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Written by Larry Hodges
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Tuesday, 18 March 2008 |
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 A Good Start
By Carl Danner Tournament matches often begin oddly, especially in early rounds. Initial points can be ragged and unpredictable, sometimes offering easy chances for winners that competitors fail to cash in due to nervousness. A need for your opponent to adjust to your serves or style can also yield some weak returns. Such opportunities can arise even against very strong opponents. |
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Written by Larry Hodges
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Monday, 10 March 2008 |
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Coping With Deep, Heavy Pushes
By Carl Danner
While a deep push is generally a weak shot in today's high-level game, some opponents will load up a deep push with heavy underspin. If you don't (or can't) attack this ball, chances are you will also push it back deep to where your opponent is waiting to attack. Here are three options for dealing with this sequence without giving up a deep push return to be attacked. |
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Written by Larry Hodges
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Tuesday, 04 March 2008 |
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Short Game: Easy Does It Against Short Balls By Carl Danner Many players get it backwards when trying to attack in the short game: They try to hit the ball too hard, and forget about positioning. By contrast, the right focus (for those little flips, angled pushes and the like) is on footwork rather than an attempted winner. |
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Written by Larry Hodges
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
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Try A Short Loop
By Carl Danner
A soft, short loop is a terrific shot when your opponent is back from the
table. By the time he runs in to get it, the only remaining choice is to
hit up at a sinking ball that already has lots of topspin.
Because soft, short loops are so bad against an opponent who is up at the
table, many players don't practice them. But the value of that touch shot
is high enough (especially against someone who is "fishing" from several
feet away) that it is worth some attention at your next practice session. |
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Written by Larry Hodges
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Monday, 18 February 2008 |
A Neutral Grip
By Carl Danner
Players using a shakehands grip should try to keep that grip neutral, i.e.
not tilted towards the forehand or backhand. You achieve a neutral grip
when the blade of your racket fits comfortably between your thumb and first
finger without twisting at all. A test is to hold the racket without using
the last three fingers of your hand. If the racket tilts when you let go
of the last three fingers, your usual grip is biased one way or the other.
A neutral grip lets the racket serve as a natural extension of your arm,
permitting you to stroke the ball freely with good form. It also helps you
respond to opponents' tough shots because you can just stick the racket out
and know that it is angled correctly for an emergency block. Because table
tennis is such a quick sport, it is also usually a bad idea to plan on
switching grips during a rally (as in tennis), although serving is a
special case where different positions can be used. By contrast, many
players cheat a little by twisting the racket to favor either a forehand or
a backhand. Usually, such players make other physical compensations to
permit an incorrect grip to work, such as standing too square to the table
to hit forehands with an open, forehand grip.
If your current grip isn't neutral, to change you will have to modify the
adjustments that allowed you to hold the racket crooked, but hit the ball
straight. This can take a while, and throw off your game in the mean time.
But for players whose grips need work (and you know who you are), a gradual
series of adjustments back to neutral can support more powerful and
consistent strokes whose benefits you will enjoy for years. |
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