Wednesday 29 February 2012
Underspin Chop:
The under-spin shot is a good control shot that puts underspin on the ball to make it harder for the opponent to return. When players chop, they should chop “towards” the bottom. Never directly underneath it as it will tend to pop up. Depending on the spin, the ball can be hit just under the equator or lower down if there is more underspin. Use your forearm and wrist and make sure they are relaxed so you can produce more spin. If the ball is coming short, be sure to step in under the table with one foot and then chop the ball.
There are two basic types of chops, quick, and slow.
Quick Chop
-This chop produces less underspin than a slow chop.
-The ball is chopped while the ball is bouncing up. This will give your opponent less time to react as it is “quicker” because you are returning it with littler delay time. If the ball is already coming short, it is easy to put a short drop.
Slow Chop
-This type of chop puts more underspin on the ball than a quick chop.
-The ball is chopped while the ball is falling down.
Basic Practice Stroke:
As the name applies, this stroke is the basic stroke of all strokes in Table Tennis. It develops a player’s control abilities and lets players warm up. Sometimes players called “quick attack players” (who typically use short pimples on the forehand), use this stroke very aggressively. This stroke is also sometimes referred to as an attack. The stroke builds up the basic control in both forehand and backhand.
Main Points:
-Make sure you use your waist when you do the stroke. Turn your waist by putting the weight on your right foot (if your right handed), and then to your left foot as you twist your waist (Not your shoulders). Also be sure to bend your legs a little and keep your weight on the front part of your feet.
-The forearm is brought back (not the elbow or the big arm) and then snaps back. However, the motion does not need to be big, it needs to be a quick motion. The elbow about a fist and a half away from the body and moves in a semi-circular motion as to move with the body.
-Some topspin is needed. To give some topspin to the ball, the paddle is closed a when contact is made. Do not graze and put to much spin on the ball, as the basic stroke is mostly a “hit” to generate basic control. When you follow-through, generally, the paddle ends up around the left eye (if your right-handed).
-For the backhand, the elbow must be ahead of the paddle when starting back. Then, mostly the forearm is used when hitting the ball. The paddle should start around the stomach area and some topspin should be added by turning the paddle on contact. Again, this stroke should be quick not big.
-Quickness comes from being loose and then being “quick” on moment of contact. The torso and from the elbow down should be loose.
Additional tip: when you play or warm-up, it is a good idea to always move your feet around after every stroke. This is to always be ready for the next shot. When you watch professional matches, when the ball is put to the same spot, the player still moves a little bit because he is always ready for the next shot anywhere on the table. Players just give a little shuffle just to get ready.
Backhand loop Guide:
I've seen quite a few styles of backhands both Chinese and European. This is how I understandably know how Europeans backhand loop to but this is a Chinese way of looking at it. Please comment if you have any additional info
Basics
-(things to note) Have the elbow pointed forward. This is very important. From the elbow down (your wrist, your forearm), should be relaxed. The elbow should be ahead of the wrist
-It is important to use your wrist, forearm, as well as your body.
When receiving a top-spin or no spin ball
-Keep your weight evenly distributed on both legs and a little wider than shoulder width. To wind back, shift 70% of your weight to your right leg. Having more weight on your right leg will cause your body to twist left. Bend your right leg a little. Point your elbow forward and bring your wrist cocked back loosely. Make sure the elbow is ahead of your wrist and bring the wrist back to your stomach area.
-Keep the paddle around 45 degrees (whatever is comfortable for you). Don't open the paddle up completely when receiving a top-spin or no spin ball. Nor should you close it completel
-Hit the ball into the foam of the rubber so you can control it. When the ball makes contact with the rubber, close the paddle.
Chinese coaches will tell you to "wrap the ball" (mostly with your wrist and some with your forearm)
Backhand looping off of underspin:
-(things to note) Elbow should be pointed forward (ahead of your wrist). The wrist should be cocked back. From your elbow down, should be loose.
-As you get ready for the backhand loop, your weight should again be evenly distributed with a little wider than shoulder-width stance. Your wrist should get ready to come back cocked loosely with your elbow ahead of your wrist.
-As you swing back, make sure your right leg has 70% of the weight. Bend your legs a little (mostly on your right as your most of your weight is there) and bring the paddle to your waist area.
-When you loop the ball, your leg should spring back up a little and have the weight shift to the original stance.
-The forehand drives the arm. The elbow DOES NOT drive the arm. So don't bring the elbow back. If you want to use your big arm, use the forearm to drive the elbow which goes to the side.
-The paddle should be more open and make sure you "wrap the ball" (mainly with your wrist). However, this doesn't mean your forearm should not do any wrapping action to.
-If the ball is very spinny and your loop goes to the net, bring your paddle down more (sometimes under your crotch)
Additional Tip
-If you want to make the ball go down the line, shift about 90% of your weight to your right leg. (not So much that your left leg is left dangling in the air) Then it is easier to hit the right-side of the ball to make it go down-the line.
Reverse Penhold Backhand
-RP Backhand is the same except that you have to do two of the following things
-Your grip should not be like the old way of holding the paddle. It should be more like Wang Hao's. The pinky, ring, and middle finger should not be curled so much that the side of the middle finger is keeping pressure on the surface of the paddle. If you want to do RPB, you should take the three fingers and put them straight on the back together with all three fingers touching the paddle. Then curve them to the side together with most of the pressure between your thumb and the pad of your middle finger. The side of the middle finger should be touching the paddle but not keeping pressure. The pads of the ring and pinky should also be touching the paddle but not keeping pressure.
-You have to try and hit the ball near the edge of the paddle as not to hit the fingers. Shakehand players should try to hit there as well as there is more wrist movement there. Thus, more power.
-As you do this motion, shift your weight back to the original backhand ready stance (weight evenly distributed)
-Don't wind back with your elbow coming back as you don't want to use your elbow to drive your arm.
-You can use your big arm as long as you make your forearm drive your arm first. If your using your big arm, make sure the elbow goes to the side not forward when you do the stroke.
Backhand loop Guide:
I've seen quite a few styles of backhands both Chinese and European. This is how I understandably know how Europeans backhand loop to but this is a Chinese way of looking at it. Please comment if you have any additional info
Basics
-(things to note) Have the elbow pointed forward. This is very important. From the elbow down (your wrist, your forearm), should be relaxed. The elbow should be ahead of the wrist
-It is important to use your wrist, forearm, as well as your body.
When receiving a top-spin or no spin ball
-Keep your weight evenly distributed on both legs and a little wider than shoulder width. To wind back, shift 70% of your weight to your right leg. Having more weight on your right leg will cause your body to twist left. Bend your right leg a little. Point your elbow forward and bring your wrist cocked back loosely. Make sure the elbow is ahead of your wrist and bring the wrist back to your stomach area.
-Keep the paddle around 45 degrees (whatever is comfortable for you). Don't open the paddle up completely when receiving a top-spin or no spin ball. Nor should you close it completel
-Hit the ball into the foam of the rubber so you can control it. When the ball makes contact with the rubber, close the paddle. Chinese coaches will tell you to "wrap the ball" (mostly with your wrist and some with your forearm)
-As you do this motion, shift your weight back to the original backhand ready stance (weight evenly distributed)
-Don't wind back with your elbow coming back as you don't want to use your elbow to drive your arm.
-You can use your big arm as long as you make your forearm drive your arm first. If your using your big arm, make sure the elbow goes to the side not forward when you do the stroke.
Backhand looping off of underspin:
-(things to note) Elbow should be pointed forward (ahead of your wrist). The wrist should be cocked back. From your elbow down, should be loose.
-As you get ready for the backhand loop, your weight should again be evenly distributed with a little wider than shoulder-width stance. Your wrist should get ready to come back cocked loosely with your elbow ahead of your wrist.
-As you swing back, make sure your right leg has 70% of the weight. Bend your legs a little (mostly on your right as your most of your weight is there) and bring the paddle to your waist area.
-When you loop the ball, your leg should spring back up a little and have the weight shift to the original stance.
-The forehand drives the arm. The elbow DOES NOT drive the arm. So don't bring the elbow back. If you want to use your big arm, use the forearm to drive the elbow which goes to the side.
-The paddle should be more open and make sure you "wrap the ball" (mainly with your wrist). However, this doesn't mean your forearm should not do any wrapping action to.
-If the ball is very spinny and your loop goes to the net, bring your paddle down more (sometimes under your crotch)
Additional Tip
-If you want to make the ball go down the line, shift about 90% of your weight to your right leg. (not So much that your left leg is left dangling in the air) Then it is easier to hit the right-side of the ball to make it go down-the line.
Reverse Penhold Backhand
-RP Backhand is the same except that you have to do two of the following things
-Your grip should not be like the old way of holding the paddle. It should be more like Wang Hao's. The pinky, ring, and middle finger should not be curled so much that the side of the middle finger is keeping pressure on the surface of the paddle. If you want to do RPB, you should take the three fingers and put them straight on the back together with all three fingers touching the paddle. Then curve them to the side together with most of the pressure between your thumb and the pad of your middle finger. The side of the middle finger should be touching the paddle but not keeping pressure. The pads of the ring and pinky should also be touching the paddle but not keeping pressure.
-You have to try and hit the ball near the edge of the paddle as not to hit the fingers. Shakehand players should try to hit there as well as there is more wrist movement there. Thus, more power.
Forehand Flip/Flick Guide:
The forehand flip/flick is an offensive shot for attacking short balls. Remember, only flip the ball when you think it will be high quality. A low quality one will make a decent player kill the ball. If your opponent is not at that high of a level, than you can do it more often.
Basics
-step in underneath the table with one foot
-Use mostly your wrist and your forearm when flipping the ball
-close the paddle during the follow through of flipping the ball
-When flipping the ball it is mostly "hitting the ball" not grazing it
-be quick when hitting the ball and snap through
Flipping/Flicking Info from the Chinese coaches:
-If the ball is coming on the side of your forehand, hit the ball's side to make it go cross-court. If you want to hit it down the line, you can hit the back of the ball if there is little or no underspin on the ball.
-If there is a good amount of underspin on the ball, flip it on the side of the ball as it is on the axis and the spin effect is much less there. Then you can hit the ball harder. If the ball has a good amount of underspin and it is coming on the side of your forehand, hit it on the side and guide it to the direction you want it to go. Obviously, you are not going to hit the very side of the ball, but the more of the side you hit, the effect of the spin will diminish. If you hit the back of the ball, it will be very hard to produce a quick shot. If the ball is high, you can hit the back of the ball as it will be safer to produce a fast shot. When you hit the side of the ball and make it go down the line, it looks almost as if you are hitting below the ball's equator. (You can do this depending on the angle you are in)
-Lots of the time if it is a weak underspin shot, you can hit the back of the ball. This time, let's say I am right handed, instead of stepping in with my right leg, I can step in with my left leg. It will then be easier to change direction of my shot if I want it to go down the line or cross-court.
-When you flip, make a sort of scooping motion with the paddle. (the paddle goes down then up). When the paddle reaches contact with the ball, that point should be fastest. Don't bring your paddle back aways from the ball before flipping it. It should be a quick "U" motion (from watching the side of the table)
-Remember to mostly HIT the ball even when hitting on the side.
Close-To-Table Counter Loop Guide:
This stroke is a good offensive stroke for returning an opponent's loop. This is considered the most advanced shot to learn in table tennis. It is hard to learn from a video, but you can understand it better after knowing how to do it.
Basics
-Keep loose, this includes your arm. Make sure you accelerate to the ball and on contact, you can be a tighter, but as soon as you start to follow through, your arm is loose again.
What National Chinese coaches have said (All these points are Crucial):
-When counter looping, use mainly your big arm (not your forearm) and your wrist. Adjust your arm's angle (adjust the angle between your big arm and your forearm depending on the situation. Generally try to keep it around 120 degrees to get power from your big arm)
-As you counter loop, you weight goes down. (you can see Ma Lin bending his knees while he counter loops as his weight shifts down). Don't overdo it though.
-Make contact on the ball off the bounce. Generally, it is better to counterloop a moment before the ball reaches maximum height. Make sure you are hitting the ball as it is rising to use your opponents pace on the ball.
-Generally, keep the angle of your paddle (to the ground) about 60 degrees. Because you are contacting the ball while its coming up, you are using the opponent's pace on the ball and do not need to open it much to make it go faster.
-REMEMBER to hit the ball into the foam of the rubber. Not so deep it gets into the blade, nor should it be so thin it hits the top rubber sheet. When contact is made, you can close the paddle to control the ball in the foam. You do not have to close it too much, but just enough to give the ball a little more control. This can vary from situation to situation.
-If the ball goes out, remember to guide the ball to the table rather than close the paddle on contact. Rather, you should close it more while it’s in the foam. A Chinese coach showed how he could counter loop a very spinny loop with his paddle starting at 90 degrees from his control in the foam.
-Usually, try and not swing back before counter-looping. Not because you shouldn't, but because usually you have no time. However, if you feel you can have enough time, don't bring your arm back, rather only twist your waist back to bring the arm back.
-Sometimes, you should try and hit the ball a little more to the ball's side, as this will bring the ball's spin effect down. Players like Ma Lin do this all the time as sometimes you see his counter-loop have a bit of a curve.
-Be quick when counter-looping the ball- Think about it this way, many Chinese coaches say that you have to be quick as there is a tremendous amount of spin in the ball. Therefore, you should be more quick, not more powerful, but fast and into the foam on contact.
-A COMMON ERROR is when the ball goes out when they counter-loop. Then they think that they should correct it by closing the paddle more before contact. Then the ball goes to the net. Then they do this again but follow through up more. This creates a very weak counter loop and is bound to be killed. Instead, players should control it into the foam while keeping the paddle around 60 degrees, and then control where they want to go and turning their paddle once contact is made. (as mentioned earlier)
Again this is a very advanced shot. I posted this earlier than I expected to clear some things on the way Chinese players appear to be "looping"
Forehand forward Loop (off no spin or top spin) (Guide From the Chinese National Team)
Intro:
This is a stroke that can't be seen on video to determine how to do. However, if you understand how to do the stroke, the video will make much more sense to you. The reason being that players are very quick and the video can't catch the right moment. If you get this stroke right, I guarantee your looping level will go at least 2 notches higher.
Basics
This is a stroke that can't be seen on video to determine how to do. However, if you understand how to do the stroke, the video will make much more sense to you. The reason being that players are very quick and the video can't catch the right moment. If you get this stroke right, I guarantee your looping level will go at least 2 notches higher.
Basics
- Be sure you are loose and relaxed. Not only your shoulder and wrist should be loose, but also your torso.
- Use your waist. This does not mean your shoulders. Many people use their upper body instead of their lower abdomens. Try and think of shifting your weight from one leg to the other while twisting your waist.
- When you do the stroke, wind back, this includes your waist and your forearm. Use your waist to bring your big arm back and bring back only your forearm, not your big arm.
- Accelerate to the ball while keeping loose. When you make contact with the ball, your muscles should be a little more tight. The moment after you hit the ball as your following through, you should be loose again.
- Make sure your body moves with the arm
Tips:
Those were the basics, here are some things that I have learned from Top Chinese coaches.
- If you watch a player like Wang Liqin, you can see him using his whole arm when they forehand loop. Many coaches tell you that you should only snap your forearm. This was the old way of looping. If you tell them to loop with their whole arm, they will continue to say its wrong. However, this is the new technique and i ensure you it is not only more powerful, but more accurate.
- When using the whole arm, you still have to snap your forearm, but you also use your big arm.
- It is very important to hit the ball into the foam of the rubber. Not the rubber sheet nor so deep it reaches into the blade. When you make contact with the ball, your paddle should be 80-90 degrees (Perpendicular to the ground). If the ball goes off the table, DO NOT solve the problem by closing your paddle on contact. Instead keep it at 80-90 degrees and follow through more forward or down, however you choose after hitting the ball. This is one quick motion and remember keep loose. If it goes into the net, follow through up more. REMEMBER JUST BECAUSE YOU SHOULD NOT CLOSE THE PADDLE ON CONTACT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD NOT CLOSE IT AFTER YOU HIT IT. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS AS SOON AS THE BALL TOUCHES THE RUBBER, YOU CAN CLOSE THE PADDLE TO KEEP THE PADDLE QUICK BUT INTO THE FOAM OF THE RUBBER.
- Turn your wrist when the ball makes contact with the rubber as to keep it in the foam. You do not have to turn it a whole lot, but just to give the ball some "encouragement". The usage of wrist varies from situation to situation.
- Also remember: when you wind back to prepare for the stroke, the paddle should start at the ball's current height.
- When looping more away from the ball, your opposite foot of your paddle arm should be parallel to the back of the table. (if your right-handed it your left foot and visa versa)
- If it seems inaccurate, make sure you are making contact with the ball at 80-90 degrees and into the foam.
- Because you are using your whole arm to loop, you can follow through as much as you want. What i mean by this, is that lots of coaches in North America say you should follow through to your nose. This again, is the old style of looping with just snapping the forearm.
- Do not be afraid that the ball will go off the end of the table, you can accelerate as fast as you want as long as you direct the ball in the follow through while keeping it in the foam.
- Also remember, when you are looping closer to the table, you don't use your big arm as much, but you still do to add some power.
- When practicing, sometimes when you don't get it, remember that the paddle has to be perpendicular to the ground. Sometimes it may feel like your doing it, but your actually not. To resolve this, try slowing down and make sure you hit the ball into the foam.
- One of the principles is that when the ball is in the foam, you can control it as it "sticks" to your rubber as you turn your wrist. The longer it stays, the more control you have.
- When looping this way, you use the whole arm. However, you don't always use it completely. When you are close to the table, you may use half effort of the big arm. As you are more away from the table you should now fully use the big arm. As you get more advanced, you can use more usage of the big arm when closer to the table. You can start by using a little bit of your big arm when looping. And as you get more "feeling" for the ball, you can start to put a little more big arm power in.
Sunday 26 February 2012
TAHAP LATIHAN PING PONG
Stage 1 – Basic Stroke Technique
At this stage, athletes are simply learning the fundamental techniques of the game such as basic strokes, elementary spin theory, simple serve and return, and the rules of the game.
Stage 2 – Basic Stroke Combinations
Once the student can control the basic strokes, the coach then begins to combine these strokes together to form combinations, bringing together both forehand and backhand techniques. This combining of strokes also requires that the student begin to move more, and lessons in footwork start during this stage.
Stage 3 – The 5-Point System
When the student can control the basic stroke combinations, the focus is turned to learning how to play points. As most points in a game are finished by the 5th stroke, the emphasis is placed on the first 5 possible strokes of a game. As all points must begin with either a serve or a return, these techniques are stressed during this stage. Third and fifth ball attacks are introduced, as well as 4th ball counter attacks or defense. The goal of this stage is to move the student from thinking of executing one stroke at a time, into planning out whole points.
Stage 4 – Style Awareness
During stage three, the student’s natural style begins to express itself. It can be seen in how the student chooses to begin putting their points together. Does the student naturally prefer to hit rather than loop? Does the student have natural early or late timing? Does the student prefer to play close to the table or at mid-distance? These and other telltale signs start to show as the student learns to play whole points. During this stage, students are introduced to the basic styles of the game through written materials and the use of videotapes. Students are told to watch the better players at their table tennis club and place these players into style categories. Finally, students write down a complete description of what they want their style to become.
Stage 5 – Advanced Stroke Techniques
Now that the student understands what their style will be, they must begin to learn the advanced techniques necessary to complete that style. What these techniques are will vary greatly from style to style. Pips-out hitters, all-round topspin attackers, and choppers all need to learn very different techniques. It is at this level that many athletes get stuck and do not advance. While levels 1–4 can be reached with a minimum of coaching assistance, Stage 5 really requires the personal services of a competent coach.
Stage 6 – Advanced Stroke Combinations
Once these advanced techniques are learned, they must be combined with the student’s existing strokes and blended into the desired style of play. During this stage, the 5-Point System is revisited and practiced using the new combination of advanced strokes. Again, this stage requires a lot of personal attention from the coach to keep the student on track.
Stage 7 – Self-Awareness
At this stage, the athlete has all the physical tools necessary to execute their desired style of play. The focus at this level of development is on gaining match experience and learning how to use their style to defeat opponents. As the athlete is still somewhat inexperienced, they are focused more on what they are attempting to do than on what their opponent is doing. The student has become self-aware but does not yet focus outward towards their opponent.
Stage 8 – Refining Style
As athletes begin to gather more and more match experience, they will continually make small corrections and additions to their style of play. Ideally, athletes will return to this stage over and over again throughout their competitive life. When an athlete stops learning and improving their game, their development is over.
Stage 9 – Full Awareness
This is the stage of development that all athletes strive for. It is often called “the peak experience”. During this stage, the athlete is almost totally focused outside himself. Fully aware athletes often report feelings of time moving slower, the ball appearing larger, and feeling that they can do anything they want to with the ball. While most athletes experience this “peak experience” at some point in their lives, the fully aware athlete can reproduce this experience much more often.
Important Points
Please remember that an athlete’s development does not follow rigid, set stages. Rather, it flows as a process with each athlete spending more or less time in any one stage, as needed. Movement is not always in an upward direction. Sometimes, an athlete will need to return to a lower stage to correct some problem or learn material that was missed.
Most coaches feel that it takes about ten years of training to take an athlete to the top of their game. Hopefully, the Table Tennis Pyramid of Success will give you a guide to understanding your own development in reaching your goals. While many try to become champions, only a few actually make it. For that reason, I always stress to students, “that the quality of your journey is more important than your destination”.
PERATURAN PING PONG
ADDING UP THE POINTS
A player scores a point when his opponent commits one of the following errors:
The initial order of serving is decided by lot. Service changes every 2 points, except during periods of extra play where it changes each time. Service must adhere to the following rules :
Service must be diagonal, from the right half court (marked by a white line) to the opponent's right half court After that, play can cover the whole table, but each partner must take his turn.
Service changeover in Doubles:
- The winner of a match is the one who wins the first THREE or FOUR games (according to the competition)
- A game consists of 11 points
- There must be a gap of at least two points between opponents
- If the score is 10-10, the game goes in to extra play until one of the players has gained a lead of 2 points
- The point goes to the player who successfully ends a rally
- The score of the server is always announced first
A player scores a point when his opponent commits one of the following errors:
- He isn't able to return the ball.
- He returns the ball outside the opposite side of the table.
- He lets the ball bounce more than once in his own court before returning it.
- He touches the ball several times successively.
- He strikes the ball in volley (without it bouncing on the table) above his side of the table.
- He moves the table during play.
- He touches the net or a post.
- His free hand touches the table.
- He makes a bad service (see service)
- If the ball touches the table surface, it is declared in
- If it touches the side of the table, it is declared out
- A player is not allowed to strike the ball in volley, unless the opponent's ball leaves the table and I strike the ball in volley behind the table, in which case the point would be given to me.
The initial order of serving is decided by lot. Service changes every 2 points, except during periods of extra play where it changes each time. Service must adhere to the following rules :
- The ball rests freely on the open palm of the hand.
- The hand holding the ball must be above the level of the table.
- The ball should be projected upwards (at least 16 cm)
- The ball should be struck when it is falling and behind the table.
- The ball should first bounce in one's court, then in the opponent's court.
- Service can be diagonal and also in a straight line in singles
- Service can be replayed when :
- The ball touches the net or its supporting posts before touching the opponent's court (''let'' service)
- The ball touches the net then is struck in volley by the opponent without it touching his court.
- The receiver was not ready at the time of service.
Service must be diagonal, from the right half court (marked by a white line) to the opponent's right half court After that, play can cover the whole table, but each partner must take his turn.
Service changeover in Doubles:
- A1 serves to B1 (2 services),
- B1 then serves to A2 (2 services),
- A2 then serves to B2 ,
- B2 serves to A1 and continuing in this way for every 2 services. Following service, each player takes turns to return the ball.
In addition to the aforementioned cases in singles, a doubles team scores a point when its doubles opponents make one of the following errors : - At service, the player lets the ball bounce on the left half court, on either side of the court.
- A player strikes the ball when it is not his turn.
- Obstruction is not an acceptable claim for players of the same doubles team.
OTHER STROKES
Besides the fundamental chops and drives, from both forehand and backhand, we should learn certain other strokes for special occasions. These strokes are the drop shot, the smash, and the flick.
THE DROP SHOT
You will have difficulty in driving the ball through a good defensive player. The harder you hit, the farther back of the table he will retreat. The answer to these tactics is the drop shot, a short shot played close to the net so that your opponent cannot reach it on the first bounce. The drop shot can be made, either forehand or backhand, by tilting your racket back slightly and contacting the ball just after it bounces on the table. The shot is actually a block shot, but because your opponent is far behind the table when you employ a drop shot and because he has a great amount of backspin (chop) on his return, you should tilt your racket face up slightly to counteract his spin and make sure the ball clears the net. (Figure 37.) A sense of timing and touch is most important in making the drop shot, and naturally developing that requires practice. Remember: Don't rush your shot. You are on the attack and your opponent is the one who must rush into position. Play it safe and make sure the ball drops over the net rather than into it.
ERRORS IIS MAKING THE DROP SHOT
Errors commonly committed in making the drop shot are listed below:
1. Not tilting the racket face back far enough. This results in netting the ball because, as pointed out previously, your opponent has backspin on his return. The harder your previous drive, the more chop his return will have, because it has been made from farther behind the table; consequently you must allow for the additional backspin by tilting the angle of your racket farther back.
2. Letting the ball rebound too high before making the drop shot. This is the old error of bad timing again, but here it may be due to faulty knowledge. The drop shot is not a drive, to be allowed to rebound as high as possible. It is a special case of the block shot and thus should be trapped at the table (that is, hit directly after the ball bounces). The remedy is to quicken your preparation.
3. Trying to make a drop shot from a ball that bounces too deep on the table. Keener anticipation will correct this difficulty. In most cases a drive would be preferable to a drop shot on a ball which bounds deep, because a drop shot made from the end of the table would lack deception, would lack angle (because of the difficulty in angling a deep return) and would lack shallowness (because of the difficulty in determining the precise touch neces sary to clear your half of the table and then drop short over the net). If the ball comes too deep, topspin it and wait for a shorter ball.
THE SMASH
If the ball is returned to you with a high bounce and you have time to get into position, you should employ a smash to win the point outright. A smash is merely a drive minus the topspin. (Because the ball is so high, it is unnecessary to counteract the backspin with topspin.) We have advised you previously to play the smash on the forehand because it is usually a more secure stroke. Hit forward and downward with a very flat swing. Because the swing is flat, on the follow-through your arm finishes straight across your body and not up near your ear as in the ordinary topspin drive (Figure 51).
A smash from the high-bounding ball is a simple shot to make, but you can usually tell the difference between an expert player and a fair player by watching a few smashes. The expert player handles high balls with confidence born of much practice and without hesitation.
From the very beginning don't hold back on your smashes. Decide how high the ball should bounce before attempting a smash and when it reaches that height make the shot, regardless of the score. Many players become tense in a close match and fail to take advantage of their opportunities to make a successful kill shot. This type of action is never successful against a good player and finally will result in the entire loss of your offensive game. It will do you no good to outmaneuver your opponent with topspin drives only to fail to take advantage of his weak return and give him a breathing spell in which to regain his proper defensive position.
Anticipation can play a vital part in successful smashing. When you hit a very good topspin drive, you should realize that your opponent may have difficulty in returning it and you should be prepared for a favorable opportunity to get in a finishing smash. Keep alert and on your toes for the weak return. If it is on your backhand side, do not hesitate to run around into forehand position; if necessary, run all the way around the left-hand side of the table and up toward the net. Anticipation will make possible an aggressive answer to many balls bounding high and near mid-court.
ERRORS IIS MAKING THE SMASH
Errors commonly committed in making the smash are:
THE BACKHAND FLICK
Your stroke repertoire is fairly complete by now. You should have a good idea of the game you are most successful in playing—chop or drive— and of your likes and dislikes as regards forehand and backhand.
However, you may quite frequently be puzzled by opponents who do not play the ball deep enough for you. You cannot employ your chopping strokes unless the ball is speedy enough to drive you back of the table. You cannot use your drives, with preparation and follow-through, unless the ball is deep enough to permit you to turn slightly sideways and reach it without straining.
Short shots are often awkward to handle unless they bound high enough to be smashed. You can use a block shot on them, or a drop shot, which amounts to the same thing. But this is a negative, not a positive, answer. In looking for a positive one we must discuss the backhand flick.
Use no backswing in this stroke—the backhand flick. Complete deception is the objective and thus you can allow no time for preparation. Start with your racket blade tilted slightly back. As the ball bounces, bring your racket forward swiftly, and at the point of contact turn your wrist completely over so that on the follow-through the palm of your hand is facing upward.
This is the only shot in table tennis (besides a wristed backhand) in which the wrist must be used. (Other shots may or may not be executed with wrist movement, but the wrist is the essential element of the flick.)
As a consequence, this shot is the most difficult of all for the average player to master. You will note the similarity to a backhand topspin drive, particularly a topspin drive employing some wrist. Indeed, certain players use this flick shot in place of a backhand drive and do not fare too badly. But because of the intricate wrist play involved and because of the inability to force sharp angles when returning deep-bounding balls, we recommend the orthodox backhand drive for those balls which bound deep enough on the table to be reached from a natural driving position.
We recommend the use of the backhand flick only on balls that drop so close to the net that it would be difficult to perform a full-arm stroke. When you are restricted in this way, the backhand flick gives you a means of dealing offensively with short shots which do not bounce higher than the net. (Note: A forehand flick could be made under similar circumstances on the forehand side. It is not used because of the extra time involved in preparation—the forehand not being automatically in position, across the body, like the backhand.)
ERROR IN MAKING THE BACKHAND FLICK
The most common error in making the backhand flick is not turning the wrist completely over, particularly at point of contact. If the wrist is turned over too soon, the ball will go into the net. If turned over too late, or not completely turned over, a short jab stroke results which will probably go off the other end of the table if hit with any speed at all. Proper wrist play is your only means of control. Remedy: Constant practice.
We have spoken of the value of the flick in returning short balls. There are two ways in which these short balls are obtained: (a) by accident; (b) by design. Your opponent may accidentally miscalculate and give you a short return. He may attempt a drop shot which is not played close enough to the net. In such cases your flick—always ready for action, involving no preliminary backswing, widely angled and deceptive when played close to the net—should win the point for you outright.
By design, too, you can often force a winning position, combining your flick with a good drive and drop shot to hit the ball past the defender after drawing him in close to the table. First comes the drive, forcing him out, then the drop shot bringing him in close again. Then, before he can regain his former position, a fast flick will win the point. The flick is valuable here because of the time element involved. You may win the point with the flick, while a stroke (assuming the ball landed deep enough to make one) would give your opponent time to regain defensive position.
THE DROP SHOT
You will have difficulty in driving the ball through a good defensive player. The harder you hit, the farther back of the table he will retreat. The answer to these tactics is the drop shot, a short shot played close to the net so that your opponent cannot reach it on the first bounce. The drop shot can be made, either forehand or backhand, by tilting your racket back slightly and contacting the ball just after it bounces on the table. The shot is actually a block shot, but because your opponent is far behind the table when you employ a drop shot and because he has a great amount of backspin (chop) on his return, you should tilt your racket face up slightly to counteract his spin and make sure the ball clears the net. (Figure 37.) A sense of timing and touch is most important in making the drop shot, and naturally developing that requires practice. Remember: Don't rush your shot. You are on the attack and your opponent is the one who must rush into position. Play it safe and make sure the ball drops over the net rather than into it.
ERRORS IIS MAKING THE DROP SHOT
Errors commonly committed in making the drop shot are listed below:
1. Not tilting the racket face back far enough. This results in netting the ball because, as pointed out previously, your opponent has backspin on his return. The harder your previous drive, the more chop his return will have, because it has been made from farther behind the table; consequently you must allow for the additional backspin by tilting the angle of your racket farther back.
2. Letting the ball rebound too high before making the drop shot. This is the old error of bad timing again, but here it may be due to faulty knowledge. The drop shot is not a drive, to be allowed to rebound as high as possible. It is a special case of the block shot and thus should be trapped at the table (that is, hit directly after the ball bounces). The remedy is to quicken your preparation.
3. Trying to make a drop shot from a ball that bounces too deep on the table. Keener anticipation will correct this difficulty. In most cases a drive would be preferable to a drop shot on a ball which bounds deep, because a drop shot made from the end of the table would lack deception, would lack angle (because of the difficulty in angling a deep return) and would lack shallowness (because of the difficulty in determining the precise touch neces sary to clear your half of the table and then drop short over the net). If the ball comes too deep, topspin it and wait for a shorter ball.
THE DROP SHOT
Figure 37. Preparation for a drop shot. Deception is essential to its best use. Figure 38. Note that the body is not turned sideways to make this stroke. Figure 39. Concentration is required. The ball will be taken early, before it has a chance to Teach the height of the bounce.Figure 40. Point of contact. A delicate touch is required to drop the shot just over the net.
Figure 37. Preparation for a drop shot. Deception is essential to its best use. Figure 38. Note that the body is not turned sideways to make this stroke. Figure 39. Concentration is required. The ball will be taken early, before it has a chance to Teach the height of the bounce.Figure 40. Point of contact. A delicate touch is required to drop the shot just over the net.
THE DROP SHOT—continued
Figure 41. The racket travels straight on after the ball. We do not want to impart spin here Figure 42. Keep your eye on the ball and be sure you contact it in the center of the racket. Figure 43. A long follow-through is not necessary on this shot. The shorter the stroke the more deception. Figure 44. Completion of the shot should not find the driver off balance or in an awkward position.
4. Trying to use a certain amount of chop on a drop shot. The idea behind this is usually to deaden the bounce of the ball and make it drop short on the other side of the net. But this is a very serious mistake and will result in either missing the ball entirely or pushing it into the net. Remember that a drop shot is a block shot with the racket tilted slightly back. Remember that, in discussing the use of a block shot to return a chop, we demonstrated (Figures 4 and 37) that the racket face must be tilted backward to counteract the tendency of your opponent's chop to go into the net. By chopping an original chop, you are doing more than just failing to counteract backspin. You are put ting more backspin on the ball and are aiding its tendency to find the net.Figure 41. The racket travels straight on after the ball. We do not want to impart spin here Figure 42. Keep your eye on the ball and be sure you contact it in the center of the racket. Figure 43. A long follow-through is not necessary on this shot. The shorter the stroke the more deception. Figure 44. Completion of the shot should not find the driver off balance or in an awkward position.
THE SMASH
If the ball is returned to you with a high bounce and you have time to get into position, you should employ a smash to win the point outright. A smash is merely a drive minus the topspin. (Because the ball is so high, it is unnecessary to counteract the backspin with topspin.) We have advised you previously to play the smash on the forehand because it is usually a more secure stroke. Hit forward and downward with a very flat swing. Because the swing is flat, on the follow-through your arm finishes straight across your body and not up near your ear as in the ordinary topspin drive (Figure 51).
A smash from the high-bounding ball is a simple shot to make, but you can usually tell the difference between an expert player and a fair player by watching a few smashes. The expert player handles high balls with confidence born of much practice and without hesitation.
From the very beginning don't hold back on your smashes. Decide how high the ball should bounce before attempting a smash and when it reaches that height make the shot, regardless of the score. Many players become tense in a close match and fail to take advantage of their opportunities to make a successful kill shot. This type of action is never successful against a good player and finally will result in the entire loss of your offensive game. It will do you no good to outmaneuver your opponent with topspin drives only to fail to take advantage of his weak return and give him a breathing spell in which to regain his proper defensive position.
Anticipation can play a vital part in successful smashing. When you hit a very good topspin drive, you should realize that your opponent may have difficulty in returning it and you should be prepared for a favorable opportunity to get in a finishing smash. Keep alert and on your toes for the weak return. If it is on your backhand side, do not hesitate to run around into forehand position; if necessary, run all the way around the left-hand side of the table and up toward the net. Anticipation will make possible an aggressive answer to many balls bounding high and near mid-court.
ERRORS IIS MAKING THE SMASH
Errors commonly committed in making the smash are:
- Attempting to smash a high-bounding ball when not in proper position. In their eagerness to score quick aces, many players pile up errors by attempting smashes when completely off balance. An illustration is the high-bounding ball to the backhand which, by the time you have run around it, has dropped too low to be handled aggressively. Another illustration is the second smash when the first one has been successfully returned by your opponent, leaving you momentarily off balance from the violence of your own swing. In either case, if off balance, be wise—push, chop, or loop your next return and wait for another opening.
THE SMASH OR FOREHAND STRAIGHT DRIVE
Figure 45. Preparation for a smash shot is similar to that for a topspin drive. The racket is just starting back. Figure 46. The arm comes back slowly to measure the ball. There is usually plenty of time to make a forehand smash. Figure 47. Note sideways position of the. body and deliberate action of the racket just before actual stroke.
Figure 48. The ball is at the height of its bounce. The racket comes forward and straight into the ball, to gain maximum speed.
Figure 45. Preparation for a smash shot is similar to that for a topspin drive. The racket is just starting back. Figure 46. The arm comes back slowly to measure the ball. There is usually plenty of time to make a forehand smash. Figure 47. Note sideways position of the. body and deliberate action of the racket just before actual stroke.
Figure 48. The ball is at the height of its bounce. The racket comes forward and straight into the ball, to gain maximum speed.
THE SMASH OR FOREHAND STRAIGHT DRIVE—continued
Figure 49. Point of contact. The racket should contact the ball in the center and as flush as possible. Figure 50. From the facial contortions the reader can guess that a great deal of effort and speed go into this shot. Figure 51. Follow-through is straight across the body, never up as in the case of an ordinary topspin drive. Figure 52. The follow-through ends here, full across the body. Forward position of the body indicates weight was properly transferred.
Figure 49. Point of contact. The racket should contact the ball in the center and as flush as possible. Figure 50. From the facial contortions the reader can guess that a great deal of effort and speed go into this shot. Figure 51. Follow-through is straight across the body, never up as in the case of an ordinary topspin drive. Figure 52. The follow-through ends here, full across the body. Forward position of the body indicates weight was properly transferred.
Your stroke repertoire is fairly complete by now. You should have a good idea of the game you are most successful in playing—chop or drive— and of your likes and dislikes as regards forehand and backhand.
However, you may quite frequently be puzzled by opponents who do not play the ball deep enough for you. You cannot employ your chopping strokes unless the ball is speedy enough to drive you back of the table. You cannot use your drives, with preparation and follow-through, unless the ball is deep enough to permit you to turn slightly sideways and reach it without straining.
Short shots are often awkward to handle unless they bound high enough to be smashed. You can use a block shot on them, or a drop shot, which amounts to the same thing. But this is a negative, not a positive, answer. In looking for a positive one we must discuss the backhand flick.
Use no backswing in this stroke—the backhand flick. Complete deception is the objective and thus you can allow no time for preparation. Start with your racket blade tilted slightly back. As the ball bounces, bring your racket forward swiftly, and at the point of contact turn your wrist completely over so that on the follow-through the palm of your hand is facing upward.
This is the only shot in table tennis (besides a wristed backhand) in which the wrist must be used. (Other shots may or may not be executed with wrist movement, but the wrist is the essential element of the flick.)
As a consequence, this shot is the most difficult of all for the average player to master. You will note the similarity to a backhand topspin drive, particularly a topspin drive employing some wrist. Indeed, certain players use this flick shot in place of a backhand drive and do not fare too badly. But because of the intricate wrist play involved and because of the inability to force sharp angles when returning deep-bounding balls, we recommend the orthodox backhand drive for those balls which bound deep enough on the table to be reached from a natural driving position.
We recommend the use of the backhand flick only on balls that drop so close to the net that it would be difficult to perform a full-arm stroke. When you are restricted in this way, the backhand flick gives you a means of dealing offensively with short shots which do not bounce higher than the net. (Note: A forehand flick could be made under similar circumstances on the forehand side. It is not used because of the extra time involved in preparation—the forehand not being automatically in position, across the body, like the backhand.)
ERROR IN MAKING THE BACKHAND FLICK
The most common error in making the backhand flick is not turning the wrist completely over, particularly at point of contact. If the wrist is turned over too soon, the ball will go into the net. If turned over too late, or not completely turned over, a short jab stroke results which will probably go off the other end of the table if hit with any speed at all. Proper wrist play is your only means of control. Remedy: Constant practice.
We have spoken of the value of the flick in returning short balls. There are two ways in which these short balls are obtained: (a) by accident; (b) by design. Your opponent may accidentally miscalculate and give you a short return. He may attempt a drop shot which is not played close enough to the net. In such cases your flick—always ready for action, involving no preliminary backswing, widely angled and deceptive when played close to the net—should win the point for you outright.
By design, too, you can often force a winning position, combining your flick with a good drive and drop shot to hit the ball past the defender after drawing him in close to the table. First comes the drive, forcing him out, then the drop shot bringing him in close again. Then, before he can regain his former position, a fast flick will win the point. The flick is valuable here because of the time element involved. You may win the point with the flick, while a stroke (assuming the ball landed deep enough to make one) would give your opponent time to regain defensive position.
THE DRIVE
You will never become an expert player simply by waiting for your opponent to make errors. Frequently during a match he will return a ball which bounds high enough for you to make the point outright with a simple offensive shot. If you pass up these opportunities to attack, you are greatly increasing your own chances of making errors.
Attacking strokes should be hit from a position close to the table because your objective is to force the play as much as possible. By "forcing the play" we mean forcing your opponent to hit his stroke with a minimum time for preparation, and of course if you yourself stand close to the table and hit the ball as soon as possible he will be forced to do likewise. Consequently, in making an attacking stroke, your position should be about a foot from the table rather than several feet from it, as in making the forehand and backhand chops.
THE FOREHAND DRIVE
To make the forehand drive, which is easier to learn and usually more reliable than the backhand drive, place your left foot about six inches in front of your right foot and turn your left shoulder toward the net (Figures 22 and 23). Bend the elbow a little and crouch slightly to bring your eye closer to the level of the ball. As your opponent's shot crosses the net, swing your racket back slightly and shift your weight onto the right (rear) foot. Then swing the racket forward and upward, with the upper part of the racket turned over at about a forty-five-degree angle to the table (the racket face is tilted in just the opposite manner as for the chop stroke). As you swing forward and upward, shift your weight onto the left foot in one smooth motion. This weight shift is utilized in many sports to acquire power. The boxer shifts his weight before he delivers the knockout punch, and the batter pivots before he hits a home-run drive. When you have completed your stroke, if you have made it properly, the rear foot usually leaves the floor completely and the entire weight comes to rest on the forward foot. Your body must be traveling forward as you contact the ball in order to get "zip" into the drive.
Follow through completely on the stroke, with your racket ending above your right ear (Figure 28). The entire operation is a sweeping motion, similar to that used in brushing back your hair when it falls into your eyes.
Always make a complete stroke with your forehand drive. You are striving to obtain enough overspin to make the ball cross the net and then dip down onto your opponent's side of the table.
ERRORS IN MAKING THE FOREHAND DRIVE
There is a greater possibility of error, in the beginning at least, in an attacking stroke than in a defensive one because the action involved is more positive—the vigorous swing forward, the transfer of body weight, etc. Some of the more common errors in executing a forehand drive are listed below.
Even in executing a drive with the minimum amount of topspin there is a natural lift of your arm which amounts to two or three inches. Practice swinging your racket through without a ball and see for yourself that it is lower at the beginning of the stroke than at the ending. This natural rise will supply a sufficient amount of topspin to control ordinary shots which rebound slightly higher than the net. For shots which are lower and heavily chopped, you must put a certain amount of conscious lift into your drive, but never so much that the entire forward speed of the shot is destroyed.
THE BACKHAND DRIVE
The tendency in table tennis today seems to be to depend upon the forehand drive to a great extent, and very rarely to employ the backhand drive in offensive playing. The arguments in favor of such a course run like this: It is necessary to have a good backhand as well as a forehand chop for defensive playing since you must take the ball wherever your opponent places it. However, in playing on the attack, it is not necessary to drive every ball; those which come to the backhand can be pushed or blocked while you wait for a forehand shot. Furthermore, with only one attacking shot to worry about, a player never is forced to choose between the forehand or backhand drive, never worries about his strong or weak point, never hesitates when the ball comes down the middle.
These arguments could make sense only because the majority of ranking stars neglect their backhand drives for forehand. But we recommend the cultivation of a good backhand drive as soon as possible after you have mastered a workable forehand. And our reply to the theorists is that, in theory, it would not be necessary to have a defense at all if you were able to keep the attack at all times. There are advantages to having a sound backhand drive, just as there are advantages to having a sound defense. Some of these advantages are:
The backhand drive is more difficult for the average player to learn than the forehand because the swing is across the body, not away from it. Moreover, you will find your muscles are more accustomed to the forehand movement than to the backhand. Practice will cure this.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BACKHAND AND FOREHAND DRIVES
Although, in the main, backhand drives are the reverse of the forehand, there are a few minor differences between them:
1. The grip may differ slightly. Some players—particularly women—move the thumb up a trifle toward the middle of the blade for extra power and support when playing backhand shots.
2. The swing back of the racket is shorter and the ball may be taken earlier in the backhand drive. This shorter swing back does not permit all of the crushing power that the forehand develops, but it allows for a great deal more deception.
3. The correct position for the backhand drive is nearer to the ball than for the forehand drive. You cannot get the same freedom of swing here by standing well away from the shot as in the forehand because it is impossible to get your body out of the way when your shot must be made right across it. For the same reason, you should strive to get farther behind the ball rather than to the side of it because it is impossible in the backhand drive to gain the advantage that the sideways forehand position brings.
ERRORS IN MAKING THE BACKHAND DRIVE
Some of the common errors made in executing the backhand drive are listed below:
1. Getting the wrist too far in front of the racket. This causes sidespin and loss of control. It is better to curb this tendency when first learning a backhand drive. However, in all fairness, it must be noted that many players use this sidespin drive successfully, either to open up the court for a forehand shot or when they are slightly out of position on the backhand.
Because the backhand drive may be hit without facing sideways, and because it is hit across the body, it is possible to make a successful sidespin shot. Note that in the backhand chop this shot could never be successful because the return is too soft and sidespin without speed would not be so deceptive. A good, solid blow from the backhand will give you better control of sidespin and your opponent less time to anticipate it.
2. Attempting to execute a backhand drive on a ball which is out of reach. As pointed out previously, the backhand drive is made closer to the body than the forehand. By forgetting this, many players commit the serious mistake of attempting to hit a backhand drive when the ball is too far from them, and thereby muff the shot or, at best, deliver a return with little speed. The remedy is, of course, either to get closer to the ball, that is, to get into a better position or, when unable to do so, not to attempt the drive but to use a chop or push stroke instead.
It is impossible to gain power when your reach is overextended. It is satisfactory to terminate your drive with your racket extended as far as you can reach, but to begin the stroke from that position robs your drive of all its force. Obviously, nothing but a block return or a simple poke shot can be made in this manner.
THE WRISTED BACKHAND
After mastering the orthodox backhand drive, using a firm wrist motion, experiment with the "wristed backhand" (a special case of the backhand flick) in order to obtain more power. As you swing back preparatory to making a wristed backhand, let the weight of your racket bend your wrist back also. As you go forward, let your wrist move along a little faster than the rest of your arm. At the start of the stroke your wrist is behind the racket, and in the follow-through, ahead. An exaggerated use of the wrist will increase your topspin and pace.
The wrist should not be ahead of or behind your racket at the moment of contact. When it is, the error illustrates the danger in the use of this shot. Properly controlled, extra topspin will increase the accuracy of your shot, but it requires good timing and practice.
A wristed backhand, played with confidence and complete follow-through, is the nearest thing to a jerky swing that you ever want to attempt in table tennis. Good results may be obtained, provided your wrist is not used independently of your forearm, by a sudden whipping motion to complete the follow-through and give added zip. The backhand flick, of which the wristed backhand is a special type, will be discussed in detail later.
POINTERS ON ATTACK
The purpose of attack is to seize the initiative and through a combination of speed and placement outmaneuver your opponent so hopelessly that he makes an initial error or gives you a return high enough for you to force a subsequent error. We have discussed methods of doing this.
But now the question arises as to whether it is better to favor forehand or backhand drives in the initial stage of building up your attack. The backhand is a more deceptive shot. As pointed out, it can be made with a shorter swingback, usually has a wide angle, and is played from in front of your body, thus calling for less preparation. On the other hand, the forehand drive is a much steadier shot, a much freer and more natural shot, and usually a more powerful shot. The problem should resolve itself into one of individual preference. And let us caution you that this question of individual preference may change almost from day to day and from opponent to opponent. You will find days when your forehand will be better than your backhand, and you will find opponents who handle one more easily than the other. Experiment and be willing to change.
This demonstrates another reason for the development of a two-sided attacking game: if you had only one attacking weapon you would not be able to change.
Whichever side you are using for your build-up drives, you will probably want to favor your forehand side for the final, crushing blow. Most people cannot hit very hard on the backhand since the basic principle involved in making a hard drive is getting right over the top of the ball and hammering it straight down. The sideways position of your forehand drive—the fact that your body is not in the way—the fact that it is a surer shot—all these things lead us to recommend hitting the high, return with a forehand. Whether the return comes to your forehand or backhand side in this case is a matter of secondary importance, because if it is high enough you have ample time to run into proper forehand position.
To summarize our discussion of offense: Topspin strokes are effective point-getters because their speed will drive your opponent out of position and tend to force him into errors. The most important thing to remember in making a topspin drive is to shift your weight from the rear foot to the forward foot at the moment of contact. This is the only way to execute a fast drive. Also remember to follow through to the limit, since only that long follow-through will assure getting the "drop" on the ball that makes it dip down safely on your opponent's side of the table.
Attacking strokes should be hit from a position close to the table because your objective is to force the play as much as possible. By "forcing the play" we mean forcing your opponent to hit his stroke with a minimum time for preparation, and of course if you yourself stand close to the table and hit the ball as soon as possible he will be forced to do likewise. Consequently, in making an attacking stroke, your position should be about a foot from the table rather than several feet from it, as in making the forehand and backhand chops.
THE FOREHAND DRIVE
To make the forehand drive, which is easier to learn and usually more reliable than the backhand drive, place your left foot about six inches in front of your right foot and turn your left shoulder toward the net (Figures 22 and 23). Bend the elbow a little and crouch slightly to bring your eye closer to the level of the ball. As your opponent's shot crosses the net, swing your racket back slightly and shift your weight onto the right (rear) foot. Then swing the racket forward and upward, with the upper part of the racket turned over at about a forty-five-degree angle to the table (the racket face is tilted in just the opposite manner as for the chop stroke). As you swing forward and upward, shift your weight onto the left foot in one smooth motion. This weight shift is utilized in many sports to acquire power. The boxer shifts his weight before he delivers the knockout punch, and the batter pivots before he hits a home-run drive. When you have completed your stroke, if you have made it properly, the rear foot usually leaves the floor completely and the entire weight comes to rest on the forward foot. Your body must be traveling forward as you contact the ball in order to get "zip" into the drive.
Follow through completely on the stroke, with your racket ending above your right ear (Figure 28). The entire operation is a sweeping motion, similar to that used in brushing back your hair when it falls into your eyes.
Always make a complete stroke with your forehand drive. You are striving to obtain enough overspin to make the ball cross the net and then dip down onto your opponent's side of the table.
THE FOREHAND DRIVE
Figure 21. Start of a forehand drive. Note grip on racket and slight turning of the entire body. Figure 22. The body is sideways now and the backswing has begun in earnest. Eyes are on the approaching ball. Figure 23. The racket is coming forward to meet the ball at its highest bounce. Note the slight crouch of the body Figure 24. Position of the arm, extended well away from the body, shows that the stroke will not be a cramped one.
Figure 21. Start of a forehand drive. Note grip on racket and slight turning of the entire body. Figure 22. The body is sideways now and the backswing has begun in earnest. Eyes are on the approaching ball. Figure 23. The racket is coming forward to meet the ball at its highest bounce. Note the slight crouch of the body Figure 24. Position of the arm, extended well away from the body, shows that the stroke will not be a cramped one.
THE FOREHAND DRIVE— continued
Figure 25. Point of contact. The ball is hit in the center oj the racket with the face tilled slightly forward.Figure 26. Directly after contact, we see that the wrist is still firm and the racket is beginning its upward swing. Figure 27 The follow-through is very important to the success of the stroke. As the racket goes up, the ball drops down.
Figure 28.Complete your follow-through. The body is leaning forward and the racket ends up high in the air.
Figure 25. Point of contact. The ball is hit in the center oj the racket with the face tilled slightly forward.Figure 26. Directly after contact, we see that the wrist is still firm and the racket is beginning its upward swing. Figure 27 The follow-through is very important to the success of the stroke. As the racket goes up, the ball drops down.
Figure 28.Complete your follow-through. The body is leaning forward and the racket ends up high in the air.
There is a greater possibility of error, in the beginning at least, in an attacking stroke than in a defensive one because the action involved is more positive—the vigorous swing forward, the transfer of body weight, etc. Some of the more common errors in executing a forehand drive are listed below.
- Taking the ball too far in front of you. This causes loss of balance and consequently loss of power. A bad habit in the execution of the backhand chop, this is even more undesirable in the forehand drive, because good balance is essential for successful weight control and weight shifting at the point of contact with the ball. Remedy this error by training yourself to wait for the ball. Try timing the stroke in three counts: count one, preparation; count two, contact, with shift of body weight; count three,
follow-through. To gain speed and power in your shot, emphasize the sideways position of the stroke. If you assume an incorrect position with both feet facing toward the net, your racket must swing in a circle and can contact the ball at only one point. If you turn your body and feet sideways, your racket swings in a plane and may therefore contact the ball at any number of suitable points.
- Taking the ball too close to your body, which results in a cramped swing. This error is usually the result of rushing forward to meet the ball at the exact spot where it will bounce rather than allowing for the length of your arm. Remember that the correct position for the body is not at the point where the ball bounces but at a point from one to two feet to the side of the ball, depend ing upon your reach. Better attention to fundamentals will correct this fault.
- Using too much "body English" on the shot, that is, trying to use your body to hoist the ball over the net. The stroke, of course, should be with the forearm alone. Often this fault is merely an indication of trying too hard and it can be corrected easily if pointed out. Proper transfer of body weight is very important to obtain speed; but if this transfer is effected before the point of contact, the effort is obviously wasted. More important than the wasted effort involved, this premature weight shift throws the player off balance so much that correct weight shifting becomes impossible.
- Not waiting for the ball to bounce high enough. This is an error of judgment which is easily corrected. A block shot is taken correctly on the rise, but a more successful forehand drive can obviously be made from a high-bounding return rather than from a low-bounding one. So, for the same reason that we do not wait to make our drive until the ball almost touches the table a second time, we do not attempt a drive until the ball has bounced as high as it is going to bounce. The higher the bounce, the higher the starting point of our drive. The higher the starting point of the drive, the less likelihood that the ball will not clear the net.
- Not making firm enough contact with the ball, usually causing a weak return into the net. This can be very discouraging to the beginner and may be caused by any of several factors. First, you may be making too timid a stroke and are probably not getting enough "rub" on the ball. Smear the ball across the rubber pips with a smart movement. Don't worry about hitting the ball off the table at this point. The extra amount of brushing will keep the ball on the table. Exaggerate your topspin stroke. Second, you may not be taking into consideration the amount of chop your opponent is using. That chop will cause your drive to be pulled down into the net unless you allow for it and either
- hit the stroke a trifle harder to kill the spin, or
- use a little more topspin, to offset the chop.
- Swinging up before swinging forward. This robs the forehand drive of all speed, and forces the attacker to try to make his point by out steadying the defensive player, something which can not be done among players of equal ability because the defensive chopping stroke is less tiring than the topspin drive. It is the most serious error the beginner can make in a forehand topspin drive, and, as has been observed, often results from the player's making too timid a stroke.
Even in executing a drive with the minimum amount of topspin there is a natural lift of your arm which amounts to two or three inches. Practice swinging your racket through without a ball and see for yourself that it is lower at the beginning of the stroke than at the ending. This natural rise will supply a sufficient amount of topspin to control ordinary shots which rebound slightly higher than the net. For shots which are lower and heavily chopped, you must put a certain amount of conscious lift into your drive, but never so much that the entire forward speed of the shot is destroyed.
THE BACKHAND DRIVE
The tendency in table tennis today seems to be to depend upon the forehand drive to a great extent, and very rarely to employ the backhand drive in offensive playing. The arguments in favor of such a course run like this: It is necessary to have a good backhand as well as a forehand chop for defensive playing since you must take the ball wherever your opponent places it. However, in playing on the attack, it is not necessary to drive every ball; those which come to the backhand can be pushed or blocked while you wait for a forehand shot. Furthermore, with only one attacking shot to worry about, a player never is forced to choose between the forehand or backhand drive, never worries about his strong or weak point, never hesitates when the ball comes down the middle.
These arguments could make sense only because the majority of ranking stars neglect their backhand drives for forehand. But we recommend the cultivation of a good backhand drive as soon as possible after you have mastered a workable forehand. And our reply to the theorists is that, in theory, it would not be necessary to have a defense at all if you were able to keep the attack at all times. There are advantages to having a sound backhand drive, just as there are advantages to having a sound defense. Some of these advantages are:
- You can maintain proper balance and court position more easily when you are not forced to cover the entire table from one side.
- In fighting for the offense, you can return a drive with a drive instead of a chop or a block shot when faced with a return toward your backhand corner, thus maintaining constant offensive tactics.
- You are much more likely to succeed in defending your self against a block shot if you can drive from either side of your body instead of being forced to cover sharply angled shots with your forehand.
- Because a backhand is hit from in front of your body, with no necessity for a preparatory backswing and consequent "squaring-off" as in the forehand, you can seize the offense quickly or try for a sudden winning shot. Preparation to seize the offense by a forehand drive can be detected easily, but a back hand attempt is seldom obvious.
- Unless you can drive, you are unable to return a serve directed to your backhand side. Inability to do this means that for half the game your opponent can immediately force you on the defensive by the simple expedient of serving a fast topspin to your backhand.
The backhand drive is more difficult for the average player to learn than the forehand because the swing is across the body, not away from it. Moreover, you will find your muscles are more accustomed to the forehand movement than to the backhand. Practice will cure this.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BACKHAND AND FOREHAND DRIVES
Although, in the main, backhand drives are the reverse of the forehand, there are a few minor differences between them:
1. The grip may differ slightly. Some players—particularly women—move the thumb up a trifle toward the middle of the blade for extra power and support when playing backhand shots.
2. The swing back of the racket is shorter and the ball may be taken earlier in the backhand drive. This shorter swing back does not permit all of the crushing power that the forehand develops, but it allows for a great deal more deception.
3. The correct position for the backhand drive is nearer to the ball than for the forehand drive. You cannot get the same freedom of swing here by standing well away from the shot as in the forehand because it is impossible to get your body out of the way when your shot must be made right across it. For the same reason, you should strive to get farther behind the ball rather than to the side of it because it is impossible in the backhand drive to gain the advantage that the sideways forehand position brings.
ERRORS IN MAKING THE BACKHAND DRIVE
Some of the common errors made in executing the backhand drive are listed below:
1. Getting the wrist too far in front of the racket. This causes sidespin and loss of control. It is better to curb this tendency when first learning a backhand drive. However, in all fairness, it must be noted that many players use this sidespin drive successfully, either to open up the court for a forehand shot or when they are slightly out of position on the backhand.
Because the backhand drive may be hit without facing sideways, and because it is hit across the body, it is possible to make a successful sidespin shot. Note that in the backhand chop this shot could never be successful because the return is too soft and sidespin without speed would not be so deceptive. A good, solid blow from the backhand will give you better control of sidespin and your opponent less time to anticipate it.
2. Attempting to execute a backhand drive on a ball which is out of reach. As pointed out previously, the backhand drive is made closer to the body than the forehand. By forgetting this, many players commit the serious mistake of attempting to hit a backhand drive when the ball is too far from them, and thereby muff the shot or, at best, deliver a return with little speed. The remedy is, of course, either to get closer to the ball, that is, to get into a better position or, when unable to do so, not to attempt the drive but to use a chop or push stroke instead.
It is impossible to gain power when your reach is overextended. It is satisfactory to terminate your drive with your racket extended as far as you can reach, but to begin the stroke from that position robs your drive of all its force. Obviously, nothing but a block return or a simple poke shot can be made in this manner.
THE BACKHAND DRIVE
Figure 29.Beginning of the backhand drive. The wrist is locked in a firm position in reparation for the shot. Figure 30. Eyes are on the moving ball as the backswing begins. Note sideways position of the body. Figure 31.The sideways position of the body is more pronounced as the racket starts forward to meet the ball. Figure 32.Note that this stroke will be made closer to the body than the corresponding forehand drive.
Figure 29.Beginning of the backhand drive. The wrist is locked in a firm position in reparation for the shot. Figure 30. Eyes are on the moving ball as the backswing begins. Note sideways position of the body. Figure 31.The sideways position of the body is more pronounced as the racket starts forward to meet the ball. Figure 32.Note that this stroke will be made closer to the body than the corresponding forehand drive.
THE BACKHAND DRIVE - continued
Figure 33.Just before the actual hitting of the ball: sideways position, firm wrist action, plenty of room to swing. Figure 34.Point of contact. The racket face will travel over the ball. Note the upright position of the body. Figure 35.The stroke is finished but the eyes still watch the ball and the racket begins its upward swing. Figure 36.A complete follow-through, the racket having passed over the ball to give it plenty of topspin.
Figure 33.Just before the actual hitting of the ball: sideways position, firm wrist action, plenty of room to swing. Figure 34.Point of contact. The racket face will travel over the ball. Note the upright position of the body. Figure 35.The stroke is finished but the eyes still watch the ball and the racket begins its upward swing. Figure 36.A complete follow-through, the racket having passed over the ball to give it plenty of topspin.
After mastering the orthodox backhand drive, using a firm wrist motion, experiment with the "wristed backhand" (a special case of the backhand flick) in order to obtain more power. As you swing back preparatory to making a wristed backhand, let the weight of your racket bend your wrist back also. As you go forward, let your wrist move along a little faster than the rest of your arm. At the start of the stroke your wrist is behind the racket, and in the follow-through, ahead. An exaggerated use of the wrist will increase your topspin and pace.
The wrist should not be ahead of or behind your racket at the moment of contact. When it is, the error illustrates the danger in the use of this shot. Properly controlled, extra topspin will increase the accuracy of your shot, but it requires good timing and practice.
A wristed backhand, played with confidence and complete follow-through, is the nearest thing to a jerky swing that you ever want to attempt in table tennis. Good results may be obtained, provided your wrist is not used independently of your forearm, by a sudden whipping motion to complete the follow-through and give added zip. The backhand flick, of which the wristed backhand is a special type, will be discussed in detail later.
POINTERS ON ATTACK
The purpose of attack is to seize the initiative and through a combination of speed and placement outmaneuver your opponent so hopelessly that he makes an initial error or gives you a return high enough for you to force a subsequent error. We have discussed methods of doing this.
But now the question arises as to whether it is better to favor forehand or backhand drives in the initial stage of building up your attack. The backhand is a more deceptive shot. As pointed out, it can be made with a shorter swingback, usually has a wide angle, and is played from in front of your body, thus calling for less preparation. On the other hand, the forehand drive is a much steadier shot, a much freer and more natural shot, and usually a more powerful shot. The problem should resolve itself into one of individual preference. And let us caution you that this question of individual preference may change almost from day to day and from opponent to opponent. You will find days when your forehand will be better than your backhand, and you will find opponents who handle one more easily than the other. Experiment and be willing to change.
This demonstrates another reason for the development of a two-sided attacking game: if you had only one attacking weapon you would not be able to change.
Whichever side you are using for your build-up drives, you will probably want to favor your forehand side for the final, crushing blow. Most people cannot hit very hard on the backhand since the basic principle involved in making a hard drive is getting right over the top of the ball and hammering it straight down. The sideways position of your forehand drive—the fact that your body is not in the way—the fact that it is a surer shot—all these things lead us to recommend hitting the high, return with a forehand. Whether the return comes to your forehand or backhand side in this case is a matter of secondary importance, because if it is high enough you have ample time to run into proper forehand position.
To summarize our discussion of offense: Topspin strokes are effective point-getters because their speed will drive your opponent out of position and tend to force him into errors. The most important thing to remember in making a topspin drive is to shift your weight from the rear foot to the forward foot at the moment of contact. This is the only way to execute a fast drive. Also remember to follow through to the limit, since only that long follow-through will assure getting the "drop" on the ball that makes it dip down safely on your opponent's side of the table.
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