For example: 1. I always teach these before moving onto strokes and I think it is important to learn table tennis in this order. Know what spin is on the ball. Just click the links above if you’d like to read those. What makes table tennis so popular is the ease of which to pick it up. To play any table tennis stroke effectively, you'll need to ensure that you're using the correct Strategies •  Knowledge of basic skills in table tennis starts with grip, footwork & stance, then 4 basic strokes in table tennis, & ends with serve & return of serve. I have laid out my manifesto for learning table tennis on the page, How to Play Table Tennis. Coaching •  A tucked in elbow can lead you to swipe across the ball. Bounce the ball on the forehand side of your racket, with a bounce height of 30cm (12 inches), Repeat 1 above, but use the backhand side of your racket, Bounce the ball on each side of your racket alternately, Repeat 1, 2 and 3 but vary the height of the bounce, Repeat all the above exercises whilst walking or jogging. To give the shot a bit of extra zip, try accelerating your forearm slightly as you make contact. Many terms are used in a table tennis game to describe points, fouls, etc. If your bat is finishing over to your left-hand side you may need to get your elbow slightly further forward during the strike. Affiliate links are links to other web sites who sell related table tennis products. Here's a video demonstration of the forehand push. This action is similar to a military salute and will give you a little extra pace and spin. And this in itself will win you more games. Also remember to keep your bat angle slightly closed throughout, to take the ball at the peak of the bounce and keep a small gap between your elbow and body. Why are recovery and anticipation important tactics? I know the first thing you want to do when learning a new skill is get stuck in, and in table tennis that means hitting balls, but I believe it’s much better for you, in the long run, to fully understand grip, stance and footwork before you start worrying about strokes. So, one of my top table tennis tips for you is ... learn how to play table tennis using an aggressive, attacking style of play rather than any other style. The purpose of this stroke is to play aggressively and stop your opponent from playing an attacking stroke, The strike simply involves ‘pushing’ the bat forwards and down from the elbow. I created The Expert Table Tennis Academy to coach you along the path to expertise by breaking down the physical, technical, tactical, and mental skills you’ll need to develop in order to achieve success. As you’re putting backspin on the ball the bat should be down towards the table. Can I please point you in the direction of my post, The Best Table Tennis Bat for Beginners. The game was invented in the late 1880’s when game makers tried to emulate the popularity of lawn tennis by developing indoor versions of it. Ask a question or add answers, watch video tutorials & submit own opinion about this game/app. (If you have problems with the sound, there are captions/subtitles that you can turn on. There is also a wide selection of other free and premium online table tennis courses for you to explore. The types of strokes include Backhand Drive and Forehand Drive These basic strokes are the foundations that can be built upon as a player improves. Upon contact with the ball you should be using the brushing action I mentioned earlier and having very soft hands. table tennis grip. Site Map  |   Otherwise enjoy this summary. These work in the same way as normal links, but when you click on it, the link is tracked to AATT and, if you make a purchase, may generate a small payment to me. Basic Backhand Strokes: Steps by Steps. The strike is pretty simple. The stance is the same as that used for the backhand drive. Table Tennis Strokes tricks hints guides reviews promo codes easter eggs and more for android application. I then teach the backhand drive so that the players have a good offensive game and can rally with each other before moving on to the more defensive push strokes. Chinese coaches focus a lot on footwork. Instead, you should finish the forehand drive with your bat pointing where you have hit the ball. Use a continental grip to serve. Strike the ball on the back bottom portion so that you impart slight backspin. The strokes demonstrations are done by a professional table tennis player and recorded with a hi-speed camera. The stance should be ‘square to the line of play’. In this tutorial, we will be looking at what should probably be the very first table … You’ll want your feet wider than shoulder width apart (some coaches even say two shoulder widths apart). If you're a beginner, Here’s another video by Tom Lodziak, this time breaking down how to play the forehand push. It is possible to correct major technical issues at a later stage but it’s much easier to get them right first time around. Being able to play a reasonable table tennis stroke relies on good ball control. Move your bat forwards and up, towards the ball, from your elbow. The defensive style of play, once popular in equal measure, has significantly diminished. All points begin with a serve. The finish should have the bat out in front of you and down towards the table. Heavy − Used to describe a strong spin.. Blade − Wooden part of the racquet.. Anti-spin − A defense spin used to confuse the opponent or even as a reaction to one strong spin. As a beginner focus on just using your elbow for movement. Feet and body must be square to the line of play. However, it's run by one person only (Martin Hughes) and has high running costs that need to be paid for. The key to acquiring this important skill in table tennis is to carefully … During your stroke, your upper body should rotate approx. Did you know that, there are 4 main footwork patterns in table tennis? Rules •  The forehand and backhand are usually the first strokes that a player will learn. Avoid Table Tennis Strokes hack cheats for your own safety, choose our tips and advices confirmed by pro players, testers and users like you. The counter drive is an offensive stroke that is typically a counter attack against drives. Strokes - An introduction to the various strokes. Usually this will mean your feet will be pointing diagonally towards your opponents backhand corner. Then put both arms out in front of you and you’re good to go. Drills - We cover several popular types of training drills. Knees should be bent. This table is my first attempt to describe the characteristics and properties of … In this post I’ll be going through each of these four basic strokes and giving some tips and coaching points to help you successfully master them yourself or teach them to others. If the ball slides across the rubber, with very little resistance, then your bat is probably no good. The defensive style of play, once popular in equal measure, has significantly diminished. The forehand push is probably the toughest of all the basic table tennis strokes. Well, the easiest table tennis stroke to learn first is the backhand push. A “shot” on the other hand is what happens as a result of a stroke. These are few of the major strokes in ping pong. Transfers your weight from your back foot to front foot. How to Play Table Tennis With so many different table tennis strokes to learn, you'll probably wonder where to start. I break the forehand drive down into four main parts. The serve is the most important shot in tennis. Before reading this post, and beginning to learn the basic table tennis strokes, I recommend you first have an understanding of three other table tennis basics…. So now, it’s up to you to practice more and master the basic level of table tennis. AATT cannot identify any user who clicks on an advert or affiliate link. The bat angle will need to be open at about 45 degrees. I always start with the forehand drive as this will probably become the players most used and most important stroke. Article: Developing Forehand Strokes (Table Tennis England) Online course: Table tennis for Beginners (Tom Lodziak) Get more table tennis tips. The elbow will be bent. You’ll hit a forehand with your dominant hand and arm (right if you’re right-handed and left if you’re left-handed), while a backhand is hit either with two hands for a two-handed backhand or with one hand (still your dominant hand) for a one-handed backhand. Step 1: Lift your elbow. There are four basic table tennis strokes and I always strive to have my players master these before moving on to more complicated activities. Using a short stroke, your racket arm should move from the elbow in a horizontal plane whilst your free arm should point towards the ball to assist with your balance. You may also need to step in with your playing foot if the ball is short. Keep a small gap between your elbow and your body. The stroke is normally used for short balls, and its purpose is to stop your opponent from making an attacking shot. The backswing for a backhand does not involve any rotation of the body or weight transfer. The most important table tennis stroke in the modern game is now the attacking stroke. So what table tennis stroke should you learn first? Using a medium stroke, your racket arm should move forward and slightly upwards in the direction that the ball is going to travel, whilst your free arm should point towards the ball to assist with your body turn and balance. I have laid out my manifesto for learning table tennis on the page. This video is Lecture #7 taken from Tom Lodziak’s FREE 10-part Table Tennis For Beginners online table tennis training course. 4 Basic Strokes. This video is Lecture #8 taken from Tom Lodziak’s FREE 10-part Table Tennis For Beginners online table tennis training course. Most of us have played it at rec halls or in the basements of our family’s homes…but few of us actually know the sport’s techniques and basic strokes … To gain access to the course, all you need to do is join Table Tennis University as a FREE member and then you will be able to enroll in the Basics Mastery course. But of course, before you can play any table tennis stroke, you'll need to master some of the basics first. Feet slightly wider than shoulder width, body is crouched, arms are out in front of you with a bend at the elbow. » Table Tennis Strokes, Drills, and Selecting Equipment. This shot would normally be used when your opponent plays his shot in such a way that, if you didn't hit the ball, it would bounce at least twice on your side of the table, i.e. We’re going to go through all of the major strokes, including; the push, the drive, the smash, the topspin, the flick/flip, the block, the backspin defence, and the balloon defence. The strike is the forward movement, towards the ball. when the ball it at its highest point) using 50% of your stroke action before hitting the ball and 50% after hitting the ball. The push is a softer shot and therefore requires more feel and less weight transfer/power. The racket angle should be slightly closed to impart topspin. The bat angle should stay open throughout the shot and you’ll want to make contact at the peak of the bounce or slightly earlier. These links are identified by having an asterisk (*) by its side. The angle at the elbow should have opened but the arm should still be slightly bent. Okay, now that you’ve mastered grip, stance and footwork lets look at the four basic table tennis strokes…. The four shots are; I’ve written about each of the four strokes in more detail in their own post. Contact Me  |   If you’d like to see all of that visually, here’s a video of a Coach Tao Li, a professional Chinese table tennis player and coach, teaching the basics of the forehand drive to a young student. Hopefully, you’ve now got an understanding of the four basic table tennis strokes. Pull it … Some players find the backhand drive harder to master. Types of shots In table tennis, the strokes break down into generally offensive (producing topspin) and defensive (producing backspin). Learning with a bat like this can have detrimental effects on your game as you learn to compensate for your poor quality bat with an unorthodox technique. Ready Position. I teach it immediately after the backhand drive as the stance/ready position needed for the shot is identical. There is also a wide selection of other free and premium online table tennis courses for you to check out. Keep everything else the same as it was in the stance. The purpose of this stroke is to stop your opponent from playing an attacking stroke, so you should try to make sure that your shot also stays short over the net. The racket angle should be slightly closed, and by keeping a loose wrist you can impart topspin as you move your arm forward. The key things you need to remember are, rotating your body  to the right from your hips and shifting your weight onto your back foot. Here's a video demonstration of the backhand drive. It’s filled with all my best technical coaching articles and will give you the sequence and progression you need to fully develop all the important technical skills of the game. The backswing is the first movement after you’ve seen the ball. Step 4: Relax your wrist. He created the course to help players to learn basic table tennis skills and improve their practice. All games of tennis consist of six basic strokes: the serve, forehand groundstroke, backhand groundstroke, forehand volley, backhand volley, and the overhead smash. Body crouched (leaning forwards) and weight on the balls of your feet (not your heels). You should strike somewhere between the back and bottom of the ball. The best ways to Learn How to Play Table Tennis is by practicing these 10 Basic Table Tennis Strokes, which are adapted to the modern table tennis. The 6 basic “strokes” are the fundamental movements a player performs to hit a tennis ball. Spin exceptions are the smash, block, and lob. The stance, the backswing, the strike and the finish. This is a drive so the bat angle should be slightly closed. » so you should try to make sure that your shot lands close to your opponent's baseline or sideline. As with the forehand drive, I break the backhand drive down into four parts. Instead, just bring the bat back towards your body. To play this stroke, stand close to the table and take a stance facing the line of play. Lob is another defensive stroke. I started day one of Werner Schlager Week yesterday with nine table tennis tips from Werner focusing on the area of service and service return.Today, our attention switches to stroke development. An easy way to find out if your bat is dead is to hold a table tennis ball and rub it over the surface of your rubber. Top-level players rarely use this technique, but it is very famous among amateurs. In table tennis there are four strokes that form the fundamentals of stroke play. This means that your feet should be facing the direction of play. Table tennis is relatively easy to learn on a basic level, but understanding the various strokes can be rather confusing to many players. Adverts appear automatically on my site, provided by third parties, and are not directly controlled by me. The strokes demonstrations are done by a professional table tennis player and recorded with a hi-speed camera. Get all of these parts correct and you’ll have a pretty good basic forehand drive. The purpose of this stroke is to play aggressively and stop your opponent from playing an attacking stroke, so you should try to make sure that your shot lands close to your opponent's baseline or sideline. They’ve got a huge selection of free and premium table tennis courses from the world’s leading coaches, including; Tao Li, Brian Pace, Samson Dubina, Tom Lodziak, and many more. It important to ‘brush’ the ball using the rubber rather than ‘tapping’ it with the blade. The finish should leave the bat in front of your body, having followed the line of the ball. Table tennis, ball game similar in principle to lawn tennis and played using a lightweight hollow ball and paddles on a flat table divided into two equal courts by a net. Some of the types of these offensive strokes include Speed drive, Loop drive, Smash, Counter drive, … Start by standing close to the end line, facing the table. Without a solid foundation in the basics of table tennis, you will struggle to use the advanced techniques of elite players successfully. The backhand push is arguably the easiest of the four basic table tennis strokes. Their techniques are a little bit different because of the micro-adjustment in table tennis. The strokes demonstrations are done by a professional table tennis player and recorded with a hi-speed camera. Here’s another video of Coach Tao Li going through the shot with a young beginner and giving some nice demonstrations himself. Table Tennis Strokes has 30 video loops recorded in a real-life table tennis environment performed by a professional table tennis player. He created the course to help players to learn basic table tennis skills and improve their practice. The difficulty here is to follow the ball rather than swiping across your body. Step 2: Drop down the head of the racket. The backhand push is arguably the easiest of the four basic table tennis strokes. This web site receives thousands of visitors every day and therefore, to keep it completely free to use, advertising and affiliate links appear on this web site. To gain access to the course, all you need to do is join Table Tennis University as a FREE member and then you will be able to enroll in the Table Tennis For Beginners course. The stance needs to go back to the forehand ready position you used for your forehand drive. In order to play a good game ping-pong, you need to master the basic strokes first. 6 table tennis tactics to improve your game. They do not cost you anything to use, and any products you choose to buy will not cost you any more than if you went directly to that web site. Enroll TODAY! Popularly known by the trademarked name Ping-Pong, it is a common recreational activity as well as a competitive Olympic sport. A lot of beginners bats are ‘dead’ and aren’t able to create spin. However, these adverts and affiliate links do not influence the advice and recommendations given on this web site. They’ll help you to develop new winning skills, break old bad habits, bust through frustrating plateaus, and play the best table tennis of your life. 3-phase shot explanation But, whilst consistency of strokes is important, the above practice drills don't involve much movement, particularly the side to side movement which usually occurs during a table tennis … Certainly in my role as a coach this is the shot I’ve seen beginners struggling with the most. 3-phase shot explanation See the below table for some information regarding the basic strokes of Table Tennis. If you’re serious about becoming an elite, well-respected table tennis player you need to join TableTennisUniversity.com! Here's a video demonstration of the forehand drive. Common mistakes involve players using too much wrist or trying to play the shot from their shoulder (which lifts the ball). About Me  |   The purpose of this stroke is to stop your opponent from playing an attacking stroke, so you should try to make sure that your shot is also played short over the net. short over the net. Finally, don’t forget to get back to your ready position so you can play the next shot! Here are two FREE courses available to all members…. If you are right-handed you will probably want to bring it back so that it is just above your left hip. In table tennis, as in most sports, it’s paramount to get the technical basics correct. So there you have it. This may be because the ‘backswing’ required is very different, or often they have played other racket sports and already have a wrong technique established, or they may simply have spent a lot less time playing backhand shots in general. The stance is the same as that used for the backhand drive. Strokes - An introduction to the various strokes Stroke: It can feel quite unnatural at first and is made even more difficult if the feed is bad, as it often is if two beginners are playing together. Your arm should still have a slight bend in it (not finish completely straight) and just recover to your ready position and anticipate the next shot. You should be turned predominately sideways with the front foot at approximately a 45 degree-angle pointing towards the netpost.Play… A list of some of the frequently used terms is given below. AllAboutTableTennis.com (AATT) is completely free to use. Mastering them is one of the most critical steps towards playing a consistent game that avoids a player’s biggest enemy: the unforced error. Then you should move on to the forehand drive, followed by the backhand drive, and finally the hardest of the four basic table tennis strokes - the forehand push. Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small rackets.The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. It’s a comprehensive guide to buying your first table tennis bat, telling you what to look for and what to avoid! The key to this stroke is fluidity, rotation, and use of the entire body to snap upward into the shot. From the void deck to your local Community Centre or sports complex, you can see players from the age of five to 85 enjoying the game. From the strike the bat should move forwards and up. 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