THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF TABLE TENNIS I. Play whatever style you want. Don't let others dictate how you have to play, but listen to advices in order to improve. Your style could be an extension of your personality. The more styles the game has, the richer it is. Bring something to the game. Be yourself. II. Play whatever equipment you want, but it should not limit your tactical options or shoot selection. Use stuff you can handle. Know how other equipment plays. Experimentation is the key. III. Develop tactics and counter -tactics. To handle serves, points, matches, opponent's equipment, opponent's styles, opponent's behavior, opponent's tactics, anything. Think before, during and after playing. Be smart. IV. Respect others. Ask for being respected. Don't use tactics to upset, scare or bother opponents, don't CHO! every point. Play if somebody asks you to play. Try to have fun and let others have his share of fun too. Give advices and help other players. And be gentle. V. Learn to win. Learn to loose. Accept your mistakes, limitations and defeats and don't complain when you loose. You lost because you deserved it. Be modest. VI. There is no luck. Place your shots and you'll get nets and edges. Instead of sobbing when your opponent gets a net or edge, learn to return those balls. Be focused. VII. Improve your style and technique. Improving your weaknesses should be easy than improving your strengths, and remember that a smart opponent will capitalize on your weaknesses. First decide what to train, why and how are you going to do it, then train. Learn to rally. VIII. Rules and equipment will change, so certain styles or equipment can be favored. You can change yours anytime. You can also accept those changes and play at certain disadvantage. Styles less favored, or even harmed by rules can still win. It will be just harder. Never whine. IX. No unfair equipment exists. No styles are bad to the sport. No players are inferior or superior athletes by any means, and of course you are not entitled to judge nobody. Leave the sport if you think different than this. Don't be a fuckin' nazi. X. The only laws to respect are the rules of the game. This is the only mean that shows you how the game is supposed to be played. Read it, obey all the rules, and enforce them. Try to exploit rules to your advantage. But be legal.
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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF TABLE TENNIS
I. Play whatever style you want. Don't let others dictate how you have to play, but listen to advices in order to improve. Your style could be an extension of your personality. The more styles the game has, the richer it is. Bring something to the game. Be yourself.
II. Play whatever equipment you want, but it should not limit your tactical options or shoot selection. Use stuff you can handle. Know how other equipment plays. Experimentation is the key.
III. Develop tactics and counter -tactics. To handle serves, points, matches, opponent's equipment, opponent's styles, opponent's behavior, opponent's tactics, anything. Think before, during and after playing. Be smart.
IV. Respect others. Ask for being respected. Don't use tactics to upset, scare or bother opponents, don't CHO! every point. Play if somebody asks you to play. Try to have fun and let others have his share of fun too. Give advices and help other players. And be gentle.
V. Learn to win. Learn to loose. Accept your mistakes, limitations and defeats and don't complain when you loose. You lost because you deserved it. Be modest.
VI. There is no luck. Place your shots and you'll get nets and edges. Instead of sobbing when your opponent gets a net or edge, learn to return those balls. Be focused.
VII. Improve your style and technique. Improving your weaknesses should be easy than improving your strengths, and remember that a smart opponent will capitalize on your weaknesses. First decide what to train, why and how are you going to do it, then train. Learn to rally.
VIII. Rules and equipment will change, so certain styles or equipment can be favored. You can change yours anytime. You can also accept those changes and play at certain disadvantage. Styles less favored, or even harmed by rules can still win. It will be just harder. Never whine.
IX. No unfair equipment exists. No styles are bad to the sport. No players are inferior or superior athletes by any means, and of course you are not entitled to judge nobody. Leave the sport if you think different than this. Don't be a fuckin' nazi.
X. The only laws to respect are the rules of the game. This is the only mean that shows you how the game is supposed to be played. Read it, obey all the rules, and enforce them. Try to exploit rules to your advantage. But be legal.
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SPIN (But were Afraid to Ask!)
By Larry Hodges USATT Certified National Coach
(From July/August 1999 USATT Magazine and Winter 1999/2000 Paddle Palace Magazine)
The biggest difference between a serious table tennis player and a basement player is spin. Serious players use spin on both their serves and rallying shots, both to control the ball and to force errors from their opponents. What we are going to do is go over the types, effects and purposes of the various spins, how to create spin, how to read spin, how to handle spin, and how spin actually makes a ball curve in flight.
The Types of Spin
How many basic types of spin are there in table tennis? The most common answer is four: topspin, backspin, and sidespin in both directions. For many players, this is an adequate answer. However, the more correct answer is seven, plus an infinite number of combinations.
The ball can rotate in three different axis that are perpendicular to each other, and the ball can rotate in two directions on each of these axis. Assume you ’ve just hit a ball away from you, and are watching to see how it rotates.
¡ If the top of the ball is rotating away from you, it is topspin.
¡ If the bottom of the ball is rotating away from you, it is backspin.
¡ If the right side of the ball is rotating away from you, it is “right” sidespin.
¡ If the left side of the ball is rotating away from you, it is “left” sidespin.
¡ If the ball is spinning clockwise (relative to you), it is “right” corkscrewspin.
¡ If the ball is spinning counter-clockwise (relative to you), it is “left” corkscrewspin.
¡ If the ball is not rotating at all, it’s no-spin!
No-spin is considered a spin on its own. In fact, if you listen to top players, you’ll hear them refer to “heavy no-spin,” which sounds rather contradictory! It ’s actually a no -spin serve that is faked to look like heavy spin (usually backspin).
Corkscrewspin is rarely seen except in serves by advanced players. It generally can only be produced with a high -toss serve. If you ever face this corkscrewspin, read over the difference between sidespin and corkscrewspin carefully. If you imagine the axis of rotation, it’s easier to understand. For sidespin, the axis is up and down. For corkscrewspin, the axis points straight at and away from you. (For topspin/backspin, it is left to right.)
For the truly nerdy, there are really 27 specific combinations of spin, by taking every possible combination of backspin/topspin, sidespin and corkscrewspin, rotating in either direction. (Yes, there are even 8 spins that combine all three – you can do that!) We ’ll leave it as an exercise to list all 27. (Don’t forget no-spin!)
Effects of Spin
All spins have three major effects: how they travel through the air, how they bounce on the table, and how they bounce off the opponent’s racket. Here is a listing of each spin’s major effects.
Topspin
In the air Curves downward
Backspin
Sidespin
Corkscrewspin
Purpose of Spin
Spin is used when serving or rallying either to control the ball or force an opponent into error. Let’s examine the purposes of each type of spin.
Topspin
When serving, topspin is used primarily to force a high return or a return off the end. If an opponent doesn’t make an adjustment (i.e. aim low), the topspin will force either a high return or a return that goes off the end. Often players use a very fast motion to fake a backspin serve, but actually serve topspin, fooling their opponent into an error.
In a rally, topspin makes the ball drop very fast, and so allows a player to hit the ball very hard and still have it drop down and hit the table. Not only does it allow a player to attack a very low ball, but it gives a larger margin for error on all rally shots, with the topspin pulling down balls that would otherwise go off the end. One way of thinking of it is as follows. If you hit a relatively low ball hard but without topspin, the ball might only have enough time to drop so as to hit the last foot of the table. With topspin, it might be able to drop and hit anywhere on the last three feet. This means your target is three times as large!
Just as when you serve, the topspin you put on the ball will make your opponent to tend to return the ball either high or off the end. The loop drive, which has extreme topspin, is the most important rallying shot in table tennis . It forces an opponent into either a defensive return or a difficult counter-attack.
Backspin
When serving, backspin is used to try to force an opponent into returning the ball into the net. It is also effective in forcing a defensive return that you can attack. Often players fake either topspin, sidespin or no -spin when serving backspin, trying to trick the opponent into an error.
In a rally, backspin is a relatively defensive shot. Against an incoming backspin, a backspin return (a “push”) is a way to jockey for position, and against many players, it is quite effective. However, it gives the opponent the opportunity to attack (especially with a loop drive), and so should not be overused.
There are also many defensive players who back off the table and return topspin attacks with backspin (“chop”) returns. Again, this gives the opponent the opportunity to attack, but some players do quite well this way, returning ball after ball with backspin until the opponent either misses or gives an easy ball to put away.
Sidespin
Sidespin is used primarily when serving. The purpose is to try to force an opponent into returning the ball off the side, or into returning the ball where you want him to. Also, since sidespin jumps off the paddle relatively quickly, it forces opponents into hitting many off the end as well as off the side. Often sidespin
Bounce on the table A low, fast bounce Rebound off opponent’s racket Jumps upward and fast
In the air Tends to float Bounce on the table Ball slows down Rebound off opponent’s racket Shoots downward
In the air Curves sideways Bounce on the table A slight sideways bounce, but not too
much Rebound off opponent’s racket Bounces sideways
In the air light sideways curve Bounce on the table Very sharp sideways bounce Rebound off opponent’s racket Not too much effect off opponent’s
racket, unless opponent’s racket is very open or very closed, in which case it bounces sideways
serves are disguised as backspin serves, and opponents push them back, and go off the side. Sidespin is also mixed with topspin when serving to force mistakes – opponents have to worry about going off the side and going off the end.
Sidespin is not used much during a rally except at the higher levels. Top players sidespin loop, sidespin lob and sidespin push. Beginning and intermediate players should learn to do these shots early on as well. That way, when they reach the higher levels, they’ll be able to control these shots.
Corkscrewspin
Corkscrewspin is not too common in table tennis, and is usually only used by advanced players when serving. It is difficult to produce except with a high-toss serve (i.e. a serve where the ball is tossed 6-10 feet or more into the air). Sometimes, a player out of position will scoop a ball off the floor, and when the ball hits the table, it jumps sideways because of corkscrewspin. Lobs and counterloops also may have this type of spin.
When done on the serve, it can be very effective. When the ball hits the far side of the table, it jumps sideways, throwing an opponent off. Additionally, an opponent ’s instincts for returning corkscrewspin are often off. Suppose you serve with a corkscrewspin so that the ball is rotating clockwise as it travels away from you. If your opponent hits under the ball (a push), the ball will jump to your right. If your opponent hits toward the top of the ball (a drive), the ball will jump to your left. Imagine the rotation of the ball and which way it jumps on contact with an opponent’s paddle, and you’ll see.
No-spin
No-spin serves are extremely effective because it is relatively easy to fake spin, but put no spin on the ball. If you can convince your opponent to react to a spin that isn’t there, you don’t need to put spin on the ball.
Most often, players fake a backspin serve, but contact the ball near the handle (where the racket moves slowest) and just pat the ball over the net with a vigorous but non-spin producing serve. If you use a big wrist snap after contact, and a big follow-through, your opponent will probably think there is spin on the ball – when it’s actually “heavy no-spin”!
In a rally, no-spin is also used to fool opponents into thinking there is spin on the ball. Most players open their rackets when returning a backspin push, so if you give them a no-spin push, they will pop the ball up. Similarly, you can fool players by using a no -spin loop.
Another good use of no-spin is with a fast serve. If your opponent thinks your fast serve has topspin, he closes his racket slightly. If the serve actually is no-spin, the ball goes into the net. What makes this effective is that the serve must be fast enough so that the opponent doesn’t have time to react to the ball’s spin (or non-spin).
A ball with spin will jump off the paddle with energy both from the ball ’s velocity and its spin. A no -spin ball has no spin, and so bounces out slower. This means that players often put no-spin balls in the net because the ball doesn’t bounce out as fast as they expect. Similarly, players often put spin balls off the end by not taking the extra bounce from the spin into account.
Creating Spin
Spin is created at two times: when serving, or when rallying. The main difference is that when serving, you are in complete control of the ball – you can toss it up just the way you want to. In a rally, the ball comes at you in different ways that you have to react to.
To create a good spin, you need three things: racket speed, a grazing contact, and a grippy racket surface. (With a non-grippy surface, you can’t put as much spin on the ball, but you can return an opponent ’s spin – but that’s not quite the same as creating spin.)
It’s important to be loose and relaxed if you want to create a good spin. If your muscles are tight, your muscles won’t work together properly, and you’ll get little spin. Imagine hitting something with a whip, and then with a rigid stick. Notice how the tip of the whip travels much faster than the tip of the stick? That’s the difference between loose, relaxed muscles and stiff (stick-like) muscles.
Service Spin
There are an infinite number of service motions where you can put spin on the
ball – but that’s outside the context of this article. What we want to go over are the principles behind getting that spin when serving.
To get maximum spin, you should use a grippy inverted surface. A less grippy surface, such as pips -out, can create spin, but substantially less. To really spin that ball, you need a surface that really grips the ball.
You need the racket to really be moving at contact – you want to accelerate the racket through the ball. With whatever service motion you use, you need to start with the arm moving, and then snap the wrist as you contact the ball. Most of the racket speed comes from the wrist – perhaps 70% – so work on using as much wrist as you can.
Lastly, you need to just graze the ball at contact. The finer the contact, the more spin you will get. Top players with really spinny serves can be almost violent as they move their racket to the ball during the serve – yet, since they only graze the ball, the ball moves very slowly, often barely making it to the net. Nearly all of their energy is being used to create spin, not speed. It will take practice. Get a bucket of balls, and go practice!
A good way to practice getting spin on the serve is to serve onto the floor, away from the table. Try to put spin on the ball so the ball bounces sideways or backward on the floor. If you put a good backspin on the ball, it should bounce a few times away from you, come to a stop, then bounce or roll back at you! If you put a good sidespin, it should bounce sideways after a few bounces. Put some targets on the floor and try to spin the ball so it bounces around the targets. (Theoretically, a pure sidespin would not bounce sideways, because its axis of rotation is on the bottom of the ball, so there would be no sideways bounce. However, in bouncing on the table, the axis will move backward, creating a slight corkscrewspin and thus a sideways jump on the second bounce. Isn’t that simple?)
Rallying Spin
During a rally, you normally will use mostly topspins and backspins, with an occasional no -spin or sidespin thrown in.
Most drives have some topspin, but when you want to really produce a heavy topspin, you have to loop the ball. To really get a good topspin, you need to use your entire body, like a tennis player. The technique for looping is outside the scope of this article, but the principles are the same as when serving – racket speed, grazing and a grippy surface. Also, see above about relaxed, loose muscles – be a whip, not a stick!
The nice thing about looping, and topspin in general, is that not only does the topspin give you a wider margin for error, but the topspin often sets you up to attack the next ball as well. Especially on the forehand side, players learn to loop or drive the ball over and over until they see an easy ball to put away, or the opponent misses.
Topspin is also used when lobbing. A high ball with a lot of topspin (and often sidespin) can be hard to smash. The topspin makes the ball take a fast bounce off the table, and the topspin will make it jump out when it hits your racket. At the higher levels, lobbing is one of the most spectacular shots, but it can be quite effective against many players.
Backspin is used during a rally when pushing or chopping. A push is a defensive or neutral backspin shot against an incoming backspin shot. Many players are very good at attacking pushes, so choose when to use this shot carefully. Many players overuse it, especially when returning serves – often trying to push even against a sidespin or topspin serve! (Which leads to disastrous return high in the air, off the end or off the side.) However, a good push can be pretty valuable. The key is to make sure it is an effective push. Learn to put a good backspin on the ball, keep the ball low, and push to a wide angle. You should also learn to push quick off the bounce (so the opponent has less time to react), and perhaps to push short by just touching the ball lightly (so that it bounces very short on the other side of the table, making it hard to attack). At the highest levels, most players often push short. But this is a tricky shot, so I’d recommend learning a good deep push first. If you are pushing deep, try to push very deep, so the ball goes within at least a foot of the endline.
Sidespin is used in rallies mostly by relatively advanced players. It can be used when pushing, blocking, looping or counterlooping. It is used basically to throw the opponent off and force a mistake. (Jan-Ove Waldner, probably the greatest player of all time, is a master at this – he is famous for sidespin blocks and sidespin pushes.) When looping, especially against a block or a topspin (especially when counterlooping), you should usually put some sidespin on the
ball, normally so that the ball curves to the left (for righties). A stroke with about 15% sidespin is more natural than trying to loop with pure topspin. Advanced players can sidespin both ways.
Reading Spin
The singles hardest thing to learn to do in table tennis is to learn to read spin, especially against a good serve. Because there are no simple, easy-to-follow methods, it takes a lot of practice and experience. However, many players play for years and never gain this experience because they don’t understand the principles of reading spin. Although it is best to read spin from the racket ’s contact with the ball, you can’t always do that perfectly. You should use a number of pieces of “evidence” to really read the spin. What follows are eight factors take into account when trying to read spin, especially when returning serve.
1) The grippiness of the racket surface the opponent is using.
Inverted racket surfaces usually give the most spin, but inverted surfaces run the range from extremely grippy surfaces that will create huge amounts of spin to very slick surfaces that will not (antispin). Pips -out surfaces will not create as much spin as a grippy inverted surface, but most shorter pips can create a moderate spin. Longer pips normally don ’t create too much spin. (Note the difference between creating spin and returning an opponent ’s spin – item 8) below.)
2) The amount of spin from the racket ’s contact with the ball.
The amount of spin is related directly to the racket’s speed and grazing motion at contact (in addition to the grippiness of the racket surface). The faster the racket is moving at contact, and the more the racket grazes the ball, the more spin. You should be able to see the racket speed, but make sure you are watching the part of the racket that is actually contacting the ball. Many players use a fast racket motion, making it seem like there is a lot of spin, but contact the ball near the racket ’s hand, where the racket isn’t moving as fast. The result is less spin, which is effective if the opponent thinks there is more spin on the ball.
You can tell how much the opponent has grazed the ball in several ways. First, see how fast the ball came off the racket. If the racket was moving very fast at contact, but the ball came out slowly, the energy had to go somewhere – it went into spin, via a grazing motion. Second, see how the racket approached the ball at contact – you can see if it was a grazing contact, if you watch closely. Third, the sound gives it away. A grazing motion is very quiet, with at most a high-pitched “hissing” sound. If there’s a “thumping” sound, there is less spin.
3) The type of spin from the direction of contact with the ball.
The type of spin comes directly from the direction the racket is moving at contact with the ball. Often, this is easy to tell – just watch which direction the racket is moving at contact. It gets tricky, however, when the opponent uses a “semicircular” motion. This means the racket changes direction during the serving motion. Your mission is to try to see what direction the racket was moving at contact.
There are two ways of doing this. First, you can try to get a very short “video” of the contact in your mind, and from that, see what direction the racket was moving at contact. If you can learn to create this video in your mind, soon you’ll be able to pick up the contact more consistently. Second, try to see which direction the ball comes off the racket. If it comes up slightly, it is topspin; if it comes off sideways, it is sidespin, etc. However, since the racket may be moving very fast, it is not always that easy to judge this.
In both cases, when you are learning how to read the type of spin, call out to yourself (in your mind or out loud, if your opponent puts up with it!) the type of spin on each serve, until it becomes second nature.
4) How the ball bounces on the table.
If you aren’t sure of the spin from racket contact, you can pick it up from the way the ball bounces on both sides of the table. If the ball has topspin, it will take a low, fast bounce. If it has backspin, it will tend to die and bounce short. If it has sidespin or (especially) corkscrewspin, it will bounce sideways.
5) How the ball travels through the air.
You can read the ball’s spin from its flight in the air. A topspin arcs through the air and drops rapidly. A backspin tends to float, with a flatter arc. A sidespin
curves sideways. A corkscrewspin doesn’t curve much in the air, but its sideways bounce off the table makes it appear to do so.
6) Seeing the ball spin (or not spin) itself.
You can read the spin (or non-spin) from the ball itself. Some players can read a no-spin ball by seeing the label. Many advanced players claim to be able to read directly off the ball, most likely from how blurred the ball ’s label is. This is not easy to do, and while some players claim they can do this, others claim it is impossible.
7) Amount and type of spin on previous similar serves/shots.
Even if you can’t read the spin from any of the above indicators, you can read it from experience. If you misread a spin one time, the next time you see that motion – even if you can ’t really read it – you can guess it is the same spin. For example, if you think you see a backspin serve, but every time you return it, it pops up or goes off the end, you are probably misreading a topspin. When you see this “backspin” motion again, put aside your natural reflex, and treat it like a topspin. The major problem with this, of course, is that your opponent might vary the spin with a similar motion – and if you aren’t really reading the spin, you ’ll have great trouble reading any changes. So use past indicators to make corrections to your reading of spin, but only in combination with the above indicators, or as a last resort.
8) In a rally, how much spin was already on the ball, and how much of it is being returned.
If you put spin on the ball, your opponent might simply return your spin back to you. This happens most often if your opponent has a less grippy surface, especially long pips. Surfaces such as long pips (but also short pips and antispin) can return your own spin back to you. For example, if you put a heavy topspin on the ball, a player with long pips can give you all of your spin right back at you without doing much. A player with a more grippy surface can also return your own spin, but to a much lesser degree.
Handling Spin
Handling spin is mostly an exercise in racket angles and stroke direction. For every spin, there is a racket angle that will compensate for it. There is also a stroke direction that will compensate for it. Choosing which to use is the question. In general, use an upward stroke and open racket to compensate for backspin, while using mostly racket angle to compensate for other spins. (Open racket means aim racket upward; closed racket means aim racket downward.)
Against a sidespin, the more aggressive you are, the less the spin will “take” on your racket, and so the less it will affect you. The softer your contact, the more the ball will jump – so tentative players often have more trouble with spin than aggressive players.
When learning to read spin on a serve, it’s a good idea to wait on the ball, and take it as late as possible to give yourself more time to react. As you improve, you should start taking the ball quicker. However, even advanced players often take the ball later against a player with tricky serves.
Here is a rundown on how to return the various spins.
Topspin: Close your racket (i.e. aim the hitting surface downward). This will compensate for the tendency to hit the ball of the end or pop it up. Against a heavy topspin, you’ll most likely use a simple block to return the shot. Take the ball quick off the bounce – otherwise, you’ll have to contend with the ball ’s low, fast bounce.
Backspin. Open your racket (i.e. aim the hitting surface upward). This will compensate for the tendency to hit the ball into the net. If you are topspinning, stroke upward and lift the ball upward. This is the perfect time to loop with heavy topspin!
Sidespin . Aim the opposite way. A good rule to remember when returning sidespin serves is to aim in the direction the server ’s racket came from. If you return the sidespin somewhat aggressively with a topspin, you can treat the incoming sidespin almost like it were a topspin, ignoring the sidespin.
Corkscrewspin . Anticipate the sideways bounce on the table, and be in position for it. Don ’t get too caught up trying to learn how to handle this spin too much as it is usually only seen at the higher levels. However, it is interesting to note that if you push against a corkscrewspin (with an open racket, hitting toward the bottom of the ball), the ball will bounce sideways off the racket. If you
topspin it back (with a closed racket, hitting toward the top of the ball), the ball will bounce off your racket in the opposite direction. Imagine the incoming spin and how it will “grab” your racket based on whether you hit toward the top or bottom of the ball, and you ’ll see this.
What Makes A Spinning Ball Curve In The Air?
Now we get into serious science, so those less science-minded, here’s your cue to leave and go practice!
Imagine a ball with topspin. As it travels through the air, the forward movement of the top of the ball forces air forward (or more precisely, slows down the movement of air over the top of the ball). This causes air to be “clumped” together toward the front top of the ball, creating an area of high air density. Similarly, the backward movement of the bottom of the ball pulls air backward quickly, creating an area of low air density toward the front bottom of the ball. The high density air mass at the top of the ball forces the ball downward; the low density air mass at the bottom of the ball “vacuums” it downward. The result: the ball drops. That ’s what makes a ball with topspin drop. The same applies to all spins, but as the spin orientation changes, the movement of the ball changes. For example, a sidespin creates a high-air density area on one side of the ball, a low -air density on the other, which forces the ball to curve sideways.
Backspin doesn’t really curve up, but that ’s because of gravity. The backspin is pulling the ball up; gravity is pulling it down. The result is a ball that tends to travel in a line at first (to float) before the backspin is finally overcome by gravity.
Conclusion
Spin is the biggest difference between “basement” stars and advanced players. Players may learn to rally better than others, but if they can’t handle spin – or create their own – they ’re at a huge disadvantage. Learn to use and handle spin, and you’ll quickly leave the basement players (and most tournament players) behind. Get Spinning!
UNDERSTANDING SPIN Larry Thoman
Excerpts from Newgy Robo-Pong 2000 Player's Instructional Manual
More so than any other sport, table tennis is a game of spin. In order to be successful at table tennis, you must learn about and understand the different types of spin and how to counteract the effects of these spins on your racket.
There are two general ways to contact a ball with a racket. The first is by using force; in other words, the racket is forced through the path of the ball in a manner similar to hitting a baseball with a bat. The primary result of force is forward direction or speed. This is often the only way that beginners and novice players have learned to contact a ball.
The second way to contact a ball is by using friction-to contact the ball with a brushing motion so the rubber grabs the ball and makes the ball rotate. The primary result of striking the ball using friction is spin. The type of spin produced depends on the racket angle and the direction the racket is traveling.
Top players primarily use friction to contact the ball. They apply spin to almost every shot, sometimes severe amounts of spin. Robo-Pong 2000 simulates the play of a top player-it produces spin on every shot it delivers. Untrained players often comment that the robot's spin seems unusually strong. While this is true for an untrained player, a trained, competitive player thinks the robot's spin is quite normal. So if the spin seems strong at first, bear with it and you'll soon adjust by following the suggestions and lessons later in this manual. Table tennis is much more exciting and dynamic when you can produce your own spin and control your opponent's spin.
The figures below are simple explanations of the four major types of spins-topspin, backspin, right sidespin, and left sidespin. Each type of spin has two figures. The first figure shows what happens when a particular spin contacts a vertical, still racket. The second figure shows how to correct your racket angle to compensate for the effect of the spin on your racket.
Topspin is normally produced by making your racket travel from low to high while brushing the upper surface of the ball. Topspin has a dipping effect on the flight of the ball. For this reason, a ball carrying topspin can be hit with full force because the spin will cause the ball to dip down and hit the table instead of going off the end of the table. When the ball hits the table, the topspin grabs on the table surface, which both compounds the dipping effect and slightly increases ball speed. Topspin is considered to be offensive in most cases.
When topspin strikes a vertical racket, the spin will grab on the rubber surface and rebound upward, usually quite high and off the far end of the table. To correct for topspin and make the ball go back low over the net, tilt the leading racket face down toward the table and contact the ball on its upper surface. The more topspin on the ball, the more the racket needs to be tilted down. (See Figures G & H )
Figure G: Flight of Topspin Ball
Topspin is produced by racket traveling from low to high, striking the ball on its upper surface. Trajectory is arched. Ball dips after bouncing and rebounds upward after striking a vertical racket.
An important fact to remember about topspin is it takes almost no effort to counteract its effect on the racket. You only need to angle the racket correctly. The topspin will cause the ball to go back across the net on its own. No force needs to be applied to your racket other than the effort it takes to tilt the racket.
Backspin is generated by making your racket travel from high to low and brushing the ball on its lower surface. Backspin has a floating or rising effect on the ball. When the ball hits the table, the backspin grabs on the table, slowing the ball and making it rise slightly. It's very difficult use full force when doing a backspin return because the harder you hit it, the more it rises and it tends sail off the far end of the table. Backspin is almost always considered defensive.
When backspin strikes a vertical racket, the spin grabs onto the rubber and the ball rebounds almost straight down. The ball seems to die and lose all of its speed and spin. To correct for backspin, and make the ball go back low over the net, Tilt the racket face up toward the ceiling and contact the ball on its lower surface while pushing the racket gently forward. The more backspin, the more the racket must be tilted up and the more towards the bottom you must contact the ball. (See Figures I & J )
Backspin is unlike topspin in that you must provide some forward momentum to make your return clear the net. It is more difficult and takes more energy to attack a ball with backspin because the ball has a tendency to go down. The lifting action necessary to make the ball clear the net takes away from the amount of forward force you can apply when attacking a backspin ball.In general, a topspin ball will be easier to attack than a backspin one. If you're a defensive player, backspin should be your spin of choice because it makes it harder for your opponent to attack forcefully. Right sidespin is created when your opponent brushes his racket across the ball from your right to your left. This spin has a curving effect on the flight of the ball. After leaving your opponent's racket, the ball will momentarily hook to your left, then curve to your right. When it hits the table, the spin grabs, and the ball jumps out and curves to your right.
When right sidespin strikes a vertical racket, the spin grabs onto the rubber and jumps quickly to your left. To correct for right sidespin, the leading racket face must be angled to the right and you must contact the ball on its left surface. (See Figures K & L )
Left sidespin is produced when your opponent brushes across the ball with his
Figure H: Correction for Topspin
Since topspin causes the ball to rebound up after contacting a vertical racket, it is necessary to tilt the leading racket face down toward the table and contact the ball on its upper surface. The correct racket angle will send the ball back low to the net. It is not necessary to move the racket forward to make the ball go back across the net.
Figure I: Flight of Backspin Ball
Backspin is produced by racket traveling from high to low, striking the ball on its lower surface. Trajectory is flat. Ball rises slightly after bouncing and rebounds downward after striking a vertical racket.
Figure J: Correction for Backspin
Since backspin causes the ball to rebound down when it strikes a vertical racket, it is necessary to tilt the leading racket face up toward the ceiling and contact the ball on its lower surface, sometimes actually on its bottom. It is also necessary to add some forward direction to your racket to make the ball go over the net.
racket from your left to your right. Left sidespin is exactly like right sidespin, but in reverse. Left sidespin hooks to your right, then curves to your left. When left sidespin hits a vertical racket, it rebounds to the left. To correct for this spin, angle your racket to the left and contact the ball on its right surface. (See Figures M & N )
Sidespins are seldomly used in their pure form in table tennis. Normally they are combined with topspin or backspin to produce a combination spin such as right sidespin/topspin or left sidespin/backspin. Combining two spins produces the effects of both, but to a lesser degree than if they were in their pure forms.
For example, a ball with right sidespin/topspin will both dip and curve to the right as it is comes toward you, particularly after it bounces on your side. To correct for this combination spin, it is necessary to contact the ball on its left upper surface by tilting the racket down and angling it to the right.
Understanding spin and its effects is crucial to a player's success in table tennis. The player with greater mastery of spin will almost always control the play. By using spin, you can limit the responses of your opponent and make him play your game. Two important table tennis skills to develop are:
(1) Be able to instantly judge the type and amount of spin on the ball. Deduce the type of spin by carefully watching the direction your opponent's racket is traveling when it contacts the ball. Deduce the amount of spin from the speed of your opponent's racket at contact and the type of rubber being used. The faster your opponent's racket is going at contact and the finer his graze of the ball, the more spin he can apply to the ball.
Rubbers vary in their ability to spin the ball primarily because of the grippiness of their top surface. In general, inverted rubber is grippier and will produce more spin than pips -out rubbers. But even within these two broad categories of rubber, the spin producing capabilities of rubber will vary widely. If in doubt, test the grippiness of an unknown rubber by running a ball across its surface and comparing it to your own rubber.
(2) Once you determine the type and amount of spin, be able to instantly adjust
Figure K: Flight of Right Sidespin Ball
Right sidespin is produced by your opponent's racket traveling from your right to your left. Trajectory is curved. Ball curves to your right after bouncing. Ball rebounds to your left after striking a vertical racket. Figure L: Correction for Right
Sidespin
Since right sidespin causes the ball to rebound to the left when it strikes a vertical racket, it is necessary to tilt the leading racket face to the right and contact the ball to the left of its middle.
Figure M: Flight of Left Sidespin Ball
Left sidespin is produced by your opponent's racket traveling from your left to your right. Trajectory is curved. Ball curves to your right after bouncing. Ball rebounds to your right after striking a vertical racket.
Figure N: Correction for Left Sidespin
Since left sidespin causes the ball to rebound to the left when it strikes a vertical racket, it is necessary to tilt the leading racket face to the right and contact the ball to the left of its middle.
your racket angle to correct for the spin's effect on your rubber. The tension of your grip, the looseness of your wrist, the flexibility of your forearm, and the position of your body all play major roles in developing this important skill.
TWO STEP FOOTWORK By: Larry Hodges, USATT Certified National Coach
Illustrations courtesy of Tamasu Co., copyright 2001.
Two-Step Footwork to the left.
Two-Step Footwork to the right.
There are several styles of footwork for various types of moves, but the most popular and versatile is called two-step footwork. It can be used for nearly all moves, especially side to side, and is used by most of the best players in the world as the easiest and most efficient.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty about two-step footwork, a few general principles for all footwork should be noted. First, weight should be on the balls of the feet. This keeps the player ready to move in all directions. Second, stay in a slight crouch, knees slightly bent. This enables a player to spring in any direction very quickly.
Two-Step Footwork
Two-step footwork is ideal for moving side to side to get to the ball. It can be used to cover the wide forehand corner with the forehand, to cover the wide backhand corner with the backhand, and to cover the wide backhand corner with the forehand. (Note that when covering the wide backhand with the backhand, a single step with the near foot will usually do.)
Two-step footwork is pretty much identical whether you are going to the left or to the right. Here we will explain how a player moves to his left. To move to the right, just reverse left and right.
Start by taking a short step, about six inches or so, with the left foot. This puts your legs farther apart and gets your momentum going.
Now pull with the left leg, letting your weight transfer onto your left leg. Move both feet together to the left, remembering to pull with the left leg instead of pushing with the right. (Of course, since most of your weight is on the left leg, you can ’t push with the right leg without putting weight on it.) Use the momentum from the short step to pull your body to the left.
Both feet should move together, coming closer together in the middle of the motion but ending up with your feet at the same distance apart as at the start of the motion. Your right foot should end up about where the left foot was after the short step.
The whole movement might also be called a “step-jump,” since if you are doing it correctly the second part of the movement is essentially a jump. With practice, it should feel natural.
FOOTWORK Excerpts from Larry Thoman's Newgy Robo-Pong 2000 Player's Instructional
Manual
This chapter is intended for those who need assistance in moving to the ball. If you can perform a stroke well while keeping your feet in one spot, but you lose consistency when you start practicing the stroke with foot movement, then you need to improve your footwork. When learning footwork, slowly shadow practice several sets of the described footwork until you get the hang of it. Then combine practicing footwork with a particular stroke or combination of strokes using the robot to deliver balls to different points on the table.
Having proper footwork greatly assists in executing good strokes. With proper footwork, a player will move into good position and then execute his strokes from a solid, balanced stance. This leads to consistency, quickness, and being able to use full power. Without good footwork, a player will reach, lean, and hit the ball from an unbalanced position. Strokes end up being jerky and erratic, more like slaps than strokes.
In table tennis, you won't have to cover a lot of ground, but you will have to move to a spot very quickly. Therefore, most table tennis footwork consists of one or two steps, usually fairly short. During all footwork, it is crucial to stay balanced. Always start your foot movement from the balanced ready position.
Place your weight on the balls of your feet with your heels lightly touching the ground. Keep your shoulders centered over your knees. Eliminate any up and down movement. Move the instant the opponent has committed to his shot, not before. Move to where the ball will come before starting your stroke. Avoid stroking while moving.
For side -to -side movement, you may use one-step, two-step, or three -step footwork.
One-step footwork is normally used for short distances, two-step for medium distances, and three-step for long distances. One-step footwork is very common when moving left to cover a wide backhand. It is performed by simply shifting your weight to your right leg and pushing your left foot further to the left. Vice versa if you want to go to the right. One big disadvantage of one-step footwork is it can leave you in a "stretched out" position if you have to move more than a foot or two. Once stretched out, it is difficult to get ready for the next shot.
The two-step footwork is the most common form of footwork. It is used to get into forehand position for balls to your wide forehand two -step footwork, you lean on your right leg, pull your left foot toward your right foot, then quickly shift your right foot to the right. You end up with your feet in the same relative position as when you started the movement except 2-3 feet further to the right. It is a side-skipping type of movement.
Three -step footwork is used to cover shots hit deep to the forehand comer, angled off the wide forehand sideline, or to step out wide on your backhand side to hit a forehand. It is very similar to the two -step except an additional small step is made before both feet are shifted. To move right, take a small step with your right foot to the right (6 to 8 inches), shift your weight to your right leg, then perform a two -step movement.
Figure O: Footwork Diagrams
Below are diagrams showing how to place and move the feet for one -step, two-step, and three-step footwork. The diagrams are for a right-handed player. You should practice these patterns until they become second nature. When practicing, remember to stay balanced and in a good ready position. Strive to keep your shoulders level and on the same plane (no up and down movement of the body and no dipping or raising of one shoulder).
TO MOVE LEFT TO MOVE RIGHT
One Step Footwork
Two Step Footwork
Three Step Footwork
PLAYING CHOPPERS By Larry Hodges, USATT Certified National Coach
There is nothing more infuriating than losing to a patient chopper who lets you beat yourself with your own errors. Losing to a chopper is like four-putting in golf; you may have made some good drives to get to the green, but all you remember are the misses at the end. Rather than four-putting forever, let’s learn how to beat the chopper.
A chopper is weakest in the middle, but you have more table (and so more margin for error) by going diagonally to a corner. Going for a winner down the line often catches the chopper by surprise. A chopper who is not particularly fast is vulnerable at the corners; a chopper with inverted on both sides is more vulnerable in the middle. Keep these "basics" in mind when playing any of the following styles. There are three general ways of playing a chopper. Informally they are called European style, Asian style, and Chiseling.
European Style
The goal here is to bring the chopper in close to the table, and then attack hard, especially at the chopper’s middle. The chopper is too close to the table to make the return, and so misses. When using this technique, you should mostly serve short to bring the chopper in, and try to follow with a strong attack. Sometimes, however, fake the attack, and push short instead - the chopper, in his haste to back up for the expected attack, will have trouble with this ball, and will often have to make a last-second lunge to return it. Even if he makes the return (often a weak one), he will be left jammed over the table and vulnerable to the next ball, which you can promptly loop for a winner. If the chopper stays closer to the table to guard against this drop shot, then you attack. The chopper has absolutely no way of answering this ... in theory.
During a rally, if the chopper makes a good return from away from the table, push short again, and start over. The object in a rally is to catch the chopper too far away from the table or moving backward so that you can drop the ball short, force him to rush in, and attack when he is jammed up against the table. Alternatively, you can push a few balls, keeping the chopper close to the table, and then attack when you think he’s not expecting it.
Asian Style
The goal here is to control the spin and pace of the rally. This method is especially good against a long-pipped chopper, but takes regular practice against a chopper to learn to do effectively. Pips-out players are especially good at this style, but many good inverted players also play this way. This style doesn’t work well against an all-inverted chopper who chops very heavy. Let’s assume you are playing a long-pipped chopper.
Here the aim is to get the chopper off the table, and then attack relatively softly over and over, into the long pips side, but not with full spin. The chopper can only return whatever spin you give him because of the long pips, and so their returns are not particularly heavy, making your continuous soft attack easy. After topspinning a few balls, you find one you like and loop or smash a winner.
Depending on what you are more comfortable with, you can topspin many balls in a row before going for a winner, or only a few - be unpredictable. Some players just topspin over and over, not going for a winner unless they get a very easy one. You should try to vary your spin, sometimes looping very dead, sometimes spinny. However, beware of varying spin returns when you vary your own spin. For example, when you give heavy topspin, expect heavy chop, and so either lift the ball more on next shot, or push and start over. Don’t fall into the trap of spinning heavily over and over – a chopper loves it, and all you’ll get are heavy chop returns, which can be very difficult to loop consistently.
You can mix in pushing, but too much pushing will throw your own timing off. By topspinning over and over to the long pips side (but not with full spin), you can
build up a rhythm that a chopper will have difficulty breaking.
Try to get down to almost eye level with the ball by bending your knees. This will help your consistency by making the lifting easier and will get your eyes closer to the ball so you see it better.
Chiseling
I am not fond of this style. This basically means pushing with the chopper until the chopper either misses, pops up an easy one, or gets impatient and attacks too much. At the higher levels, chiseling is rare, but at the lower and medium levels, it is more common. Since I’m a strong believer that the game has to be FUN (it is a game!), I don ’t like this way of winning. Unless you’re a chopper yourself (in which case SOMEONE’s got to push, and it might as well be you), I’d rather see a player lose by attacking in some way. You may lose now, but you ’ll learn how to play a chopper better in future matches.
TIPS FOR BEATING A CHOPPER
1. Place your attacks at the center of the table. Attack at his elbow / pocket / body. Stay away from both his wings.
2. Move him close / far to table. Use drop shots when he is very far from table.
3. Do not put much spin on your shots if you can't handle they when come with reversed spin. If you send heavy topspin you'll receive heavy backspin.
4. Loop with a high arc with an upward motion. Your primary goal should be keep the ball in play, while looking for a chance to score.
5. If he's serving with long pips, his serves can't be spiny. Learn to kill them.
6. He probably can't attack against topspin well, but can attack backspin.
7. No spin can be hard to handle for some long pips. See if you can make him miss.
8. Try to cover the entire table with you forehand if you are fast enough. Get into ready position as soon as you know where the ball is going.
PLAYING AGAINST LONG PIMPLES
Part 1 : Key Thoughts and the Long Pimpled Effect
The Best Way to get to grips with the surface is to assume that:
Long pimples do not put any spin on the ball at all, they return your own spin to you.
This leads to the somewhat surprising result (see the diagram):
If you do a topspin - the ball will come back with backspin
If you do a chop( or a push) - the ball will come back with mild topspin
Your chops and pushes only come back with a small amount of topspin because your chops and pushes will only contain a small amount of spin, much less spin than your hits.
Although a block is shown in the diagrams the effect is the same regardless of the movement of the pimpled bat. And herein lies the problem because your experience tells you that if your opponent does an upward movement of the bat there will be topspin on the ball and if he does a downward movement there will be backspin on it.
You will judge the amount of spin by many factors such as the speed of the arm, the path of the arm etc. all this information will be assessed by the brain in a split second and will be the result of knowledge gained over many hours of play. In fact one of the reason why we practice is to be able to make these sort of judgement automatically.
But when playing against long pimples, your experience lets you down. It is not what your opponent does with his bat that is important but what you did with your last shot. So you have got to re-train your brain and try to remember what you did with your last shot.
You do a forehand drive which produces topspin You do a chop
The ball is rotating clockwise. then
The long pimpled player does a block.
The ball is rotating anticlockwise then The long pimpled player does a block.
The pimples have no effect on the spin, so the ball is still rotating in a clockwise direction.
The ball is still rotating anticlockwise.
This means it will be returned to you with backspin. So the return will look like a
topspin to you
Surprisingly this is not very easy, and even after you train yourself to do it, you will often forget and make the most basic and, seemingly, simple mistakes. When this happens don't panic just keep calm and try to recollect what you should be doing and have the confidence and courage to act accordingly.
Now I am going the make the statement which, I am sure,many people will disagree with. I think it is largely true but in any cases it is the best thought to have in your head.
The harder you hit the ball the more topspin will be on it
This means
The harder you hit the ball the more backspin you will receive back
This last statement needs to be borne in mind when playing against long pimpled defenders.
So a slow hit will contain a small amount of of topspin and any long pimpled return will contain a small amount of backspin. A hard hit will contain a lot of topspin and so a long pimpled return will contain a lot of backspin.
These last two sentences are very important, and they should give you a clue as to how to play against long pimples. We will come back to them later.
In the next part we will look at some typical rallies and see how things can go wrong when playing against long pimples. In the meantime study the diagrams and memorize the key thoughts because they are at the heart of the long pimpled effect.
Part 2 : Long Pimpled Defenders - the core of the problem
We now come to what is probably the core of the difficulties encountered by attacking players when playing against long pimples. I am illustrating these difficulties by analysing a number of rallies between you, a modern attacking player, and a long pimpled defender - Mr. Pimps. The rallies are typical of the sort of thing I have seen many times in encounters between these types of players.
First two comments:
when you play a defensive player you will often get points early on in the game with hard hits, but as the game goes on the defensive player will get the measure of your hits and get them back. I have assumed this has happened when the score is 5-5. It is unlikely that when you play a game you will analyse each shot as I indicated in the table. Most of the time you will judge each shot automatically using your experience. But when playing against pimples you have got to think more and put your experience aside.
The score is 5 all with Mr. Pimps to serve
Mr. Pimps You Result Reason
Score 5 -5
1. Serves - a long slow serve with a chopping action
2. Try to hit it hard
It goes off the end
The chopping action makes you think there is chop on the ball so you lift it; but, in fact, there is no spin on it.
Score : 6-5
1. Serves 3. Chops it back
2. you are more cautious and do a soft hit - it will contain a small amount of topspin 4. Hit it hard
You hit it past him (you think you have cracked it)
The small amount of topspin you put on the ball with return of serve, shot 2, comes back to you as a gentle chop. In fact just the amount of chop you would expect from a normal bat with the same action; so, luckily, you judged it correctly.
Score 6 -6
During the game you are confused you just don't know what he's doing. You watch his bat closely. If only you knew what he was doing you could combat it. But that's just it he isn't doing anything, you are doing it all for him. The more severe and diabolical things you throw at him the more severe and diabolical things you will get back.
Look at the print at 7-6 and his shots 3, 5, 7. This is where your problems really start. You get back a mild chop, a heavy chop and a mild topspin, and all from what looks like the same shot from him - a fairly gentle chop. No wonder you are confused. But remember, each time you are getting your own spin back so you are digging your own grave.
1. Serves 3. Chops it back 5. This time he just scrambles it back, but is out of position.
2. Another soft hit 4. Hit it hard 6. Try to hit hard again
It goes into the bottom of the net
Your first hard hit, shot 4, contains a great deal of topspin which is returned to you as a very heavy chop.
Score 7 -6
1. Serves 3. Chops it back 5. This time he just scrambles it back, but is out of position. 7. Pushes it back with a chopping action
2. Another soft hit 4. Hit it hard 6. This time you push, lifting it to allow for the chop 8. Try to hit it hard again
It goes off the end of the table
Your push, shot 6, will contain a small amount of backspin which will be returned to you as topspin. But because of the chopping action of his bat, and the heavy backspin on the previous shot, you still think there is chop on the ball, so you lift it off the end of the table.
Score 8 -6
1. Serves 3. Chops it back 5. This time he just scrambles it back, but is out of position. 7. Pushes it back with a chopping action 9. Smashes it
2. Another soft hit 4. Hit it hard 6. This time you push, lifting it to allow for the chop 8. Push, it goes back high
Leaves you standing
You are more cautious and push his return. But you still think there is chop on the ball, so you lift it; it goes back high giving him an easy smash.
Score 9 -6
You are losing confidence but it's your serve now. You do your best, most spinny serves, but you get your own spin back and make all sorts of mistakes. You become more and more bamboozled and he runs out an easy winner.
CHASING THE ELBOW
'Elbow' is referred as the point where a shakehand player changes his strokes from forehand to backhand. All players have some problems to handle a ball going fastly to this point. The better the player, of course, it would be much easier for him to return this kind of balls, and he is more likely to step around and hit it with a powerful stroke, but even at the higher levels, the quality of his returns will be still lower in comparison with a return done with a 'clean' forehand or backhand as he had to move get in position before playing his stroke. My advice is to use this to your profit.
1. WHEN to do it: When your opponent is close to table. When he is moving closer to the table. When he is stepping around wrongly (overanticipating). When you see a chance of doing it. Do it as a serve return if they serve short or from a close to table position and he will almost NEVER attack that 3rd ball.
2. WHY to do it: To force a weak return. Most of the time the ball will come back, but it will be a weak return, since your opponent had no time to step around and loop, or done with a short or 'poor' arm swing. You can take advantage of weak returns like this. Of course, if you can score from a kill at his elbow, it's even better.
3. WHICH strokes are best to be placed at elbow:
Punch blocks against fast loops are the best, if your opponent is close to table. Loops or flips are fine. Fast pushes are very good too if you are pushing each other. Anything that gives your opponent little time to react. Play off the bounce on his short balls, and he will look FREEZED. If you are going for a hard shot, you have to know what are the chances if has to come back. It it's 0%, place it far from your opponent, but if it's (let's say) 30%, and you place it at your opponent's elbow, his return will be weak, and you'll be able to hit it hard. No spin fast balls at elbow are even more effective, same as sidespin, or any heavy spin. Learn to serve at his elbow. Do so with sidespin or corkscrew so your opponent is suddenly surprised by a second bounce that makes the ball jump to his body.
4. WHERE is the elbow located: If your opponent is on a ready position that is backhand oriented (showing to you his backhand rubber), his elbow is somewhere between his wrist and his elbow (this point is moving to the player's forehand if he's more used to play backhand all the time). It is not at the same spot for all players, so you'll have to find it during play. If he is on a ready position that is forehand oriented, his elbow is at the point where he can only hit the ball with his backhand, as closer as possible to his forehand. Be careful: place the ball a bit more to his forehand, and he could step around and loop. The grip that your opponent has, determines if his style is forehand or backhand oriented, and that determines where the elbow is located. Also, the elbow is moving according to his feet.
5. HOW to set up the rally to play a ball at his elbow: You could, if you know that your opponent is weak against elbow ball, chase his elbow in the following manner (that's an example, and that can be done in a lot of ways): Play a long ball, then do one quick drop shot, then one long ball at his elbow. The drop shot is the key here. I don't recommend playing like this as a rule of thumb, but that can work against certain players. I recommend to use elbow balls when you see a chance of it.
6. WHO will hurt elbow balls the most: Players with bad footwork. Players that play very close to table (This ones can have its elbow at more extreme spots than usual). Long arm swing players. Players with weak backhand or forehand (his elbow is often a bit closer to his weak side). Players with poor ball control. Players that let the ball drop before they play his stroke. Players with certain shakehand grips that screw his wrist action.
7. WHAT nobody uses but is very effective: High balls at elbow: Extremely difficult to do, since a high ball gives time to your opponent to step around. If you can send a fast and high ball to his elbow (almost to his shoulder), he can be in troubles, same as penholders with high balls to his backhand.
LIFT STROKES Introduction
This is a very technical stroke that is very deceptive. It is difficult to execute and also difficult for opponents to recognise and managed. It is only performed against relatively heavy underspin. The primary objective of a player performing this stroke is to "lift" the opponent's underspin back to him with little or no spin at the point of returning it.The whole idea is to play a fast trick on your opponent, making him to believe what is not true. Because table tennis is a fast game that relatively depends on speed and spin, it requires quick decision making and fast reflexes .You must act fast considering your opponent's stroke.
Executing Lift strokes
In the process of performing lift stroke, a very experience player pretends as if he wants to loop an opponent's underspin but will only place his racket almost if not completely horizontal (see diagram above) and lift the underspin ball across the net. One important principle applicable is the fact that the stroke is by force and not by friction. If there is friction, it should result to partial underspin. The player's racket contacts the ball by taping it in an upward direction. what this means is that the player must assume the position of looping an underspin (down - up motion). If the opponent is deceived by this motion, he blocks the partial underspin or a close to motionless no -spin and the resultant effect is that the ball hits the net. Remember that you can only block top-spin drive/loop strokes with speed and not underspin or "no-spin no-speed" stroke.
Explanation of "no-spin & no-speed" stroke
Take a look at the diagram above. When an opponent plays an underspin to you by chopping (preferably deep chop), you lift the ball by taping upward; what you are planning to do is to neutralise the spin, then the ball moves to your opponent's court with a "slight" underspin. This situation retards the speed to a great extent. The table surface drags the ball down and any attempt to block the ball will result to hitting the net.
How to return lift strokes
What you need to do is to:
¡ Watch the player and observe if the stroke is by force or by friction. If it is by force do not block.
¡ Watch the ball and observe the no -spin situation. Quickly counter. If you are close to the table smash.
¡ Watch the ball and observe the slight under-spin situation. Quickly push. If you are close to the table counter or smash.
The only remedy to successfully return 'Lift' stroke is to perform any other strokes except blocking.
FLIPPING? HOW TO ATTACK SHORT BALLS By Larry Hodges
The flip is an aggressive return of a shortball-a ball that would land on your side of the table twice if given the chance. It's most often used against short serves and shourt pushes. On the backhand side, the flip is basically the same as a backhand drive, but on the forehand it's different.
A flip can be done either crosscourt, down the line, or to the middle. Flip to your opponent's weaker side most of the time (usually down the line to the backhand), but usually go crosscourt whenever you go for a very aggressive flip ( so you'll have more margin for error.) An aggressive flip to a player's middle (elbow) is also very effective, because your opponent may have trouble deciding whether to return with a forehand or a backhand.
A flip is done against a ball that has landed short. If it lands short on the forehand side, it can be awkward to reach. For this shot, you'll also need to learn stepping -in footwork.
WHY IS THE FLIP IMPORTANT?
You could use a normal forehand drive against a short ball to the forehand, but it would be awkward because the table is in the way. A Flip is less awkward and more deceptive. But don't overuse the flip; just the threat of it makes your other returns more effective. Too many flips and your opponent gets used to them.
EXECUTING THE FLIP
When your opponent serves or pushes short, you'll have to step in to flip. If you reach over the table you'll be off balance and have trouble controlling the shot, especially if you're short. Even tall players have to step in, or they too will not hit their best shot. Most players have little trouble reaching a ball short to their backhand but find it very awkward to deal with the short one the forehand unless they step in.
If you're a step or so away from the table, step forward first with your left leg, getting it close to the endline. If you're already close, don't move the left leg. The longer your legs are, the easier stepping in will be.
Step in with your right leg under the table and toward the ball. Get the leg as far under the table as you can comfortably. Most of your weight should now be on the right foot. Reach over the table with the racket, with your body facing where the contact will be. Against backspin, cock your wrist down and open the racket; otherwise, cock your wrist straight back and keep the racket perpendicular to the floor. Bring the racket to a position just behind the contact point.
Bring the racket forward with your elbow. Then snap your wrist forward (and slightly up against backspin.) Your wrist should rotate at contact, which closes the racket some. Contact should be an upward grazing motion against backspin for control, or straight through and forward against topspin or for extra speed. The stroke against backspin and topspin is essentially the same, but you should open your racket more and stroke slightly up against backspin.
Contact should be on the back bottom of the ball against backspin, on the back or top back of the ball against other spins. Make sure to contact the ball directly opposite where you want it to go. When flipping, make sure to flip to wide angles-either crosscourt at a wide angle or straight down the line (unless you go after your opponent's middle.) Step back quickly, and return to ready position.
If the ball you're flipping is high, "flip kill" it. This is just a flip at full power. Use both wrist and elbow snap for power, and go crosscourt so you'll have more room.
FAST PUSH TECHNIQUES By: Richard McAfee, USATT Certified National Coach
The push is not often thought of as an aggressive tool, but rather as a basic keep-the-ball-in-play stroke. The reason for this is simple. Adding speed to a pushed ball is difficult as underspin causes a ball to rise up during flight. Push too fast and the ball will sail off the end of the table. Because of this, most players emphasize producing heavy backspin (as opposed to fast speed) with their pushes if they want to force errors or weak attacks from their opponents.
Rather than only using heavy spin on your pushes to force weak returns, mixing in a fast push can be a great surprise tactic. Often a surprise fast push will force a weak shot from your opponent and enable you to step-around and attack with a strong forehand loop or kill. Here is how to execute a fast push stroke.
First and foremost, contact the ball at the top of the bounce. Your racket should make friction contact with the ball (spin), contacting the middle of the ball and pushing forward and down. This is very different from producing a spin push where the ball is contacted on the way down and more towards the bottom of the ball.
To practice this shot, set your Newgy Robot to produce a push return and have it oscillate over the entire table (Oscillator Lever positions 3 & 4). Now practice mixing spin pushes with a sudden fast push until you can produce both shots with ease. Good luck and good pushing.
Important Notes: Adding sidespin to this stroke can make it even more effective. Also, when you use the fast push in a game situation, look to attack the next return.
Basic Elements of Push Strokes
(Editor's Note : If you have trouble learning this stroke, you may want to start off with having the robot deliver the ball 12 to 18 inches high above your side of the table. This will allow for a greater margin of error. When you gain consistency with your stroke against a high ball, lower the ball delivery angle a little at a time until you can fast push even a ball that is barely over the net.)
Stroke Element Spin Push Fast Push
Timing As ball is descending Top of bounce
Ball Contact Location Bottom of ball Middle of ball
Ball Contact Type (Friction or Force) Friction Friction
SHOULDER PROBLEMS Rotator Cuff Tendinitis / Impingement / Bursitis
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis is an overuse condition that causes pain and disability in the shoulder and upper arm. It is often referred to as impingement or bursitis. All three names refer to the same condition, caused by using the arm and shoulder in tasks that are repetitive and often involve moving the arm above the level of the shoulder.
Causes and Symptoms
Common athletic activities that produce this condition are racquet sports, swimming, throwing, weight lifting and calf roping. As the athlete increases activity levels too quickly or works out for long periods of time, the muscle-tendon groups may become inflamed. Pain, tenderness and inability to perform shoulder movements result.
Other activities such as painting, driving or carpentry also may cause and/or aggravate the condition. Tendinitis often brings pain with such activities as combing your hair, putting on a jacket, tucking in your shirt, or sleeping on the shoulder or with your arm over your head. The condition may be acutely painful, or it can be chronic with a dull pain lasting months.
Diagnosis
There are several components to diagnosing rotator cuff tendinitis:
1. Your physician will take a careful history.
2. Specific tests on physical examination.
3. X-rays may be helpful to detect bone spurs.
4. Occasionally, an injection of xylocaine into the bursa adjacent to the cuff will alleviate pain, and helps to confirm the diagnosis.
5. In complicated cases, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be ordered to carefully evaluate the cuff tendons for tears or degeneration.
Treatment
Treatment is usually non-surgical. The goals of the treatment program are first to lessen the inflammation and then stretch and strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. The inflammation can usually be controlled with rest, ice and oral medication (anti-inflammatory).
It is best to reduce or stop the offending activity. This may mean stopping or reducing yardage in a swimming program or only volleying with no overhead serves in tennis. You may also need to modify or stop certain work activities (i.e., use of a computer mouse, painting, etc.) for a period of time.
After the inflammation has been controlled, your physician will most likely prescribe a stretching and strengthening program. It is important that you stay with the program to achieve lasting results. At the beginning of the strengthening program it may help to ice your shoulder after the exercises. The stretching exercises are done before the strength exercises to warm up and stretch out the cuff muscles.
Perform the following exercises at least four times a week, preferably daily, with occasional days of rest.
Stretch 1
Bring hand of affected arm to opposite shoulder. Pull shoulder forward slightly. You should experience a slight stretch in the affected shoulder.
Exercise 1
With the arm in an “empty can― (thumb down) position, and at a 45 degree angle to the body, raise the extended arm to 45 degrees or as pain allows.
Stretch 2
Place affected arm up and over head, with hand resting on back of (or extended toward) opposite shoulder. Slowly stretch bent elbow back.
Note: You may feel some discomfort. But you should not feel pain. These methods may work by themselves or may require the additional use of physical therapy (ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc.). Surgical solutions to the problem are usually considered if home care and/or structured therapy for the problem is unsuccessful.
Prevention
It is important to moderate training sessions and take adequate periods of rest between training sessions to help in the prevention of tendinitis. Warming up, stretching and strengthening are also good components of prevention. Early attention to soreness in the shoulder and upper arm during training or after a session may prevent a chronic problem. Treatment of shoulder symptoms should be started as soon as noticed.
This information is provided by Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies as basic information about a specific orthopaedic topic. It is not intended as a personal reply to your specific questions or concerns. For more information, please contact your physician or a physician at Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies, (970) 493 -0112 or 1-800-722-7441.
Exercise 2
This can be performed standing with surgical tubing, or lying on the injured side with free weights (see below). Start with high repetitions of slow-controlled movement and progress with increased weight or tension on the tubing.
Stretch 3
Bring hand of affected arm to opposite shoulder. Pull shoulder forward slightly. You should experience a slight stretch in the affected shoulder.
Exercise 3
Lie on a table with elbow on the edge and hand hanging over, with weight in hand. Raise the weight parallel with the ground to the level of the table or your head (keep back flat and do not arch). Lift elbow towards the ceiling and squeeze the shoulder blades together. Start with low weight and work on your technique. Do not swing the weight up. Remember: slow and controlled. Increase weight as strength builds.
Table Tennis Tactics Cheat Sheet By PongWorld.com Tactics Against All Opponents Versus all styles of opponents: 1) Vary spin and strokes and 2) place ball outside power zones How To Play Each Style Counterdrivers Use heavy spin. Play the middle. Use chops and pushes. When playing a skillful counterdriver, avoid topspin rallies since this is their strength. Use heavy spin on both under- and topspin shots. Counterdrivers are most comfortable with light spin. If the opponent lacks good footwork, work the middle of the table. By forcing them to quickly decide between a forehand or backhand return, you can succeed in jamming them. Try using chops and pushes to slow down the game and rally for position. Choppers Be patient. Play the middle deep & short- not side to side. Deep loops. Drop shot to forehand. When playing a chopper, be patient. Alternate your use of shots, favoring deep loops and short pushes. This will often throw the chopper off enough to return a high ball which you can put away with a smash. The chopper is likely to try to force you to make errors by using a variety of amounts of underspin. Expect the chops to vary from no spin to very heavy underspin. Finally, work the chopper down the middle more than side to side. The sides are often a chopper's strength while many have problems with shots hit down the middle. Move the ball in and out and use the drop shot, especially to their forehand side. Blockers Break their rhythm. Alternate aggressive shots with defensive shots. Blockers, just like choppers, are often defensive players. Break their rhythm by varying the shots. Hit one deep and hard and then alternate with a short shot. Favor a high, spinny loop because blockers often like to use the power of their opponents to win points. Be patient, use just one power shot at a time, and sometimes trick the blocker into initiating an attack, in which they are usually weak. Loopers Be aggressive. Initiate attacks. Play the middle. When playing a looper, especially a consistent one, patience is out the door. Beat an aggressive looper with aggressiveness. Do all you can to initiate the attack. Your goal is to put the looper on the defense, where they usually are weak. As with choppers, work the middle to keep the ball away from their strength- the sides. Penholders Play all zones randomly. Move them out wide and then play their backhand. Penholders tend to heavily favor their forehand. The obvious strategy would seem to be to exploit their weaker backhand, but since many penholders display superb footwork, this is not as easy as it might seem. To work their backhand, you need to move the ball around, especially out wide. Do this in random fashion so they can't predict where you will direct the ball next.
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 1: Getting Started
Harvard Table Tennis Club Silas Xu
Rules and Dimensions:
A complete set of ITTF rules can be found at www.ittf.org
Table Tennis was invented by an English diplomat about 100 years ago, and rapidly spread to other countries. An Olympic sport, table tennis is now one of the most popular sports in the world, with over 150 countries participating. The big table tennis nations of the world are China, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Korea and Japan. There are other European nations that field one or two good players but they generally lacked a consistently strong team.
The ball is 40mm and weights 2.7g.
There has been a bit of controversy as far as the size of balls is concerned. Previously, all table tennis balls were 38 mm. However, in an effort to make the game more ‘spectator friendly’, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) decided to reduce the speed and spin of the game. This is a bid to make rallies longer and more entertaining. (The ball has already been changed to orange so that TV viewers can more easily see the ball). The easiest way to do this is to increase the size of the ball. This makes it harder to spin the ball during service and loops are slower. There were also extensive changes to the scoring system (11 point games instead of 21) and rules regarding serving.
Many players protested – especially players who relied on the fast game or a devastating serve. Liu Guo-Liang – one of the most dominant players in recent years retired citing new rule changes as one of the main factors!!
But hopefully, in the long run, these rule changes will make table tennis more dynamic and entertaining!
How to tell good balls from ones not so good:
The very cheap balls (ones you buy at CVS) have a visible join running along the entire circumference of the ball. Some are multicolored and some are white. Never use these balls!
You also get balls with 2 stars on them. These balls are fine for practice.
3 star balls are competition balls. They bounce better because usually the shell is thinner. They also tend to break more but they are the right weight and have the correct bounce. So use these whenever you can.
Good Umpire:1
1. Is it legal for doubles partners to swap bats in the middle of a rally ???
Only if they are married, or at least, very good friends. However, great care must be taken during the swapping maneuver to ensure neither bat is dropped. It is also recommended that swapping be restricted to long boring rallies as a means of distracting your opponents. Note also that during normal doubles play, by players of B grade standard and higher, that the time lapse between shots is approx 0.895 seconds. Therefore, bat swapping needs to be practised so that it can be performed extremely quickly. NB: Bat swapping is forbidden in MD & WD events. This is to prevent the spread of BSD (Bat Swapping Disease)
2. Is it legal for the umpire to call "Play on" during a rally ??? Only in event of earthquake or other natural disaster. However in where 'play' means 'let' and 'on' means 'please' this is a perfectly normal call. Note: Be careful in Mongolia, where 'play' means 'get' and 'on' means 'knotted' - remember many Mongolians are descendents of Attila the Hun. 3. Is it legal for a coach outside the playing area to make silent signals to a player during a match ??? Only between points as most table tennis players are too busy watching the silly little bouncing yellow thing to pay attention to the coach. However, as most sports fans know, the reason the All Blacks failed to win the World Cup was the lack of silent signals from Mr J Hart to Mr T Randall, therefore the following experimental signals have been agreed to by ITTF for the 2002 season: a) Coach holds up left hand - "attack down opponents forehand" b) Holds up sign with "fas.harvard.edu" on it - "hang in there - consulting online coaching manual and will get back to you shortly" c) Holds up right hand - "attack down opponents backhand" NB: Signals a and c are reversed if opponent is left-handed d) Scratches head - "don't have any advice"
4. Is it legal to throw the ball high in service with one hand and then pick up the bat and serve with the same hand ??? Yes, providing the following conditions are met: a) Umpire is advised beforehand b) If server has only one usable hand Note: that the bat must be in the hand no later than 0.5 secs before striking the ball, or the umpire should call "No Ball". Special note: No gluing-up is allowed between the throwing up of the ball and striking it. Any breaking of this rule to be immediately dealt with by the umpire showing the offending player a yellow card and awarding point to opponent. Extra special note: Should the ball be in flight longer than 30 seconds before being struck the server shall be penalised a point for time wasting. Any dissent dealt with by showing a red card.
1 source: Table Tennis New Zealand – with modifications
Words to Know! Pimples / pimples out Instead of a smooth rubber surface, the surface consists of hundreds of
small round ‘pimples’ , some up to 2mm in height. There is less surface area, so pimple rubber imparts less spin on the ball.
Reverse pimples The pimples face into the bat with a smooth surface for hitting. With
more surface area, reverse pimples or ‘smooth rubber’ generally impart a greater amount of spin on the ball. Generally, it is only possible to loop using reverse pimples.
Long pimples This rubber generally has no impact on the spin of the ball. However, if
it is used to hit a top spinning ball, then the ball is generally returned with some backspin and vice versa. This is because a top spinning ball is hit back without a change in its spin – in effect causing backspin.
Short pimples The shorter the pimples, the more ‘reverse pimple’ like it is. Short
pimples are generally used by attack players for their speed. Generally, there is not a great amount of spin.
Sponge Rubber is rarely directly adhered to the bat. Generally, a layer of
sponge separates the rubber and the bat. Sponge type has a great impact on gluing. Generally, soft sponges are more suited for gluing than hard sponges. Thicker sponges (up to 2.3mm) give greater power but less control than thinner counterparts.
Anti-spin Looks like smooth rubber but imparts no spin. Similar characteristics to
long pimple. Normal smooth rubber that has been left out in the sun or has been badly cared for can acquire this property!
Net Call There are no net calls in table tennis. If the ball hits the net and lands on
your side – too bad!! The ball is only allowed to bounce on the net once. Edge If the ball hits the edge of the table, it is counted in. Unless it hit the
‘side’ of the playing surface. Let Call Call a let if the current point is being disturbed by external factors. The
point will be replayed. Let may also be used to delay the opposition from serving until you are ready to receive.
Loop The attacking shot of choice after the introduction of reverse pimples
which imparts a lot of spin. Loops can transform a ball of any spin into a heavy top spin attacking shot. This is why no serious professional player is a perpetual chopper anymore! Can also be played on the backhand.
Expedite Old rule that prevents games dragging on forever – used to deal with
incessant choppers. Especially when choppers play choppers. Glue Glue is the substance that holds the rubber (sponge included) onto the
bat. Gluing The process of applying a layer of glue onto the reverse side of the
rubber. The volatile substances in the glue are absorbed by the sponge and this changes the property of the rubber as a whole. The bat will
sound different. Gluing allows a player to achieve more spin and speed. Many types of glue are illegal because of the toxicity in the vapors (Pang and other car tire glues). But generally illegal glue is faster than legal glue. You can also make your own glue by using white spirits, turpentine and various other solvents.
De-Gluing Serious players will glue for all practices and competitions. Often
several times in a day during competition. Constant gluing will cause a build up of glue on the reverse of the rubber. This makes the rubber heavier and generally, this will cause the rubber to slow down. Instead of throwing the rubber away, players on a budget sometimes carefully peel the glue away from the sponge – leaving a clean sponge ready for more glue!
The Finger Holding up the index finger with knuckles facing you. It could mean
‘Sorry!’, ‘Let!’ or ‘Good Shot!’. Chow! Sa! Ousa! Oush! Yes! Things players say after making a good shot. ‘Chow!’ is by far the most
popular followed by ‘Sa’. Generally ‘Yes!’ is not a part of this vocabulary.
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 2: Fundamentals
Harvard Table Tennis Club Silas Xu
Correct Grip:
Shakehand:
The racket is held in the palm of the hand. The thumb and forefinger lie roughly parallel to the straight edge of the rubber. The remaining three fingers are wrapped loosely around the handle to provide stability. Pro: Strong backhand. Easy to learn. Con: Heavier bat. Weaker towards the middle position.
Penhold:
The thumb and forefinger circle the handle. The remaining fingers curl or spread on the back surface. Usually only the front side is used with this grip. Pro: ‘fast’ and strong middle position Con: Need good footwork. Don’t learn this grip unless you hold the bat this way already.
Basic Strokes
Backhand Drive:
Preparation … Contact … Follow through …
The Backhand Drive is a fast stroke which gives the ball speed and a small amount of topspin.
Key points:
Left foot slightly forward (right hand players)
Bat angle is closed slightly to impart topspin
Bat starts at table level or higher
Shot is generated from the elbow with the forearm accelerating on ball impact to produce speed and power
Ball contact is made at the top of the bounce
Ball is hit, as opposed to a brushing action, therefore imparting negligible topspin
Stroke is of medium length and slightly curved
Recover to ready position
Keep in mind:
• Stroke is of medium length and slightly curved
• Bat angle slightly closed for topspin
• Ball hit at top of the bounce
Backhand Push:
Preparation … Contact … Follow through … The Backhand Push is a short basic stroke used to contain and control play, often during the early part of a rally. It imparts some backspin. Key Points:
The movement of the forearm is fluid and continuous with less speed and acceleration than on the backhand drive
Emphasis is on control
Left foot slightly forward (right hand players)
Shot is short and concise, with the elbow as pivot and slight wrist movement
Bat angle is open slightly to impart backspin
Ball contact is made at the top of the bounce
Stroke is short and slightly curved
Flight of the ball is controlled by varying the bat angle and the point of contact with the ball
Recover to ready position
Keep in Mind:
• Stroke is short and slightly curved • Bat angle slightly open for backspin • Ball hit at top of the bounce
Forehand Drive:
Preparation … Contact … Follow Through …
The Forehand Drive is an offensive stroke and the basis for the smash or kill shot.
Key Points:
Left foot slightly forward (right hand players)
Bat angle is closed slightly to impart topspin
Bat starts at table level or higher
Shot is generated from the elbow with the forearm accelerating on ball impact to produce speed and power
Ball contact is made at the top of the bounce
Ball is hit, as opposed to a brushing action, therefore imparting negligible topspin
Stroke is of medium length and slightly curved
Upper body rotates at the waist to provide direction and power, and at the moment of contact, the weight is transferred from the right to left leg (right hand players)
Recover to ready position
Keep in Mind:
• Stroke is of medium length and slightly curved • Bat angle slightly closed for topspin • Ball hit at top of the bounce
Forehand Push：
Preparation … Contact … Follow Through …
The Forehand Push is a defensive technique or safety stroke, and is used mainly for placement and control. It is kept low and sometimes short to prevent the opponent attacking.
The movement of the forearm is fluid and continuous with less speed and acceleration than on the forehand drive
Emphasis is on control
Left foot slightly forward (right hand players)
Shot is short and concise, with the elbow as pivot and slight wrist movement
Bat angle is open slightly to impart backspin
Ball contact is made at the top of the bounce
Stroke is short and slightly curved
Flight of the ball is controlled by varying the bat angle and the point of contact with the ball
Recover to ready position
Keep in Mind:
• Stroke is short and slightly curved • Bat angle slightly open for backspin • Ball hit at top of the bounce
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 3: Advanced Strokes
Harvard Table Tennis Club Silas Xu
Advanced Strokes
There is so much more to table tennis than just the four simple strokes: forehand push, forehand drive, backhand push and backhand drive, although these form the fundamentals essential for consistent improvement. By mastering one or more of the advanced strokes outlined below you will add complexity and depth to your game. Only the important points of each stroke are outlined. To master these strokes, it takes time, consistent practice and careful observation. But you will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts. Loop:
Ever since the invention of reverse pimple rubber capable of imparting enormous amounts of spin, the game of table tennis was fundamentally altered. The loop is a forehand or backhand attacking stroke where the ball is given a heavy top-spin. The loop has become the nemesis of the chopper and defensive players of all sorts – they have not been able to dominate table tennis ever since. (This does not mean that you will beat choppers with your loop. Choppers are known to cause insomnia to countless hot-shot loopers) The formidability of the loop is its versatility and variance. These two points will be discussed below: Versatility: Played well, the loop can impart a heavy top spin upon any sort of return that leaves the
table. This statement alone means that it is next to impossible to prevent a good looper from attacking. By changing the curvature of the stroke, and the angle of the bat, any ball, below or above the table with any spin can be returned by a loop.
Variance: A loop is not a static shot. Its character can be changed at will by a good looper. By
changing the curvature of the stroke and the angle of the bat, a loop can be higher with lots of spin, or lower and faster with perhaps less spin. Side spin can also be imparted upon the ball. It is also relatively easy to control placement with a loop.
Wow! With all these advantages no wonder every new player is learning how to loop. If you think this is the way of the future, well it is! But looping definitely takes some time to get used to. Short Guide to a Loop: 1. Judge the ball. Top spin – angle of bat is more flat, stroke has less curvature No spin – angle slightly more open, stroke has more curvature Back spin – angle open, stroke curvature has more ‘up’ than ‘forward’ 2. Be in position. Very important! Use the right footwork. We’ll go over this in practice! 3. Back swing. The more back spin the ball has, the more down your back swing should be.
If the ball has top spin, the back swing should be more ‘back’ with no ‘down’
4. Remember your arm does only half the hitting. Twist your waist, bend your knees. If forehand loop, then left foot forward. Backhand loops should have right foot forward.
5. Loop. Never do a half-go loop. The ball will not have a lot of spin and will generally
either go off the end of the table of go into the net. 6. You shot is not over! Recover and be ready if opponent returns the loop. They will if they
know how to block! As you can see there is not a great deal of comment on the nuances of the loop. A loop must be experienced! But a note about the swing: A good way to picture the loop swing is what some call ‘up-side-down-banana’. The stroke follows the line of a banana with its back facing upwards. Again, remember to use the forearm not the shoulders for all shots in table tennis.
Block: Although not as glorious as the loop, the block is nevertheless essential to the repertoire of any accomplished table tennis player. Imagine your game if your can not block and would lose every rally in which the opponent attacked. Well, you are not doomed for failure. If you have killer serves and a killer loop then you may not need to block very much. But for the rest of us – blocking is very important. (Actually, all good players can block really well. It is naïve to think that your opponent will never attack you. Sometimes good blocking can be just as effective as good attacking.) The key to blocking is to use the speed and the spin of the attacking ball to your advantage. Short Guide to a Block: 1. Judge the ball. Top spin – angle of bat is more closed. No spin – angle slightly more open.
Back spin – if you get this then it is really weird. Use a chop. Or you can loop it and feel like a hero.
2. Be in position. Very important! Use the right footwork. We’ll go over this in practice! 3. Back swing. Although there is not a lot here. 4. Block. Think about where you are blocking to and the speed with which you are blocking. The horizon for blocking is filled with variation. Good blocking is actually really cool and good blockers can change the speed, rhythm, and spin of the block. This adds great adaptability and variance to the game.
Spin push: This shot is an important complement to the ordinary push. Beyond what you might think, the push is perhaps the single most important stroke in table tennis. Good pushing will allow you not to lose points from unforced errors, allows you to return difficult serves and balls from awkward positions, return the ball in such a way that the opponent can not attack you and maneuver the opponent so that you get the chance to attack. A spin push is just a push but this time the ball has a fair back spin to it. If the opponent does not recognize this, this return will go into the net. This will force your opponent to be cautious, because your ordinary ‘not-spiny’ pushes will go high if the opponent treats it as a spin push. 1. Judge the ball. Top spin – maybe you can’t spin push this. No spin – start angle slightly more closed.
Back spin – start angle slightly more open. 2. Be in position. Very important! Use the right footwork. We’ll go over this in practice! 3. Back swing. Remember to use your forearm. 4. Spin push. Here is another note about the swing: A good way to picture the loop swing is what some call ‘right-side-up-banana’. The stroke follows the line of a banana with its back facing downwards. The spin push relies on the fast movement of the wrist and the forearm. Don’t use your shoulders.
Flick: A flick is an attacking shot played on balls that do not leave the table. Generally, flicks are done on balls that do not have a lot of spin and are slightly high. Otherwise the flick is a hard shot to do. There are several ways to do a flick: 1. ‘Hit through the ball’. This strategy usually works well if the ball is fairly close to the net.
Generally in this case the spin of the ball does not matter greatly if the ball is slightly high. Hit straight through the ball using mainly the wrist and a bit of forearm. The ball will land on the other side.
2. ‘Spin the ball a bit’. This strategy works well if the ball has a bit more spin and is not that close to
the net. Also this works well if placement is important and the goal is not to win a point immediately. A bit a like a mini-loop but using mainly the wrist and a bit of forearm, impart a bit of top spin to force the short ball over the net. Often easier on the backhand and looks easier than it actually is.
A flick is useful to receive short serves and to break up prolonged pushes. But think carefully about a flick – if it is not good, then you give the opponent a top-spin opportunity which is usually easier to attack than a backspin. Chop: Some players believe that this is a valid way to play table tennis. “Chop until they drop”, they’d say. If you don’t already know how to play the chopping game, chances are that you will find it pretty hard to learn. A lot of choppers are very talented table tennis players who have a great feel for the ball. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the loop/block/serve sort of training modern players get in TT101 so they kind of self taught and half invented their own game. A chopper basically stands back from the table and chops your attacking shots back at your with varying amounts of spin. Good choppers can put all sorts of spin on the ball. Until you know how to consistently loop you will always have a hard time against choppers and your games will probably go on forever. But after you can loop, the chopper has to be a very good chopper to win. So that is the good news and the bad. I don’t know how to chop although I have tried to learn. They say choppers can play table tennis well into their seventies. So I’ll probably have to learn the chopping game pretty soon. “Pimple Smash”: Some players never loop. But they can still attack! This domain now-a-days is becoming a privileged sanctuary of pimple rubber players. Pimples don’t seem good for much else. They don’t impart a lot of spin but they are also a bit immune to spin. This is why you see a pimples player smash something that is clearly below the net. That is pretty weird table tennis. But if they can smash you all the time then you are in trouble. Maybe you should think about attacking first or forcing the backhand. Or learn how to block. Note: the New Zealand Open Champion for the past five years plays with pimples out rubber on both sides of a shakehand bat. He can attack any sort of chop on forehand or backhand and will smash pretty much anything too. You would have to ask him how he does it.
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 4: The Service Game
Harvard Table Tennis Club Silas Xu
The Service Game: The most important stroke of you game is not your incredible looping forehand – although it looks cool and certainly helps. More often than not, how well you serve and how you receive the opposition’s serve will determine how the game will progress in your favor. Rules of Service:
The service commences with the ball resting on the palm of the free hand. This hand should be:
• above the table • stationary • flat • with the thumb free
The player must begin the service action from above the table
The ball must be thrown vertically upwards at least 16 cm
The ball must be struck, on its descent, from behind the white baseline
It must bounce once on the server’s side of the table before crossing the net
The ball shall be at all times clearly visible to the umpire
Aim of serve:
1. To win a point immediately 2. To win the point after your opponent returns the serve. 3. To intimidate your opposition so that you have a psychological advantage.
A player with a good serve will be able to do all of the above. This is why the serve is of fundamental importance to your game. The serve is the only shot you are able to make that is under your complete control. If you have a serving advantage over your opponent, then the game is already half won.
Serving Strategies:
First, begin your serve in the correct position. For a right handed player, serving on the left corner of the table, allows him/her to cover the table with the forehand which generally has longer reach and greater attacking power. Unless your forehand is much worse than your backhand. This is where you should generally serve. Another option is to start the serve more towards the center of the table.
Distinguish between long serves and short serves. This is very important and is the basis of a tight serving game. Generally serve to the six places marked on the above diagram.
Long Serves:
The most important thing to remember is in a long serve you must bounce the ball close to the edge of the table on your side if you hope for the ball to bounce towards the end of the table on the opposite side.
These serves should be as deep as possible.
Long serves can generate a great amount of spin and can be used to effectively control the attack of an opposition. Unless the opposition has a strong backhand loop or has extraordinary footwork it is very difficult for him/her to attack a long serve to the backhand. When the ball returns, you have a chance to attack. Very occasionally use the long serve on the forehand. Many players will loop the serve back. But it is a good change to break up a game. Sometimes, a long serve down the center line is also very effective.
Short Serves:
The most important thing to remember is in a short serve you must bounce the ball close to the net of the table on your side if you hope for the ball to bounce close to the net on the opposite side.
All short serves should bounce at least twice on the opposite side if not received.
Short serves controls a player who likes playing the long game. If the serve is short (remains in the table), then unless the opposition has a brilliant flick, it is difficult for the opposition to attack your
serve. When the ball comes back, you have an opportunity to attack. The short serve to the forehand is often a good serve which works well with long serves to the backhand. It is generally harder to spin the ball as much in a short serve as in a long serve. So be wary of short serves that are high.
The Spin:
Spin plays a crucial role in the serve. Always think about what kind of spin you are putting on the serve.
Top spin this means you like to rally. Your opposition will hit the ball back to you. If you like playing the rally game then top spin shots might work well. Although it is hard to play top spin serves against most advanced players.
Back spin a defensive serve which restricts the attack of your opposition. In order to attack, the opponent must either flick or loop and this can be difficult to do. When the ball returns, it presents an opportunity for you to attack.
No spin this is one of the most effective serves in the game of table tennis. BUT it should be well disguised and used together with the back spin serve. A no spin serve will be returned high if the opposition thinks it is a back spin serve while the ball will go into the net if the opposition treats it as a top spin serve. So it is important for the opposition to deal with the no spin appropriately – by looping, flicking or by ‘half-pushing’ so that the ball is not high.
Side spin can be used to fool your opposition. But side spin is generally secondary to top spin and back spin. Decided whether you want to serve top spin or back spin, then decided whether to add side spin to complicate the serve. Some side spin serves makes it difficult for the opposition to return the serve to certain parts of the table. Thus the server can use the side spin to control the position of the return in order to set up the shot after the service return.
Flexibility:
The serve is probably the most complicated part of table tennis and advanced players put a lot of time and effort into the serve. To serve well takes practice and experience. The above are merely guidelines – there are no hard rules regarding the serve. The best server can always adapt his/her serve to the opponent and situation at hand. Whatever works is always the best serve!
To Be Good:
To serve well is also one of the hardest aspects of table tennis to master. The best way to improve is to think about every serve before you serve it. Ask yourself – ‘Why am I doing this serve?’, ‘Should I serve long or short? Top spin or back spin?’, ‘What am I hoping to achieve?’, ‘What kind of service return do I expect?’ An important source of ideas is to see how other people serve. Always think about the serve – and your game will improve markedly.
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 5: Service Returns
Harvard Table Tennis Club Silas Xu
Returning Spin Services:1 We stand trembling while our opponent winds up, throws the ball three meters into the air, ties his/her body into knots, twists the bat in every conceivable direction, utters a fearful grunt, and, biceps bulging, serves with such vicious spin that the ball is almost humming as it wobbles towards us. Our doubles partner pulls up a chair while we prod tentatively forward, wondering whether this time the ball will bury itself in the net, land on the next table, or fly over our smirking opponent’s head and disappear over the horizon.
For us, there are only two kinds of serve: the ones we can get back, and the ones we can’t.
How to return difficult spin serves in one easy lesson
There is one prerequisite to the lesson. The chances of your mastering the art of returning spin serves are minimal if you have not learned to use spin in your own shots. And you’ll find things easier still if you have experimented with some spin serves of your own.
That much understood, you’ve only got two things to learn: how to read the spin: and how to compensate for it.
Reading the spin
The ball does not spin by itself. It’s not spinning when it’s thrown up, and the direction in which it’s spinning can’t change after the ball leaves the bat. So to establish the direction of the spin, simply watch the bat as it makes contact with the ball. The direction in which the bat is moving at that moment is the direction in which the ball will be spinning.
Don’t be fooled by the bat being waved in other directions before and after contact - you’re concerned only with the moment when the bat strikes the ball. And you have the opportunity to verify your judgment by watching the way the ball bounces when it hits the table.
Establishing the speed at which the ball is spinning is somewhat more complex. Factors include:
1. How high the ball is thrown (a high ball will be traveling faster when it finishes dropping so a faster spin will be imparted by the bat stroke).
2. Bat speed across the ball, readable not only by physically watching it but also by observing the follow-through.
3. The point of contact on the bat (the ball which hits the bat near the edge closest to the table will receive more backspin because it has more bat-face to roll over; and the ball that hits the bat near the edge furthest from the handle will spin faster if a pivotal wrist action is used, because that end of the bat moves faster than any other part).
4. How firmly the bat actually makes contact with the ball (among the most difficult to read, but verifiable by the bounce on the table).
5. The length of the serve (a ball landing deep on your half of the table is likely to be spinning faster than one which falls shorter, except in the case of backspin).
Having sorted out what’s coming towards you, all that remains is to safely return the serve.
1 Article by John Kiley. Table Tennis New Zealand Inc.
Compensating for the spin
You do this by simply holding your bat at the "wrong" angle. A conscious effort and a good measure of confidence are required because your internal instinct will be screaming at you to hold your bat in its normal position. As a rule of thumb, angle your bat in the direction from which the server’s bat started its movement across the ball. If your opponent’s bat swings from left to right (as seen from your end of the table)’ angle the face of your bat to the left. If the bat begins above the ball and finishes below it, angle your bat in an upward direction. How far to angle it, and how firmly to stroke the ball depend on the speed you have assessed the ball to be spinning at. But to control any spinning serve, the ball must be stroked. Prodding or blocking belong in the hit and miss department.
Some people work on the premise that even if you’re not sure exactly what spin is on the ball, you can return it by giving a firm push behind and under the ball. Although this can be useful as a last resort, it is less than satisfactory in that you can easily push the ball too high; and you are also taking most of the spin out of the ball. By accurately reading the spin and compensating for it, you are not only thumbing your nose at your opponent’s brilliant serve by decisively returning it but you have also kept the original spin on the ball. Now your opponent has to cope with it.
Beware the Hollywood Actor
Just because someone tosses the ball up four meters; winds their leg around their neck; jumps in the air and emits a contorted grunt on impact with the ball, don’t automatically assume that the ball is spinning. If the bat-face doesn’t move across the ball, you can expect a flat serve, whatever the accompanying antics. But flat serves, like any other, still have to be handled correctly. There is no compensatory angle to worry about, but the ball must be stroked more firmly than usual if you don’t want to see it float harmlessly off the end of the table.
Conclusion
Just as we began with two categories of serve, we conclude with two ways of coping with the heavily spun serve.
One, carefully assemble all the information required to play a shot which correctly compensates for the spin. This includes observing the height of the throw; the length and direction of the serving stroke; the point of contact on the bat; the degree of touch; whether the whole forearm or just the wrist is used and the depth of the ball at your end of the table. Don’t be distracted by "shamming" or multiple bat movements, and don’t forget to also take into account the type of rubber, and the condition of it, on both your opponent’s bat and your own (not gone into here, as that’s a whole story in itself). You are now ready to return the serve. or,
Two, if you find that you are unable to establish, collate and apply all the foregoing data in the time available (approx 1/4 second), then you may have to do what everyone else who has learned to return difficult spin serves had to do to begin with: practise, and keep practising - until the art of reading spin becomes instinctive.
The point is, other people have learned to cope with difficult serves, so why not you? It may take weeks or months of practice but if it’s going to save eight or nine points in a game, it’s surely worth the trouble.
From there it’s only a matter of time before you have devised a range of horrific serves of your own and we’ll be the ones standing trembling at the other end.
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 6: Footwork
Harvard Table Tennis Club Kyna Fong
What about my feet? Now that you’ve learned all about forehands and backhands, loops and pushes, service and service returns, you might be wondering how to piece all of those together; in particular, you just might be wondering what in the world to do with the rest of your body, including your feet. There are two very important concepts besides strokes that every good table tennis player must be aware of and pay attention to: first, the ready position, and secondly, footwork.1 The Ready Position You can keep practicing all those strokes and keep developing your technique to perfection, but all that won’t do you any good without a proper ready position. The ready position refers to the stance that a player assumes when receiving serves. It is the same body posture to which a player ideally would like to return after each shot, although few actually return to the position in game play. A correct ready position is crucial for effective play. In a game situation, you can never be certain about what kind of shot is coming. Even if receiving a serve, you may get a short underspin ball, a fast serve down your forehand corner, or a high lob in the air, so you have to be ready to push, to block or to attack. Few shots are completely predictable and thus you must be ready for anything. In order to do so, after each shot, it is important for you to return to your neutral ready position to prepare for the next ball. The faster you recover to your ready position, the better you can deal with your opponent’s following shot. Once you return to your ready stance, you will have more time to react to the kind of shot that your opponent is making. A good ready position is one from which you can make a quick start. Thus, the right stance may vary from player to player according to style. But there are a few general characteristics that good ready positions share:
- The position should be flexible, relaxed and natural. There is no need for rigidity or awkward positioning.
- The upper arms should be kept close to the body, and the racket should be up, at least at the level of the table.
- The knees should be bent and the body should be a bit crouched, ready to pounce on the next ball. - The right foot should be diagonally behind the left foot, forming an approximately 45-degree
angle with the table. - Weight should be on the balls of the feet, almost on the toes, and feet should be approximately
shoulder width apart. - The position should be maintainable and composed in order to give oneself a calm state of mind,
especially when returning serves. - The position should be one from which it is possible to quickly execute any of the basic shots,
including forehand and backhand drives, loops, blocks and pushes. The ready position should always be assumed when receiving serves. When returning shots, however, there is seldom enough time to return fully to the ready position, so most players just aim to return to a position that is neutral between the forehand and the backhand. Achieving such neutrality is sufficient. NOTE: Beginners should be careful not to focus too much attention on recovering their basic stances too quickly. The reason is that often players forget to finish their strokes and complete their follow-through’s before trying to return to a neutral position. You must be sure to complete your stroke before returning to the ready position. Footwork The second key to a player’s movement is the synchronization and coordination of leg movements, known as footwork. No matter how good a player’s technique is, if he doesn’t have good footwork, his
1 In these descriptions, I assume a right-handed player. Lefties should replace all occurrences of “right” with “left” and vice versa. ☺
performance will forever be limited. Typically, when a ball is not right next to them, beginners and intermediate players just stretch out their arms and try to swing at it. Although in theory simply stretching out your arm is easier, it does not mean it is correct. Instead, you should first get into the right position and then do your stroke. When you use correct footwork to get to the right position relative to the ball, you then gain the ability to use your weight effectively and to manipulate the ball more easily and accurately. There are a three main points that come to mind when thinking of correct footwork:
(1) Sidesteps. In table tennis, footwork consists of small sidestepping. If moving to the right, the right foot leads by taking half a step, the left then follows, and then on the third step (with your right foot) you will typically be in position for your next shot.
(2) Right foot. The right foot is always the foot used to step into the table, whether the ball is on the forehand or backhand side.
(3) Knees. The knees should always be bent and the weight should always be on the balls of the feet, practically on the toes.
According to Dimosthenis E. Messinis in his book Table Tennis: From A to Z, four factors are basic for satisfactory footwork:
(1) Knowledge of the Steps. Footwork both close to and far from the table is characterized by small side steps. Quick side-stepping movements give the player the ability to react faster and beat the ball more easily without losing balance. Drills for learning correct footwork are discussed below.
(2) Foresight. Good footwork also involves a certain degree of a player being able to anticipate the direction of the ball. This is the basic factor that distinguishes high level and low level players. A player can improve his skill in this area by not over-focusing on a ball at any point. The player must give equal attention to the opponent and his racket so that he can move simultaneously with his opponent’s stroke or slightly before it.
(3) Return to the Ready Stance. As mentioned above, returning to the ready stance is crucial to being an effective player. Footwork helps one return to that stance. Also, a player can anticipate her opponents’ position by observing his ready stance and assume her own ready stance accordingly.
(4) Physical Fitness. Finally, physical fitness is an essential factor for successful footwork as well. Strength in both legs helps a player move quickly from side to side and take the best position for the next stroke. Waist flexibility helps the player keep body balance during more difficult shots.
Footwork Drills Although most of practice is spent doing drills that inevitably train better footwork, there are some exercises that can be done that focus solely on footwork. These “shadow-stroking” drills are done with just a racket, without a ball or a partner. Footwork drills are fun and extremely useful, so I really recommend everybody takes a few minutes at the end of practice or before a break and does a few of these. Each drill should last between 1 and 2 minutes, depending on your fitness level, and repeated 2 to 3 times. Drill 1: The ball has gone wide to your forehand, at the most acute angle you have ever seen. You shadow stroke and hit it with your FOREHAND. Then, wowzers, your opponent has countered with a shot wide to your backhand, again at the most acute angle you have ever seen. You move your feet rapidly, sidestepping to the left all the way and shadow stroke another FOREHAND. Repeat until end of drill.
12
FH FH
Drill 2: A short ball is dropped short to your forehand and you begin by stepping into the table with your right foot and performing a FOREHAND FLIP. Your opponent quickly makes a strong shot deep to your forehand, and you stroke a FOREHAND. Next, a short ball is dropped short again, this time to your backhand. Again, you step into the table with your right foot and perform a BACKHAND FLIP. Your opponent quickly makes a strong shot deep to your backhand, and you hit a BACKHAND. Repeat until end of drill.
Points to remember: 1) Do not shadow stroke until your feet are in the correct position for the stroke. 2) Always move first before making your stroke.
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13 FH FH
BH BH
A Short Guide to Table Tennis
Part 7: Structured Practice
Harvard Table Tennis Club Kyna Fong
How to Structure a Practice Session So, you’re off on your own, you have a great practice partner, you have rackets, balls and a table, and you want to have a great practice. What do you do??1 Pre-Warm Up This is to try to ensure that you don’t pull any muscles or hurt yourself in any way.
1) Always begin by getting your blood pumping. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The best way is to jog around for a few minutes. Or you can do some sidestepping and crossovers. Or even jump in place. Just do some sort of non-table tennis activity until you feel your body is warmed up.
2) Now stretch all your major muscles. Your quads, hamstrings, calves, biceps, triceps, etc. And don’t forget your ankles, neck, and waist!
Stroke Warm Up One important thing to remember when warming up your strokes is not to hit the ball too hard. The purpose of the warm up is to warm up your strokes, and you can’t accomplish that if you are continually picking up the ball off the ground. So, hit at such a speed that you and your partner can exchange at least 10 balls back and forth without missing. There’s no need to smash back and forth. ☺ Each step in the warm up should take 2-4 minutes. Beginner players should try to hit at least 30 back and forth in each step without missing before moving on to the next step.
1) Forehand counterdrive. Begin by hitting some forehand drives back and forth to warm up your forehand. Try getting used to the angles by aiming your counterdrives so that they bounce off the side of the table instead of the end.
2) * Forehand loop and block. You warm up your forehand loop and your partner blocks. Begin by looping slowly with more arc and spin. As you get more warmed up, you can decrease the arc and increase the speed. Once you feel comfortable with your loop, switch roles with your partner. So now you block and your partner loops.
3) Backhand counterdrive. Hit some backhand drives back and forth to warm up your backhand. Again try getting used to the angles by aiming your counterdrives so that they bounce off the side of the table instead of the end.
4) ** Backhand loop and block. You warm up your backhand loop and your partner blocks. Begin by looping slowly with more arc and spin. As you get more warmed up, you can decrease the arc and increase the speed. Once you feel comfortable with your loop, switch roles with your partner. So now you block and your partner loops.
5) * Step-around Forehand loop and backhand block. Warm up your forehand loop from your backhand corner while your partner blocks with her backhand. Once you feel comfortable, switch roles.
6) Down-the-line. Use your forehand and hit down the line to your partner’s backhand. You can either counterdrive or loop with your forehand. After a few minutes, switch roles.
Footwork Warmup Now that you’ve warmed up your strokes, it’s time to warm up your footwork. I would recommend doing 2-3 footwork warmup drills, depending on how much time you have. Each drill should be done for at least 5 minutes (ideally 7 or more) by each player. These are great drills for beginners to learn footwork because the ball placement is pre-determined and expected – there is no element of surprise. Here are a couple of drills that I would recommend. Of course, there are many other possibilities and variations as well.
1) One Forehand, One Backhand. 2) N Forehands, N Backhands. 3) Two Forehands – One Middle, One Wide 4) * Two Forehands – One Forehand side, One Backhand side
1 (*) Denotes intermediate drills. (**) Denotes advanced drills.
5) * One Forehand, One Backhand on the Backhand corner 6) * Envelope
Advanced Footwork Drills These are some more footwork drills whose ball placement is pre-determined and expected. However, they are more difficult and work just as much on strokes and rallies as on footwork. Again, these should be performed at least 5 minutes (ideally 7 or more) for each player.
1) * Falkenberg 2) ** Falkenberg with Forehand Block 3) * Forehand, Middle, Forehand, Backhand 4) ** Backhand, Middle, Backhand, Forehand 5) * FH Loop to FH Block and Middle Block 6) * FH Loop to FH Block, Middle Block and BH Block 7) * Backhand block to BH corner and middle (Loop) 8) Down the line FH loop, BH loop to FH block
Advanced Random Footwork Drills These drills are more advanced in the sense that they include an element of randomization and thus surprise. Again, these should be performed at least 5 minutes (ideally 7 or more) for each player.
1) * Random to BH block 2) One or two FH, one or two BH 3) * BH middle or BH forehand 4) ** BH, FH on backhand corner and then down the line when feel like it 5) * Down the line rally, switch when want, down the line, switch, etc. 6)
Service Drills While the previous footwork drills focused primarily on counterdriving, looping and blocking, these drills incorporate service, and thus you work on your pushes, flips and service as well. These service drills should be performed at least 7 minutes per player.
1) Two Forehand loops, Two Backhand loops – effective for warming up before matches (warm up loops)
2) Serve short, flip cross court, do envelope drill. Service Practice It is always a good idea to set aside some time to work on your own serves. If possible, you and your partner can both grab a bucket of balls and alternate serving at each other. The player who receives the serve can tell the other player what sort of spin she has managed to put on the ball. Multi-ball Multi-ball is a whole new topic by itself, but essentially one player gets a bucket of balls, places it on the table and feeds balls to the other player like a machine. This type of drilling is widely popular especially in China and is the major form of training for many top players. Footwork Drills There are a few drills that can be done that focus solely on footwork. They are “shadow-stroking” drills that are performed with only a racket, with neither a ball nor a partner. See Part 6 for more details. Games It is always fun and effective to play a few practice games after training hard through all the drills. Besides playing the regular games to 11, it is also very helpful to begin from certain scores and to play the games out from there. Good scores to start at include 5-5, 8-9, 7-7, 8-8 and 10-10. It is important to be able to squeeze out the tight matches when necessary.
TABLE TENNIS EXERCISE - 1
(for right-handed players)
FH.D=Forehand drive BH.D=Backhand drive Drive=Basic power shot with no or little topspin executed close to the table. Forehand=The right side of a right -handed player. Backhand=The left side of a right handed player.
Exercise 1
Both players play forehand drive diagonally.
Exercise 2
Both players play backhand drive diagonally.
Exercise 3
Parallel forehand & backhand drive. One player plays forehand drive and the other backhand drive.
Exercise 4
Same as the previous exercise. The players change sides.
Exercise 5
Both players play forehand drive. The first ball diagonally to the forehand side and the second to the center. Good for footwork.
Exercise 6
1. Diagonally to the forehand side. Both players plays forehand drive. 2. To the center. Both players plays forehand drive. 3. Parallel to the backhand side. One player plays forehand drive and the other backhand drive.
TABLE TENNIS EXERCISE - 2
(for right-handed players)
FH.D=Forehand drive BH.D=Backhand drive FH.BL=Forehand block BH.BL=Backhand block FH.Ts=Forehand topspin Drive=Basic power shot with no or little topspin executed close to the table Block=Basic defensive shot for topspin countering Topspin=Offensive shot with heavy topspin executed close to the table Forehand=The right side of a right -handed player Backhand=The left side of a right handed player
Exercise 1
One player plays diagonally and the other parallel.
Exercise 2
One player plays parallel and diagonal with his backhand and the other moves across the table with forehand and backhand.
Exercise 3
One player plays forehand topspin diagonally ang in the middle. The other player plays forehand block from his forehand and in the middle.
Exercise 4
Same as the previous exercise. The difference is that the player who plays block uses both his forehand and his backhand.
Exercise 5
Forehand tospin diagonally to the forehand side.
Exercise 6
Forehand topspin diagonally to the backhand side.
TABLE TENNIS EXERCISE - 3
(for right-handed players)
FH.D=Forehand drive BH.D=Backhand drive FH.BL=Forehand block BH.BL=Backhand block FH.Ts=Forehand topspin Drive=Basic power shot with no or little topspin executed close to the table Block=Basic defensive shot for topspin countering Topspin=Offensive shot with heavy topspin executed close to the table Forehand=The right side of a right -handed player Backhand=The left side of a right handed player
Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
1. FH.Ts - BH.BL 2. BH.D - FH.BL
Exercise 6
1,2. BH.D, FH.Ts 3. FH.Ts
TABLE TENNIS EXERCISE - 4
(for right-handed players)
FH.D=Forehand drive BH.D=Backhand drive FH.BL=Forehand block BH.BL=Backhand block FH.Ts=Forehand topspin Drive=Basic power shot with no or little topspin executed close to the table Block=Basic defensive shot for topspin countering Topspin=Offensive shot with heavy topspin executed close to the table Forehand=The right side of a right -handed player Backhand=The left side of a right handed player
Page 22
2 THE LAWS OF TABLE TENNIS 2.1 THE TABLE 2.1.1 The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, shall be
rectangular, 2.74m long and 1.525m wide, and shall lie in a horizontal plane 76cm above the floor.
2.1.2 The playing surface shall not include the vertical sides of the tabletop. 2.1.3 The playing surface may be of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce
of about 23cm when a standard ball is dropped on to it from a height of 30cm. 2.1.4 The playing surface shall be uniformly dark coloured and matt, but with a
white side line, 2cm wide, along each 2.74m edge and a white end line, 2cm wide, along each 1.525m edge.
2.1.5 The playing surface shall be divided into 2 equal courts by a vertical net running parallel with the end lines, and shall be continuous over the whole area of each court.
2.1.6 For doubles, each court shall be divided into 2 equal half-courts by a white centre line, 3mm wide, running parallel with the side lines; the centre line shall be regarded as part of each right half-court.
2.2 THE NET ASSEMBLY 2.2.1 The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting
posts, including the clamps attaching them to the table. 2.2.2 The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post
15.25cm high, the outside limits of the post being 15.25cm outside the side line.
2.2.3 The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be 15.25cm above the playing surface.
2.2.4 The bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be as close as possible to the playing surface and the ends of the net shall be as close as possible to the supporting posts.
2.3 THE BALL 2.3.1 The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 40mm. 2.3.2 The ball shall weigh 2.7g. 2.3.3 The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar plastics material and shall be
white or orange, and matt.
2: The Laws of Table Tennis
Page 23
2.4 THE RACKET 2.4.1 The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and
rigid. 2.4.2 At least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood; an adhesive
layer within the blade may be reinforced with fibrous material such as carbon fibre, glass fibre or compressed paper, but shall not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm, whichever is the smaller.
2.4.3 A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber, with pimples outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2mm, or sandwich rubber, with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4mm.
2.4.3.1 Ordinary pimpled rubber is a single layer of non-cellular rubber, natural or synthetic, with pimples evenly distributed over its surface at a density of not less than 10 per sq. cm and not more than 30 per sq. cm.
2.4.3.2 Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber not being more than 2mm.
2.4.4 The covering material shall extend up to but not beyond the limits of the blade, except that the part nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be left uncovered or covered with any material.
2.4.5 The blade, any layer within the blade and any layer of covering material or adhesive on a side used for striking the ball shall be continuous and of even thickness.
2.4.6 The surface of the covering material on a side of the blade, or of a side of the blade if it is left uncovered, shall be matt, bright red on one side and black on the other.
2.4.7 Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of colour due to accidental damage or wear may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.
2.4.8 At the start of a match and whenever he changes his racket during a match a player shall show his opponent and the umpire the racket he is about to use and shall allow them to examine it.
2.5 DEFINITIONS 2.5.1 A rally is the period during which the ball is in play. 2.5.2 The ball is in play from the last moment at which it is stationary on the palm of
the free hand before being intentionally projected in service until the rally is decided as a let or a point.
2: The Laws of Table Tennis
Page 24
2.5.3 A let is a rally of which the result is not scored. 2.5.4 A point is a rally of which the result is scored. 2.5.5 The racket hand is the hand carrying the racket. 2.5.6 The free hand is the hand not carrying the racket. 2.5.7 A player strikes the ball if he touches it in play with his racket, held in the
hand, or with his racket hand below the wrist. 2.5.8 A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in
play when it is above or travelling towards the playing surface and has not passed beyond his end line, not having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.
2.5.9 The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally. 2.5.10 The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally. 2.5.11 The umpire is the person appointed to control a match. 2.5.12 The assistant umpire is the person appointed to assist the umpire with certain
decisions. 2.5.13 Anything that a player wears or carries includes anything that he was wearing
or carrying, other than the ball, at the start of the rally. 2.5.14 The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net assembly if it
passes anywhere other than between the net and the net post or between the net and the playing surface.
2.5.15 The end line shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. 2.6 A GOOD SERVICE 2.6.1 Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's
stationary free hand. 2.6.2 The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, without
imparting spin, so that it rises at least 16cm after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls without touching anything before being struck.
2.6.3 As the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that it touches first his court and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver's court; in doubles, the ball shall touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.
2.6.4 From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server or his doubles partner; as soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm shall be removed from the space between the server’s body and the net.
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2.6.5 It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or the assistant umpire can see that he complies with the requirements for a good service.
2.6.5.1 If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service he may, on the first occasion in a match, declare a let and warn the server.
2.6.5.2 Any subsequent service of doubtful legality of that player or his doubles partner will result in a point to the receiver.
2.6.5.3 Whenever there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a good service, no warning shall be given and the receiver shall score a point.
2.6.6 Exceptionally, the umpire may relax the requirements for a good service where he is satisfied that compliance is prevented by physical disability.
2.7 A GOOD RETURN 2.7.1 The ball, having been served or returned, shall be struck so that it passes
over or around the net assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.
2.8 THE ORDER OF PLAY 2.8.1 In singles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall then
make a good return and thereafter server and receiver alternately shall each make a good return.
2.8.2 In doubles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall then make a good return, the partner of the server shall then make a good return, the partner of the receiver shall then make a good return and thereafter each player in turn in that sequence shall make a good return.
2.9 A LET 2.9.1 The rally shall be a let 2.9.1.1 if in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches
it, provided the service is otherwise good or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his partner;
2.9.1.2 if the service is delivered when the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither the receiver nor his partner attempts to strike the ball;
2.9.1.3 if failure to make a good service or a good return or otherwise to comply with the Laws is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player;
2.9.1.4 if play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire. 2.9.2 Play may be interrupted 2.9.2.1 to correct an error in the order of serving, receiving or ends;
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2.9.2.2 to introduce the expedite system; 2.9.2.3 to warn or penalise a player; 2.9.2.4 because the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which could affect
the outcome of the rally. 2.10 A POINT 2.10.1 Unless the rally is a let, a player shall score a point 2.10.1.1 if his opponent fails to make a good service; 2.10.1.2 if his opponent fails to make a good return; 2.10.1.3 if, after he has made a good service or a good return, the ball touches
anything other than the net assembly before being struck by his opponent; 2.10.1.4 if the ball passes beyond his end line without touching his court, after
being struck by his opponent; 2.10.1.5 if his opponent obstructs the ball; 2.10.1.6 if his opponent strikes the ball twice successively; 2.10.1.7 if his opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose
surface does not comply with the requirements of 2.4.3, 2.4.4 and 2.4.5; 2.10.1.8 if his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, moves the
playing surface; 2.10.1.9 if his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, touches the net
assembly; 2.10.1.10 if his opponent's free hand touches the playing surface; 2.10.1.11 if a doubles opponent strikes the ball out of the sequence established by
the first server and first receiver; 2.10.1.12 as provided under the expedite system (2.15.2). 2.11 A GAME 2.11.1 A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both
players or pairs score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.
2.12 A MATCH 2.12.1 A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games.
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2.13 THE ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING AND ENDS 2.13.1 The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be
decided by lot and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end.
2.13.2 When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the other player or pair shall have the other choice.
2.13.3 After each 2 points have been scored the receiving player or pair shall become the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs score 10 points or the expedite system is in operation, when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.
2.13.4 In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of them will do so and in the first game of a match the receiving pair shall decide which of them will receive first; in subsequent games of the match, the first server having been chosen, the first receiver shall be the player who served to him in the preceding game.
2.13.5 In doubles, at each change of service the previous receiver shall become the server and the partner of the previous server shall become the receiver.
2.13.6 The player or pair serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a doubles match the pair due to receive next shall change their order of receiving when first one pair scores 5 points.
2.13.7 The player or pair starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a match the players or pairs shall change ends when first one player or pair scores 5 points.
2.14 OUT OF ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING OR ENDS 2.14.1 If a player serves or receives out of turn, play shall be interrupted by the
umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with those players serving and receiving who should be server and receiver respectively at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match and, in doubles, to the order of serving chosen by the pair having the right to serve first in the game during which the error is discovered.
2.14.2 If the players have not changed ends when they should have done so, play shall be interrupted by the umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with the players at the ends at which they should be at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match.
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2.14.3 In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error shall be reckoned.
2.15 THE EXPEDITE SYSTEM 2.15.1 Except where both players or pairs have scored at least 9 points, the
expedite system shall come into operation if a game is unfinished after 10 minutes' play or at any earlier time at the request of both players or pairs.
2.15.1.1 If the ball is in play when the time limit is reached, play shall be interrupted by the umpire and shall resume with service by the player who served in the rally that was interrupted.
2.15.1.2 If the ball is not in play when the time limit is reached, play shall resume with service by the player who received in the immediately preceding rally.
2.15.2 Thereafter, each player shall serve for 1 point in turn until the end of the game and if the receiving player or pair makes 13 good returns the receiver shall score a point.
2.15.3 Once introduced, the expedite system shall remain in operation until the end of the match.
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