A Tip of the Week will go up every Monday by noon.

**********************************************

Published:

06/27/2016 - 05:27

Author: Larry Hodges

When an opponent serves short to the forehand, many players reach in and return it with a nearly stiff wrist, and invariably go crosscourt with a forehand flip. Most players do this "Asian style," i.e. using the forearm to power the shot. This gives consistence and power, but less deception than the "European style" wrist flip. (The "Asian style" and "European style" monikers are from decades ago; these days many Europeans do it "Asian style" and vice versa, and many can do both ways.) To do this, approach the ball like any other flip. But at the last second, bring the wrist back, and brush the ball more on the inside (i.e. the back-left side of the ball, if you are right-handed). This puts the ball down the line, while your opponent has probably already moved to cover the opposite corner. The wrist must be very loose to do this shot. Advanced players can even sidespin the ball back with a right-to-left motion (for right-handers). Now, the next time you're at the club, you too can tell others that you now have the inside-out forehand floppy wrist flip. (Say that fast ten times. Another table tennis joy!)

Published:

06/20/2016 - 04:33

Author: Larry Hodges

Many players have multiple options for most situations, but only one for some. For example, against a deep, spinny serve to the backhand, many players will only backhand drive it crosscourt. Or against a backspin serve to the backhand will almost always push it crosscourt. (Crosscourtitis is a curse many players have – there is such a thing as down the line, and you should learn to use it.)

When you have only one option off something the opponent does, then the opponent no longer has to worry about anything but that one option. And since a player with only one option usually only has that one option because he's not particularly comfortable with the incoming shot, it usually means the one option he uses isn't very strong. But even if it is, it loses its effectiveness when the opponent knows it's coming.

Even if the opponent isn't a "thinking" opponent, i.e. one who figures out opponent's weaknesses (such as predictability), most players are instinctive, and subconsciously pick up on these things. They may not realize it at the time, but they often are reacting to this predictableness.

So examine your game, and find places where you generally do the same thing over and over. It's possible that this works against some players, or even most players your level – but it probably doesn't work against stronger players, and presumably they are the ones you are hoping to learn to beat. So make sure that in every situation, you have at least two options.

Here's an example. During my playing career I often liked to give big breaking sidespin serves deep to the backhand, so that the ball would break to my right, away from the righty's backhand. Most would reach for the ball and make moderately aggressive shots to my backhand – but I'd already be over there, just waiting for this shot with my forehand. The ones that gave me trouble would either take it down the line – often doing so a bit more quickly and catching me – or would simply mix in a chop now and then, which would completely throw me off, since I was generally a step back, waiting for that topspin return. 

Published:

06/14/2016 - 03:37

Author: Larry Hodges

Are these the same things? Almost. A drop shot typically is made as short as possible, and is usually used against a chopper caught off the table. The goal here is to keep the ball as short as possible so that the defender either can't get to it (an "ace"!), or is lunging to get it, and either can't make a good return or recover for the next shot. It should also be low, both so the defender can't run in and hit it in, and because a higher ball stays in the air longer and so gives the opponent more time to react to it. (You can also drop shot against an off-table lobber with a dead block or chop block, though that's more difficult to keep short.)

A short push against an attacker's serve is actually more effective if it isn't too short, but short enough so that it would bounce twice if given the chance. The problem here is that the attacker is usually at the table, and so dropping the ball very short won't catch him out of position unless he's very short or immobile. And if he's in position for the shot, the shorter ball is both easier to attack with a flip than the slightly longer one, and easier to drop short.

There are always exceptions. Against a very fast-footed defender that you can't really catch with a drop shot, you might not want to drop the ball too short as it just gives him easy balls to pick hit, especially with a running backhand smash. And against an attacker who likes to serve and step back a bit, looking for a long return, an extra-short drop shot might be effective. But as a general rule, use drop shots against choppers, and short pushes against attackers.  

Published:

06/06/2016 - 05:01

Author: Larry Hodges

At different levels, players need to focus on different things to improve. Here's a rundown.

  • Beginners: Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals! I can't get any more specific than that. Develop those fundamentals until you can do them in your sleep –strokes, footwork, serve, and receive. Work with a coach to develop them, find players to practice with, and drill, drill, drill!
  • Advanced Beginner: Playing Style. At this point you have at least semi-mastered the basic fundamentals, and should be looking to develop a playing style. But keep harping on those Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals!
  • Intermediate: You now have a playing style and have somewhat mastered the fundamentals. Now you should be really honing your playing style, as in what shots you should do and when. Your serve and receive game should directly be setting up your game. You should be figuring out what you win and lose on, and work to get rid of weaknesses while making your strengths overpowering. But guess what? You still are not advanced, and so you need to continue to focus on those Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals!
  • Advanced: You have mastered the fundamentals, though (brace yourself) you should continue to work on them as long as you want to improve – the more consistent they are, the better you will be. But you also need to really develop all parts of your game so that you are the master of any situation and against any style. You need to constantly examine your game and your matches and figure out what you are winning and losing on, and train to overcome any weaknesses while continuing to develop overpowering strengths. You have fewer rivals now – you've left most past ones behind – so at this point you should be studying rivals to find specific ways to defeat them. 
Published:

05/31/2016 - 05:14

Author: Larry Hodges

These days many players try to receive these with their backhands, often using a backhand banana flip. And there's nothing wrong with doing that. However, you'll run into problems if you can't also flip return these with your forehand – an opponent might use the same motion and either serve short to the forehand or long to the backhand, and unless you have world-class feet, you aren't going to be covering both with your backhand. So learn to return these shots with your forehand as well, with flips and pushes.

The key is stepping in properly. For right-handers, that means stepping in with the right foot as far in as needed. Balance is key, so keep your left arm out in the opposite direction, like a fencer doing an "en garde."

But you can't really learn this just by doing it when it's needed; you need to systematically practice it. This means:

  • Shadow practicing the shot until it's second nature. Perhaps even put a mark on the floor under the table where the right foot should go, and another where it should be in your regular stance, and then move back and forth, while also shadow-stroking a flip or push when you step in.
  • Practicing it with a partner or coach. Have him serve short to your forehand, or you serve short and he drops it short there, and then you can step in to practice the shot. Even better, do it with multiball, where the coach/practice partner alternates one ball short to the forehand (usually backspin or no-spin), another somewhere else (either random, or perhaps long to the backhand).
  • Then do it in game situations. Perhaps play games where both players have to serve short to the forehand, so both get practice on this.

Once you have confidence in receiving short balls with the forehand, you can do so either forehand or backhand, depending on the situation. And if you have a good forehand, you'll find that you might even want to receive with the forehand sometimes against short balls to the middle or even backhand, as it puts you in perfect position to follow with a big forehand!

Larry, 

I would kind of disagree with you on the stepping in as far as you can.  In order to step in the farthest (with your foot) you actually need to lean your upper body back to keep your balance.  The foot goes well under the table, but your shoulder (and thus your racket) does not move forward that much.   I think what you want to do is step as far under the table as you can while still maintaining (or even increasing) the forward lean in you upper body. 

I read this "step under as far as you can" idea and tried to follow it.  I could never figure out why I had such trouble reaching the short balls until I saw some video of myself.  I stepped well under the table, but my head never got over the table.  Now I try to lean forward and then step under as far as I can.  My foot does not go as far under the table, but now my head is over the table and I have very good reach to get to the short ball.

It is kind of a semantics problem.  I am sure if a coach had been watching me he would have corrected what I was doing and I would have quickly gone to "stepping in as far as I could while maintaining the right posture".  However having only read "step in as far as possible" I was over-stepping and actually keeping myself from reaching the ball because the upper body leaned back.

I could be well off base, but this is my impression of what happened in my case.

Mark

In reply to by Larry Hodges

Am I correct in assuming that you do want to maintain the forward lean and get your head over the table?

I think I remember you writing something about trying to get the head close to the ball when pushing short balls.   The point was that helped prevent "reaching" for the ball and over extending the arm.  That would apply in this case also, wouldn't it? 

Maybe it was not in one of your articles.  But the head close to the ball comment was what made me realize how different I looked in my videos from what good players looked like. 

Not trying to detract from the main point of your tip.  When coaching serve return I find myself telling students to "step in more" over and over.  So I do realize the importance of your advice.  I just need to follow that advice as well as pass it along.

Mark

In reply to by mjamja

When forehand flipping, you do want to lean over the table with the head somewhat close to the ball. However, there are some players who flip with their arms straighter, but that leads to less control. (The advantage is the extra reach and more power for flip kills with the extended arm.)