Seth Pech Breaks Down His First U.S. National Title

Paddle Palace-sponsored player Seth Pech captured the 30 & Over Men’s Singles title at the 2026 U.S. National Table Tennis Championships in San Jose, California, defeating Mohammadreza Akhlaghpasand in straight games in the final.

It was Seth’s first U.S. national title, but his latest PechPong video offers much more than a championship highlight reel. Seth walks viewers through the tactical decisions, mid-match adjustments, and mental discipline that helped him advance through three dangerous opponents.

Seth’s road to the title included three very different tests:

• Quarterfinal: defeated Shashin Shodhan (2177) 3–1 (9–11, 11–9, 11–8, 12–10)
• Semifinal: defeated Leo Huang (2323) 3–1 (8–11, 11–9, 11–7, 13–11)
• Final: defeated Mohammadreza Akhlaghpasand (2511) 3–0 (11–7, 14–12, 11–9)

The Pech family nearly produced an all-family final. Seth’s brother, Keith Pech (2271), also reached the semifinals before losing to Akhlaghpasand.

Watch Seth’s complete tournament recap:

Preparing to Compete Before Entering the Hall

Seth begins his recap with a valuable reminder that tournament preparation is not limited to practice time.

When possible, he arrives a day or two early so he can adjust to the location, time change, and playing conditions. He also makes time for sightseeing and activities away from the table. That helps him settle down, sleep better, and avoid becoming mentally overexcited before the competition begins.

For serious tournament players, that is an important lesson. Good preparation should sharpen your game without draining your energy before the first match.

Quarterfinal: Changing Placement and Managing Energy

In the quarterfinals, Seth faced Shashin Shodhan, a dangerous and experienced opponent who had previously played above the 2400 level.

Seth quickly recognized that he was feeding too many balls directly into Shodhan’s strong backhand corner. Shodhan could control the angles and fire two powerful backhands in succession. Seth’s preferred adjustment was to find the playing elbow first, force a backhand from the middle, and then move the next ball wide to the backhand.

He also noticed an unusual mental dynamic. His vocal celebrations were giving his opponent energy instead of applying pressure. Seth quieted himself, replacing louder “cho” celebrations with more controlled fist pumps.

That is excellent competitive awareness. Emotion should help you play the next point. If it begins helping your opponent, change how you use it.

Seth also shares one of the best serving ideas in the video: use a similar long serve to two different targets. After establishing the deep serve to the wide backhand, he moved the same serve toward the opponent’s crossover point. The familiar motion suggested one location, while the change in placement created hesitation between the forehand and backhand.

Semifinal: Introducing a Less Familiar Serve

Seth’s semifinal opponent, Leo Huang, produced heavy spin on his serves, receives, and opening attacks. The match often came down to which player could open first.

Seth initially used forehand pendulum and reverse-pendulum serves, but Huang appeared comfortable and automatic with his receives. Seth then introduced his backhand serve, which is less common at the higher levels. The change created the small hesitation he needed and reduced the confidence and quality of Huang’s returns.

Seth’s backhand-serve stance was an important part of the adjustment. Instead of using a traditional open stance, he served from a more neutral position, sometimes with his left foot slightly forward. Although the serve itself felt less natural, the new stance allowed him to move more efficiently when Huang returned short to the backhand side.

This is a practical reminder that a serve is not complete when the ball leaves your racket. Your stance and recovery must prepare you for the most likely return.

Against Huang’s heavy-spin serves, Seth committed to making high-quality backhand flicks and loops. He missed some early, but he resisted the temptation to become passive. As the match progressed, his timing improved and those aggressive receives began putting consistent pressure on his opponent.

Final: Serving to a Left-Hander and Staying Decisive

In the final, Seth faced left-handed Mohammadreza Akhlaghpasand, a player with strong serves and an excellent ability to take loose balls to wide angles.

Seth leaned heavily on his forehand pendulum serve. Against a right-handed opponent, that serve can invite a strong backhand banana flick. Against a left-hander, the receiving geometry changes. The opponent is more likely to receive with the forehand, while a backhand flick sends a different spin and direction back toward the server.

Seth varied the spin, length, and placement, including serves down the line and occasional dead serves. He also attacked medium-length and slightly high returns over the table with his forehand.

When Akhlaghpasand began pushing longer and trying to establish more rallies, Seth continued to trust his backhand. He accepted a few misses early rather than retreating into passive play. By the end of the match, his backhand was fully engaged and producing winners at the moment he needed it most.

A Championship Moment

Watch Seth’s reaction moments after securing his first U.S. national title.

Seth’s Most Important Lesson: Be Decisive

One of Seth’s best observations comes during his discussion of serve receive.

He asks whether a player would rather make five safe but mediocre receives, or produce three excellent receives while missing two. Seth increasingly favors quality and decisiveness. A strong receive can take the point away from the opponent, while a passive return may simply put the ball on the table and allow the server to attack.

His larger point is not that players should accept careless errors. It is that making an early, clear decision gives the body more time to execute a complete stroke. When players hesitate while trying to make the perfect choice, the ball arrives before they can perform the shot properly.

That lesson applies well beyond serve receive:

• Read the available information.
• Choose your response early.
• Commit to the stroke.
• Evaluate the decision after the point, not during it.

Seth has created a downloadable guide that explains his serve-receive philosophy and offers practical ways to make faster, more confident decisions. Visit PechPong TT to learn more about Seth’s serve-receive system.

Seth Pech’s Current Paddle Setup

Seth currently plays with an SP blade paired with two high-performance offensive rubbers in MAX sponge:

• Forehand: Donic BlueGrip C2 — a hybrid offensive rubber that combines a tacky topsheet with strong speed and spin for committed forehand attacks.
• Backhand: andro Rasanter C53 — a hard, dynamic rubber built for explosive backhand loops, counters, and aggressive serve receive.

The SP blade is part of Seth’s personal setup and will be selling it soon at Paddle Palace. Players can still build toward Seth’s high-performance rubber combination by selecting BlueGrip C2 in MAX for the forehand and Rasanter C53 in MAX for the backhand.

This is an advanced offensive combination best suited to experienced players who generate their own acceleration and want maximum performance on both wings.

A Champion Who Helps Other Players Improve

Seth’s first national title is a well-earned milestone. Just as importantly, his tournament review shows why PechPong has become such a valuable resource for developing players.

He does not simply show the points he won. He explains what was working, identifies his mistakes, and shares the adjustments that changed each match. That honest analysis gives players and coaches something they can immediately apply in training and competition.

Congratulations to Seth on becoming the 2026 U.S. National 30 & Over Men’s Singles Champion. We are proud to have him representing Paddle Palace and look forward to following his next tournament and teaching video.

Subscribe to PechPong TT on YouTube for more match analysis, instructional videos, and training ideas from Seth.