Forehand breakdown since backhand developed

Strokes and Technique

Linh Vu
Linh Vu Asked 7 years ago

My games were based on the forehand slow spiny loops to win. Since the transition to plastic balls, I have found myself in a disadvantage position. I cannot impart enough spin on the plastic balls to make enough dents on my opponent's defense/block.

I discovered that backhand strokes could generate a lot more spin. Now my games are based on the backhand spiny loops/flicks to win. It is so effective. I rarely use my forehand for attack as it is not effective. As a result, I have unbalanced games: strong attack on backhand, block/defense on forehand. It requires a lot of footwork as the ball is in the forehand and I use my backhand.

Forehand

Good: aggressive push, aggressive block, outstanding loop against backspin (which generates a lot of spin and wins points)

Bad: attacks do not result in winning points. The balls keep coming back to me. My attacks are not consistent, do not have enough spin, are too slow, are predictable in the placement/direction/spin/speed.

Why is my backhand so good after only 8 months of practice? Before that, I avoided using backhand for anything much less for attacks?

I have been playing my forehand for 20 years. I do not exaggerate. My forehand now is not even one third as good as my backhand. I am afraid to use my forehand. I avoid using my forehand if I can. How can I improve my forehand in general?

Do other players experience the same issue with the plastic balls (much less spin)?

My strokes forehand or backhand do not generate any sound or noise at all. That means very thin contact between my racket and the balls. To maximize speed, I close my racket. My racket is nearly parallel to the floor. To maximize spin, I open my racket. My racket is vertical, perpendicular to the floor. In any cases, no sound no noise. Occasionally, I make sound noise when I hit the balls. But only 10% of the times. However, more than 95% players in my club make loud noise sound when they hit the balls. Which way is the correct way to hit the balls?

Thanks, Linh 

 

 

 

 


Alois Rosario
Alois Rosario Answered 7 years ago

Hi Linh,

I think there is slightly less spin with the plastic balls but I think you can still pay a similar game with them.

I think the issue probably lies with the positioning at the table.  Often when we work on one side we develop a bias to that side with our legs.  It will be a slightly turning of the legs to your backhand side.  See if you can focus on this for a week or so and see if it improves your forehand side a little.

The louder the sound the flatter the contact is.  The less sound tends to be a more brushing contact.  There isn't a right and wrong, just different types of contact.


Thoughts on this question


Francisco Cespedes Grau

Francisco Cespedes Grau Posted 7 years ago

If you want to hit the ball faster, then you need to make it sound, I had the same problem like you, I used to close the racket too much when I wanted to hit the ball faster, if you want to hit a fast topspin you need to make it sound louder, for slow spin it's ok your contact


Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 7 years ago

Many players are complaining that the plastic ball reduces the amount of spin that can be generated. What surprizes me though is went you write that "I discovered that backhand strokes could generate a lot more spin". Do you mean "more than before you practiced your backhand" or "more than the forhand stroke "? According to what you write next (i.e. that you made your backhand your dominant side to generate topspins), it looks like it's "more than with the forhand", and that is odd. Unless you have some very unique physical abilities, anyone should be able to generate more spin with the forehand than with the backhand, because the forehand swing is much wider than the backhand swing. That is true whatever the ball you're using. So if indeed you generate more spin with the forehand than with the backhand, there is certainly something to improve in your forehand topspin technique.


Linh Vu

Linh Vu Posted 7 years ago

I would like to clarify my original questions to the coach and all readers

I won the tournament yesterday at my club for players USATT 1500-1750. My rating is USATT 1600. I played a total of 6 players. I beat all 6 players USATT 1500-1750 to become the champion. I attacked all of my opponents' serves, serve returns, and rallies with my backhand flicks/banana flicks/loops to their backhand. My backhand shots had so much spin (no speed or were slow). All of my opponents misread how much spin on the balls as the balls were relatively slow. I won straight 9 out of 10 on the first attack shots. I did not have to attack the second time. single shots and I win the points. The balls flied off their rackets all the way to the roof. They all had ZLC zhang Jike blade with Tenergy 05 on both sides. I had Yinhe T11+ with DHS Hurricane 3-50 2.1mm hardness on both sides.

Their weak backhand technique and their underestimation of the spin on my backhand shots rendered their ability to return the balls back to me. They were simply not used to that much spin. They were used to fast balls. My shots were simply too. They created a lot of troubles for my opponents. 

On the other hand, I attacked with my forehand loop. The shots were 1/2 to 1/3 the spin of my backhand shots. The shots were also 3 times faster than my backhand shots. I forehand looped to their forehand. All six opponents could block my forehand loops relatively easily. The balls kept coming back 10-20 times. Finally, 9 out 10 of cases, I will lose the points due unforced errors, lobbing, punch back, aggressive block, counter loop, and my IMPATIENCE. 

All 6 players told me that they could return my forehand loops because the balls were FAST ENOUGH and not ENOUGH SPIN. They told me that if I could forehand loop like my backhand loops (tremendous amount of spin but extremely slow), they would lose the point on the first attack (like my backhand attack). 

I don't know how to forehand loop like that. Do you have any suggestions?

The power of a shot is a combination of spin and speed. Players like Ma Long can generate a lot of speed as well as spin. 

I cannot play like ma long. I can only maximize spin or speed but not both. All of the players I have met all said the backhand inherently generates more spin but less speed. The forehand on the other hand can generate more speed but less spin. 

This is the reason I wrote backhand generates more spin than forehand fundamentally. I choose to generate more spin to win the games. To generate more spin, I need to brush the balls extremely thin. 

 

 

 

 

orehand fundamentally. It is correct for most players.


Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 7 years ago

"All of the players I have met all said the backhand inherently generates more spin but less speed." If you're talking about a flick, I agree. If you're talking about a loop (a shot you play behind the table), I definitively don't. You should send a video, in order for a coach to be able to tell you why your forehand loop isn't very spinny.


Johan B

Johan B Posted 7 years ago

Sounds like you should practice aiming those fast forehands at their elbow or wider


Linh Vu

Linh Vu Posted 7 years ago

I think Johan B is right. when the ball is easy (high ball in the table) on my forehand, I forehand loop to my opponent's forehand (I am right hand shakehand, my opponent is right hand shakehand). To keep it consistent, I reduce power. I can forehand loop 10 out of 10 of such easy balls. The problem is the balls keep coming back. My opponents have ample time to get to defense position. The balls come back again and again. I lose points. 

I changed strategy. I hit harder. I made mistakes or the balls came back even faster. At the moment, I don't know how loop to my opponent's far wide forehand, elbow and belly button, or their backhand.

I changed strategy again. 3 out of 4 times, I forehand slow spiny loop. I put in as much spin as possible (brush the ball vertically) with little speed and kept the balls as low as possible. My opponents had a lot of trouble their expected fast attack for such easy balls. Anyway, my opponents were able to return the balls (unlike my backhand loops, lose the points outright).

The balls come back with a lot of spin (from my slow spiny loop). I could then smash the balls or forehand power (speed loop). To my surprise, I won a lot of points. why do I win with such easy strategy? I don't understand. 

Why could my opponents block easily after the first fast loop attack? Why could my opponents not block my follow up fast loop attack after a very slow spiny loop? 

Some players were smart. They punched or countered loop my spiny slow loops. Because I did not anticipation such attacks, I lost those points. The majority (more than 80%) did not do that. They passively blocked my slow spiny loops instead.  

1 out of 4 times, I pretended to forehand power loop (same body motion). Instead, I put some speed but almost no spin.

Because the balls were fast enough, they counter attack. The balls went to the net. They misread the spin on the balls. There were no spin on the balls. Linh


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Thanks Linh.  Good to hear.  It often depends on what your opponent is expecting.  Variation is always good, even if you might think it is a less quality ball.


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