Cliffedale Chandlers Table Tennis Club

More articles and Table Tennis related information can be found on the excellent Denis' Tennis Tennis World website.

1: Forehand Chop
2. Lift Strokes
3. Backhand Flick
4. Ball Spin
5. Forehand Smash
6. Serve Reception
7. Basic Stance
8. Legs Movement

9. Shakehand Grip
10. Slow Forehand Top Spin
11. Forehand-Retopspin (2)
12. Forehand-Retopspin (1)
13. Footwork
14. Forehand Flick
15. Serve Execution
16. Backhand Topspin

Some important technical details in shakehand grip are the folowing:

* The index finger should be stretched like as if it is crossing the racket face and the angle of the finger must be kept about 100° to the handle.
* The racket face to be used for forehand strokes must be held with the middle finger, the third finger and the little finger which are positioned closely together.
* The thumb should be positioned on the top of the handle as it bends slightly.
* The lower part of the racket blade is held between the middle part of the thumb and the index finger.
* The two fingers and the racket blade run parallel with one another.

Some common errors in shakehand grip are the following:

* When the index finger is positioned near the middle of the racket face, the finger is not parallel to the thumb and the racket blade, and as a result the wrist does not work well.
* When the index finger is positioned right in the middle of the racket face, forehand strokes can easily be executed, however, backhand strokes like flicks and drives are difficult to execute.
* The thumb is strecthed and the finger is positioned at the middle of the racket face all the time.
* Changing the grip during forehand and backhand strokes, decrease the flexibility of the wrist movement.
* Putting the index finger on the lower part of the racket blade in a bent position make difficult the execution of backhand strokes.

The best distance for the execution of a slow forehand topspin is about 50-100 cm behind the table. The knees are slightly bend with the left leg forward and the right leg towards the right side line of the table. The body weight is on the toes for quicker movement. The right hand is slightly bend and the racket is on the right side and in front of the body almost on the waist height. The left hand is also bend for balancing reasons.

As the ball comes from the opponent, the right hand starts to move backwards. At the end of the backwards movement the right hand is straight and the racket is 15-20 cm from the right side of the body, down from the knee with its upper point targeting downwards. At the same moment the trunk turns which is a result of the legs' turning and bending. The body weight transferred to the right leg which is in 90o angle at the end of the movement. The left leg is bend in 120°-130° angle targeting slightly on the right. The legs are opened little more than the shoulders width. From this position starts the upward and forward hand and legs motion. The racket hits the ball in 70°-80° angle after the ball falling from the highest point of its bounce. During the contact, a little wrist movement is done. At the end of the movement, the racket is in front and up from the head. At the same time, the right leg and the trunk help in order to give more speed on the ball while the body weight transferred to front and left.

Forehand re-topspin away from the table.

This stroke is used when the player is away from the table (about 3-4 m) and he wants to counter a forehand or a backhand topspin. It is a difficult stroke because it demands sense of the free space, neuromuscular coordination, technical knowledge and good timing. The position of the body is about the same with that of fast forehand topspin. The legs are bend and open wider than the shoulder width while the right hand is slightly bend. As the ball comes, the player with the left leg as a rotation axis, turns his body to the right and throw the body weight to the right leg. The right arm stretches and the racket is behind and below from the height of the right knee. From this position starts the front counterclockwise movement of the right arm, as in the fast forehand topspin, with the difference that the racket slope is greater and the arm stops in front of the head below of the eyes height. The contact of the racket with the ball is just after its falling from the highest point of its bounching. The left arm follows tthe body movement and helps to the balance keeping. During the stroke, the body weight is transfered towards in order to help the arm movement. The speed of the arm movement depends on the playing style and the ball speed.

Forehand re-topspin over the table
The offensive players use this stroke in order to make a quick return of a forehand or a backhand topspin. It demands a high level of technical knowledge and neuromuscular coordination. The “key” for the proper execution of this stroke is the right racket slope and the good timing during the contact.

The ideal position for the execution of this stroke is 40-50 cm away from the table. The position of the body is similar with the basic stance. As the ball comes, the player turns slightly to the right and brings the racket a little lower than the waist height. The hand is slightly bend. From this position starts the front counterclockwise movement of the right hand. The contact of the racket with the upper part of the ball take part in the beginning of the rise after its bounce. The angle of the racket with the table at the time of contact is about 50o. The body weight is in front helping on the stroke execution. The whole movement executed quickly.

The key to the player’s movement is the synchronization and combination of leg movements. No matter how good somebody’s technique is, if he does not have a good sense of space and proper leg movements, it will not be possible for him to achieve high levels of performance. Many beginners or even intermediate level players, approach the ball with their arms and not their legs. When they try to return a ball, they simply stretch out their arm instead of first taking a position and then playing the stroke. Although theoretically simply stretching out your arm is easier, it does not mean that it is correct, because when the player plays the stroke correctly and uses his feet to get to the ball, he has the ability, to transfer the energy from the body to the arm and to manipulate the ball more easily and accurately. Four factors are basicfor satisfactory leg movement: (a) knowledge of the steps, (b) foresight, (c) the return to the ready stance, and (d) physical fitness.

(a) The leg movements both close and far to the table must be characterized by small side steps. Quick side-stepping movements givesthe player the ability to react faster and forestall the ball more easily without losing balance. The initial learning process for this kind of movement is accomplished though specific drills in which the players knows the movements of the ball beforehand. An example of such a drill is the well-known “X” pattern where one player plays parallel-court and the other cross-court. Subsequent learning (after the player has become familiar with the side-step from the first stage) involves automation of the footwork. This is achieved with drills where the player does not know the direction of the ball beforehand. Examples of such drills are: (a) continuous backhand drives with a sudden change to the forehand and (b) continuous forehand topspins played to defensive forehand chops with a sudden drop shot to the center or shift to the backhand.

b) It is impossible to talk about good footwork without referring to player’s ability to anticipate the direction of the ball. This basic factor distinguishes a high level player from an intermediate level player. Some players have high foresight and quick responses while others are lacking in these areas. A player can improve his skills in anticipating the ball by not over-focusing on the ball during the point. The player must give equal attention to the opponent and his racket so that he can move simultaneously with his opponent’s stroke or slightly before it.

c) Another way to improve footwork is to understand the positions the opponent favors in his game and take up a position accordingly. The player can observe his opponents position by watching the opponent’s movements and by keeping in mind that a player’s ready stance depends mostly on the way he intends to develop his game. The majority of the offensive players cover almost 70% of the table with the forehand while the remaining 30% is covered by the backhand.

d) Physical fitness is an important factor for a successful footwork too. A satisfactory strength on both legs helps the player to move quickly from side to side and take the best position for the next stroke. Waist flexibility helps the player to keep body balance during most of the technical strokes.

The forehand flick is an offensive stroke usually used to counter serves and other strokes like the drop shot, the backhand or forehand push. It is played to the side, the center or the corner of the table. The choice depends on the player's game style and the opponent's weak points. For example, the diagonal forehand flick can be used to force the opponent out of his position thus preparing the ground for the next stroke, which could be a forehand topspin or a smash. The forehand flick is a difficult stroke, however, because it requires a kinetic ability and sufficient mobility of the wrist. Description The basic stance for the execution of the forehand flick is the same as the ready stance previously described. When the opponent plays a forehand side serve the player moves diagonally moving his right foot to approach the ball. The right foot points toward the point where the racket will contact the ball. The right arm movement and the movement of the left leg are simultaneous.

As the racket moves forwards and diagonally to hit the ball, the body weight falls forwards and on the right leg. At this point, the arm forms a 150°-160° angle with the elbow. The racket contacts the top of the ball when the ball reaches its summit after it bounces. The racket is moved primarily with the wrist and to a lesser extent with the help of the elbow. The left arm is bent for balancing reasons. The direction of the ball from the forehand flick can change even at the last moment if the angle formed by the wrist and the forearm changes. In this way the player can deceive his opponent, taking him out of his position.

An unwritten rule in table tennis says that 50% of the wining point is the execution of a good serve. In spite of the strict laws which limit the effectiveness, the serves provide great advantage in the modern table tennis. Serve is considered as one of the most important part of the daily practice. Many top players spent a lot of hours developing new serves. Three times per week for 1-2 hours each is a standard for top class players. Each player (basic and medium stage) has to learn at least 6-7 different serves and use them alternatively during the match according to the pre-determined tactic.

The factors which affect the execution of a serve are:

* The grip. Grip flexibility is important for the wrist movement.
* The distance of the player from the table during the serve.
* The ball throwing. Different speed is gained from a high toss serve in comparison with the low toss serve.
* The angle of the racket during the impact. Different angle gives little or more spin.
* The speed of the arm and the wrist movements at the impact phase which affects the speed of the ball.
* The compination between arm, wrist, feet and waist movements at the impact phase.
* The location where the ball bounce at the server's court affects the bounce on the receiver's court.
* The concentration of the player.
* The type of rubber and the racket.

Some points which need special attention are:

* The serves have to send to the weaker side of the opponent in order to make an effective ""third ball attack"".
* The server has to change his serves constantly. This is good if we want to confuse the opponent. It gives us also the opportunity to find the "effective serve" which will make the point for us.
* Special and tricky serves are for the crucial moments of the match.
* In order to get the most of your serve, you have to train hard. The more hours you spent for your serves the more points you will get from them.

The best position to do this stroke is from the left side of the table (for right handers) and 50-100 cm far from the table.

Description
The legs are parallel to the table and the knees are bend in 120° angle. They are opened a little more than the shoulders width. The trunk is slightly bend forward. As the ball comes the racket moves downwards to the knee height. The backhand side of the racket is almost parallel to the floor. The forearm forms 140°-160° angle with the arm. The body weight was shared equally to each leg. The trunk bends more foreward during this phase.
From this position the hand starts the forward clockwise movement. The ball contact with the racket takes place just after the ball starting to fall. At the end of the movement the hand is in front and right to the body at the eyes' height. The trunk moves upwards with the legs help. The left hand is slightly bend for balancing reasons.