1. The 10-week class meets 7 to 8:30 p.m. each Sunday, is for all ages and costs $100. Fees for leagues and tournaments vary.
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