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I have seen a lot of coaches over the years.  Some were very good and some were not very good.  Stellan is the only one who seems to have recognized that most of the people coming to the clinic can not take lessons from him on a regular and frequent basis.  He seems to structure his explanations and his drills in such a way that we can go off and work on things on our own.

What I found absolutely puzzling was the fact that there were twelve spots for the clinic (it was open to anyone over 1700) and only eight people were there.  I am not sure whether there was a problem with getting the word out, but I think four Southern California players missed out on a great opportunity to improve their games.

It is hard for me to say of course, but I thought that both Stellan and Angie really enjoy teaching.  Heck, Angie was there just a few days after a knee surgery.  Now, that is dedication! I'd probably be popping vicodins in bed.

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But he points out; the table is only five feet wide. It’s not like tennis; you don’t have to move too much to cover the table. Stellan prefers to allow a player to use their own style for stroking the ball. He uses multi-ball drills to form their stroke into the necessary components he designates as (1) upper arm, (2) forearm, and (3) is wrist/racket. So for a half-long ball I hear him telling me “less 1, more 2-3.” He says it’s the proper timing of when and where you contact the ball that’s important. He emphasizes maximizing top spin by contacting the upper half of the ball with a closed racket. He points out there is no need to lift the ball if at the top of the bounce it is above the net. This is a big change from my previous open racket, high arcing loop I had developed on my own.

In addition, I learned about the short game. A good push is a necessity. Personally though, I enjoyed learning about the Flick. I also learned about the back hand, foot work, and service techniques. But the bread and butter is always going to be the forehand loop. Oh, what a feeling! To turn on a forehand loop catching it just right for a clean winner. Then to look up and see the Coach had watched it all and was giving an approving nod and a fist raised to the roof. “Coach”, I asked him, “How do I keep from getting so nervous during a match?” He responds, “Anyone who says they don’t get nervous for an important game is either a fool or a liar. Remember you are at the table to play of your own free will. No one is making you be there. Just play to have fun.”

Four weeks of training and now it’s the weekend of the North American Table Tennis SoCal Open. I’ve entered three events to put my new skills to the test. The first is the Under 2000 event and my first match is against an under-rated junior player. Here we go…now what did he say…ready position, weight on the right foot, step out with the left foot, position the right foot back, turn at the waist, bend the knees, close the racket, maximum speed at impact and…whiff. Missed it completely. The rest of the match went a little better but I just never felt ready for the ball and my opponent never let up. I took a first match loss. Stellan was coaching our club juniors but he came by to see how I was doing. He tells me that now I must let it go. Not to think so much about each detail. He says to trust that my training will cause my reactions to be correct and just play the ball. Have some fun! And I did do better; I even knocked off the group’s top seed with one of the better matches I’ve ever played. With my first match loss though, it became a three way tie to advance to the single elimination. The win/loss ratio favored the top seed so my play was done for the day.

Sunday, my afternoon event is the Under 1850. This will be it; my best and final chance to make it happen. Oh no! My first Under 1850 match is against the dreaded long pips junk racket. Fortunately, I’ve been practicing against players using this mystical rubber so I have a good idea what to expect with the spin reversal. I still struggled through the match losing two games before I managed to win in five. Talk about winning ugly, this was it. That’s alright, I’ll take the win. My next match was with a developing player with nice strokes but no consistency. It was perfect for me. It allowed me to groove my strokes and build up my confidence. I was to need all I had for my next match against a very talented junior girl. This time I could feel my training paying off with successful loops of her half-long balls. I even start to get the feel back for placing my serves while using a small foot stomp I recently added from watching Stellan’s serves. Hallelujah! I’ve won my round robin.

Quarterfinals, and then I can’t believe it, I’m in the semi-finals. With just one more win I could be in the trophy round. Don’t look ahead, I tell myself to focus on every point. My opponent is a tall fellow with strong loops off both wings. A sea-saw battle as we take turns driving each other away from the table with looping bombs. I start missing my loop into the net. There’s Stellan, pointing to his legs. Right, I’m starting to get a little tired now but I must keep my legs into the shots. The final points. I’m blocking back his loops and I remember, Stellan says “do not keep blocking the balls back to the same place.” I aim for his elbow and he misses…giving me the match. I’m into the finals.

For the under 1850 finals, I was familiar with my opponent. He was tough as nails using a chiseler style with a pick hit he could use at any time. I knew he would make very few unforced errors. The match began with me being very aggressive spinning his pushes and the first game went to me. The second game I tried to do more of the same but he bore down with shorter, heavier spins and I began to miss. Game two went to him. The third game I played more cautiously but when I returned weakly, BANG - he’d surprise me with his attack. Another game for him. I could feel the match slipping away. My friend, Jerry, was coaching me between games. He had offered tips and strategy the previous games. He now only looked me in the eyes and said “Phil, you can do this! Just play your game.” Okay. I was determined to battle for each and every point. My opponent must have been thinking the same thing. I recall one point I smashed – three, four smashes in a row - he retreated but still lobbed it back. The fifth smash I missed off the end of the table. I’d been so focused it was the first time I heard the crowd as they applauded the point. Okay, shake it off. Get the next one. Stellan says there will be times when it all comes together. Training and desire will be in harmony. It was in this zone that I won the final three games for the Under 1850 Championship. Sweet jubilation! I am so grateful to all those that supported me and offered their congratulations. It was a very satisfying win on so many levels.

So was the coaching worthwhile? Decide for yourself. But when I’m asked, I like the sound of the reply; “Yes, I have a coach – Stellan Bengtsson.”