How to play a player with long pips out ping pong racket?
Don¡¯t let them attack. Long pips can only attack against backspin, or sometimes against a short and weak topspin or no-spin ball. So keep the ball deep, and usually either put no spin on the ball (and so get a no spin ball back) or give topspin (and so usually get a slower backspin ball return).
Take a step off the table, and return with a topspin drive of some sort. By backing off the table, you have time to react. By putting topspin on the ball, the ball arcs onto the table, and stops the long-pips player from attacking with the long pips again.
Stay at the table, open your racket, and be willing to lose a number of points as you get used to this.
Play against players who attack with long pips in practice as often as possible until you get used to it.
Sidespin serves that break away tend to be more effective
A backhand sidespin serve tends to be more effective to an opponent¡¯s forehand, while a forehand pendulum serve tends to be more effective to an opponent¡¯s backhand. This is because the racket angle needed to return these sidespins is less natural when done this way. This doesn¡¯t mean only serving these serves to the side that¡¯s less comfortable, only generally serving it more to that side. Each opponent is different, so try out each combination and see what happens.
What are my table tennis player styles?
? PIPS-OUT ATTACKER - Pips-out Attackers generally stand within three feet of the table. The contact point on all strokes is as early as possible, top of the bounce, or on the rise. This is a forehand-dominated style with the player exhibiting a strong quick pivot move to use the forehand from the backhand side. The success of this style is based on speed, not spin, thus pips-out rubber is ideal. Example: David Zhuang
? POWER LOOPER - This is a forehand-dominated style featuring a strong point winning forehand loop stroke. Players of this style end each point as quickly as possible. They will use a backhand loop to open a point, but then step-a-round and use their forehand loop to end the point. Example: Brian Pace
? ALL-ROUND ATTACKER This athlete typically exhibits a wide variety of attacking strokes executed with almost equal strength from both sides, and the ability to adapt his game to attack the opponent's weaknesses. Players of this style can produce topspin attacking shots from any position or distance from the table. Example: Cheng Yinghua
? COUNTER DRIVER - Often referred to as "walls", this style plays close to the table. Using forehand and backhand counter-drives and blocks, this style seeks to force their opponents into making errors. Example: Geng Lijuan
? MID-DISTANCE AGGRESSIVE LOOPER - This style prefers to stay within six to eight feet from the table. Their longer topspin strokes carry considerable power and spin, from either the forehand or backhand. Example: Zoran Primorac
? ATTACKING CHOPPER - This style can best be thought of as an attacker who uses underpin to set up their attacking shots. Players of this style most often use two different racket surfaces and will flip the racket to produce great variation in their defense and their attack. Example: Derek May
? CLOSE-TO-THE-TABLE DEFENDER This style is built around a chop/blocking game executed from close to the table. Players of this style use underpin blocks to force weak topspin shots from their opponents. They will then attack the weak topspin with a well placed drive or loop. Example: Gao Jun
? DEVELOPING PLAYER- This person has not yet played long enough to develop a set style. However, he/she wishes to purchase a Professional Quality Racket to give him/her the best opportunity to advance. We recommend starting out with a medium speed blade and a mid-level rubber. This combination will allow you to learn any style. The rubber can be upgraded in the future as necessary
Is time to try out new table tennis equipment!
Tired of getting useless presents for the Christmas/Hanukkah holidays? Well, here¡¯s your chance to put together a list of table tennis equipment you¡¯ve always wanted to try out. Make a list of rackets, sponge, whatever. Then assign each item to a different family member, and give them your list. Presto! You can now try each of these items out! Side issue ¨C you probably have to give each of these family members a present as well. Here¡¯s your chance to introduce them to table tennis!
Have a Happy Holiday Season, even if you don¡¯t get all the table tennis equipment you hope for!
How to move faster during a ping pong game?
Most players look to see where their opponent hits the ball before deciding if they have to move or not. You¡¯ll be much faster if you assume you will have to move, and flex your knees in preparation for moving, even before you know which way you are moving. Since you should be moving to nearly every ball - how often does the opponent just happen to hit the ball right into your forehand or backhand pocket? - How fast you are able to do this makes a big difference. Assume you will have to move to every ball and you¡¯ll move much faster.
How to blocking?
One of the most common reason players have trouble blocking against heavy topspin is because they hold the racket too high. This would seem to make it easier to keep the ball down, but what really happens is that players end up holding their racket at different heights for different blocks, and so cannot really ingrain the proper racket angles. Instead, make sure to hold the racket pretty low, and take the ball off the bounce. This will allow a player to get a feel for the proper racket angle against a heavy topspin loop. It will also make sure you take the ball quickly, which not only makes the shot more effective, but catches the ball before the ball can jump because of the topspin, and so increases consistency.
Never, Ever, EVER!!!
Do that thing you did in your last tournament that cost you a match, and that you promised yourself that you would never do again.
How to increase table tennis forehand looping power?
If you are the type of player who has trouble generating power when looping, try out these two tips, and you'll be surprised at the improvement.
First, keep your legs farther apart. Second, contact the ball more from your side.
By following these two tips, you'll automatically put more body weight into the shot. If your basic technique is roughly correct but you don't have good power, these two steps will probably be a huge help.
How to serving long ball?
? There is a particularly good pattern for serving long to most players. Try these two combos:
? Serve long to the wide backhand, and following with an aggressive shot right back at the wide backhand;
? Serve long to the middle (opponent¡¯s playing elbow), and follow with an aggressive shot right back at the middle.
? In both cases the opponent will often be caught moving back into position after the first return, and will be going the wrong way when you make an aggressive shot right back to the same spot.
? When serving to the wide backhand, it helps if you can serve a sidespin serve that breaks into the opponent¡¯s wide backhand.
How to maximize your chances of winning?
Most players put pressure on themselves because they want to win very badly. However; putting pressure on yourself will usually make you play worse. If your goal is to win at table tennis, then to maximize your chances of winning, make your goal to play well and dominate the match with good shots and tactics. Making winning the primary goal is counter-productive.
What is high toss serve?
A player tosses the ball higher than the head and uses gravity?s influence to add speed and/or spin to the serve.
How to do shadow Practice to help your skill?
Spend a few minutes each day shadow practicing. Using a regular ping pong racket, a weighted racket, or just an imaginary one, shadow practices your drives, loops and footwork especially. Yes, you may look silly (close your office door!), but your opponent will look even sillier that night when you show up with looser muscles and in better shape, with grooved stroke.
How to keep score in table tennis game?
Preliminary matches are often the best of 5 games. CHAMPIONSHIP matches are often the best of 7 or 9 games.
2. After deciding the serve (flip of coin), each player will serve TWO points each.
3. If a player serves a net ball (called a 'let serve'), the point is replayed. (There are no limits to the number of let serves a player may serve.)
4. The server in singles can serve anywhere: short, long, straight, or cross-court. Only in doubles do you have to serve diagonally from your right court to the opponent's right court.
5. If you volley the ball while it is still above the table surface, you lose the point.
6. If you move the table, or touch it with your free hand, during the rally, you lose the point.
7. If a you or your clothing touches the net or post during the rally, you lose the point.
8. If you hit the ball twice in succession, you lose the point.
9. If your shot hits a wall, the ceiling, or misses the opponent's side of the table, you lose the point.
10. Change ends of the table after each game.
11. The player who serves at the beginning of a game is the receiver at the beginning of the next game.
12. After the first player scores the 5th point in the final game of the match, change ends. If you forgot to change at 5, then change as soon as you realize it.
13. If your opponent distracts you by talking or yelling while the ball is in play, play a let.
14. At 10-10, the score is called "Deuce". A player must then win by 2 points. Alternate serves until one player has a 2-point lead.
15. Shake hands after every match to show good sportsmanship.
Watch top players to raise your own level of play
One of the best ways to improve your shots is get a good visual image of what your shots should look like just before playing. So one of the best ways to get these shots really going is to watch a top player executing these shots just before you play. You can do this live (if players are available) or watch a videotape. Alternatively, you might get a tape of yourself playing at your best (you might have to do a number of tapes to get this!), and watch that just before playing. You¡¯ll be surprised at how much it might help. (Many players learn to do this without a tape, by mental visualization.)
Using videotape to help your ping pong game.
? One of the least utilized methods for improving one's game, yet one of the easiest to do, is to study the way you play matches. What are your bread and butter shots? How do you win most of your points? What can you do to get these types of points to happen more often?
? The other thing to look for is how you are losing most of your points on. Is it serve return, your loop against backspin, or what? If you start really being aware of your weaknesses you can begin to work on practice drills to improve them.
? The other way to use videotape is to create a better mental image of your game. You may not know exactly what a stroke should look like, but most players have a general idea of what they should look like. If they see something on tape that is obviously wrong you can work on changing that technique. Once you have a better mental image of your game you can begin to realize more fully what your strengths and weaknesses are and begin to see what you must do to get to the next level.
? The other reason to videotape your matches is to measure your progress. You may not have the rating improvement you hope for every tournament, but if you are looking more fluid and making better choices in matches your results will start to show that.