Game tactics

Hi Alois and Jeff

When I play my brother in table tennis I usually play attacking and he just blocks it back however I usually miss the ball after a few shots. Can you think of a strategy I could use against someone who just blocks it back?

Hi Brett,

It is great that you are able to attack first. This is a good sign. There are a few areas you can work on to help you beat a blocker. The first is your own consistency. Practice your loop and try and hit as many balls on the table as you can. Record your results using the PingSkills Consistency Chart. You will find that you can improve quickly if you focus on this area. Simply by being able to hit more balls on the table you will increase you chances of winning the points. It will also allow you to be more patient and wait for an easy ball before going for a winner.

Secondly you can think more about your tactics. Try to figure out what your brother does not like. Start with the serve. Does your brother prefer the ball to be served short or long, to the forehand or backhand? Does he prefer backspin or sidespin serves?

Then look at which side he is better at blocking on. Is he a better blocker on the forehand or backhand. You can record all of this information in the PingSkills Vault so you don't forget it. Remember to keep updating it when you find out some new tactics!

Blockers tend to like to get into a rhythm with their strokes. So try varying the speed and spin of your loops and see if he finds it harder to keep blocking back your attacking strokes. I think that this variation will make a big difference to your results.

Armed with this information you can make it as difficult as possible for your brother.

Work hard and try to work out a few tactics to use and let me know how you get on.

Good luck.