Opponent doesn’t attack much
Table Tennis Match Strategy
Last updated 9 years ago
elias kreidy Asked 9 years ago
hello im a beginner in table tennis ( been playing for about 10 months in total) i usually play a bit at school and I've been having issues playing with 1 particular person who just plays Forehand with a very weak and rare backhand also he doesn’t attack the ball much and when he does he rarely succeeds as it mostly goes into the net if the ball came to him a bit low, also he leans into the table a lot and he hits the ball fast on the 2 different corners he has a good shakehand grip for control as he puts his finger a bit high on the racket.
On the other hand, personally i enjoy doing hard serves and attacking all types of strokes/serves, also I’m a bit more comfortable using my backhand as i used not to play forehand until recently. but i always win everyone exept that particular person as I don’t feel like i have control on the table against him, I always tend to drop the ball on the net every time I attack as well as I find myself losing balance with him playing on my very backhand corner then on the opposite corner.
I would be very thankful if you could tell me what that kind of players's weeknesses are ? / or whatever things i should know.
Thanks in advance for your time :)
Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago
Hi Elias,
This type of player can be frustrating to play but they do help us to learn to attack better.
The key is to make the attack on one of the early balls in the rally before they have time to get settled into their defensive mode.
Work on playing serves that will set you up for the third ball attack. Then work on your Forehand Topspin Off Backspin stroke. This is an absolutely crucial stroke to overcome these types of players.
In the rally then target his backhand if you feel that is his weak side.
You could even try to serve some long and fast serves to different places on the table so that you can get a more open rally that will help you attack.
Thoughts on this question
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elias kreidy Posted 9 years ago
thanks alot for the advice!
I did play a long & fast sidespin serve on his very forehand side today and he had a very hard time reaching on time and returning well ,as he stands on the very backhand side.
also i targetted his backhand with short fast shots in a very hard spot and he failed to return it each and every time.
the 1st time he won 15-13 and the 2nd time i won 11-8 so i guess i improved.
theres 1 more thing i'll need to work on , thats my forehand topspin as you said.
my problem is that i dont have much time to play at school as we have few tables and we are many, i also cant find a club nearby to practice at as well as the equipment we use, eh, i dont think its very good on grips, which doesnt help either ( i use a premade bat) and the balls we use have that Line i dont know what its called but somewhere in your videos you said that these types of balls have a flat zone. but i cant find the good type of balls nearby .
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Hi Elias,
It is good that you are improving. Keep working on your game and your strategies.
As far as a finding a club, keep searching or see if there is a small group of players that you can find to practice with. Take your bat with you wherever you go. It may be good to also buy a few better balls. The ones with a seam are not very good and will have varying bounce.