Interview with Tahl Leibovitz

2004 Paralympic Bronze Medalist, Men’s Singles Class 9

By Larry Hodges 

Major Titles

Where are you from, and where do you practice?
I live in Queens, NY. I practice at the Brooklyn Table Tennis Club. They have a league every Thursday night. The league has been very helpful in regard to my improvement. The matches are very intense and so many people come and play. I think all clubs should have leagues. It really helps players improve.

Who is your sponsor, and what equipment do you use?
I am sponsored by Stiga through Table Tennis Pioneers (www.ping-pong.com). I use Mendo Energy on my backhand and Mendo MP on my forehand. Energy Wood blade. Table Tennis Pioneers has been so great to me. They are very helpful in so many ways and offer great advice. Jack helped me choose the racket I am using now. When I first got sponsored by TT Pioneers I wasn’t sure what to use. I was always using 2.0 rubber. Jack told me to use Maximum on both sides with Mendo MP on my forehand. That really helped my game and I have gone up over 200 rating points since. Newgy is my sponsor through the US Paralympic Team and I can assure you that I would not have been successful without the Newgy robot. I use it in my ongoing training. I played with the Robot at least four times a week. Probably more. I am also sponsored by FILA through Team Continuum and some private sponsors as well. I have an Elite status when it comes to the USOC. They are a huge sponsor also. 

Who do you practice with, and who is your coach?
I have been getting really great practice from a number of people in the last six months. Paul David has been great practice. He really helped me improve. Also De Tran. John McFadden is also a great practice partner. He really boosts my confidence. Training with Cameron Scott is really great too because he is an excellent blocker. Sean Pirzada is very good for my training also, he returns a lot of balls. I’m sure I’m leaving out a lot of people.

My coach for the past two years has been Sean O’Neill. Sean really showed me what it takes to be a serious table tennis player. He has great vision for the game and is the most positive individual I have ever met. He also has an incredible energy for the game as a coach. No one could ask for a better coach. Sean has showed me that the key to being successful in table tennis is never worrying about the results and never trying to satisfy others with your performance. Sean says that we have no control over the results. We only have control over our physical, mental and tactical training. He says that being able to execute is the key factor in most top-level matches. Whether it be under pressure, in a first round or a final. You need to be able to execute your game plan. Thinking about things that you have no control over during the match will get you beat. Also believing you can’t lose or thinking you can’t win will get you beat. Sean’s way of thinking about the game is impressive. He takes a very different approach. Even here in Athens – the first thing he said to me was “Medals are won and lost in the Village.”

What advice would you give up and coming players?
I would have to say there are a lot of different dynamics when it comes to a table tennis match. It’s both preparation and execution. First you need a good solid foundation in your game, both offense and defense. You should have good service and good service return. You should practice hard on a regular basis. Then and only then will you be ready to compete against players your level and above. At the highest level the game is 80 percent mental. Try and play the point, not the score.

 

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