JOOLA USA

Changing Directions When Blocking
By Larry Hodges, USATT Certified National Coach

What makes blocking unique from other shots is that you have little or no backswing, and you mostly play off the other player's shot. For other shots, where you have more of a backswing and where you have to generate most of the force yourself, a player has to commit to the direction of a shot much earlier, normally in the backswing. You lose a lot of control on most other shots if you try to change directions at the last instant. 

With a block, however, you can easily change directions right up to the last instant by simply changing the direction the racket is aimed. This means that you can aim a block one way, and then switch to the other side at the last second--often catching an opponent off guard as they react prematurely to where the racket was aimed before the last-second change.

An added benefit is that blocks are done quick off the bounce, so the opponent has little time to react. This is a double-whammy, as it means an opponent may rush to anticipate (wrongly) the direction you are blocking, and then have little time adjust to the true direction.

Probably the most effective use of changing directions on a block is when you aim your backhand block crosscourt, which is where most backhand blocks tend to go. Many opponents will automatically react too early to this shot, leaving them open (for righties) on the forehand side.