Talkin' Smash Podcast powered by JOOLA Team JOOLA

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/joolaglobal

Or 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/joolaglobal

Or 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