[The French Revolution] The 8 Ideas and 2 Philosophies of Coach Molin, Who Possesses the World’s Sharpest Table Tennis Mind

Vol. 1

Do you know the place that top Players from around the world watch closely and dream of visiting for training? It is Montpellier, a seaside town in southern France. Here you’ll find Montpellier Table Tennis Club, where the Lebrun brothers, Paris Olympic medalists, grew up.　

What created the creative table tennis of the Lebrun brothers was the philosophy and mind of Coach Nathanael Molin.

What do you make of the original way of thinking of a coach who has now become one of the world’s finest?
＜December 2024＞

Nathanael MOLIN
Born on July 6, 1986, in Dijon, France. He was on France’s cadet and junior national teams, but stepped away from the front line at 22. He became interested in coaching around age 17 and coached the Lebrun brothers in their childhood. In 2021, he officially became the brothers’ full-time coach, and from the 2023 European Games, he took over as France’s national team head coach. At the Paris Olympics, he won a silver medal in the team event.

The truth as told by Coach Molin.

[Molin’s 8 Ideas and 2 Philosophies]

＜Idea 1＞ There is no training partner. 100% of it is my own training.

＜Idea 2＞ While showing creativity in Games, strike a balance between “creativity” and “winning Games.”

＜Idea 3＞ Don’t look at the clock in training. It is not time that controls practice, but count.

＜Idea 4＞ Let Players play the style they want. Penhold is fine. There is no forcing them to switch to shakehand.

＜Idea 5＞ It doesn’t matter if the Opponent is female, uses short pips, or long pips. Train with enjoyment and develop adaptability.

＜Idea 6＞ Team Lebrun brings together specialists. Development is not magic; the process is what matters.

＜Idea 7＞ China is strong. But can you beat China by copying China? France will stand against it with creative play.

＜Idea 8＞ Why couldn’t they succeed at their first Olympics? There’s no reason they shouldn’t. It’s important to listen to others, but it’s also important not to listen to others. Just believe in yourself and play your own table tennis.

＜Philosophy 1＞ I don’t like the word “dream.” In my mind, a dream is something that doesn’t come true. I want to make things happen, to see them through. As a coach, that’s the target.

＜Philosophy 2＞ I’m not just a table tennis coach. I think I have to develop not only their table tennis, but also their minds and their character.

Three years ago, when I took those brothers to WTT and we were training, the Players and coaches around us watched Lebrun’s training and laughed, “That’s crazy, what are they doing?”︱Molin