Choosing Your Table Tennis Practice Partner

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It is crucial that you choose a table tennis practice partner carefully, especially if you are new to the game. Select someone with whom you have excellent 'chemistry'. The person should ideally be a BETTER player than you, or at least have the same skill level as you. You don't want to practice with someone who is not able to properly return your shots, or returns your shorts in a poor fashion.

Once you have selected your practice partner, you are on your way to get some really good practice. Go for extended rallies ACROSS the diagonals of the table tennis board. Practice across one diagonal for some time and then go for the other diagonal. When rallying, restrain from going for fancy shots, because that may disturb the rhythm.

After practicing diagonally, start practicing along straight lines. Use the right-hand section of the table, then the middle section, and finally the left-hand section. Practicing along straight lines is much more difficult because there is less space to control the ball.

After you and your partner have finished the rallies using straightforward shots, go for the fancier ones. Tell your partner that you want to practice topspin, and he should block the shot. Then do the reverse, practice blocking the topspins of your practice partner.

Next, go for the chop. Both of you should be chopping the ball at your respective ends. Tell your partner to flick the ball if he possibly can. If your chops at not up to the mark, he should be able to flick it, if he is a good player. This is a nice way to test the quality of your chops. Then ask him to chop the ball while you try to flick it. This will test your ability to attack a chopped shot. Flicking a chopped shot depends on the quality of the chop and the skill level and you have with flicks.

Practice for as much time as you like. Stop when you or your partner feels tired. After you have rested for some time, and you still have time, play a match. This will create the kind of friendly rivalry between you and your practice partner - which is good for both of you. After all, you need to keep that spark of interest intact and not get bored.

Practicing with your partner will improve both your skill levels. If your partner happens to have superior playing skills, you will quickly find evidence of this by your inability to return his shots. This should not discourage you, in it should encourage you. After all, you are getting more out of your partner than vice versa. There will come a point when your return charts get better and better. One fine day you might find that your partner is faltering. This is a sign that your game is improving faster than your partner's and you are picking up some really good table tennis. You will, in that case, be starting to win most of the matches you play with your partner after the practice sessions.

Developing Ball Control In Table Tennis

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Developing ball control in table tennis is probably the MOST essential skill you need to survive at the upper echelons of the game. Ball control refers to the ability to RETURN the ball during play. Maybe your shot is not a quality one, but if you are CONSISTENT in returning the ball, there is a high chance that your opponent will start making mistakes. You can then CAPITALIZE on those mistakes to deliver quality shots and possibly win points from them.

Improving ball control is not a skill you acquire in a hurry. It requires meticulous and dedicated practice for hours on end every day. This is where your table tennis practice partner can play an important role. Discuss with him the schedules when you can meet up with him, maybe at your favorite local club, and spend some time practicing rallies. These practice sessions will help you gain confidence in your playing abilities and develop ball control. You will find that controlling the ball requires not only PHYSICAL fitness but also MENTAL fitness. This is because you will face situations where you need to decide INSTANTLY on how best to return the ball. During these practice sessions, do not be too involved about the quality of shots you are playing. Instead, be concerned about RETURNING the ball. You can develop quality shots later on - that is something for the future. In fact, you will NATURALLY pick up quality shots if you persevere with these practice sessions.

So let's see how you can start off with these practice sessions. Begin your practice session by first taking a FOREHAND stance. This means you should play the ball with your forehand and not backhand. The stance you take will vary depending on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. Ask your partner to play DIAGONALLY across the table - take any of the diagonals. Let him serve or you can serve to put the ball into play. Practice for some time diagonally with your forehand and see how you are returning the ball. Increase the SPEED of the rally now.

Next, ask your table tennis partner to start another practice session by playing diagonally again. Remember to maintain your forehand stance. However, this time your partner should return every FIFTH ball DOWN THE LINE. However, you should always return the ball to HIS quadrant of the table - no exceptions. Hence, every FIFTH ball will MAKE you move in order to hit it properly. Again, increase the speed of the rally.

Okay. Now repeat the same thing but with every FOURTH ball played down the line by your practice partner. Don't forget your forehand stance. Ask him to increase the speed of the rally. Repeat until you reach the point where you have to return every ALTERNATE ball coming at you down the line. Speed up as before. This is the most difficult part of your practice session. As the rally speeds up, you will find it difficult to adjust. But it is important that you go through with this practice session. Do not be affected if you mishit the ball at times. This is quite normal. Once you are up and going with these practice sessions for a few weeks, you will find you are able to return a maximum percentage of the balls correctly.

Now, during these practice sessions, reserve some time to practice with your backhand also. This means this time you need to maintain the BACKHAND stance. Follow the exact procedure as outlined above. The above guidelines are just to get you going. You can discuss with your table tennis partner what OTHER variations you can make to the above procedure so that you get STILL more practice. Before long, you will find yourself getting more CONFIDENCE in table tennis as your ball control improves steadily.

Watching Table Tennis For Playing Better

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Hey! So you want to IMPROVE your game? Well, the most important thing to do is PRACTICE. You need hours of practice each day to improve your skill level in any game. And table tennis is no exception. You need to visit your favorite local club or wherever to practice with your table tennis partner. You need to practice with rallies and play matches against the players around. These practice sessions will EXPOSE you to various playing styles and TELL you how you are shaping up to expert level table tennis.

Still, another IMPORTANT way to improve your skill level is to WATCH table tennis games. Sit down comfortably in a chair and watch your friends play. Watch the rallies when they practice, but also watch the matches. During matches, you get to see the different shots being played. More importantly, focus your eyes on the BALL. This will develop BETTER eye reflex. Try to absorb the FLIGHT of the ball and also its BEHAVIOR after it bounces. Try to appreciate the brilliant shots being played and also the mistakes made. You can offer to be judge in a match if you want. But it's better to be a simple spectator because you stay less involved with the game physically and be able to FOCUS better on the finer points of the game.

Watch table tennis games on television if you have the opportunity. Or watch them on the Internet. Watch how the top-level players are playing their shots. Watch the ball in play. Watch the winning shots. Watch the mistakes. Try to absorb the ATMOSPHERE. Imagine yourself as being a PARTICIPANT in the game. Feel your blood rush in your veins as you see a jaw dropping loop, a blinding topspin, an elegant flick, or a simply spectacular drop shot. Watch the crippling spin on the ball and the petrifying speed. All this helps you anticipate the type of things you MUST face if you want to steadily continue your upward climb to table tennis stardom.

Watching table tennis is the NEXT best thing after playing. If you get the chance, buy a ticket and visit the stadium in your city where an international event is being organized. Sometimes it is possible to walk up to the foreign players who are participating and talk to them. Just saying hello will give your confidence a huge boost. Select a place where you get a good ringside view of an important match being played and settle down comfortably and stay relaxed. Notice the air of TENSION palpable all around. Watch the lighting conditions and the temperature - is it pleasant, too hot, too cold? Make a note of all these things. Watch the players' faces. Are they showing signs of the tension that they obviously feel? Look at how they GRIP their racket. When the match starts, watch the serves Watch the movement of the players as they negotiate the ball. Watch their footwork, their posture. Watch the ball moving through the air. Watch how it bounces. Watch the shots these star players play. Listen to the sound of the racket making contact with the ball. Watch the EMOTIONS during play. 

Watching TRAINS your eye so that when you actually play, you are FAMILIAR with the game. When you see a ball coming at you in a particular way, you INSTINCTIVELY know the best way to play. When you watch professional level tournaments, you are training yourself to FACE the electrifying atmosphere when you YOURSELF become eligible to participate. It's common for otherwise talented players to fail COMPLETELY when they go out to play tournaments at the elite level. The tension is too much to handle. The hands and feet become cold and NUMB. The blood starts racing. The heartbeat STOPS. It is sometimes even difficult to BREATHE. How can one even THINK of playing properly with such challenges to face?

Watching table tennis also DEVELOPS the TECHNICAL sense so vital to improve one's game. When you see international players make difficult strokes look so easy, you start wondering how you can train yourself to do those strokes yourself. You keep wondering and speaking to your CONSCIOUS mind - when you fall asleep you ask the same questions to your SUBCONSCIOUS mind. Often, your subconscious mind will provide you the right answers. It means you are falling in LOVE with the game.

Loading Your Forehand Topspin Even More

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Okay. This time let's discuss now one of the most popular shots in table tennis - the forehand topspin - with a slight twist. I presume you must already be knowing how to play the forehand topspin. It's one of the basic shots you learn when you start out to play table tennis. The purpose of this discussion is not so much to tell you how to play the topspin properly. Instead, we examine how to LOAD your topspin even more. Perfecting this shot can really boost your skill level and earn your respect in the table tennis circuit.

The ordinary forehand topspin is played by moving your arm DIAGONALLY and brushing the ball in the region between the equator of the ball and its top edge. Usually, players tend to brush the ball in the region between the equator and the middle point of the arc stretching from the equator to the top edge or the apex of the ball. The arm makes a nice diagonal movement while playing the shot. You can play the topspin on top of the table or a little behind but the movement of your arm and striking region of the ball is essentially the same. The shot gives a nice forward spin to the ball and opens up an entertaining round of rally - with both players usually playing topspin. The players typically have their racket blades opened up at about 45° or less relative to the plane of the table. The topspin shot causes the ball to bounce on the other side and make a graceful arc.

However, when you see top-level table tennis tournaments, you usually won't see the same type of topspin that we discussed just now and that you might be used to. Instead, the elite level players usually go for the LOADED topspin, which is one of the most DEADLY shots in table tennis. Let us find out how to execute this type of topspin so that you can have even greater EDGE in your game. But remember that to properly execute this type of shot you should be sufficiently advanced in your skill level as a table tennis player. The loaded topspin is not only difficult to execute, but incorrect judgment during execution can lead to mishits. With proper practice over a period of time, you should be able to play the loaded topspin with sufficient finesse.

In order to hit this VICIOUS kind of topspin that can easily win you the point, unless your opponent is equally skilled, you need to do three things:

> When you move your arm, do it even more HORIZONTALLY than VERTICALLY. This extra horizontal component will give a higher corresponding horizontal impulse vector to the ball.

> Whip the region of the ball between the middle point of the arc, connecting the equator of the ball to its top edge or apex, and the apex.

> Close the angle of the blade to about 30° or even less - whatever you are comfortable with.

This EXTREMELY offensive shot hits the ball with a DULL 'thwack' and gives it a TREMENDOUS amount of horizontal momentum as well as forward spin. The ball flashes to the other side of the table and after bouncing does NOT bounce up so much. Instead, it makes VICIOUS floater movement and stays flattish. Your opponent will find it extremely difficult to properly return this kind of ball, if at all.

In order to properly execute the loaded forehand topspin, you need to use an OFFENSIVE rubber, preferably of maximum thickness. Your racket should also be an OFFENSIVE type. Try out this shot on a ball coming at you with LOW trajectory and not much spin. You should see instant results in your favor.

Returning Your Opponent's Smash

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Facing the smash or kill shot is possibly the most sobering experience in table tennis. Typically, your opponent goes for the smash when you return the ball high enough for him to play the shot. It is immaterial whether the ball contains some type of spin or not. The important fact here is that the ball has a high enough trajectory and ASKS to be smashed.

One of the first thoughts that comes to mind about the smash is that you are most probably NOT going to win the point. The smash is a high-speed shot executed with full power and can be delivered anywhere on the table. Typically, you have moved away from the table in order to try to return the smashed ball. A routine response to a smash is the lob. Basically, what you do is scoop the ball up and hope it lands on your opponent's side of the table. Even if it does, your opponent is likely to smash again. This can be repeated any number of times until one of you makes a mistake. Usually you are the one most likely to make that mistake.

What we will try to discuss here is how best to negotiate the smash. One recommended way of handling the smash is to return it with some FORWARD spin. This way, when the ball gets back to your opponent it will be slightly more difficult for him to control the ball because of the spin AND the high trajectory. Remember, a high trajectory is not always easy to negotiate if the concentration level of the player is not sufficient. Many players get TENSED when they see a ball floating up at them and this can lead to simple errors.

Another way to return the smash is to play the DEEP CHOP. The deep chop is a more severe version of the standard chop. What you do is execute a chopping action way back from the table, which gives the ball a tremendous amount of backspin. This can pose problems for your opponent. A neatly executed deep chop might FORCE your opponent to play a normal topspin drive, which means you have a better chance to return the next shot. This is because it is easier to face even a severe topspin than a smash.

However, remember that although you might try your level best to return the smash, there is very little chance of you winning the rally. Examine at a later stage what mistake you might have made that gave your opponent the chance to kill the ball. Maybe you did not make any mistake at all and it was your opponent's quality shot that FORCED you to return the ball lamely, which then led to the smash. Anyway, let's get this very clear - there is NOTHING much you can do against the smash.

A table tennis rally consisting of smashes and lobs can be very entertaining to watch for the audience. However, there is very little technical expertise involved in this spectacular exchange. Defensive players often GENERATE such kind of rallies. This happens because their NATURAL tendency to play the deep chop results in situations where the opponent can start smashing the ball. Some defensive players at the elite level are capable of winning points even after a prolonged session of deep chops and smashes. However, modern-day table tennis has made such entertaining play almost OBSOLETE. Serious players of table tennis no longer stand much chance of making any progress with such a defensive approach.

This is not to deny, however, the importance of having a strong defense. Even purely attacking players at the international level can display amazing defense when necessary. But this is not their MAIN approach to the game. In order to be better prepared to return a smash, you need to practice a good deal with your table tennis partner. However, it does not benefit you to spend too much time on it. Instead, concentrate on improving your basic shots like the topspin and flick.

Why Playing Close To The Table Helps

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One of the ways to DOMINATE a table tennis game is to play CLOSE to the table. If you look at Asian players, you will find most of them playing close to the table. This offers many advantages and is an excellent way to CONTROL the game.

Players staying close to the table need to have quicker reflexes. This is because of the blinding speed with which the ball comes at you. Also, you need to have quick eye movement to follow the ball correctly. With that said, playing close to the table gives you a MASSIVE advantage by way of giving you a BETTER view of the table and watching clearly your opponent's stroke.

Because table tennis is such a fast game, you need to rely on sound for making a split-second decision on how best to negotiate the ball. When you play AWAY from the table, the sound of the ball played by your opponent is not that audible. Further, you cannot get a grandstand view of the TRAJECTORY of the ball to help you decide on how best to play the ball.

Players INSTINCTIVELY choosing to play away from the table are mostly DEFENSIVE players. They would like to LOOP the ball, which is an OFFENSIVE stroke, but sometimes end up LOBBING the ball, which is a DEFENSIVE action. The looping action DEGENERATES into a lobbing action when the player is unable to reach the ball properly in order to execute the loop. Once the ball is lobbed, it is ripe for the KILL. Although, admittedly, there are good lobbers even at the international level, most of the time the player executing the kill shots ends up winning the point.

A very big disadvantage for players staying away from the table is the much GREATER ground coverage necessary to play their shots. While this is feasible for tall and well built players, the ones with medium build will be struggling when they play far from the table. Even for the tall players, not only do they have to cover more ground, but they have do that in a VERY short time. The slightest delay or mistake in moving correctly can cost them the point. Which means a very RISKY way of playing the game.

Playing away from the table also INCREASES the vulnerability to ball placement tactics like the drop shot. You might have seen players rushing back to return a well executed drop shot, but ending up losing the point quite often. This is because the way they handle the drop shot is slipshod; the next shot might be the winning one for the opponent.

There is nothing against moving back from the table if you are FORCED to. The point I am making here is that you should not back away from the table HABITUALLY. If a particular rally forces you to move away from the table, make sure you get back in when you find the opportunity. Moving back temporarily should be out of NECESSITY and not CHOICE.

As mentioned earlier, playing close to the table requires you to have excellent reflexes and quick eye movement. You can develop these faculties by practicing intensively with your table tennis partner. As you will move up the ladder in terms of skill level, you are likely to appreciate that playing close to the table is not that difficult. Just like driving a car, you can play your shots using INTUITION, rather than ANALYSIS. Humans are capable of a whole range of complex activities in a split-second by intensively training their SUBCONSCIOUS mind. This is essential because in a high-speed game like table tennis, there is simply not enough time to think properly before playing the ball.

Returning The Chopped Ball

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The chop is actually the bread-and-butter of the DEFENSIVE player. Chopping the ball means giving it some amount of BACKSPIN while playing it. The severity of the chop depends on the degree of backspin given to the ball. As mentioned earlier, chopping is a defensive action and meant to slow down the game. Any table tennis player would need to learn how to return the chopped ball because of the inherent DANGER of the backspin. Understanding how to return the chopped ball gives you the upper hand and provides the opportunity to DOMINATE the game.

The standard way, especially for newbies, of returning the chop is chopping it back. This leads to a rally consisting of chops and counter chops. Kind of boring - isn't it? The player sloppy enough to return the ball without proper backspin is likely to lose the point. This is because a low quality return chop would most likely invite a severe flick shot or even KILL.

However, the object of this discussion is not to return the chopped ball by chopping it back, unless the chop is of extremely good quality or the player in question has limited skills. Also, we are not going to discuss here how to return the deep chop, which is a different customer altogether. One of the best ways to return the chopped ball is by FLICKING it. The flick shot has been discussed in an earlier post, so please take time to read it when you want. Most defensive players are AFRAID of the flick. They know that if their chops are getting flicked, it is only a matter of time before they lose the game. But remember that the flick shot is only executed when the ball is coming at a low trajectory. The tricky part of playing the flick shot is correctly judging the backspin on the ball. It is better to avoid the flick if the ball is HEAVILY loaded with backspin.

Another way to return the chopped ball is playing the classic TOPSPIN. However, do this only when the chop is of MEDIUM quality. Give the ball a nice and FIRM rolling action when you play the topspin shot. After all, you want to NEUTRALIZE the backspin on the ball. The failure to do so will likely send the ball flying into the net and you will lose the point. Be very careful to adjust the character of the chop before thinking about topspin.

One of the MOST effective ways to take ADVANTAGE of a chopper is placing the ball while playing the flick or topspin. The flick or topspin combined with ball placement is enough to freak out a defensive player. Doing this a few times will most probably win you the game itself. The reason is you will be changing the very character of the game that your opponent finds COMFORTABLE.

Try flicking the chopped ball to different parts of the table which lie relatively EXPOSED. This will force your opponent to come racing to return the ball. His return stroke might lack the same quality if he has to rush in to play the ball. Even try to aim the flick or topspin right at your opponent's body! These are all tactics with ball placement to UPSET your opponent's equilibrium. If your opponent has moved somewhat away from the table, try the drop shot. If he comes rushing in and does a lame-duck scoop, go for the kill. You will most likely win the point.

If your opponent is a particularly good chopper, and tries to pin you down to chop rallies, you can try a slightly different tactic. Go for the SOFT flick, as opposed to the REGULAR flick. This means opening the face of the bat and tapping the ball LIGHTLY, in an experimental way. Most of the time, this will UNSETTLE a defensive player. He might make mistakes by way of low quality returns, which you can then take advantage of.

Facing the chopped ball really opens up your potential skills as a table tennis player. While it is perfectly acceptable to return quality chopped ball with a counter chop, the higher levels of the game DEMAND that you negotiate the chop with something BETTER. Getting rid of the FEAR when handling backspin is the first and most important step to playing your natural OFFENSIVE game.

Why Twiddling Your Racket Is Not Smart

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As you might know already, twiddling your racket means rotating the bat so that the backhand rubber becomes forehand and vice versa. Many players use this technique in a table tennis game, and do it with considerable skill. Let us examine why so many players resort to twiddling and why it is a BAD idea.

First of all, the very act of twiddling is a DEFENSIVE response. It happens frequently when receiving a serve. If a player finds himself repeatedly overwhelmed by the debilitating spin in a serve, usually directed to his forehand, he might twiddle the bat so that he can now receive the ball with his backhand pips or antispin sandwich rubber. After he has played the ball, he twiddles the racket back again so that he can now play normally. Twiddling hardly happens for receiving service on the backhand, for which most players use antispin or pips rubber.

Twiddling is also done sometimes to gain advantage in an equally balanced game. Sudden twiddling injects an element of surprise that can prove disadvantageous for the opponent. The sudden change in the character of an otherwise smooth rally during a game can catch the opponent on the wrong foot - sometimes literally. For example, a topspin forehand rally between two players can get disrupted if one of them twiddles the racket and flicks the ball with his pips rubber that he uses for backhand normally. By doing this, he, so to say, gains an 'unfair' advantage.

However, all things considered, the very act of twiddling is fundamentally flawed. Firstly, twiddling means you are UNABLE to play your opponent normally. Because you are unable to play his serves or shots normally, you try to interchange rubbers to see if your game improves. The point is, if you are unable to play normally, then something must be terribly WRONG with your credentials as a table tennis player. Maybe you need to use a DIFFERENT rubber for your forehand. More likely than not, your core skills as a table tennis player is questionable. If your opponent has professional experience, he can DESTROY your game completely if you try to twiddle. For example, he might continue with the same serves to FORCE you to twiddle. Twiddling DISPLAYS your ineptness and fear. You want to do something about your core skills before going out to play professional tournaments.

Secondly, rotating the bat means you LOSE the comfortable grip that you had earlier. This can be FATAL in a high-speed game like table tennis. You are quite likely to FAIL in rotating properly in time to get back your earlier grip. This can put you in a tight spot when you play against a quality player. Your opponent can EASILY see that you are uncomfortable with playing his type of game, and INCREASE the pace in order to give you less time to twiddle.

Thirdly, twiddling takes your attention away from the game itself - at least to some extent. Your are so intent on executing the twiddle properly that you lose sight of the game. This can be advantageous for your opponent. He can simply play tricky shots or place the ball while you are busy concentrating on twiddling. If you fail to notice the finer nuances of a game, and just concentrate on twiddling, you are more likely than not to lose miserably.

Fourthly, twiddling means you are slowing yourself down. This is because most humans cannot concentrate equally well on two completely different tasks. This slow down can EXPOSE you to exploitative actions by your opponent like PLACING the ball. This will force you to move fast and give you LESS opportunity to twiddle. You can twiddle and move fast, but not be able to perform both actions with the same facility.

Fifthly, twiddling gives you a false sense of security. Instead of worrying about why you are unable to receive difficult serves and shots, you tend to concentrate more on how you can twiddle better. This means you are not inclined to devote more time on intensive practice sessions with your table tennis partner to overcome your basic shortcomings.

Considering all these points, take a second look at your game instead of focusing more on twiddling. The faster you give up this ADDICTIVE and SELF-DEFEATIST habit, the quicker you will emerge as a skilled table tennis player.

What If Your Backhand Is Chronically Weak

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Quite a few table tennis players find that their backhand is simply not working. Maybe they can return the ball - but not effectively. Our brain is wired to use the forehand stroke better than the backhand. Further, the forehand sweep has much more freedom than the backhand. All this makes it quite difficult to hit the ball with sufficient finesse when we use the backhand. Players have to practice for hours on end to get their backhand right. It takes much more time and practice than the forehand stroke.

One way to avoid the backhand is using the penhold grip rather than the shakehand grip. However, here we will not discuss that option. Instead, we want to find out how to be able to play EVEN with a really weak backhand. One good way to overcome the problem is to use the pips or pimpled rubber instead of the sandwich rubber. If your backhand is REALLY weak, use a pips rubber such as PHANTOM without any sponge. This will give you more control over your backhand than a pips rubber WITH some sponge.

In order to get going with your backhand, you need to use an OFFENSIVE racket. The reason is the reduced punch you get from the pips rubber will be compensated by the extra speed you get from the racket. This will give you the ability and confidence to hit back a ball SMARTLY using your backhand.

Using a pips rubber gives you the added advantage of being able to chop the ball easily. Further, when you hit the ball using pips, you give the ball a kind of 'vibration' that might well overwhelm your opponent if executed properly. Many professional level players find it difficult to negotiate a ball that has been returned using pips.

Since you get the 'unfair' extra advantage of being able to return heavily chopped balls easily using pips, take ADVANTAGE of it. Instead of just chopping the ball lamely back, give it a crispy TAP. This will put even more pressure on your opponent because of the extra momentum. When your master the technique, however, return the chopped ball with a jaw dropping FLICK. You will most likely win the point.

When returning a forward spinning ball with your backhand pips, simply block it. If you control the shot well, it will fly back to your opponent with the DREADED vibration or 'shake' effect. One disadvantage of negotiating a topspin or loop with the pips rubber is controlling the ball. A good way to make best use of pips is to be able to FORCE the ball into a low trajectory. However, this depends on your skill level as compared to your opponent.

The main idea behind the pips rubber is to give you a fair chance in a table tennis game even if you have a miserable backhand. However, this is not to dismiss the DEFINITE advantages you get from pips. Used effectively, you can easily UNSETTLE your opponent with your backhand. Most of the points you win with pips will usually be negative points. In other words, you get points from your opponent making mistakes rather than you making the winning shots.

Playing The Flick Shot

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Using the flick shot in table tennis is a POWERFUL way to DOMINATE the game. A flick may be done when the ball is coming at you at low trajectory. Flicking means you open the face of the bat and tap in the ball SHARPLY without too much attention to the 'rub' you are giving it. Basically, it is a wristy shot executed with sufficient power. The flick shot adds a lot of momentum and some spin to the ball.

It is dangerous to use the flick shot if you are not sure of the spin on the ball coming at you. Usually, it is okay to flick the ball that has a low trajectory and not much speed. But if the ball has a tremendous amount of spin, your flick can go out of control. Most table tennis players use the flick when negotiating a chopped ball, which has a good deal of back spin. It is a spectacular way of dominating your opponent's play. If you use the flick with finely judged placement, you will most likely win the point.

If your opponent happens to be somewhat of a defensive player, he would prefer chopping the ball most of the time. If you get DRAWN into an extended rally with both of you chopping, you are likely to lose control of the game. It's better NOT to play the game your opponent likes. That will NOT be to your advantage. A SMARTER approach is to try and break the stranglehold of your opponent by playing a DIFFERENT game. This is where the flick comes in. When you flick the ball, your opponent, who was chopping the ball all along, finds it difficult to continue chopping. Most likely he will block your flick. This is a WONDERFUL opportunity to go for the classic top spin or flat spin.

Now let's discuss how to return a flick. The most important factors are working here are your reflex and intuition. The flicked ball comes at you in a flash - so you need to stay prepared for such a shot. One of the best ways to negotiate a flick is to block it with a slight push. This push will add EXTRA momentum to the ball and maybe your opponent will get into trouble. For still more SEVERE effect, place your blocked shot. Your opponent will most likely be badly prepared to return your block shot properly. You may even win the point.

The flick is often used when a player wants to dominate the game. Experienced players are usually able to flick with the forehand as well as backhand. While it is rather easy to flick on the forehand, it takes months of practice to get your backhand flick right. A flick is a clear signal sent to the opponent that he better prove himself by returning the flick or be ready for a withering defeat.

A flick also changes the pace of the game. It makes it much faster and a treat to watch. Defensive players are usually afraid of the flick. The reason is flicking means destroying the chopping used in defensive play. A flick shot, when returned weakly, invites a searing top spin or even KILL (if the ball is spooned up lamely). At the same time, it should be mentioned here that the flick is a double-edged weapon. If you cannot judge the complex movement of the ball coming at you, you are likely to flick into the net. So it is always advisable to use the flick shot with discretion and when confident that you will be able to execute it properly. You can also use it experimentally when leading by a good margin in a game.

Pasting Your Table Tennis Rubber

 

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Here we will find out how best to paste your table tennis rubber on the blade of your racket. It is actually quite easy to paste the pips rubber with little or no sponge. Let's find out how to paste the sandwich rubber, which presents more of a challenge. Understand that how you paste your rubber is going to make a BIG impact on its performance. This fact, unfortunately, is not so much appreciated - except for professional level players. And they would much rather keep it SECRET.

The best technique for pasting your rubber is going to be discussed now. We are not going to look at exotic glues available in the market that will enhance the performance of the rubber. Instead, we will look at the BEST way to paste the sandwich rubber using ANY glue that you find satisfactory.

Before you start, make sure that you have your backhand and forehand sandwich rubbers as well as racket ready. Get for yourself two pieces of SMOOTH and identical rectangular glass sheets of medium thickness. They should be sufficiently large to cover the area of the blade. Also, keep a razor blade (rather than a sharp knife) ready. I prefer razor blade because it does the job much more neatly and efficiently compared to a knife. Get hold of a fat book or any object of similar weight. It should be of medium weight and not overly heavy.

Now apply the glue to the exposed sponge of one of the rubbers. Apply glue to one of the surfaces of the blade of your racket. Gently ease the sandwich rubber onto the blade. Apply NO pressure on the pasted rubber at all. Now invert the rubber you have pasted onto one of the glass sheets. Take the razor blade and clip out the extra rubber neatly. Use the same procedure for the other rubber and blade surface.

What we have done here is just pasted the two rubber sheets onto the blades surfaces. The reason for NOT applying pressure is to prevent the inverted pips molded into the sponge from getting STRESSED. A stressed sandwich rubber will not be able to perform that efficiently.

Now, placed the two glass sheets on either side of the racket, with the handle protruding out and place the whole thing on a table. Keep the fat book or something else on top of the upper glass slab. Let the pasting process continue for about 10 hours or so. Take care NOT to try out the racket in the meantime - maybe out of curiosity. For example, one nice way is to do the pasting is at night before going to bed. This way you can leave the pasting process undisturbed. You can use the racket when you wake up in the morning.

After the requisite number of hours have passed, take out the racket and look at the two surfaces of the pasted rubbers horizontally. You should see no undulations whatsoever. This is desirable. The glass sheets have done their job.

Now bounce a table tennis ball with the racket to test out both the rubbers. You should hear a DULL thud when the ball bounces. This is also desirable. If you had applied too much weight during the pasting, you would have heard a SHARP thud. More high frequency than you are hearing now. This is NOT desirable. It means you have managed to stress out the inverted pips of the sandwich rubbers. In other words, you have almost ruined the rubbers. You can still play with your racket, of course, but your performance will be POOR. For example, your top spin will not have the same BITE.

Professional players take care to paste their rubbers lightly over the blade surfaces. Now you know how to do the same. Hope you enjoy playing with your new racket.

Placing Your Shot Is Key

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Placing your shot is as important, if not more than, as playing a quality shot. If your opponent happens to be an expert level table tennis player, he will most likely return your shots with equal, if not higher, caliber. After a few rallies, you might find yourself overwhelmed. There is, however, a better way to take advantage of a deadlock situation by starting to place your shots.

In table tennis, you need to place your shot to get maximum leverage. There are a few ways to place your shot. Let's discuss some of them to get you that extra edge in your playing skills.

One of the best ways to place your shot is to hit it in the DIRECTION of your opponent's body. This will force him to move away from the trajectory of the ball in order to give himself sufficient room to negotiate his return stroke. It is quite difficult to hit back a ball that's coming right at you! In this way, you will be able to UNSETTLE your opponent. If he delays moving away from the ball, his return stroke will probably not be of good quality - and you can take the ATTACK right to him by taking full advantage of the poor return - by hitting it back with POWER.

Another way to place the shot is getting it into an area of the table that is farthest from him. This will FORCE him to rush at the ball. Again, if he delays, his return stroke will not be of good quality or he might mishit the ball or fail to hit it altogether.

Playing a drop shot is another excellent ball placement technique if your opponent likes to play away from the table. To play a drop shot during a power rally is a bit risky. You need to control the ball well in order to hit a drop shot. Take the ball gently with a slight backward or 'cushioning' movement to unload some of the momentum in the ball. The ball will limp away from you and drop tamely on the other side. Best is if it falls near the net. Your opponent will likely come rushing in and lift the ball back at you. This is a SUPER situation to go for the KILL or a scorching topspin – WITH placement if possible. You will most likely win the point.

When you place the ball, you keep your opponent under pressure. But remember to place the ball using quality shot. A lame duck shot will not have sufficient effect. In fact, your opponent might take advantage of a poor shot to put YOU under pressure.

It is not always easy, though, to place a shot. The ball coming at you might have different types of complex motions that might be risky to negotiate for placing. If you JUDGE the ball poorly for placing, it might fly out of control. Slower or medium paced rallies are ideal for ball placement. Use your best judgment, and if in doubt, don't go for ball placement. It might land you in trouble.

As you gain more and more experience with table tennis, you will know intuitively when it's okay to place the ball. Keep a watch on your opponent's movements all the time. Go for the SURPRISE placement, especially if you are winning the game. You are likely to win an EASY point. In such situations of imminent defeat, a player crumbles under the slightest pressure. It's always better to apply that pressure and win easily.

Returning Short Balls In Table Tennis

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Short balls are notoriously difficult to negotiate. A short ball bounces for the first time a bit away from you. If you do not have good experience, it will bounce a second time before leaving the table. The frustrating thing about a short ball is that you cannot accurately judge its nature before it's too late. A good tactic is to watch your opponent! The way he moves his racket to deliver you the short ball gives some idea of what kind of short ball is coming at you.

Watch the stroke of your opponent carefully. If he has given the short ball a 'wicked' spin, just negotiate your stroke with minimal pressure (to create a 'cushioning effect) on the ball. Hit the ball softly but firmly. The ball you send back will carry some of that wicked spin.

If the short ball is tame - that is, not much spin - hit it HARD with a flick of your wrist. Take your shot as the ball begins to move up. This will take your opponent by surprise. Never forget to keep up the pressure on your opponent. Don't give him time. This will be to your advantage.

If you see a short ball come at you hard - that is, with speed - block it. Do this firmly. This will send the ball crashing into your opponent's court. If possible, press just enough into the ball as it rises send it flashing back.

My favorite is ATTACKING the short ball. This is risky, though. The shot can go out of control. But, with experience, you will enjoy taking risks. However, ALWAYS respect the wicked spin. Never attack a viciously forward spinning short ball - unless you are crazy! Speed is easier to manage than spin.

Another short ball is a chopped ball. This carries some backward spin. Return that ball by chopping it yourself. Play safe. Be sure to give the chopped ball its due respect. Once you gain experience, you can return chopped balls harder - by giving it a kind of soft flicking action.

The short ball that is 'dead' is rather easier to negotiate. A dead ball lacks momentum, speed and spin. Give it a searing flick, if possible. In other words, create pressure on your opponent.

Short balls can be notorious for sending your racket's rubber crunching into the top edge of the table, if you are not careful. This might ruin your rubber or just damage it slightly - depends on how lucky you are. If spending on replacing your rubber is not a problem, play freely. After all, you learn really well by playing freely.