JOOLA USA

Coaching Corner

If you want to develop a strong, consistent attack, it's a good idea to practice it down the lines. Most players robotically train crosscourt, where they have more table. (It's about 10 feet 3.5 inches crosscourt, compared to nine feet down the line, so an extra 15.5 inches.)

There are two main advantages to training down the line. First, you get better feedback on your shots. If you mis-hit while going crosscourt, it has a better chance of hitting the table, and so you may not make adjustments to correct for the mis-hit. If you go down the line, the same shot might go off the end, and so you would make an adjustment, and from this feedback you would develop a more precise shot.

Second, down-the-line shots are harder for opponents to adjust to. Not only do they have less time to react, they are so used to robotic players going crosscourt all the time, and so they simply aren't used reacting to down-the-line shots.

So add down-the-line attacking shots to your arsenal of drills, and watch your attacking arsenal become more precise, more varied, and more effective.