Is it my bat or my technique

Table Tennis Strokes and Technique

Last updated 8 years ago

Christopher Dent

Christopher Dent Asked 8 years ago

hi Alois,

I use a donic dotec blade with an ergonomic handle which I really like, but when I change from a forehand shot to a backhand I turn my bat ever so slightly closed, and I feel It then doesn't sit quite right in my hand, should I change my technique, my bat  or persevere? thanks , christopher.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Christopher,

I think you just need to focus on the technique of your grip.  Try to find a comfortable position with your hand that will be good for both Forehand and backhand.  It may take a little adjusting.  Keep your hand nice and relaxed and see if you can find that sweet spot.


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Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago

Hi there,

First of all, make sure you use your DOTEC blade the right way. I was interested in those blades at some point and I played with one for 5 minutes. It's really not obvious to know what's the forehand side and what's the backhand, and I've read in forums that some held it the wrong way for years ! : o ) You can read about this here for example. And as you surely know, when you buy such blade, you have to specify whether your righthanded or lefthanded, because there are different. So if you have bought your blade second hand and didn't know this, you may have the wrong one.


Christopher Dent

Christopher Dent Posted 8 years ago

Thanks for the comment Jean, yes I hold it the right way, and it feels very comfortable on the forehand, It;s when I turn it a little closed on the backhand , because  its a little closed it doesn't feel quite so stable in my hand .


Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago

That's odd, I though that the backhand was actually more open than the forehand with this handle.

The problem with the DOTEC's pronounced handle shape is that if you fully close your hand on it, the curve of the handle imposes a certain bat angle, whereas a standard handle is more neutral and gives more freedom of adjustment. So if that particular "DOTEC angle" suits you, perfect, you will always reproduce it very easily. If it doesn't, or if you want to be able to change it slightly for different types of shots, that can be a disadvantage.

I considered the DOTEC at some point just because of that: I thought that my backhand bat position was wrong and that this somewhat "orthopedic" handle would force me to correct it. I didn't pursue this idea because I couldn't find one that was light enough for me. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, maybe you're in a similar situation and maybe you could benefit from sticking to it. One thing though: don't hold it "wrong" in your hand to recover the bat angle you're used to. If it's really impossible to play, maybe try to adjust your wrist. Also try to find someone who uses a DOTEC blade and observe his backhand technique. In this video, the guy in blue uses one (now does he hold it properly? I can't tell).

Hope this helps.


Mark Jung

Mark Jung Posted 8 years ago

Jean kinda answered more than I can hope to, but I think it is possible that it just doesn't fit your hand (pictures of you holding it backhand and forehand might help). If you can confirm that this is the case, then it might be a good idea to sand it down. Don't be afraid to sand a blade if you know that's what will help (unless you're planning on reselling it).

Christopher Dent

Christopher Dent Posted 8 years ago

Thanks for the comments guys, but I think I might just  try Alois's solution, and try to use the grip as on my forehand without trying to adjust it for backhand.



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